Locating cheaper insurance for a Toyota Avalon in Ohio could be difficult, but you can learn the following methods to make it easier. There are more efficient ways to shop for auto insurance so you’re going to learn the quickest way to quote coverages on a Toyota and obtain the cheapest rates from both online companies and Cleveland agents.
Regrettably, the vast majority of auto insurance customers have bought auto insurance from the same company for four years or more, and nearly 40% of drivers have never shopped around. Ohio insurance shoppers could pocket almost $730 a year just by shopping around, but they underestimate the big savings they would realize if they moved their coverage to a different company.
Why You Might Pay Increased Rates in Cleveland
Lots of things are part of the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. Some of the criteria are obvious like an MVR report, but other criteria are not as apparent such as your marital status or how safe your car is.
Save money with theft deterrents – Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can earn a premium discount. Theft deterrent systems such as OnStar found on GM vehicles, advanced tracking like LoJack, and vehicle immobilization systems all help prevent auto theft.
Lower car insurance rates with no policy lapses – Having an insurance coverage lapse can be a sure-fire way to drive up your policy premiums. Not only will rates go up, failure to provide proof of insurance will get you a revoked license or a big fine. You could then be forced to file a SR-22 with the Ohio DMV.
Lower rates by increasing physical damage deductibles – Deductibles for physical damage define the amount you are willing to pay if a covered claim is submitted. Protection for physical damage, also called ‘full coverage’, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of some claims that would be covered are rear-ending another vehicle, damage caused by hail, or theft of your vehicle. The larger the amount you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the less money you will pay for car insurance.
Higher rates for specific vocations – Occupational choices like military personnel, airline pilots, and stock brokers are shown to have higher premium rates attributed to stressful work requirements and lots of time spent at work. On the other hand, careers like farmers, historians and retirees receive lower rates.
Location can influence price – Having an address in small towns and rural areas has it’s advantages when buying car insurance. Lower population translates into fewer accident claims in addition to lower liability claims. Residents of big cities have to deal with more auto accidents and more time behind the wheel. Spending more time driving can result in more accidents.
Married people drive safer – Walking down the aisle may earn you lower rates when buying car insurance. Having a significant other generally demonstrates drivers are more stable financially and it’s proven that drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
High credit equals lower premiums – Having a bad credit history is a big factor in determining your rates. So if your credit score is lower than you’d like, you could potentially save money when insuring your Toyota Avalon if you improve your credit rating. Consumers who have very high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers with bad credit.
Keep premiums low by being claim-free – If you tend to file frequent claims, you can pretty much guarantee increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Auto insurance companies in Ohio give discounts to policyholders who only file infrequent claims. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Toyota Avalon historical loss data – Auto insurance companies factor in insurance loss information to help calculate premium prices. Models that the statistics show to have higher loss trends will have a higher cost to insure. The table below illustrates the insurance loss data for Toyota Avalon vehicles.
For each type of coverage, the claim amount for all vehicles, as an average, is equal to 100. Percentages below 100 indicate better than average losses, while numbers that are greater than 100 indicate a higher chance of having a claim or an increased chance of larger losses than average.
Specific Toyota Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Toyota Avalon | 113 | 72 | 112 | 106 | 98 | 74 |
Toyota Avalon Hybrid | 120 | 72 | 132 | 107 | 85 | 80 |
Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
Facts and figures for Toyota Avalon insurance
The information displayed below outlines estimates of insurance policy prices for Toyota Avalon models. Learning as much as possible about how premiums are formulated can assist in making decisions on the best policy coverages.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Avalon XL | $216 | $406 | $234 | $14 | $70 | $940 | $78 |
Avalon XLS | $216 | $478 | $234 | $14 | $70 | $1,012 | $84 |
Avalon Limited | $240 | $478 | $234 | $14 | $70 | $1,036 | $86 |
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Table data assumes single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and Ohio minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, and multi-policy. Price estimates do not factor in specific garaging location which can affect coverage prices greatly.
Higher deductibles save money
One of the more difficult decisions when buying car insurance is how high should the deductibles for physical damage be. The data tables below lay out the rate fluctuation of buying low and high coverage deductibles. The first set of prices uses a $100 deductible for comp and collision and the second data table uses a $1,000 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Avalon XL | $220 | $352 | $192 | $12 | $58 | $859 | $72 |
Avalon XLS | $220 | $416 | $192 | $12 | $58 | $923 | $77 |
Avalon Limited | $246 | $416 | $192 | $12 | $58 | $949 | $79 |
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Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Avalon XL | $122 | $186 | $192 | $12 | $58 | $570 | $48 |
Avalon XLS | $122 | $220 | $192 | $12 | $58 | $604 | $50 |
Avalon Limited | $136 | $220 | $192 | $12 | $58 | $618 | $52 |
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Cost estimates assume married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Ohio minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, claim-free, and multi-policy. Estimates do not factor in specific garaging location which can decrease or increase price quotes significantly.
We can derive from the above data that using a $100 deductible costs about $26 more each month or $312 for a full year than opting for the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would pay $900 more to settle a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally go more than 35 months between claims, you would most likely save money by going with a higher deductible.
Car insurance premiums by gender
The illustration below shows the difference between Toyota Avalon car insurance rates for male and female drivers. The rates are based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, comp and collision included, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no other discounts are factored in.
Full coverage versus liability only rates
The chart below illustrates the comparison of Toyota Avalon yearly insurance costs with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The rates are based on no violations or claims, $500 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are applied.
When to stop buying physical damage coverage
There is no definitive rule of when to stop paying for full coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
For example, let’s assume your Toyota Avalon replacement value is $6,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most you would receive is $5,000 after paying your policy deductible. If you are paying in excess of $500 annually to have full coverage, then you might consider buying liability only.
There are a few situations where dropping full coverage is not a good plan. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you have to maintain full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest in the vehicle. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should keep full coverage on your policy.
Insurance policy discounts for Toyota Avalon insurance in Cleveland
Insurance is neither fun to buy or cheap, but there may be some discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Some trigger automatically at the time of quoting, but a few need to be asked for before you will receive the discount.
- Passive Restraints – Factory options such as air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may get savings up to 30%.
- Savings for New Vehicles – Putting insurance coverage on a new Avalon can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
- Sign Early and Save – A few larger companies offer discounts for buying a new policy before your current Avalon insurance policy expires. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Good Students Pay Less – Maintaining excellent grades can save 20 to 25%. The good student discount can last up until you turn 25.
- College Student Discount – College-age children who live away from home at college and won’t have access to an insured vehicle may be insured at a cheaper rate.
You should keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. If you do the math and it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way. But all discounts will definitely reduce the cost of your policy.
The example below illustrates the comparison of Toyota Avalon annual premium costs with and without policy discounts. The price estimates are based on a female driver, no claims, a clean driving record, Ohio state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, multi-car, and homeowner discounts applied.
A few of the larger companies and some of their more popular discounts include:
- State Farm may have discounts that include multiple policy, anti-theft, good student, Drive Safe & Save, and passive restraint.
- GEICO offers discounts including five-year accident-free, good student, federal employee, driver training, air bags, anti-lock brakes, and military active duty.
- Progressive includes discounts for continuous coverage, homeowner, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, online signing, and multi-policy.
- 21st Century may offer discounts for anti-lock brakes, defensive driver, driver training, early bird, and theft prevention.
- American Family policyholders can earn discounts including Steer into Savings, good driver, air bags, accident-free, mySafetyValet, and good student.
- The Hartford may include discounts for driver training, good student, defensive driver, air bag, vehicle fuel type, and bundle.
- AAA has discounts for multi-policy, AAA membership discount, good driver, pay-in-full, and multi-car.
When getting free Cleveland auto insurance quotes, it’s a good idea to every company which credits you are entitled to. Some discounts might not be offered on policies in Cleveland.
One last thing about your coverage
As you prepare to switch companies, do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits and discovered at claim time that they should have had better coverage. The goal is to buy enough coverage at the best price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
In this article, we presented a lot of techniques to lower your Toyota Avalon insurance car insurance rates in Cleveland. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get premium rates for, the better your chances of lowering your premium rates. You may even find the best price on auto insurance is with a small mutual company.
Some companies do not provide price quotes online and usually these smaller companies sell through independent agents. Cheaper Toyota Avalon insurance in Cleveland can be sourced on the web in addition to many Cleveland insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from.
How to buy cheaper Toyota Avalon insurance in Cleveland
If saving the most money is your goal, then the best way to quote cheaper Toyota Avalon insurance in Cleveland is to start comparing rates regularly from different companies who can sell car insurance in Ohio. Prices can be compared by following these guidelines.
Step 1: Try to learn a little about how insurance works and the measures you can take to lower rates. Many factors that increase rates such as traffic citations, accidents, and a not-so-good credit history can be remedied by being financially responsible and driving safely.
Step 2: Request rate estimates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give prices from one company like GEICO or Allstate, while independent agents can provide prices from multiple sources.
Step 3: Compare the quotes to the price on your current policy to see if a cheaper price is available in Cleveland. If you find a lower rate and buy the policy, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
Step 4: Notify your company or agent of your intention to cancel the current policy and submit a down payment and signed policy application to your new carrier. Make sure you keep the new certificate verifying coverage in your glove compartment.
One key aspect when comparing rates is to make sure you’re comparing the same amount of coverage on each price quote and and to get price estimates from as many companies as feasibly possible. This guarantees an accurate price comparison and the best rate selection.
Additional auto insurance information can be found at the links below
- Higher speed limits cause more fatalities (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record in Cleveland? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Young Drivers in Cleveland? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Cleveland Car Insurance for Government Employees? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for Drivers Under 21 in Cleveland? (FAQ)
- Eight Auto Insurance Myths (Insurance Information Institute)
- Auto Insurance FAQ (Farmers Insurance)
- Should I Buy a New or Used Car? (Allstate)
- Choosing a Car for Your Teen (State Farm)