2011 Toyota Highlander Insurance Cost – 6 Ideas for Best Prices

Want the cheapest auto insurance rates for your Toyota Highlander? Are you at wits end from not being able to afford to make your auto insurance payment? You have the same problem as many other consumers. Insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive all promote huge savings with catchy ads and it is difficult to ignore the flying pigs and cute green geckos and take the time to shop coverage around.

Take advantage of these six premium-slashing discounts

Car insurance is not cheap nor is it fun to buy but companies offer discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Certain credits will be shown at quote time, but occassionally some discounts must be asked about prior to receiving the credit.

  • Paper-free Discount – Certain larger companies will give a small break for signing up on your computer.
  • 55 and Retired – Older drivers could receive better car insurance rates on Highlander insurance.
  • Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to wear their seat belts can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off PIP or medical payments premium.
  • Driver’s Ed – Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course if it’s offered in school.
  • Passenger Safety Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of 25 to 30%.
  • Resident Student – Youth drivers who live away from home at college and do not take a car to college may qualify for this discount.

We need to note that most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, you won’t be that lucky.

For a list of companies that offer discounts, click here to view.

Do I need special coverages?

When choosing the best car insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions may help highlight whether your personal situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.

  • Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
  • Am I covered if I hit my neighbor’s mailbox?
  • Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
  • Is a blown tire covered by insurance?
  • Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
  • Am I insured when driving a different vehicle?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.

Advertising and insurance

Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements for the lowest price insurance by Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. All the companies advertise the message about saving some big amount if you just switch to their company.

How does every insurance company cost less than your current company? It’s all in the wording.

Many companies require specific criteria for a prospective insured that will most likely be profitable. One example of a desirable insured might have to be between the ages of 30 and 50, has had continuous coverage, and has great credit. Anybody who matches that profile gets the lowest prices and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential customers who fall short of those standards may be required to pay more expensive rates which results in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “people who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save the amount stated. That is how insurance companies can make those statements.

Because of the profiling, you should get price quotes at each policy renewal. It is impossible to guess which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.

What auto insurance coverages do you need?

Knowing the specifics of your auto insurance policy can help you determine which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. These are the usual coverages found on the average auto insurance policy.

Comprehensive protection

This will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things like vandalism, rock chips in glass, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, theft and hitting a bird. The most a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Medical expense coverage

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for short-term medical expenses like hospital visits, X-ray expenses and dental work. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Collision insurance

This coverage will pay to fix damage to your Highlander resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision insurance covers things such as crashing into a building, scraping a guard rail, driving through your garage door and hitting a parking meter. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Liability auto insurance

This protects you from injuries or damage you cause to people or other property by causing an accident. It protects YOU from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 100/300/100 which means $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.

Liability coverage pays for things such as legal defense fees, structural damage, medical expenses and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but consider buying as large an amount as possible.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your Toyota Highlander.

Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits, their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Normally these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

In conclusion

We just covered a lot of ways to save on 2011 Toyota Highlander insurance. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from some of the lesser-known companies. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower prices on certain market segments than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm or Progressive.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, never buy poor coverage just to save money. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced liability coverage limits only to regret at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your strategy should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

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