2011 Toyota RAV4 Car Insurance Rates

Want better car insurance rates for your Toyota RAV4? Trying to find better insurance prices for a Toyota RAV4 can be a painful process, but you can learn a few tricks to find lower rates.

There are both good and bad ways to shop for car insurance and you need to know the proper way to get price quotes for a new or used Toyota and get the lowest possible price either online or from local insurance agents.

It’s smart to get comparison quotes before your next renewal due to the fact that insurance prices are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Even if you got the lowest price for RAV4 insurance at your last renewal other companies may now be cheaper. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate one of the easiest ways to reduce your cost while improving coverage.

Five things that impact your insurance premiums

It’s important that you understand the rating factors that help determine the price you pay for car insurance. When consumers understand what determines base rates, this helps enable you to make changes that could result in cheaper rates. Many different elements are taken into consideration when pricing auto insurance. Some are obvious such as traffic violations, although others are not as apparent such as your credit history or how financially stable you are.

  • Are you male or female? – Statistics have proven that females tend to be a little less risky than males. It does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Males and females are in auto accidents at about the same rate, but the male of the species cause more damage. Not only are claims higher, but men have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers generally have the highest accident percentage and therefore pay the highest rates.
  • File a policy claims and pay more – If you file a lot of claims you can pretty much guarantee increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Companies provide better rates to people who are claim-free. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for claims that you cannot pay yourself.
  • More policies can equal more savings – The majority of companies apply lower prices to customers who buy several policies from them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Discounts can amount to as much as ten percent or more If you currently are using one company, it’s in your best interest to compare rates to verify if the discount is saving money. Drivers may still find better rates by splitting coverages up.
  • Cars with good safety ratings lower prices – Safer cars cost less to insure. Vehicles engineered for safety reduce the chance of injuries and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts and lower rates for you.
  • Single drivers take more risk – Having a wife or husband may earn you lower rates on your policy. Marriage may mean you are more mature than a single person and insurance companies like that married drivers tend to file fewer claims.

Earn discounts to get lower-cost car insurance quotes

Not many people think insurance is cheap, but there could be available discounts that could help you make your next renewal payment. Some of these disounts will be visible when you purchase, but occassionally some discounts must be asked for prior to getting the savings.

  • Discount for Life Insurance – Some insurance companies give a lower car insurance rate if you buy a life policy as well.
  • Military Discounts – Being on active deployment in the military could be rewarded with lower car insurance rates.
  • Distant College Student Discount – Kids who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from home and won’t have access to an insured vehicle may be able to be covered for less.
  • Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts may get savings of more than 20%.
  • Smart Student Discounts – Maintaining excellent grades can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Most companies allow this discount up to age 25.

You should keep in mind that some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn’t work that way.

To see a list of companies that offer many of these discounts, follow this link.

Save $462 a year. For real?

Consumers can’t avoid all the ads for the lowest price insurance by companies like Geico, State Farm and Progressive. All the ads tend to make the same promise that you’ll save big if you just switch your insurance policy to them.

How is it plausible that every one can save you money? It’s all in the words they use.

Insurance providers quote their cheapest rates for a prospective insured that will not have excessive claims. For example, a preferred risk may need to be over the age of 45, has a clear driving record, and does not commute to work. Any customer that matches those criteria receives the best prices and will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential insureds who may not quite match the “perfect” profile must pay a higher premium which translates to the customer buying from a different company. The trick companies use is to say “drivers that switch” not “all people who quote” save the amount stated. That is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings.

Each company has different criteria, so you really need to compare many company’s rates. It’s just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will have the best prices for your profile.

Tailor your car insurance coverage to you

When buying the best car insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

These are some specific questions might help in determining if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.

  • Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
  • Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
  • What happens if I owe more than my 2011 Toyota RAV4 is worth?
  • Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
  • What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
  • What is UM/UIM insurance?
  • Should I buy additional glass protection?
  • Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?
  • Is a blown tire covered by insurance?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form. It’s fast, free and can provide invaluable advice.

Detailed coverages of your insurance policy

Having a good grasp of insurance helps when choosing appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Liability coverages

Liability coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to people or other property by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see values of 100/300/100 which means a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000. Alternatively, you may have one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which combines the three limits into one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability can pay for claims like bail bonds, court costs, legal defense fees, loss of income and repair costs for stationary objects. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but buy as large an amount as possible.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage

This coverage provides protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Most of the time the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Collision protection

This coverage will pay to fix damage to your RAV4 from colliding with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage pays for things like damaging your car on a curb, hitting a mailbox, crashing into a ditch and colliding with a tree. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

Medical payments coverage and PIP

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for short-term medical expenses like pain medications, prosthetic devices, EMT expenses and X-ray expenses. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Comprehensive coverage

This coverage covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as vandalism, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, falling objects and rock chips in glass. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Spend less. Save more.

In this article, we covered some good ideas how you can lower your 2011 Toyota RAV4 insurance prices. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the better your comparison will be. Drivers may discover the best price on car insurance is with some of the smallest insurance companies.

A few companies may not provide online rate quotes and many times these smaller providers only sell coverage through independent insurance agencies. Budget-conscious 2011 Toyota RAV4 insurance can be found both online and also from your neighborhood agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from.

When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are many occasions where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time they didn’t have enough coverage. Your goal is to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate and still be able to protect your assets.

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