2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser Insurance Rates

Trying to come up with a payment for pricey car insurance can overdraw your monthly budget and force you to make sacrifices.

Drivers have so many insurance companies to buy insurance from, and although it’s nice to have a selection, so many choices can make it hard to find the lowest rates.

Consumers should take time to compare premium rates at least once a year due to the fact that insurance prices trend upward over time. Despite the fact that you may have had the best deal for FJ Cruiser coverage a couple years back there is a good chance you can find better rate quotes now. There is a lot of bad information regarding car insurance out there, but you can learn the best ways to buy car insurance cheaper.

How to get free insurance quotes online

When comparison shopping, there are several ways to obtain and compare prices from all the different companies. The easiest way by far to find affordable 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance rates is to jump online and get quotes. This is very easy and can be done using a couple different methods.

1. The first (and easiest) way to get the best comparison quotes is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This easy form prevents you from having to do separate quote forms for every prospective company. One simple form will get you price quotes from all major companies.
2. A harder way to get comparison quotes is going to the website for every company you want to comare and complete a new quote form. For examples sake, we’ll assume you want to compare Farmers, Esurance and State Farm. You would be required to navigate to each company’s site and enter your information, and that explains why we recommend the first method. For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.
3. The most difficult method to get comparison rates is physically going to and from local insurance agencies. The ability to buy insurance online reduces the need to sit down with an agent unless you prefer the trained advice of a local agency. It is possible with some companies comparison shop your insurance online and get advice from an agent in your area.

Compare rates however you want, just make darn sure you compare the same quote data on every quote. If you compare unequal deductibles or liability limits it will be impossible to make a fair rate comparison. Quoting even small variations in insurance coverages may cause a big price difference. Just keep in mind that comparing more quotes will improve the odds of getting the best price.

Are you earning every discount?

Companies offering auto insurance don’t necessarily list every disount available very clearly, so the list below gives a summary of a few of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious savings tricks you should be using when you buy insurance coverage online.

• First Accident Forgiveness – but a few companies such as Allstate, State Farm and Geico permit an accident before raising your premiums if you have no claims for a specific time period.
• Full Payment Discount – By paying your entire bill at once as opposed to paying monthly you could save 5% or more.
• ABS Brakes – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can stop better under adverse conditions and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Student Discount for Driver Training – Require your teen driver to take driver’s ed class as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
• Military Deployment Discount – Being deployed in the military could trigger a small discount.
• Accident-Free Discounts – Drivers who stay claim-free pay much less when compared to accident-prone drivers.
• Telematics Devices – Insureds who allow driving data submission to spy on where and when they drive by using a small device installed in their vehicle such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate could possibly reduce rates as long as the data is positive.

It’s important to note that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Even though it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, nobody gets a free ride. Any amount of discount should help lower your policy premium.

Companies and their offered discounts are shown below.

• Geico may offer discounts for driver training, multi-policy, anti-lock brakes, military active duty, emergency military deployment, anti-theft, and seat belt use.
• SAFECO discounts include drive less, teen safe driver, teen safety rewards, multi-car, and anti-lock brakes.
• State Farm has discounts for defensive driving training, Steer Clear safe driver discount, anti-theft, good driver, student away at school, and safe vehicle.
• MetLife offers discounts for multi-policy, good student, good driver, accident-free, defensive driver, and claim-free.
• 21st Century may have discounts that include student driver, air bags, defensive driver, theft prevention, and early bird.
• Progressive has savings for continuous coverage, multi-policy, good student, multi-vehicle, and homeowner.

If you need low cost insurance coverage quotes, ask every company which credits you are entitled to. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not apply in every state. To choose companies that offer some of these discounts, click this link.

When in doubt talk to an agent

When it comes to choosing the best car insurance coverage, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is unique so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions might point out whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.

• What can I do if my company denied a claim?
• Is extra glass coverage worth it?
• How much liability coverage do I need in my state?
• When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
• Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
• How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in my state?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.

Lower your insurance rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of a few of the rating criteria that help calculate the price you pay for insurance coverage. When you know what positively or negatively positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this allows you to make good choices that can earn you better insurance coverage rates. Many different elements are taken into consideration when you quote your car insurance policy. Some factors are common sense like your driving record, but other factors are not quite as obvious such as your marital status or how safe your car is.

• Safer the car lower the rate – Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. The safest vehicles reduce occupant injuries and reduced instances of injuries translates into savings for insurance companies which can mean better rates for you. If your Toyota FJ Cruiser is rated at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website you may pay a lower rate.
• Where do you drive? – The higher the miles on your Toyota annually the more you’ll pay to insure it. Almost all companies calculate rates based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos that sit idle most of the time qualify for better rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. A policy that improperly rates your FJ Cruiser may be wasting your money. Double check that your vehicle rating reflects the proper vehicle usage, because improper ratings can cost you money.
• Remove unneeded incidental coverages – Policies have extra bells and whistles that sound like a good idea at the time but may not be useful. Insurance for things like personal injury protection, high-cost glass coverage, and membership fees may be wasting your money. They may seem good when you first buy your policy, but if they’re wasting money consider taking them off your policy.
• Safeguard your assets with liability protection – The liability coverage on your policy is the protection if ever you are found liable for an accident. It will provide legal defense starting from day one. Liability insurance is pretty cheap when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so drivers should make sure they buy enough to cover all assets.

Insurance advertising tricks

Progressive, Allstate and Geico regularly use ads on television and other media. All the companies seem to make the promise that people will save if you change your coverage to them. How does every company have lower policy pricing?

Many companies can use profiling for the type of driver that earns them a profit. For instance, a desirable risk could possibly be a mature driver, has had continuous coverage, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any driver who meets those qualifications will get very good prices and will also pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential insureds who don’t qualify for these criteria will probably have to pay a higher rate which leads to the customer not purchasing. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “customers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” can save as much as they claim. This is how companies can make claims like that.

This emphasizes why it’s extremely important to compare price quotes frequently. It’s just too difficult to predict with any certainty which company will provide you with the cheapest auto insurance rates.

Learn about car insurance coverages for a Toyota FJ Cruiser

Learning about specific coverages of car insurance helps when choosing the best coverages for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. These are typical coverages found on most car insurance policies.

Medical payments coverage and PIP

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for bills such as dental work, doctor visits and rehabilitation expenses. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not universally available and may carry a deductible

Auto collision coverage

Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision insurance covers claims like backing into a parked car, damaging your car on a curb, driving through your garage door and sideswiping another vehicle. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. You can also increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

Comprehensive coverage

Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things like damage from a tornado or hurricane, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, rock chips in glass, falling objects and hitting a deer. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Coverage for liability

Liability insurance protects you from damage that occurs to other’s property or people in an accident. It protects YOU against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 50/100/50 which stand for a limit of $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have one number which is a combined single limit which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability coverage protects against claims such as bail bonds, funeral expenses, loss of income and legal defense fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but consider buying higher limits if possible.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family and also any damage incurred to your Toyota FJ Cruiser.

Due to the fact that many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Frequently your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

What is YOUR best insurance company?

When buying insurance coverage, it’s a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are a lot of situations where someone sacrificed full coverage and found out when filing a claim that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your objective should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

We just presented some good ideas how to compare 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance rates online. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the higher your chance of finding affordable insurance coverage. You may even find the best rates are with the least-expected company. These companies may have significantly lower auto insurance rates on certain market segments than their larger competitors like State Farm or Progressive.

Budget-friendly car insurance can be found on the web and also from your neighborhood agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who do not provide the ability to get a quote online and these smaller providers prefer to sell through local independent agents.

Additional detailed information can be found in these articles:

• Insuring a Leased Car (Insurance Information Insitute)
• How to Avoid Staged Accidents (State Farm)
• Credit Impacts Car Insurance Rates (State Farm)
• What are my Rights when Filing a Claim? (Insurance Information Insitute)