2010 Toyota Prius Car Insurance Cost

Trying to find better insurance rates for your Toyota Prius? Searching for better insurance prices for your Toyota Prius can be an all-consuming task, but you can learn our insurance buying tips and make it easy.

There are both good and bad ways to shop for insurance so we’re going to tell you the best way to get price quotes for your Toyota and find the lowest possible price either online or from local insurance agents.

It’s a good idea to price shop coverage at least once a year since insurance rates are constantly changing. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rates on Prius coverage a couple years back there may be better deals available now. So just forget all the misinformation about insurance because we’re going to show you how to quote online to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.

Finding the cheapest insurance can be fairly easy. If you are insured now or are shopping for new coverage, you can learn to reduce the price you pay while maximizing coverage. Drivers just need to learn how to shop for insurance online.

Auto Insurance Quote Comparison

Effectively comparing auto insurance prices can take time and effort if you don’t understand the easiest way. You can waste a few hours (or days) driving to insurance agencies in your area, or you could use the internet to achieve your goal.

Many companies participate in a marketplace that allows shoppers to send in one quote, and every company then returns a price quote for coverage. This saves time by eliminating repetitive form submissions to each individual auto insurance company.

To enter your information into the quoting system, click to open in new window.

The one disadvantage to doing it this way is that you can’t choose the companies you will receive quotes from. So if you prefer to choose individual companies to compare prices, we have a listing of the cheapest auto insurance companies in your area. Click here to view list.

It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but be sure to compare identical coverage information with every price quote. If you have higher or lower deductibles it will be next to impossible to make a fair comparison for your Toyota Prius.

Toyota Prius insurance rates can be determined by these details

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that come into play when calculating the price you pay for insurance. Knowing what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

  • Rates may be higher depending on your occupation – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Careers like real estate brokers, executives and dentists tend to pay the highest average rates due to job stress and lengthy work days. Other occupations like farmers, historians and homemakers have the lowest average rates on Prius coverage.
  • Better crash test results mean better rates – Vehicles with good safety scores get lower rates. These vehicles reduce injuries and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates. If your Toyota Prius scored better than an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website it may be receiving lower rates.
  • Cautious drivers pay less – Only having one speeding ticket can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who don’t get tickets have lower premiums than bad drivers. Drivers with serious tickets such as DUI or reckless driving are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
  • Liability insurance protects assets – Your policy’s liability coverage is the coverage that protects you in the event that you are found to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability is cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.

These discounts can slash insurance rates

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but there are discounts available to reduce the price significantly. Most are applied at the time of purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked about before they will apply. If they aren’t giving you every credit you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Multiple Cars – Buying insurance for all your vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
  • Sign Early and Save – Some insurance companies reward drivers for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiration. It can save you around 10%.
  • Organization Discounts – Being a member of a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break when shopping for insurance on Prius coverage.
  • Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles with anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and will save you 10% or more.
  • Safe Driver Discount – Insureds without accidents can pay as much as 50% less on Prius coverage than drivers with accidents.
  • Seat Belt Usage – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could cut 10% or more off your medical payments premium.
  • Lower Rates for Military – Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
  • Air Bag Discount – Cars that have air bags can receive discounts of 20% or more.
  • Sign Online – A few companies give back up to $50 just for signing your application over the internet.

It’s important to note that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Just because it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, it just doesn’t work that way. Any amount of discount will help reduce your overall premium however.

For a list of insurance companies who offer insurance discounts, click this link.

When might I need the advice of an agent?

When choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is unique.

For example, these questions might help in determining if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.

  • Is my babysitter covered when using my vehicle?
  • Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
  • Do I have coverage if my license is suspended?
  • Does insurance cover tools stolen from my truck?
  • What is an SR-22 filing?
  • What if I don’t agree with a claim settlement offer?

If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can provide invaluable advice.

Car insurance coverages 101

Knowing the specifics of your car insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Collision coverage – Collision insurance pays for damage to your Prius resulting from colliding with another car or object. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision can pay for things such as crashing into a building, rolling your car, hitting a mailbox, crashing into a ditch and colliding with another moving vehicle. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Liability coverage – Liability coverage provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to people or other property by causing an accident. It protects you against claims from other people. It does not cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. As an example, you may have policy limits of 100/300/100 which means $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have a combined single limit or CSL which combines the three limits into one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability can pay for claims such as emergency aid, court costs, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, medical expenses and legal defense fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.

Comprehensive insurance – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as damage from getting keyed, a broken windshield, damage from flooding, vandalism and hail damage. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for short-term medical expenses for things like prosthetic devices, hospital visits, surgery and chiropractic care. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Due to the fact that many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked. Usually the UM/UIM limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

And the best car insurance company is…

You just read a lot of tips how to lower your 2010 Toyota Prius insurance rates. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from the least-expected company.

The cheapest insurance can be purchased on the web in addition to many insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some car insurance companies do not provide online quoting and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s not a good idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many cases, an insured dropped physical damage coverage to discover at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The aim is to get the best coverage possible at the best price.

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