Lower Your 2006 Scion xA Insurance Rates

Are you burned out from being strong-armed each month for auto insurance? You have the same problem as many other drivers.

Many car insurance companies vie to insure your vehicles, and it can be difficult to compare rates to discover the definitive best rates possible.

It is always a good idea to check auto insurance prices every six months because prices are usually higher with each renewal. Just because you had the best quotes for xA insurance a couple years back you can probably find a lower rate today. You’ll find quite a bit of inaccurate information about auto insurance on the internet, but by reading this article, you’re going to learn some great ways to save money.

If you are paying for car insurance now, you will be able to cut costs considerably using this information. Choosing the best insurance company for you is easy if you know what you’re doing. Nevertheless, vehicle owners should learn the methods companies use to determine prices.

How to buy insurance

Shopping for lower insurance rates can take time and effort if you don’t know the easiest way. You can spend your afternoon talking about coverages with agents in your area, or you could save time and use the web to maximize your effort.

The majority of car insurance companies participate in a marketplace where prospective buyers send in one quote, and each participating company can give them a price. This saves time by eliminating quote forms to each company. To compare rates using this form now click here (opens in new window).

One minor caviat to using this type of system is you can’t choose the providers you want pricing from. If you wish to select from a list of companies for rate comparison, we have a listing of companies who write insurance in your area. Click to view list.

Whichever method you choose, make sure you use equivalent coverage limits and deductibles for each quote you get. If you compare higher or lower deductibles it will be very difficult to determine which rate is truly the best. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits may result in large price differences. And when comparing insurance rates, know that obtaining a wide range of quotes increases your odds of finding a lower rate. Not every company provides online price quotes, so you also need to get prices from the smaller companies as well.

Do you qualify for discounts?

Companies don’t always publicize the complete list of policy discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of a few of the more well known as well as some of the hidden credits available to bring down your rates.

• Distant Student Discount – Youth drivers who are enrolled in higher education away from home and won’t have access to an insured vehicle may qualify for this discount.
• Driver Safety – Successfully completing a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily pay for the cost of the class.
• Waiver for an Accident – Not necessarily a discount, but a handful of insurance companies permit an accident before your rates go up if you are claim-free for a set time period.
• Braking Control Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are much safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Homeowners Pay Less – Simply owning a home may trigger a policy discount on auto insurance due to the fact that maintaining a home requires a higher level of personal finance.
• Online Discount – A few larger companies provide a small discount for buying a policy and signing up digitally online.
• Smart Student Discounts – A discount for being a good student may save as much as 25% on a car insurance quote. This discount can apply up to age 25.
• Passenger Safety Discount – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts of 20 to 30 percent.

One thing to note about discounts is that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears you can get free auto insurance, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.

A few popular companies and some of the discounts are shown below.

• Geico has savings for emergency military deployment, five-year accident-free, anti-theft, membership and employees, daytime running lights, federal employee, and military active duty.
• MetLife may include discounts for accident-free, claim-free, defensive driver, good driver, multi-policy, and good student.
• Progressive may have discounts that include good student, online quote discount, homeowner, continuous coverage, and multi-vehicle.
• Travelers policyholders can earn discounts including multi-policy, home ownership, multi-car, student away at school, and payment discounts.
• SAFECO offers premium reductions for teen safe driver, drive less, teen safety rewards, homeowner, multi-car, bundle discounts, and anti-theft.
• AAA discounts include anti-theft, pay-in-full, multi-policy, multi-car, and good driver.

Before purchasing a policy, check with every company which credits you are entitled to. All car insurance discounts may not be available in your area. If you would like to choose from a list of insurers who offer auto insurance discounts, click this link.

Don’t assume everyone needs the same auto insurance coverage

When it comes to buying adequate coverage, there is no one size fits all plan. Each situation is unique so your insurance should reflect that For instance, these questions might point out if your situation might need an agent’s assistance.

• If my 2006 Scion xA is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
• Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
• Is my trailer covered?
• Do I need PIP coverage since I have good health insurance?
• What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?
• Should I buy more coverage than the required minimum liability coverage?
• Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?
• Should I buy additional glass protection?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Parts of your car insurance policy

Knowing the specifics of a car insurance policy aids in choosing appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement. Listed below are typical coverage types found on the average car insurance policy.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family and damage to your Scion xA.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important.

Coverage for medical payments

Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for immediate expenses for things like pain medications, ambulance fees, dental work and funeral costs. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Liability auto insurance

This protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people by causing an accident. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have liability limits of 50/100/50 which stand for a limit of $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000.

Liability can pay for things like court costs, medical services, emergency aid, repair costs for stationary objects and medical expenses. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible.

Comprehensive coverages

This coverage covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as damage from getting keyed, theft, fire damage and hitting a deer. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Collision insurance

This coverage pays for damage to your xA resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision insurance covers claims like colliding with another moving vehicle, scraping a guard rail, driving through your garage door, crashing into a building and damaging your car on a curb. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Quote often and quote early

Cheaper 2006 Scion xA insurance can be bought online and with local insurance agents, so you need to shop car insurance with both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance coverage companies do not offer internet price quotes and usually these small insurance companies sell through independent insurance agents.

When shopping online for insurance coverage, it’s a bad idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are a lot of situations where someone dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your objective should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price, but do not skimp to save money.

Even more information can be found by following these links:

• Information for Teen Drivers (Geico)
• Top Signs Your Brakes are Giving Out (State Farm)
• Choosing an Insurance Company (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Electronic Stability Control FAQ (iihs.org)