2012 Toyota Prius c Insurance Quotes – 7 Ideas for Best Rates

I really doubt anyone rejoices having to buy insurance, especially when the cost is too high. Insurance companies such as Geico, Farmers Insurance and State Farm promote their brand names with ads and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.

Consumers should take time to compare rates yearly due to the fact that insurance prices fluctuate regularly. Just because you found the lowest rates on Prius c coverage last year there may be better deals available now. Ignore everything you know about insurance because we’re going to demonstrate one of the best ways to eliminate unnecessary coverages and save money.

If you are insured now or need a new policy, you will benefit by learning to cut your premiums and possibly find even better coverage. Buying car insurance is not that difficult. Vehicle owners only need an understanding of the most efficient way to get comparison rates on the web.

How much is auto insurance?

Shopping for lower auto insurance rates can be exhausting if you don’t understand the fastest way to get free quotes. You can waste a few hours (or days) driving to agents in your area, or you could use online quotes to accomplish the same thing much quicker.

Many insurance companies participate in an industry program where prospective buyers enter their policy data once, and at least one company returns a competitive quote. This prevents consumers from doing quote forms for each company.

To enter your information into the quoting system, click here (opens in new window).

The only downside to pricing coverage this way is you can’t choose the companies you will receive quotes from. If you wish to select specific providers to compare rates, we have a page of auto insurance companies in your area. Click to view list.

How you compare quotes is your choice, just ensure you are comparing nearly identical coverage information on every price quote you get. If you compare different data it’s not possible to find the best deal for your Toyota Prius c.

Do drivers who switch really save $441 a year?

Consumers can’t avoid all the ads that promise big savings for switching by State Farm, Geico and Progressive. All the companies have a common claim that you can save if you change your coverage to them.

That’s great but how can every company give you a better price? Here is how they do it.

Insurance providers look for specific characteristics for the type of customer that will not have excessive claims. A good example of this type of risk profile might have to be married and over the age of 30, has a clear driving record, and has a high credit rating. A customer who meets those qualifications will get the preferred premium rates and will probably save if they switch.

Consumers who do not meet these stringent criteria will be quoted more expensive rates which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ad wording is “customers that switch” not “everybody who quotes” save the amount stated. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently make claims that they all have the best rates.

Because every company is different, you really need to get price quotes at each policy renewal. You cannot predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rate quotes.

Don’t overlook these seven insurance coverage discounts

Some insurers do not advertise all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the list below details both the well known as well as some of the hidden ways to save on insurance coverage.

  • Government Employee Discount – Having worked for a branch of the government could provide a small rate reduction on Prius c coverage depending on your insurance coverage provider.
  • Military Discounts – Having a deployed family member may qualify for rate reductions.
  • Discounts for New Vehicles – Insuring a vehicle that is new is cheaper since newer models have better safety ratings.
  • Paperless Signup – Some of the larger companies may give you up to $50 shop insurance coverage on the internet.
  • Braking Control Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have anti-lock braking systems prevent accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Discount for Passive Restraints – Factory air bags could see savings of up to 25% or more.
  • Homeowners Pay Less – Owning a home can get you a discount because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.

Don’t be shocked that most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. Most only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don’t profit that way. Any amount of discount should help reduce your insurance coverage premiums.

Auto insurance companies that may include most of these discounts include:

When comparing rates, check with all the companies which discounts they offer. Savings may not apply to policyholders in your state. To see a list of insurers that offer discounts, click this link.

When to get professional advice

When choosing proper insurance coverage, there is no best way to insure your cars. Every insured’s situation is different so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions can help discover if your situation may require specific advice.

  • If my 2012 Toyota Prius c is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
  • What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?
  • What happens if I owe more than my 2012 Toyota Prius c is worth?
  • Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
  • At what point should I drop full coverage?
  • Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?
  • Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
  • What is the ISO rating for a 2012 Toyota Prius c?
  • Is extra glass coverage worth it?
  • Are rock chip repairs covered?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can help protect your family.

Parts of your car insurance policy

Having a good grasp of car insurance helps when choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are the normal coverages offered by car insurance companies.

Collision insurance

This will pay to fix damage to your Prius c caused by collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as crashing into a building, driving through your garage door and scraping a guard rail. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers

This protects you and your vehicle from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for injuries to you and your family and damage to your Toyota Prius c.

Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Most of the time the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision)

Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as falling objects, damage from getting keyed and fire damage. The maximum amount your car insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Medical expense insurance

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for short-term medical expenses for things like surgery, funeral costs, nursing services and dental work. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Liability auto insurance

Liability insurance will cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show liability limits of 100/300/100 which means $100,000 bodily injury coverage, 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 limits claims to one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as pain and suffering, court costs and legal defense fees. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but consider buying as large an amount as possible.

Affordable insurance is out there

As you shop your coverage around, don’t be tempted to buy less coverage just to save a little money. In too many instances, consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that it was a big mistake. Your goal should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best possible price, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.

In this article, we presented a lot of information how to lower your 2012 Toyota Prius c insurance premium rates. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even find the lowest premium rates are with the smaller companies. Smaller companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm or Progressive.

Additional learning opportunities