2001 Toyota Prius Car Insurance Cost

Want better insurance rates? Drivers have lots of choices when trying to find affordable Toyota Prius insurance. They can either spend hours struggling with agents getting price quotes or save time using the internet to get rate quotes.

There are more efficient ways to find insurance online and you need to know the best way to get price quotes for a Toyota and locate the lowest price from both online companies and local agents.

How much does car insurance cost?

Most of the larger companies provide prices direct online. Getting online quotes doesn’t take much effort because you just enter as detailed in the form. After the form is submitted, their system orders your credit score and driving record and returns a price based on the information you submitted.

This makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the time it takes to visit multiple sites and enter the same data into a form gets old quite quickly. But it’s also necessary to have as many quotes as possible in order to get a lower rate.

The preferred way to compare car insurance pricing uses just one form that gets prices from a lot of companies. It’s a real time-saver, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes price shopping online much simpler. Once the form is submitted, it gets priced and you can select your choice of the resulting price quotes.

If the quotes result in lower rates, you can click and sign and purchase coverage. This process can be completed in a matter of minutes and may save quite a bit of money.

In order to use this form to compare rates, simply click here to open in new window and begin entering your coverage information. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you input the coverages identical to your current policy. Using the same limits helps guarantee you are getting comparison quotes for the exact same coverage.

Do you qualify for discount insurance coverage?

Car insurance can cost a lot, but companies offer discounts that may help make it more affordable. Many discounts should be triggered at the time of purchase, but some discounts are required to be manually applied in order for you to get them.

  • Payment Discounts – By making one initial payment instead of paying each month you can actually save on your bill.
  • Bundled Policy Discount – If you combine your home and auto policies with the same insurance company you may earn approximately 10% to 15%.
  • Anti-theft Discount – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles can help prevent theft and can earn a small discount on your policy.
  • Student Discounts – Being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The discount lasts up to age 25.
  • Employee of Federal Government – Federal government employees can earn a discount up to 10% for Prius coverage depending on your company.
  • Driving Data Discount – Insureds that choose to allow companies to monitor driving patterns by using a telematics device like Allstate’s Drivewise could save a few bucks if they show good driving skills.
  • Professional Organizations – Belonging to qualifying clubs or civic groups may earn a discount on your policy.
  • Driver Training Discounts – Taking part in a defensive driver course is a good idea and can lower rates and also improve your driving technique.
  • College Student Discount – Older children who live away from home at college and do not take a car to college can be insured at a reduced rate.
  • Low Mileage – Maintaining low annual mileage may enable drivers to earn discounted insurance coveragerates on garaged vehicles.

Just know that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Despite the fact that it seems like you could get a free insurance coverage policy, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy. But any discount will reduce your policy premiums.

A list of companies and some of their more popular discounts are outlined below.

  • State Farm has discounts for multiple policy, passive restraint, defensive driving training, Drive Safe & Save, good driver, and accident-free.
  • Progressive has savings for online signing, homeowner, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy.
  • Progressive offers premium reductions for multi-vehicle, multi-policy, continuous coverage, online quote discount, online signing, homeowner, and good student.
  • MetLife offers discounts for defensive driver, good student, good driver, accident-free, and claim-free.
  • Farm Bureau policyholders can earn discounts including renewal discount, good student, youthful driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, driver training, and safe driver.
  • Geico may have discounts that include air bags, military active duty, seat belt use, good student, five-year accident-free, anti-theft, and emergency military deployment.
  • SAFECO includes discounts for accident prevention training, drive less, safe driver, anti-lock brakes, multi-car, anti-theft, and bundle discounts.

When quoting, ask every prospective company what discounts are available to you. Savings might not apply everywhere.

What insurance coverages do I need?

When it comes to buying adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Every insured’s situation is different.

These are some specific questions could help you determine whether you would benefit from professional advice.

  • Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
  • I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
  • Should I buy only the required minimum liability coverage?
  • Does my 2001 Toyota Prius qualify for pleasure use?
  • I have a DUI can I still get coverage?
  • When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
  • Which is better, split liability limits or combined limits?
  • Do I have coverage when making deliveries for my home business?
  • How do I insure my teen driver?
  • Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.

Why smart consumers pay less for Toyota Prius insurance

Part of the auto insurance buying process is learning some of the things that aid in calculating your policy premiums. When you understand what determines premiums, this allows you to make good choices that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices. Lots of factors are used when quoting car insurance. Some factors are common sense like your driving record, but other criteria are less obvious like where you live or how financially stable you are.

The list below includes some of the factors that factor into prices.

  • Cheaper to insure females? – Statistics have proven women are more cautious behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that females are better drivers. They both cause accidents at about the same rate, but men get into accidents with more damage. In addition to higher claims, males also get ticketed for serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Males from age 16 to 21 have the highest risk to insure so it costs more to insure them.
  • Policy add-ons can waste money – There are a lot of additional coverages that may not really be needed on your auto insurance policy. Insurance for roadside assistance, high-cost glass coverage, and term life insurance may be wasting your money. The coverages may be enticing initially, but your needs may have changed so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
  • Liability protection safeguards assets – Liability coverage will provide protection if ever you are found to be at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. This coverage provides legal defense coverage starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
  • Fewer miles means better premiums – The more you drive in a year the more it will cost to insure it. Many insurance companies price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how much you drive. Cars and trucks that sit idle most of the time receive lower rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Incorrect rating for your Prius can cost quite a bit. Verify your auto insurance coverage states how each vehicle is driven, because improper ratings can cost you money.
  • Theft deterrents lowers rates – Owning a car with a theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart auto theft.
  • Traffic violations inflate rates – Drivers with clean records receive lower rates than their less careful counterparts. Having just one speeding ticket may cause rates to rise substantially. Drivers with dangerous violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions might be required by their state to file a SR-22 with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to prevent their license from being revoked.
  • Insurance is expensive for younger drivers – Older insureds are more cautious drivers, tend to cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers.Teenage drivers are statistically shown to be inattentive when behind the wheel therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.

Insurance advertising tricks

Consumers can’t avoid all the ads for cheaper car insurance from companies such as Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to make the promise about saving some big amount if you move your car insurance coverage to their company.

Is it even possible that every company can charge lower premium rates? This is the trick they use.

All the different companies have underwriting criteria for the driver that earns them the most money. A good example of a driver they prefer could possibly be a mature driver, has few claims, and does not commute to work. Anyone who matches those parameters will get a cheap rate quote as well as save if they switch.

Potential insureds who cannot meet those standards must pay a more expensive rate which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The wording the ads use say “drivers that switch” not “everybody who quotes” can get the lowest rates when switching. That is how companies can truthfully make it sound like they have such great rates.

That is why it is so important to get price quotes at each policy renewal. It’s not possible to predict with any certainty which company will be your best fit.

Detailed coverages of your car insurance policy

Understanding the coverages of your policy can help you determine the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Collision protection

Collision insurance pays for damage to your Prius caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage pays for things like crashing into a ditch, crashing into a building, backing into a parked car and colliding with another moving vehicle. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. You can also choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Medical expense coverage

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for bills like rehabilitation expenses, dental work, prosthetic devices, pain medications and chiropractic care. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not available in all states and may carry a deductible

Comprehensive protection

Comprehensive insurance pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as falling objects, fire damage and hitting a deer. The most a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Liability

Liability insurance will cover damage that occurs to other people or property that is your fault. It protects you against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have policy limits of 50/100/50 which means a limit of $50,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Another option is one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability coverage pays for things like court costs, medical services, bail bonds, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and structural damage. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage

This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your Toyota Prius.

Due to the fact that many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important. Usually these coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

Be a penny pincher

When you buy insurance online, don’t be tempted to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are too many instances where someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits to discover at claim time that it was a big mistake. The aim is to find the BEST coverage at the best possible price while not skimping on critical coverages.

We just covered a lot of tips how to save on 2001 Toyota Prius insurance. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding the cheapest insurance. Consumers could even find that the most savings is with a smaller regional carrier.

Discount 2001 Toyota Prius insurance is definitely available both online in addition to many insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who may not provide online quoting and many times these smaller providers work with independent agencies.

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