Save Money on Toyota Prius Insurance in San Jose

Do you want to stop overpaying and find cheaper car insurance rates in San Jose, CA? San Jose drivers have options when trying to find the best price on Toyota Prius insurance. You can either waste hours contacting agents to compare prices or leverage the internet to find the lowest rates.

There is a right way and a wrong way to shop for car insurance and you need to know the quickest way to quote coverages for your Toyota and get the cheapest rates.

Consumers should take time to take a look at other company’s rates before your policy renews since insurance prices fluctuate regularly. If you had the lowest rate on Toyota Prius insurance in San Jose six months ago other companies may now be cheaper. There is a lot of bad information regarding Prius insurance on the web, but by reading this article, you’re going to learn some solid techniques on how to reduce your car insurance bill.

If you have coverage now or just want to save money, you can learn to cut your premiums without reducing coverage. This article’s intent is to help educate you on how insurance works and how to save the most money. Shoppers just need to learn the proper way to shop on the web.

Cheap auto insurance in San Jose, CA

The companies shown below provide price comparisons in California. If more than one company is shown, it’s a good idea that you visit as many as you can to get the best price comparison.

Data for Toyota Prius insurance

The coverage table displayed below outlines different insurance coverage prices for Toyota Prius models. Learning how insurance premiums are determined is important for you to make smart choices when purchasing an auto insurance policy.

Price data assumes married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, homeowner, safe-driver, and claim-free. Price information does not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can influence coverage prices substantially.

Deductible comparison

One common question asked by San Jose drivers is how high should the physical damage deductibles be. The following insurance rates determine the premium difference when you select higher and lower physical damage coverage deductibles. The first data table uses a $100 deductible and the second rate table uses a $1,000 deductible.

Premium data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, and claim-free. Premium amounts do not factor in San Jose location which can decrease or increase coverage rates substantially.

We can estimate from the data above that using a $100 deductible will cost in the ballpark of $45 more each month or $540 for a full year across all Toyota Prius models than selecting the higher $1,000 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $900 more out-of-pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you average more than 20 months between claim filings, you would save money if you decide on a higher deductible.

Discounts can help save money on Toyota Prius insurance in San Jose

Some companies don’t necessarily list every discount in an easy-to-find place, so the next list breaks down both the well known as well as some of the hidden savings tricks you should be using when you buy San Jose auto insurance online.

• Anti-lock Brake System – Cars equipped with ABS or steering control are much safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
• New Vehicle Savings – Buying car insurance coverage on a new vehicle may earn a small discount due to better safety requirements for new vehicles.
• Professional Memberships – Participating in a qualifying organization could trigger savings on your policy.
• Payment Method – By making one initial payment rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
• Student Driver Training – Have your child successfully take a driver’s education course in high school.
• Multiple Cars – Insuring multiple cars on a single policy could earn a price break for each car.
• Claim-Free Discount – Drivers who don’t have accidents have much lower rates as compared to accident-prone drivers.
• Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems can help prevent theft so companies will give you a small discount.
• Discounts for Government Workers – Simply working for the federal government could cut as much as 10% off with some car insurance companies.
• Include Life Insurance and Save – Not all companies offer life insurance, but some may give you a discounted premium rate on car insurance if you buy some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.

Remember that most credits do not apply to the whole policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. If you do the math and it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you aren’t that lucky.

The information below compares Toyota Prius insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the rates. The data is based on a female driver, no violations or accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-policy, claim-free, safe-driver, marriage, homeowner, and multi-car discounts applied.

A list of companies and a partial list of their discounts can be read below.

• 21st Century policyholders can earn discounts including 55 and older, theft prevention, driver training, early bird, and good student.
• Progressive may include discounts for multi-policy, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, homeowner, good student, continuous coverage, and online signing.
• State Farm discounts include Drive Safe & Save, defensive driving training, good student, anti-theft, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and good driver.
• Nationwide has savings for good student, defensive driving, easy pay, family plan, and anti-theft.
• Esurance offers premium reductions for defensive driver, anti-lock brakes, Switch & Save, claim free, emergency road assistance, Pac-12 alumni, and good student.
• The Hartford offers discounts including good student, anti-theft, driver training, defensive driver, and air bag.

It’s a good idea to ask every prospective company to give you their best rates. Some credits may not apply to policyholders everywhere. To locate car insurance companies that offer multiple discounts in San Jose, click here.

You Can Change Your Insurance Costs

Many things are part of the equation when you get a price on insurance. A few of the factors are predictable like a motor vehicle report, although some other factors are less obvious like your vehicle usage or your commute time.

• Save money by having multiple policies – Most larger auto insurance companies apply better rates to buyers who carry more than one policy in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even if you qualify for this discount already, consumers should still compare other San Jose Prius insurance rates to help ensure you have the lowest rates.
• Cars with good safety ratings cost less to insure – Vehicles that have high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. Vehicles built for safety result in less severe injuries and fewer injuries means your insurance company pays less and more competitive rates for policyholders.
• Being married reduces risk – Getting married may save some money on your auto insurance policy. Marriage translates into being more mature than a single person it has been statistically shown that married drivers tend to have fewer serious accidents.

• Females tend to take less risk – The statistics show females are less aggressive when driving. However, this does not mean females are better drivers. Males and females are in auto accidents in similar percentages, but guys have accidents that have higher claims. Not only that, but men also get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving.

  The example below compares Toyota Prius insurance premiums for male and female drivers. The data is based on no claims or driving citations, comp and collision included, $100 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

• Fast cars cost more to insure – The performance level of the vehicle you need to insure makes a huge difference in determining your rates. The lowest premiums are usually found on the lowest performance passenger models, but many other things help determine your insurance rates.

  The chart below assumes a single male driver age 50, full coverage with $1000 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. It shows Toyota Prius insurance rates compared to other models that have a range of risk factors.

• More stress means more cost – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Jobs such as fire fighters, police officers, and stock brokers tend to pay higher premium rates because of job stress and long work hours. On the other hand, careers such as farmers, historians and the unemployed get better rates.
• Insurance claims cost money – Insurance companies in California give the lowest premiums to people who file claims infrequently. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Your insurance policy is intended for larger claims.
• Advanced GPS tracking and theft deterrents – Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your premiums. Anti-theft devices like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all help stop auto theft and help lower rates.

• Insurance loss probability for a Toyota Prius – Companies use claims history to help determine the rate you pay. Vehicles that are shown to have a higher amount or frequency of claims will have a higher cost to insure.

  The next table shows the collected loss data for Toyota Prius vehicles. For each coverage type, the statistical loss for all vehicles, regardless of make, model or trim level, is a value of 100. Values that are under 100 are indicative of better than average losses, while numbers above 100 point to more claims or a tendency for claims to be larger.

  
  

  Toyota Prius Insurance Claim Statistics

  Specific Toyota Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Toyota Prius C Hybrid	113	100	87	120	121	113
  Toyota Prius Hybrid	101	97	98	103	118	103
  Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid	98	89	87	106	114	93
  Toyota Prius V Hybrid	94	86	88	88	94	97

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years

Insurance is unique, just like you

Always remember that when buying your policy, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Each situation is unique.

These are some specific questions might point out whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.

• Should I get collision insurance on every vehicle?
• Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
• Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
• Is my Toyota Prius covered for smoke damage?
• Am I better off with higher deductibles on my Toyota Prius?
• Is my trailer covered?
• Are my company tools covered if they get stolen?
• How do I buy GAP insurance?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and you can get the answers you need.

Compare rate quotes but buy from a local San Jose insurance agent

Many drivers would rather sit down with an agent and that is recommended in a lot of cases Licensed agents can help you build your policy and help file insurance claims. A good thing about price shopping on the web is you can get lower premium rates but still work with a licensed agent. Buying insurance from neighborhood agents is definitely important in San Jose.

By using this simple form, your information is sent to local insurance agents in San Jose who will gladly provide quotes for your business. You don’t have to contact any insurance agencies as quotes are delivered directly to you. If for some reason you want to get a rate quote from a specific insurance company, you can always jump over to their website and give them your coverage information.

Listed below are agents in San Jose that may be able to provide comparison quotes for Toyota Prius insurance in San Jose.

• Burch Boehner – State Farm Insurance Agent
  201 E Taylor St #2 – San Jose, CA 95112 – (408) 287-8190 – View Map
• Art Holland – State Farm Insurance Agent
  5520 Almaden Expy – San Jose, CA 95118 – (408) 229-7870 – View Map
• Angela Frangieh – State Farm Insurance Agent
  1270 S Winchester Blvd #134 – San Jose, CA 95128 – (408) 260-3370 – View Map
• Nhut Ho – State Farm Insurance Agent
  2048 Tully Rd – San Jose, CA 95122 – (408) 223-6163 – View Map

View more San Jose agents

Deciding on an company requires more thought than just the quoted price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

• Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
• Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
• What company do they have the most business with?
• Do they specialize in personal lines coverage in San Jose?
• If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
• How many years of experience in personal auto insurance do they have?

If you receive positive feedback to these questions and cheap Prius insurance quotes, you may have just found an insurer that is professional and can insure your vehicles.

In the end, you can save money

Some companies do not provide the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these regional carriers sell through local independent agents. Cheaper car insurance in San Jose is available both online and with local San Jose insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both so you have a total pricing picture.

Drivers leave their current company for many reasons like unfair underwriting practices, denial of a claim, lack of trust in their agent or questionable increases in premium. It doesn’t matter what your reason, switching car insurance companies can be easy and end up saving you some money.

While you’re price shopping online, it’s a bad idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, consumers will sacrifice uninsured motorist or liability limits only to discover later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.

How to find lower priced Toyota Prius insurance in San Jose

It takes a few minutes, but the best way to get discount car insurance rates in San Jose is to annually compare prices from different companies in California.

1. Spend a few minutes and learn about the different coverages in a policy and the things you can control to keep rates in check. Many risk factors that cause rate increases like traffic citations and a not-so-good credit score can be eliminated by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
2. Compare prices from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only give prices from a single company like Progressive and State Farm, while agents who are independent can quote prices from multiple sources.
3. Compare the new rates to the price on your current policy to see if a cheaper price is available in San Jose. If you find better rates and decide to switch, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
4. Tell your current agent or company of your decision to cancel your current car insurance policy and submit payment along with a signed and completed policy application to your new agent or company. Immediately upon receiving it, keep your new proof of insurance paperwork along with the vehicle’s registration papers.

One key aspect when comparing rates is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same amount of coverage on each quote and and to compare as many different insurance providers as possible. This ensures a fair rate comparison and a complete price analysis.

Additional car insurance information can be read below:

• When is the Right Time to Switch Car Insurance Companies? (Allstate)
• How Much is Auto Insurance for High School Students in San Jose? (FAQ)
• How Much are Auto Insurance Quotes for a Honda CR-V in San Jose? (FAQ)
• What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for a Jeep Grand Cherokee in San Jose? (FAQ)
• How Much is Car Insurance for Good Drivers in San Jose? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap San Jose Auto Insurance for a Nissan Sentra? (FAQ)
• How Much are San Jose Auto Insurance Quotes for Felons? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap San Jose Car Insurance Quotes for Electric Cars? (FAQ)
• Can I Drive Legally without Insurance? (Insurance Information Institute)
• Prom Night Tips for Teen Drivers (State Farm)
• Teen Driver Licensing Information (iihs.org)
• Insurance losses by make and model (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)