Compare 2004 Scion xA Insurance Cost

High-priced Scion xA insurance can dwindle your accounts and make it impossible to make ends meet. Price shopping at each renewal is a great way to lower your monthly bill.

Multiple insurance companies compete to insure your vehicles, so it can be very hard to choose a provider to get the cheapest price

Consumers should take time to compare rates once or twice a year because insurance prices are variable and change quite frequently. If you had the best rates for xA insurance a few years ago you can probably find a lower rate today. Forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because we’re going to demonstrate how to use the internet to find better coverage at a better price.

If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to lower your premiums substantially using these techniques. Finding the best rates is easy if you know what you’re doing. Nevertheless, drivers must know the way insurance companies compete online.

Finding car insurance

When comparison shopping, there are several ways of comparing rate quotes from many different insurance companies. The fastest way to comparison shop is to jump online and get quotes. It’s really quite simple and can be done using a couple different methods.

  1. The most efficient way to get quotes for comparison would be an industry-wide quote request form (click to open form in new window). This quick form prevents you from having to do separate quotation requests for every prospective company. In just a few minutes this one form gets coverage cost estimates from all major companies.
  2. A slightly less efficient method to compare prices consists of going to the website for each individual company and fill out their own quote form. For sake of this example, let’s say you want comparison quotes from Nationwide, 21st Century and GMAC. You would be required to spend time going to each site individually to enter the same coverage data repeatedly, which is why the first method is more popular.

    To view a list of companies in your area, click here.

  3. Even if you have time, the least recommended method to do your price quoting is driving to different agent offices. Comparing rate quotes online can eliminate the need for a local agent unless you have a complicated situation and need the professional advice of an agent trained in personal lines coverage. Although, it is possible obtain prices from the web but buy the policy through an agent.

It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just do your best to use exactly the same coverage data on every quote. If your comparisons have different data it will be impossible to determine which company has the best rates. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages can make a big difference in price. And when price shopping your coverage, making a lot of price comparisons increases your odds of finding a better price.

Discount insurance rates

Insurance is not an enjoyable expense, but there could be available discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Some of these disounts will be visible when you complete an application, but a few must be requested specifically prior to receiving the credit.

  • Claim-Free Discount – Insureds with no claims or accidents pay much less as opposed to bad drivers.
  • Pay Upfront and Save – By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you can avoid monthly service charges.
  • Student in College – Youth drivers living away from home attending college and do not take a car to college could qualify for this discount.
  • Discount for Swiching Early – Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
  • Auto/Home Discount – If you combine your homeowners and auto policies and insure them both with the same insurance company you may save at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
  • Driver Education Discount – Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll in driver’s education in high school.
  • Seat Belts Save – Forcing all vehicle occupants to buckle up could cut 10% or more on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
  • ABS Braking Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have anti-lock braking systems are much safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.

You can save money using discounts, but most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Most only cut individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. Just because you may think all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck.

Large insurance companies and their offered discounts are included below.

  • 21st Century may offer discounts for air bags, early bird, defensive driver, teen driver, homeowners, and good student.
  • Progressive offers discounts for multi-policy, homeowner, online signing, multi-vehicle, good student, and continuous coverage.
  • State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including passive restraint, Steer Clear safe driver discount, accident-free, Drive Safe & Save, good driver, and multiple autos.
  • Nationwide may include discounts for good student, defensive driving, Farm Bureau membership, accident-free, and business or organization.
  • Esurance offers discounts including good student, DriveSense, good driver, safety device, and paid-in-full.
  • The Hartford includes discounts for air bag, anti-theft, driver training, defensive driver, and vehicle fuel type.

Check with all the companies to apply every possible discount. Some discounts might not apply in every state. If you would like to see a list of insurance companies that offer many of these discounts, click this link.

Smart consumers can cut insurance costs

Many different elements are taken into consideration when you get a price on insurance. Most are fairly basic like an MVR report, but other factors are not quite as obvious like your vehicle usage or your commute time.Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the factors that aid in calculating your policy premiums. If you understand what impacts premium levels, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that can earn you lower rates.

The items below are some of the factors used by your company to calculate rates.

  • Remove unneeded incidental coverages – Insurance companies have many extra bells and whistles you can purchase on your insurance policy. Insurance for things like rental car coverage, accident forgiveness, and term life insurance are examples of these. You may think they are a good idea when discussing your needs, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
  • Does car insurance cost more for guys? – Statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean females are better at driving than males. Females and males cause at-fault accidents at about the same rate, but the males have costlier accidents. Men also get higher numbers of serious violations like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving. Males from age 16 to 21 cause the most accidents so it costs more to insure them.
  • Defend yourself with liability coverage – A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance provides coverage if ever you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability provides legal defense coverage starting from day one. Liability insurance is quite affordable when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
  • What’s your car’s IIHS safety rating? – Cars with five star safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Highly rated vehicles result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection translates directly to fewer claims which can mean better rates for you. If your Scion xA has at least four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org you may pay a lower rate.
  • Does your vocation raise your premiums? – Occupational choices like military generals, business owners and stock brokers have higher rates than the rest of us attributed to stressful work requirements and long work days. Other careers like actors, engineers and retirees pay the least for xA insurance.
  • Consolidate policies and save money – Many insurers apply a discount to insureds who carry more than one policy in the form of a multi-policy discount. The amount of the discounts can be five, ten or even twenty percent. Even with this discount, it’s always a smart idea to get quotes from other companies to help ensure you have the lowest rates.

Tailor your insurance coverage to you

When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a “best” method to buy coverage. Everyone’s situation is unique so your insurance should reflect that These are some specific questions could help you determine if your insurance needs may require specific advice.

  • Should I file a claim if it’s only slightly more than my deductible?
  • What is the minimum liability in my state?
  • Should I buy more coverage than the required minimum liability coverage?
  • How do I file an SR-22 for a DUI in my state?
  • I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
  • Does my 2004 Scion xA qualify for pleasure use?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Car insurance ads bend the truth

Car insurance providers like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm continually stream television and radio advertisements. All the ads state the claim that you can save if you change to their company. But how can every company charge you less for auto insurance? It’s all in how they say it.

Many companies have an ideal profile for the type of customer that will add to their bottom line. One example of this type of insured may be a mature driver, carries full coverage, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. Any customer who matches that profile will most likely get cheap premium rates as well as save a lot of money.

Drivers who do not match this stringent profile must pay a more expensive rate which usually ends up with the customer buying from a different company. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “people who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much when switching. This is how companies can truthfully make those statements. Each company has different criteria, so you absolutely need to compare many company’s premium rates. It’s not possible to predict which company will have the best auto insurance rates at this point in time.

Car insurance 101

Having a good grasp of your policy aids in choosing the best coverages for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. These are typical coverages found on the average insurance policy.

Comprehensive insurance – This coverage covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like vandalism, falling objects and rock chips in glass. The maximum payout a insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Collision – Collision insurance covers damage to your xA from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage pays for things such as backing into a parked car, scraping a guard rail, rolling your car, damaging your car on a curb and crashing into a building. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from older vehicles. You can also bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for expenses like pain medications, prosthetic devices, doctor visits and hospital visits. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Liability auto insurance – This can cover damage or injury you incur to people or other property. It protects you against claims from other people, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see values of 25/50/25 that translate to a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability can pay for claims like legal defense fees, bail bonds, court costs, medical expenses and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but you should buy as large an amount as possible.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – This gives you protection when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your Scion xA.

Since many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.

You can do this!

Some companies don’t offer price quotes online and these regional carriers sell through independent agents. Lower-priced insurance can be found both online and from local agencies, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from.

When shopping online for insurance, don’t be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many situations where consumers will sacrifice liability coverage limits and discovered at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price and still be able to protect your assets.

Additional insurance information is available at the links below