2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser Insurance Quotes – 10 Tips for Cheapest Rates

Want better insurance coverage rates for your Toyota FJ Cruiser? Paying for overpriced Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance can bleed your budget and put the squeeze on your family’s finances. Comparing rates annually can be a smart way to lower your monthly bill.

You have so many insurance companies to choose from, and even though it’s nice to have multiple companies, more choices can make it harder to compare rates and cut insurance costs.

Finding affordable coverage is easy if you know what you’re doing. Basically, everyone who carries auto insurance will more than likely be able to save money. Nevertheless, consumers must learn the methods companies use to sell insurance online.

How to buy auto insurance

Comparing auto insurance rates can be challenging if you don’t utilize the easiest way. You can waste a few hours (or days) talking about coverages with local insurance agents in your area, or you could use the internet to maximize your effort.

Many insurance companies belong to an insurance system where prospective buyers send in one quote, and each participating company returns a rated price determined by their information. This eliminates the need for form submissions to each company. To compare pricing click here (opens in new window).

The only downside to using this type of system is that you can’t choose the providers to get quotes from. If you would rather choose from a list of companies to request quotes from, we have assembled a list of the cheapest auto insurance companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.

You can choose any of those ways to find more affodable coverage, but make sure you use the exact same coverages for each comparison quote. If you compare different liability limits it will be impossible to determine which rate is truly the best. Even a minor difference in insurance coverages may result in a large different in cost. And when comparison shopping, obtaining a wide range of quotes helps locate a lower rate. Some insurance companies are not set up to provide rate quotes online, so it’s important to also get prices from those companies as well.

Save $478 a year? Really?

Big name companies like Allstate, Geico and Progressive consistently run ads on TV and radio. They all seem to convey the message that people will save after switching your coverage. How is it plausible that every one can give you a better price? Here is how they do it.

Auto insurance companies quote their best rates for the type of driver that earns them the most money. An example of a preferred risk could possibly be between 30 and 50, has never had a policy lapse, and has a short commute. Any driver that meets those criteria receives the best prices and as a result will probably save a lot if they switch.

Drivers who are not a match for these stringent criteria must pay a higher premium which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “customers who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that much. That is how insurance companies can confidently make claims like that. Because every company is different, it is so important to get price quotes at each policy renewal. It is impossible to guess the company that will provide the lowest rates.

You may qualify for discounts

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but you might find some hidden discounts that many people don’t even know exist. A few discounts will automatically apply when you purchase, but some need to be asked about before they will apply.

• Paper-free Discount – Certain auto insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up on your computer.
• Telematics Data – Drivers that enable driving data submission to look at where and when they drive by using a telematics device in their vehicle like In-Drive from State Farm and Progressive’s Snapshot could possibly reduce rates if they exhibit good driving behavior.
• No Claim Discounts – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims can earn big discounts as opposed to drivers with a long claim history.
• More Vehicles More Savings – Having more than one vehicle on a single policy qualifies for this discount.
• Theft Prevention System – Cars equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems are stolen with less frequency and earn discounts up to 10% off your insurance coverage quote.
• Safety Course Discount – Successfully completing a course that instructs on driving safety can save you 5% or more and also improve your driving technique.
• Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts could save 15% off PIP or medical payments premium.
• Switch and Save Discount – A few insurance companies offer discounts for renewing your policy before your current coverage expires. Ten percent is about the average savings.
• Multi-policy Discount – If you can combine your auto and homeowners policy with one company you may earn 10% to 20% off each policy.
• Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles with factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts as much as 30%.

It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck.

The best auto insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are included below.

• State Farm includes discounts for safe vehicle, passive restraint, accident-free, driver’s education, good student, multiple policy, and anti-theft.
• Liberty Mutual may include discounts for good student, preferred payment discount, exclusive group savings, hybrid vehicle, and new graduate.
• American Family may offer discounts for multi-vehicle, good student, Steer into Savings, early bird, air bags, and mySafetyValet.
• Progressive has savings for good student, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, homeowner, online quote discount, and online signing.
• Farmers Insurance offers discounts for multi-car, youthful driver, teen driver, switch companies, bundle discounts, electronic funds transfer, and pay in full.
• Auto-Owners Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including paperless, student away at school, group or association, anti-theft, and safe driver.
• SAFECO offers premium reductions for homeowner, teen safety rewards, drive less, anti-theft, and multi-car.

Before purchasing a policy, check with all the companies how you can save money. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be available to policyholders in your area. To view auto insurance companies who offer auto insurance discounts, follow this link.

There’s no such thing as the perfect insurance policy

When it comes to buying coverage, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is unique so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that might point out whether you will benefit from professional help.

• Is my Toyota FJ Cruiser covered if I use it for business?
• Does car insurance cover theft of personal property?
• What exactly is covered by my policy?
• What discounts do I qualify for?
• Do I need more liability coverage?
• Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
• Am I covered if hit by an uninsured driver?
• Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Specifics of your insurance policy

Understanding the coverages of a insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Below you’ll find the usual coverages available from insurance companies.

Collision coverage protection

This coverage will pay to fix damage to your FJ Cruiser resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage protects against claims like crashing into a ditch, colliding with a tree and rolling your car. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

Auto liability

This will cover damage that occurs to other’s property or people that is your fault. It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see liability 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 $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability coverage protects against things like repair bills for other people’s vehicles, medical expenses, structural damage and repair costs for stationary objects. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as much as you can afford.

Comprehensive auto coverage

This 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 like damage from getting keyed, theft and hitting a deer. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.

Medical payments and PIP coverage

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for expenses like prosthetic devices, funeral costs, hospital visits, rehabilitation expenses and surgery. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. It covers you and your occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible

UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your Toyota FJ Cruiser.

Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.

Never pay more for less

As you restructure your insurance plan, never buy less coverage just to save a little money. In too many instances, an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that they should have had better coverage. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price, but do not skimp to save money.

Lower-priced 2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance can be found from both online companies and with local insurance agents, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers may not offer rate quotes online and these smaller companies only sell coverage through independent agents.

To learn more, take a look at the resources below:

• Red Light Cameras (State Farm)
• Child Safety Seats (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Should I Buy a New or Used Car? (Allstate)
• Collision Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
• Collision Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)