Lower Your 2018 Toyota RAV4 Insurance Rates

I doubt anyone fancies paying their premiums for auto insurance, especially when they are aware that they are paying too much.

Many auto insurance companies vie for your business, so it can be very hard to choose a insurance company to find the lowest cost out there.

It’s important to compare prices on a regular basis since rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Just because you found the lowest rate for RAV4 insurance two years ago other companies may now be cheaper. There is a lot of bad information regarding auto insurance on the web, but in a few minutes you can learn the easiest ways to find affordable auto insurance.

Get cheap insurance costs by understanding these factors

Many things are used when pricing auto insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious like an MVR report, although others are less obvious like where you live or how safe your car is.

  • How much liability insurance do you need? – Liability coverage is the coverage that protects you when you are determined to be liable for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide legal defense which can cost a lot. This coverage is relatively inexpensive compared to other policy coverages, so drivers should carry high limits.
  • Save money by raising deductibles – Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, covers your vehicle from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered are a dented fender, damage from fire, and rolling your vehicle. Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend before your insurance pays a claim. The more money you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the bigger discount you will receive for RAV4 insurance.
  • Incidental coverages can add up – There are a ton of extra coverages that can add up but may not be useful. Things like vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness, and motor club memberships may be costing you every month. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but if you’ve never needed them in the past eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
  • Where you live factors in – Choosing to live in a rural area can save you money when buying insurance. Less people means a lower chance of having an accident and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. People in densly populated areas tend to have much more traffic and higher rates of accident claims. Higher commute times means a statistically higher chance of an accident.
  • Lower insurance rates by staying claim free – If you frequently file small claims, you shouldn’t be surprised to get higher rates. Insurance companies award the lowest premiums to policyholders who are not frequent claim filers. Insurance coverage is meant to be used in the event of claims that you cannot pay yourself.

Save money with discounts

Not too many consumers would say insurance is affordable, but companies offer discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. A few discounts will automatically apply when you quote, but less common discounts must be asked about prior to receiving the credit.

  • E-sign Discounts – A few larger online companies provide a small discount for signing up over the internet.
  • Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts up to age 25.
  • Onboard Data Collection – Drivers that enable their insurance company to analyze driving habits by installing a telematics device such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system could save a few bucks if they exhibit good driving behavior.
  • Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could cut 10% or more off the PIP or medical payment premium.
  • Auto/Life Discount – Insurance companies who offer life insurance give lower insurancerates if you buy life insurance from them.

Discounts lower rates, but some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. Even though the math looks like you can get free auto insurance, you’re out of luck.

Some of the larger companies that have some of the above discounts possibly include:

If you are trying to find affordable car insurance quotes, ask every prospective company to apply every possible discount. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts might not be available to policyholders in your state.

Don’t be fooled by advertising claims

Insurance providers like Geico, State Farm and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads on television and other media. They all have a common claim of big savings if you switch your policy. How does every company cost less than your current company? This is the trick they use.

All the different companies quote their best rates for the type of customer that will generate a profit. One example of a preferred risk could be between the ages of 30 and 45, has other policies, and drives a car with an anti-theft system. Any driver who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest premium rates and will also save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don’t qualify for these criteria will have to pay a more expensive rate and this results in the customer not purchasing. The ad wording is “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save the amount stated. That’s the way companies can advertise the savings. Because every company is different, it is so important to compare price quotes frequently. It’s not possible to predict which insurance companies will have the best premium rates at this point in time.

What is the best insurance coverage?

When it comes to buying adequate coverage, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine if you would benefit from professional advice.

  • Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
  • When can I cancel my policy?
  • Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
  • Should I get collision insurance on every vehicle?
  • How much liability coverage do I need in my state?
  • Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
  • Do I pay less for low miles?
  • What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
  • When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of insurance companies in your area.

Car insurance coverage breakdown

Learning about specific coverages of car insurance aids in choosing appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Listed below are typical coverage types found on most car insurance policies.

Liability insurance

Liability insurance provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to people or other property by causing an accident. It protects YOU from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see liability limits of 25/50/25 which means a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as emergency aid, medical expenses, bail bonds and pain and suffering. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.

Collision protection

Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as colliding with another moving vehicle, scraping a guard rail, crashing into a building, damaging your car on a curb and sideswiping another vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Comprehensive coverage

Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive insurance covers things like theft, hitting a bird and hitting a deer. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Medical payments coverage and PIP

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for immediate expenses such as dental work, EMT expenses and chiropractic care. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

In Summary

When searching for cheaper car insurance quotes, it’s very important that you do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your goal should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best possible price, not the least amount of coverage.

We just presented some good ideas how you can lower your 2018 Toyota RAV4 insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding cheap car insurance. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from some of the lesser-known companies. Some small companies may only write in your state and offer lower auto insurance rates compared to the large companies like Geico and State Farm.

Cheaper 2018 Toyota RAV4 insurance is attainable both online and from local insurance agents, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers don’t offer internet price quotes and these small insurance companies provide coverage only through independent insurance agencies.

Additional detailed information can be read at these sites: