2012 Toyota RAV4 EV Car Insurance Rates – 5 Tips to Save

Looking for cheaper insurance coverage rates for your Toyota RAV4 EV? If you are new to online price comparisons, most likely you are confused by the vast assortment of local and online companies all offering big savings.

It’s smart to take a look at other company’s rates before your policy renews because rates change quite often. Even if you got the lowest premium rates on RAV4 EV insurance at your last renewal other companies may now be cheaper. There is lot of inaccurate information about insurance coverage on the internet, but I’m going to show you some solid techniques on how to quit paying high insurance coverage rates.

How to buy car insurance online

The are a couple different ways to obtain and compare prices from many different insurance companies. The best method to find competitive 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV insurance rates is simply to get online rate quotes. This can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

• One of the simplest ways to get quotes for comparison would be an industry-wide quote request form (click to open form in new window). This easy form prevents you from having to do a different quote for each company. One quote request gets insurance cost estimates instantly. Just one form and you’re done.
• A different way to analyze rates requires a visit to the website for every company you want to comare and complete a new quote form. For examples sake, we’ll pretend you want to get rates from State Farm, 21st Century and Allstate. To find out each rate you need to visit each site to enter the same coverage data repeatedly, and that explains why we recommend the first method. For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.
• Even if you have time, the least recommended method to get price estimates is to waste gas driving to insurance agencies in your area. Quoting and buying insurance online eliminates this option unless you have a complicated situation and need the peace of mind that can only be provided by a licensed insurance agent. Some companies do allow you to find lower rates online but purchase the actual policy in an agency.

It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just double check that you are using apples-to-apples coverage data with every price quote. If each company quotes differing limits it will be impossible to make an equal comparison. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits could skew the results. Keep in mind that making a lot of price comparisons helps locate the best offered rates. Some smaller insurers to not give online price quotes, so you also need to get price quotes from them, too.

Insurance coverage discounts help cut rates

Buying insurance coverage is not cheap, but there could be available discounts that could help you make your next renewal payment. Some trigger automatically at the time of quoting, but a few must be manually applied prior to receiving the credit.

• Good Students Pay Less – This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Many companies even apply the discount to college students well after school through age 25.
• Military Discounts – Having a family member in the military could qualify you for better prices.
• Payment Method – By paying your policy upfront rather than paying monthly you could save 5% or more.
• Senior Citizen Discount – Drivers over the age of 55 could receive lower premium rates on RAV4 EV insurance.
• More Vehicles More Savings – Drivers who insure several vehicles with the same insurance coverage company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.

As a sidenote, most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

To find providers who offer discounts, click here to view.

Which is the best insurance?

When it comes to buying coverage for your vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

These are some specific questions may help highlight if your insurance needs could use an agent’s help.

• What exactly is covered by my policy?
• If my pet gets injured in an accident are they covered?
• Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
• Am I insured when driving a different vehicle?
• Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
• Am I covered if I break a side mirror?
• When should I not file a claim?
• Do I need an umbrella policy?
• Do I need replacement cost coverage on my 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV?
• Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Advertising and insurance coverage

Respected companies like Allstate, Geico and Progressive regularly use ads on television and other media. They all seem to advertise claims that you’ll save big if you change to them. That’s great but how can every company say the same thing? Here is how they do it.

All companies have specific guidelines for the type of customer that earns them the most money. An example of a profitable customer might be between the ages of 30 and 45, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 5,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote who matches those parameters will probably get the lowest car insurance rates and will save money with a new company.

Drivers who don’t measure up to these standards will see higher premiums which translates to business not being written. The wording the ads use say “people who switch” not “all people who quote” save that kind of money. That is how insurance companies can lure you into getting a quote.

This illustrates why it is so important to compare rate quotes every year. It is impossible to predict with any certainty which company will provide you with the cheapest car insurance rates.

Coverages available on your policy

Learning about specific coverages of a car insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage

This coverage provides protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Liability coverage

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

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see limits of 100/300/100 that translate to a limit of $100,000 per injured person, $300,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000. Another option is one number which is a combined single limit which provides one coverage limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability insurance covers claims like attorney fees, medical expenses and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy as much as you can afford.

Coverage for collisions

This pays for damage to your RAV4 EV resulting from a collision with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision can pay for things such as crashing into a building, colliding with another moving vehicle and crashing into a ditch. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Coverage for medical payments

Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for bills for pain medications, hospital visits and prosthetic devices. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers both the driver and occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Comprehensive coverages

Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims like a broken windshield, hail damage, falling objects, fire damage and hitting a bird. The maximum payout a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Feed the piggy bank

We covered some good ideas how to lower your 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV insurance prices. It’s most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding inexpensive auto insurance. You may even discover the lowest prices are with a small mutual company.

While you’re price shopping online, make sure you don’t reduce needed coverages to save money. In many cases, an insured cut liability coverage limits only to regret that it was a big mistake. Your goal should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.

People switch companies for a variety of reasons including delays in paying claims, high prices, high rates after DUI convictions and questionable increases in premium. Whatever your reason, switching insurance companies can be less work than you think.

Helpful information

• Should I Buy a New or Used Car? (Allstate)
• Red Light Cameras (State Farm)
• Eight Auto Insurance Myths (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Can I Drive Legally without Insurance? (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Teen Driver Licensing Information (iihs.org)
• Choosing a Car for Your Teen (State Farm)