2011 Toyota Prius Insurance Quotes – 8 Ways to Save

Shopping for the lowest cost insurance coverage online can seem to be problematic for consumers new to price shopping online. With such a large number of companies competing online, how can drivers possibly compare them all to find the best available rates?

Consumers need to take a look at other company’s rates once or twice a year because insurance rates change regularly. Even if you got the best deal on Prius coverage on your last policy the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. So just forget anything you know (or think you know) about insurance coverage because we’re going to show you how to use the internet to save on insurance coverage.

Compare Auto Insurance Costs

Effectively comparing auto insurance prices can take time and effort if you don’t understand the easiest way. You can waste a few hours (or days) talking to insurance agencies in your area, or you could use the web to get prices fast.

The majority of car insurance companies participate in a marketplace that allows shoppers to submit their information once, and each participating company returns a rated price. This eliminates the need for repetitive form submissions for every auto insurance company. To compare 2011 Toyota Prius rates now click to open in new window.

The only drawback to getting quotes like this is you are unable to specify which providers you will receive quotes from. If you would rather choose specific insurance companies to receive pricing from, we have a page of low cost auto insurance companies in your area. Click to view list.

Whichever way you use, make sure you use exactly the same coverage limits with each company. If your comparisons have unequal deductibles or liability limits then you won’t be able to determine which rate is truly the best. Having just a slight variation in limits could mean much higher rates. And when price shopping your coverage, getting more free quotes will increase your chances of finding a better price.

Discounts on 2011 Toyota Prius insurance

Car insurance is not cheap, but there are discounts available that can drop the cost substantially. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you quote, but less common discounts must be asked for before you will receive the discount.

  • New Car Discount – Insuring a new car is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
  • Good Student – This discount can earn a discount of 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
  • Seat Belts Save – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
  • Life Insurance Discount – Select insurance companies reward you with a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
  • Memberships – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization is a good way to get lower rates on car insurance on Prius coverage.
  • Employee of Federal Government – Active or retired federal employment can save as much as 8% on Prius coverage with a few car insurance companies.
  • Distant Student – Any of your kids who live away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be able to be covered for less.
  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Driving fewer miles could be rewarded with discounted rates on garaged vehicles.

Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. A few only apply to individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it may seem like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down your overall premium however.

Companies that possibly offer some of the above discounts are:

It’s a good idea to ask all companies you are considering which discounts you may be entitled to. All car insurance discounts might not be offered in your area.

Tailor your coverage to you

When it comes to choosing coverage, there really is no single plan that fits everyone. Every situation is different.

For instance, these questions might help in determining if you may require specific advice.

  • Which is better, split liability limits or combined limits?
  • Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
  • What if I owe more than I can insure my car for?
  • Can I get a multi-policy discount?
  • I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
  • Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
  • Does my 2011 Toyota Prius need full coverage?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form.

Car insurance coverages 101

Knowing the specifics of your car insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Comprehensive car insurance – This coverage pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive can pay for claims such as vandalism, damage from getting keyed and theft. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Collision coverage – This coverage covers damage to your Prius resulting from colliding with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage pays for claims such as sustaining damage from a pot hole, crashing into a ditch, damaging your car on a curb and driving through your garage door. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. Another option is to bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your Toyota Prius.

Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Coverage for medical expenses – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for expenses for things like pain medications, EMT expenses, dental work and nursing services. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible

Liability car insurance – Liability coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to people or other property by causing an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see policy limits 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 a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Another option is one number which is a combined single limit which combines the three limits into one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability insurance covers claims such as attorney fees, loss of income and repair costs for stationary objects. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but buy higher limits if possible.

In Summary

Drivers change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including high prices, extreme rates for teen drivers, unfair underwriting practices and even lack of trust in their agent. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching companies can be easier than you think.

You just learned a lot of information how to get a better price on 2011 Toyota Prius insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from the smaller companies.

When buying insurance coverage, never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In too many instances, an insured dropped liability coverage limits only to discover later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your strategy should be to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

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