Save on 2002 Toyota Prius Insurance Rates

Searching for lower insurance coverage rates for your Toyota Prius? Locating low-cost insurance for a new or used Toyota Prius can normally be difficult, but you can learn the following methods to find lower rates.

There are both good and bad ways to shop for insurance coverage so you’re going to learn the proper way to compare rates on a Toyota and locate the best price possible either online or from local insurance agents.

If you are insured now or are shopping for new coverage, you can use these tips to reduce the price you pay while maintaining coverages. Finding more affordable car insurance is not that difficult. Drivers only need an understanding of the tricks to find the lowest price online.

Comprehensive Auto Insurance Comparison

Finding a lower price on 2002 Toyota Prius insurance can be quick and easy. All you need to do is take a few minutes to get quotes provided by online insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

  • One of the simplest ways to get the best comparison quotes would be an industry-wide quote request form click to view form in new window. This type of form prevents you from having to do repetitive form submissions for each company you want a rate for. Filling out one form gets rate comparisons from multiple low-cost companies. It’s definitely the quickest method.
  • A slightly less efficient method to get quotes online consists of visiting the website for every company you want to comare and complete a new quote form. For sake of this example, we’ll pretend you want to compare rates from Auto-Owners, Safeco and GMAC. To get rate quotes you would need to take the time to go to each site and enter your policy data, and that’s why the first method is more popular. For a handy list of car insurance company links in your area, click here.

It’s up to you which method you use, but make absolute certain that you use identical coverages with each company. If you use different liability limits it will be impossible to make a fair comparison for your Toyota Prius.

Are you getting all your discounts?

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, buy you may qualify for discounts to help bring down the price. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you get a quote, but a few need to be specifically requested in order for you to get them. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.

  • Student in College – Youth drivers who live away from home and don’t have a car can receive lower rates.
  • E-sign – A handful of insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up on their website.
  • Anti-theft Discount – Anti-theft and alarm systems are stolen less frequently and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Discount for Good Grades – A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
  • Defensive Driver – Successfully completing a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.
  • Multiple Policy Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same company you may save approximately 10% to 15%.
  • Service Members Pay Less – Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
  • Early Switch Discount – Some companies give discounts for switching to them before your current expiration date. It’s a savings of about 10%.
  • Homeowners Pay Less – Owning a house may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.
  • Government Employees – Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% for Prius insurance depending on your company.

Keep in mind that some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn’t work that way. But any discount will reduce the cost of coverage.

A partial list of companies that possibly offer these benefits include:

Double check with each insurance company which discounts you may be entitled to. Discounts might not be offered everywhere.

Tailor your coverage to you

When it comes to choosing coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a “best” method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

These are some specific questions might help in determining if your insurance needs will benefit from professional help.

  • Should I have a commercial auto policy?
  • How much underlying liability do I need for an umbrella policy?
  • What is no-fault insurance?
  • Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
  • What is an SR-22 filing?
  • Why do I need rental car insurance?
  • Am I covered if I hit a deer?
  • At what point should I drop full coverage?

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. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form. It only takes a few minutes and can provide invaluable advice.

Why your Toyota Prius insurance rates may be high

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that play a part in calculating insurance coverage rates. Knowing what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that can help you get better insurance coverage rates.

  • Proper usage rating affects rates – The more you drive every year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. The majority of insurers rate vehicles based on their usage. Vehicles used primarily for pleasure use qualify for better rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Double check that your insurance coverage policy is showing the correct driver usage. Incorrect usage on your Prius can result in significantly higher rates.
  • More than one policy can earn a discount – Many companies will give a discount to customers who consolidate policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even though this discount sounds good, you still need to comparison shop to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still find a better deal by buying insurance from more than one company.
  • Credit scores impact insurance coverage rates – A driver’s credit score is a big factor in your rate calculation. Consumers who have high credit ratings tend to be less risk to insure than drivers who have lower credit scores. Therefore, if your credit is low, you could save money insuring your 2002 Toyota Prius by improving your rating.
  • What are your deductibles? – Physical damage coverage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your Toyota. A few examples of covered claims are a windshield shattered by a rock, damage from fire, and windstorm damage. Deductibles for physical damage are how much you are willing to pay in the event of a claim. The more you have to pay, the lower your rates will be for Prius insurance.
  • Lower rates with optional equipment – Choosing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your insurance coverage. Anti-theft devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system can thwart auto theft.
  • Traffic citations inflate rates – Careful drivers get better rates than bad drivers. Only having one moving violation can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. If you have serious violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to file a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.

Insurance coverage breakdown

Understanding the coverages of your insurance policy aids in choosing the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.

Coverage for medical payments

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for immediate expenses such as doctor visits, funeral costs, nursing services and ambulance fees. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Auto liability

Liability insurance provides protection from damage that occurs to people or other property. It protects you from legal claims by others, and does not provide coverage for damage to your own property or vehicle.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see limits of 50/100/50 which means a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000. Alternatively, you may have a combined single limit or CSL which provides one coverage limit without having the split limit caps.

Liability coverage pays for things like medical expenses, structural damage, funeral expenses, legal defense fees and emergency aid. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying higher limits if possible.

Comprehensive coverages

This will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like damage from flooding, fire damage and hitting a deer. The most a 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.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family and also any damage incurred to your Toyota Prius.

Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family. Usually the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Collision coverage protection

Collision insurance pays for damage to your Prius resulting from colliding with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision can pay for claims like hitting a parking meter, crashing into a ditch and sideswiping another vehicle. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.

Don’t break the bank

Discount 2002 Toyota Prius insurance can be sourced on the web as well as from independent agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who don’t offer online price quotes and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, never reduce needed coverages to save money. In many cases, someone sacrificed physical damage coverage only to regret that the savings was not a smart move. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.

In this article, we covered a lot of ways to compare insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the lowest rates come from the least-expected company.

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