It’s a fact that car insurance companies don’t want you to look for a cheaper policy. Consumers who shop for lower prices will, in all likelihood, move their business because there are good odds of finding more affordable rates. A recent survey revealed that consumers who did price comparisons regularly saved on average $70 a month as compared to drivers who never compared prices.
If saving money on Toyota Prius V insurance in Cleveland is your objective, then having an understanding of the best way to shop and compare cheaper coverage can make shopping around easier.
If saving money is your primary concern, then the best way to find the cheapest price for Toyota Prius V insurance is to compare prices at least once a year from insurers in Cleveland. This can be done by following these guidelines.
- First, take a few minutes and learn about the different coverages in a policy and the modifications you can make to lower rates. Many policy risk factors that cause high rates such as multiple speeding tickets and a not-so-good credit rating can be controlled by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.
- Second, compare rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only quote rates from one company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agencies can give you price quotes for many different companies. Find a Cleveland insurance agent
- Third, compare the new rates to the price on your current policy and see if you can save money. If you can save some money, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
- Fourth, tell your current company of your intention to cancel your current auto insurance policy and submit payment and a signed application for your new policy. Immediately upon receiving it, place the new certificate verifying proof of insurance in an easily accessible location in your vehicle.
One thing to remember is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same level of coverage on each quote request and to quote with every company you can. Doing this enables a fair price comparison and a thorough selection of prices.
How to get free Toyota Prius V insurance quotes online
Most of the larger companies give prices on their websites. Doing online quotes for Toyota Prius V insurance in Cleveland is very simple as you simply type in your personal and coverage information as requested by the quote form. When complete, their system pulls your driving and credit reports and gives you a price quote based on the data you entered. This simplifies rate comparisons, and it’s very important to compare as many rates as possible if you want to get a lower rate.
To find out how much you’re overpaying now, compare rates now from the companies shown below. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you type in the coverages as close as possible to your current policy. This ensures you will receive a price comparison for similar coverage.
The companies in the list below are our best choices to provide price comparisons in Cleveland, OH. If you wish to find the best auto insurance in Cleveland, we recommend you get price quotes from several of them in order to find the cheapest rates.
Why you need to buy auto insurance
Despite the potentially high cost of Toyota Prius V insurance, paying for auto insurance is most likely required but also gives you several important benefits.
First, the majority of states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to buy specific minimum amounts of liability insurance in order to be legal. In Ohio these limits are 25/50/25 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of property damage coverage.
Second, if you bought your car with a loan, almost all lenders will make it mandatory that you carry insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If you do not keep the policy in force, the lender may insure your Toyota at a more expensive rate and force you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
Third, auto insurance protects both your vehicle and your personal assets. Insurance will pay for medical transport and hospital expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you are sued as the result of your driving. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.
The benefits of insuring your Prius V outweigh the cost, especially for larger claims. According to a recent study, the average American driver overpays as much as $820 a year so compare rates at every policy renewal to be sure current rates are still competitive.
Lower Your Cleveland Insurance Prices
Part of the car insurance buying process is learning a few of the rating criteria that play a part in calculating car insurance rates. When you understand what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this enables informed choices that can earn you lower rates.
Gender as a rate factor – Over the last 50 years, statistics have shown women tend to be less risk to insure than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that females are better drivers. They both tend to get into accidents at a similar rate, but the men get into accidents with more damage. Men also statistically receive more major tickets like reckless driving and DUI. Males from age 16 to 21 are the most expensive to insure and are penalized with high car insurance rates.
How’s your driving record? – Drivers who don’t get tickets have lower premiums than bad drivers. Even a single citation may cause rates to rise by as much as thirty percent. Drivers unfortunate enough to have severe tickets like DUI or reckless driving may face state-mandated requirements to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state DMV in order to keep their license.
Do you have enough liability protection? – Liability coverage will provide protection when you are found to be at fault for damages from an accident. Liability provides you with a defense in court to attempt to prove you were not liable. Liability insurance is quite affordable when compared with rates for comp and collision, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.
Do you know your coverage deductibles? – Insurance for physical damage, aka comp and collision, covers your vehicle from damage. A few examples of covered claims are a dented fender, vandalism, and burglary. Comp and collision deductibles define how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket if a claim is determined to be covered. The more money you have to pay, the better rate you will receive.
Married drivers get cheaper costs – Getting married can get you a discount on your policy. It may mean you are more mature than a single person and statistics prove married couples file fewer claims.
Cut prices and deter theft – Choosing to buy a car with an alarm system can save you a little every year. Theft prevention features like OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms help track and prevent vehicle theft.
Excellent credit saves on car insurance – Credit score is a big factor in calculating your premium rate. So if your credit score leaves room for improvement, you could pay less to insure your Toyota Prius V by repairing your credit. Insureds with excellent credit scores tend to file fewer claims as compared to drivers with poor credit.
Toyota Prius V insurance loss data – Insurers use statistical claims data when determining insurance rates. Models that the data determines to have increased claim numbers or amounts will cost more to insure.
The table below outlines the insurance loss data used by companies for Toyota Prius V vehicles. For each coverage type, the claim probability for all vehicles, regardless of make, model or trim level, is equal to 100. Numbers below 100 suggest a better than average loss history, while numbers that are greater than 100 point to more claims or an increased likelihood of larger losses.
Vehicle Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Toyota Prius V Hybrid | 94 | 86 | 88 | 88 | 94 | 97 |
Data Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
When in doubt talk to an agent
Keep in mind that when it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. You are unique.
Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if you may require specific advice.
- Should I buy more coverage than the required Ohio minimum liability coverage?
- What if I owe more than I can insure my car for?
- What does UM/UIM cover?
- What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?
- Do they offer discounts for home and auto coverage?
- Am I covered if hit by an uninsured driver?
- Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
- Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
- Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.
Find affordable rates by being thorough
When shopping online for auto insurance, make sure you don’t buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In too many instances, someone sacrificed liability coverage limits only to regret at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.
We just showed you a lot of techniques to save on Toyota Prius V insurance in Cleveland. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get car insurance rates for, the better likelihood of getting cheaper Cleveland car insurance quotes. Consumers could even find that the best rates are with a smaller regional carrier.
Affordable Toyota Prius V insurance in Cleveland is attainable both online and from local insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies do not provide online rate quotes and many times these regional insurance providers prefer to sell through independent insurance agents.
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- How to Avoid Buying a Flooded Car (Insurance Information Institute)
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- Vehicle Safety Ratings (iihs.org)
- Tools for Teen Driving Safety (State Farm)
- Determining Your Vehicle’s Value and Repair Cost (Insurance Information Institute)
- Your Car has been Stolen: Now What? (Allstate)