How Much Does 2005 Toyota Prius Insurance Cost?

Consumers who are new to the process of comparing insurance rates online can find locating inexpensive auto insurance is more work than they thought.

You should take the time to shop coverage around as often as possible due to the fact that insurance prices are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Even if you think you had the lowest rates for Prius insurance a year ago there is a good chance you can find better rate quotes now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because I’m going to teach you how to use online quotes to save money, get proper coverage and the best rates.

Finding affordable coverage is quite easy. Basically, every vehicle owner who is required by state law to have insurance stands a good chance to be able to lower their premiums. Nevertheless, vehicle owners must learn the methods companies use to price insurance differently.

These discounts can lower your auto insurance rates

Companies offering auto insurance do not list every possible discount very well, so the list below gives a summary of some of the best known and the harder-to-find discounts that you may qualify for.

• Low Mileage Discounts – Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for lower auto insurancerates on the low mileage vehicles.
• ABS Braking Discount – Cars equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Insuring more than one vehicle on one policy can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
• Telematics Discount – Policyholders that allow driving data submission to track driving manner by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as State Farm’s In-Drive could save a few bucks if they exhibit good driving behavior.
• Air Bag Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts may get savings up to 30%.
• Auto/Home Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with one company you could save at least 10% off all policies.
• Home Ownership Discount – Just owning your own home may earn you a small savings because maintaining a house shows financial diligence.
• Drivers Education – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them enroll and complete driver’s education as it can save substantially.

Keep in mind that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.

To see a list of auto insurance companies that offer multiple discounts, follow this link.

How to compare auto insurance price quotes

Most major insurance companies such as Allstate and Progressive provide coverage price quotes online. Getting online quotes doesn’t take a lot of time as you just enter the amount of coverage you want on the page. Once you submit the form, their rating system requests your credit score and driving record and provides a quote based on many factors.

This simplifies rate comparisons, but the time required to go to multiple sites and type in the same data is not the best way to spend an afternoon. But it’s necessary to have as many quotes as possible in order to find the lowest price.

Keep reading for an easier way to compare prices

A quicker way to compare rates uses one simple form that obtains quotes from many companies. This type of form saves time, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes quoting online a little more enjoyable. Immediately after submitting the form, it is quoted and you are able to buy any one of the price quotes you receive. If the quotes result in lower rates, you simply finish the application and purchase coverage. The whole process takes just a few minutes to complete and may result in a nice savings.

To compare rates using this form now, click here to open in new window and begin entering your coverage information. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you copy the coverages exactly as shown on your declarations page. This ensures you will be getting a rate comparison for similar insurance coverage.

Different people need different insurance coverages

When it comes to buying the best insurance coverage, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is a little different.

For instance, these questions may help you determine if you would benefit from professional advice.

• Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
• Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
• How can I get my company to pay me more for my totalled car?
• Should I have a commercial auto policy?
• What is roadside assistance coverage?
• Can I afford low physical damage deductibles?
• How much liability do I need to cover my assets?
• Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form.

Insurance coverage breakdown

Learning about specific coverages of a insurance policy helps when choosing 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.

Collision coverage – Collision coverage pays for damage to your Prius resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision can pay for claims like damaging your car on a curb, scraping a guard rail and rolling your car. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. Another option is to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Medical expense insurance – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for immediate expenses such as funeral costs, X-ray expenses, ambulance fees and chiropractic care. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover all vehicle occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers – Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your Toyota Prius.

Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision) – This coverage pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for things like hitting a bird, vandalism and fire damage. The highest amount a insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.

Coverage for liability – This coverage provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property in an accident. It protects you against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have policy limits of 25/50/25 which stand for a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability coverage protects against claims such as pain and suffering, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and loss of income. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.

Quote often and quote early

While you’re price shopping online, make sure you don’t skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many instances, someone dropped full coverage and discovered at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the lowest possible cost, not the least amount of coverage.

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of ways to save on 2005 Toyota Prius insurance. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the lowest car insurance rates are with a small mutual company.

Some insurance companies may not offer internet price quotes smaller companies work with local independent agents. Budget-friendly auto insurance is available online and from local insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both to have the best chance of lowering rates.

Additional auto insurance information is available on the following sites:

• Top Signs Your Brakes are Giving Out (State Farm)
• Bodily Injury Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
• Auto Insurance 101 (About.com)
• Insuring a Leased Car (Insurance Information Insitute)