2008 Toyota RAV4 Insurance Cost – 6 Tricks for Cheapest Prices

Looking for the cheapest car insurance rates for your Toyota RAV4? Are you irritated from trying to scrape together enough money to pay high car insurance rates every month? You are no different than many other drivers.

You have so many car insurance companies to choose from, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, it can be more challenging to locate the cheapest rates.

You should make it a habit to do price comparisons before your next renewal since insurance prices change quite often. Just because you found the lowest price for RAV4 coverage last year the chances are good that you can find a lower rate quote today. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to how to quote online to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

This information will tell you how to effectively get price quotes and some money-saving tips. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will be able to cut costs considerably using these methods. But consumers must understand how the larger insurance companies determine prices.

Don’t overlook these six insurance coverage discounts

Insurance coverage is not inexpensive, but companies offer discounts that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Certain reductions will be credited when you quote, but some must be inquired about in order for you to get them.

• Data Collection Discounts – Insureds that choose to allow driving data submission to scrutinize driving habits by using a telematics device like In-Drive from State Farm and Progressive’s Snapshot might get better premium rates as long as the data is positive.
• Defensive Driving Course – Taking time to complete a defensive driving class may get you a small discount depending on where you live.
• Drivers Education – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them participate in a local driver’s education class in high school.
• Accident Forgiveness Coverage – Not really a discount, but some insurance companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums if you have no claims before the accident.
• Theft Prevention Discount – Cars and trucks that have factory anti-theft systems help deter theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• New Vehicle Savings – Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper since newer vehicles have better safety ratings.

Just know that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. If you do the math and it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you’re out of luck.

A few popular companies and a selection of discounts can be found below.

• Travelers may offer discounts for new car, hybrid/electric vehicle, multi-policy, early quote, and student away at school.
• 21st Century discounts include early bird, homeowners, teen driver, automatic seat belts, and student driver.
• State Farm offers premium reductions for good student, Steer Clear safe driver discount, anti-theft, driver’s education, student away at school, and defensive driving training.
• Geico policyholders can earn discounts including five-year accident-free, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, good student, driver training, anti-theft, and military active duty.
• SAFECO may have discounts that include multi-car, accident prevention training, bundle discounts, safe driver, drive less, and teen safety rewards.
• AAA has savings for anti-theft, good student, pay-in-full, good driver, education and occupation, and multi-policy.

When comparing rates, check with each company or agent which discounts you may be entitled to. All car insurance discounts might not be available to policyholders in your area. For a list of insurance companies who offer discounts, click here to view.

When to get professional advice

When choosing adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is a little different and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions can help discover if your situation may require specific advice.

• Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
• Why do I only qualify for high-risk insurance?
• Is my teenager covered with friends in the car?
• What can I do if my company denied a claim?
• Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
• Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
• Should I buy additional glass protection?
• Is my 2008 Toyota RAV4 covered for flood damage?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Can switching companies really save?

Insurance coverage providers like Progressive, Allstate and Geico constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all seem to make the point that people will save if you get a free insurance coverage quote and switch your policy. How does each company charge less that you’re paying now? This is the trick they use.

Insurance providers can use profiling for the type of driver that will most likely be profitable. An example of a profitable insured may be over the age of 35, has no driving citations, and chooses high deductibles. Any customer that matches those criteria may get the lowest rates and have a good chance to save a lot if they switch.

Potential customers who fall outside the requirements will have to pay a more expensive rate with the end result being the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say “people who switch” not “everyone who quotes” can save as much as they claim. That’s why companies can make claims like that.

Each company has different criteria, so drivers must quote coverage with many companies. It is impossible to guess which company will have the lowest rate quotes.

Car insurance coverage basics

Having a good grasp of your policy aids in choosing the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are the normal coverages offered by car insurance companies.

Auto liability insurance

Liability coverage protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property in an accident. It protects YOU against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 25/50/25 which stand for $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Another option is one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.

Liability coverage protects against claims like structural damage, bail bonds and medical services. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but you should buy as large an amount as possible.

Comprehensive protection

This coverage covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for things such as rock chips in glass, damage from flooding, damage from getting keyed and falling objects. The highest amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Medical expense coverage

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for bills such as funeral costs, rehabilitation expenses, hospital visits, EMT expenses and nursing services. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover all vehicle occupants and also covers if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Auto collision coverage

Collision insurance pays for damage to your RAV4 from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision insurance covers things like backing into a parked car, crashing into a ditch and hitting a mailbox. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage

This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea. Most of the time these limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Buy Smart and Save

We just showed you some good ideas how you can compare 2008 Toyota RAV4 insurance rates online. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the best rates are with a smaller regional carrier. Regional companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive and Geico.

Budget-friendly auto insurance is available both online in addition to local insurance agencies, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who may not have the ability to get quotes online and these small, regional companies only sell coverage through local independent agents.

Additional resources

• Distracted Driving Extends Beyond Texting (State Farm)
• What does Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Cover? (Allstate)
• Choosing an Insurance Company (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Coverage Information (Progressive Insurance)