2009 Toyota Prius Car Insurance Rates – 5 Tips to Save

Looking for the cheapest car insurance rates for your Toyota Prius? Comparison shopping for cheaper car insurance is always very difficult for drivers who have little experience quoting and comparing rates online. Drivers have so many choices that it can be a difficult challenge to locate the lowest prices.

If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will be able to reduce your rates substantially using these techniques. Buying the lowest cost coverage is simple if you know the tricks. Although consumers can benefit from knowing how big insurance companies compete online because it can help you find the best coverage.

Compare insurance rates

To get inexpensive insurance coverage quotes, there a variety of ways to compare rate quotes from different insurance companies. The fastest way to lower the rate you pay for 2009 Toyota Prius insurance is to use the internet to compare rates. This can be done in several different ways.

1. The simplest way to find the lowest comparison rates would be an industry-wide quote request form click here to open form in new window. This style of form prevents you from having to do separate quotes for every company. One quote request compares rates from multiple companies. This is perfect if you don’t have a lot of time.
2. A more difficult way to find more affordable insurance is to take the time to go to each individual company website to request a price quote. For example, let’s say you need rates from USAA, 21st Century and Liberty Mutual. To get rate quotes you would need to take the time to go to each site to enter the same coverage data repeatedly, which is not fast way to get rate quotes.

   To view a list of companies in your area, click here.

Which method you use is up to you, but make sure you are using identical quote information with every price quote. If the quotes have different deductibles you will not be able to find the best deal for your Toyota Prius. Slightly different coverages may result in large price differences. And when comparison shopping, comparing more company’s prices increases the change that you will find the best offered rates.

Get cheaper rates with these five discounts

Insurance coverage is not cheap nor is it fun to buy but you might already qualify for some discounts to help offset the cost. Most are applied when you purchase, but occassionally some discounts must be asked for prior to getting the savings.

• Braking Control Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have anti-lock braking systems are much safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
• Discount for New Cars – Buying a new car model can get you a discount due to better safety requirements for newer models.
• Senior Citizen Discount – Older drivers may receive a slight reduction on a insurance coverage quote on Prius insurance.
• Student Driver Training – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers participate in a local driver’s education class in school or through a local driver safety program.
• Accident Forgiveness Coverage – but companies like State Farm, Progressive and Geico will forgive one accident before your rates go up if you are claim-free prior to being involved in the accident.

Remember that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you aren’t that lucky.

A few of the larger companies and their possible discounts are detailed below.

• Geico has discounts for five-year accident-free, air bags, daytime running lights, military active duty, and multi-policy.
• Travelers may offer discounts for student away at school, home ownership, driver training, early quote, payment discounts, good student, and continuous insurance.
• Nationwide offers premium reductions for Farm Bureau membership, accident-free, family plan, good student, and anti-theft.
• Farmers Insurance may have discounts that include switch companies, pay in full, alternative fuel, homeowner, distant student, and business and professional.
• Esurance may include discounts for anti-lock brakes, Pac-12 alumni, safety device, defensive driver, anti-theft, and claim free.
• State Farm offers discounts including multiple policy, good student, driver’s education, anti-theft, and Drive Safe & Save.
• Progressive offers discounts for homeowner, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, online quote discount, and good student.
• Mercury Insurance has savings for type of vehicle, low natural disaster claims, age of vehicle, professional/association, anti-theft, and multi-car.

Before purchasing a policy, check with each company or agent to apply every possible discount. Some credits might not apply in your state. To choose insurance coverage companies offering insurance coverage discounts, click here.

Insurance can be complex

When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no perfect coverage plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.

For example, these questions may help highlight if your situation could use an agent’s help.

• Can my babysitter drive my car?
• What discounts do I qualify for?
• Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
• Are my friends covered when driving my car?
• How can I get high-risk coverage after a DUI?
• Am I covered if hit by an uninsured driver?
• Can I make deliveries for my home business?
• Does coverage extend to Mexico or Canada?
• Should I have a commercial auto policy?
• Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form.

Coverages available on your policy

Having a good grasp of your policy aids in choosing the best coverages for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Liability coverages

Liability coverage will cover damage or injury you incur to people or other property by causing an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show policy limits of 50/100/50 which means a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability insurance covers claims such as emergency aid, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, attorney fees and bail bonds. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but you should buy as large an amount as possible.

Coverage for collisions

This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as driving through your garage door, crashing into a ditch, colliding with a tree and sideswiping another vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Medical costs insurance

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for expenses such as X-ray expenses, nursing services and prosthetic devices. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. They cover all vehicle occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

UM/UIM Coverage

This provides protection when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Due to the fact that many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as hitting a bird, vandalism, fire damage, hitting a deer and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.

Get your money’s worth

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s not a good idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured cut full coverage to discover at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. The aim is to find the BEST coverage at the best cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.

Some companies do not offer rate quotes online and usually these small insurance companies prefer to sell through local independent agents. Cheaper 2009 Toyota Prius insurance can be found on the web in addition to many insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best selection.

You just read some good ideas how you can compare 2009 Toyota Prius insurance rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better likelihood of getting cheaper insurance coverage. You may be surprised to find that the lowest rates are with an unexpected company.

Other resources

• What are my Rights when Filing a Claim? (Insurance Information Insitute)
• How Does Hitting a Deer Impact Insurance Rates? (Allstate)
• Air Bags: Potential Dangers to Your Children (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Neck Injury FAQ (iihs.org)