1997 Toyota Corolla Insurance Cost – 9 Tricks for Best Prices

Trying to find better insurance rates for your Toyota Corolla? Having to pay for overpriced insurance can sap your family’s budget and maybe even restrict other spending. Doing a rate analysis is a great way to reduce premiums and put more money in your pocket.

Many insurance companies compete for your business, and because of this it can be hard to compare car insurance companies and uncover the absolute lowest cost out there.

You need to do rate comparisons yearly due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the lowest premium rates on Corolla insurance on your last policy there is a good chance you can find better prices now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about insurance because you’re going to learn the fastest way to remove unneeded coverages and save money.

These nine discounts can lower your car insurance rates

Some companies don’t always publicize all disounts very clearly, so the below list has some of the best known and also the lesser-known discounts that you can inquire about if you buy insurance coverage online.

• Home Ownership Discount – Just owning your own home can get you a discount since owning and maintaining a home means you have a higher level of financial diligence.
• Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Maintaining low annual mileage could qualify for slightly better prices than normal.
• Multi-line Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give a discounted rate on car insurance if you buy life insurance from them.
• Claim-Free Discount – Insureds with no claims or accidents can save substantially compared to frequent claim filers.
• Save over 55 – Seniors may qualify for a small decrease in premiums on Corolla insurance.
• E-sign – A few larger online companies will give you a small discount simply for signing on the web.
• Full Payment Discount – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying in monthly installments you can avoid the installment charge.
• Student Driver Training – Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course as it can save substantially.
• Drive Safe and Save – Insureds who avoid accidents can save up to 40% or more on their insurance coverage quote on Corolla insurance than less cautious drivers.

Don’t be surprised that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, that’s just not realistic.

Large car insurance companies and their offered discounts are detailed below.

• State Farm has savings for multiple policy, safe vehicle, driver’s education, good student, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
• Esurance policyholders can earn discounts including good driver, multi-policy, paid-in-full, defensive driver, Switch & Save, anti-theft, and emergency road assistance.
• Progressive offers premium reductions for good student, multi-policy, continuous coverage, online signing, homeowner, and online quote discount.
• Liberty Mutual has discounts for multi-car, new vehicle discount, preferred payment discount, new move discount, and newly retired.
• Auto-Owners Insurance may offer discounts for multi-policy, multiple vehicles, good student, mature driver, anti-lock brakes, air bags, and safe vehicle.
• Geico may have discounts that include anti-theft, emergency military deployment, seat belt use, anti-lock brakes, daytime running lights, military active duty, and multi-policy.

If you need lower rates, check with each company or agent which credits you are entitled to. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not be available in your area. To see car insurance companies offering car insurance discounts, follow this link.

Misconceptions in car insurance advertisements

Well-known car insurance companies like Geico, State Farm and Progressive regularly use ads on television and other media. They all have a common claim that drivers can save some big amount if you switch your policy. How does every company offer drivers better rates? It’s all in how they say it.

Insurance providers have underwriting criteria for the right customer that will most likely be profitable. For instance, a preferred risk should be a female over age 40, has no prior claims, and has a short commute. Any new insured that fits those parameters will qualify for the lowest prices and as a result will probably save quite a bit of money when switching.

Potential customers who do not fit the “perfect” profile will be charged higher premium rates which leads to the customer buying from someone else. The ad wording is “customers that switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that kind of money. That’s why insurance companies can lure you into getting a quote. This really emphasizes why it’s extremely important to get as many free insurance coverage quotes as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will have the lowest rates.

Different people need different car insurance coverages

When it comes to choosing coverage, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining whether you would benefit from an agent’s advice.

• Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
• Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
• I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
• How can I find cheaper teen driver insurance?
• Who is covered when they drive my 1997 Toyota Corolla?
• Is a fancy paint job covered?
• Is business property covered if stolen from my car?

If you’re not sure about those questions, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

What car insurance coverages do you need?

Having a good grasp of a car insurance policy can help you determine appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are the normal coverages found on most car insurance policies.

Auto collision coverage

Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Corolla from colliding with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision can pay for claims like crashing into a building, colliding with a tree and scraping a guard rail. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to increase the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Auto liability insurance

Liability insurance will cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people in an accident. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see values of 100/300/100 which means $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability coverage protects against things like funeral expenses, attorney fees, court costs, emergency aid and loss of income. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as much as you can afford.

Comprehensive insurance

This pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for things such as damage from flooding, damage from a tornado or hurricane, damage from getting keyed and fire damage. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your 1997 Toyota Corolla.

Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for expenses for prosthetic devices, surgery, X-ray expenses, EMT expenses and dental work. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover you and your occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

More comparisons equals lower rates

Cheaper insurance can be sourced online as well as from independent agents, so you need to shop insurance coverage with both to have the best selection. Some insurance providers may not provide online price quotes and many times these smaller providers sell through independent agencies.

When you buy insurance coverage online, make sure you don’t reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, drivers have reduced physical damage coverage only to find out that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your goal should be to buy enough coverage at the lowest possible cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.

To read more, link through to the following helpful articles:

• Comprehensive Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
• Who Has Affordable Atlanta Auto Insurance for a Toyota Corolla? (AtlantaMetroInsurance.com)
• How to Avoid Staged Accidents (State Farm)
• Older Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Understanding Rental Car Insurance (Insurance Information Insitute)