2012 Lexus IS 350 Car Insurance Quotes – 10 Policy Discounts

Think you have an expensive auto insurance policy? It’s quite common and many consumers feel financially strained by their auto insurance policy.

Companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive promote their brand names with fancy advertisements and it can be hard to see past the geckos and flying pigs and do the work needed to find the best deal.

It’s smart to do price comparisons every six months since prices are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Just because you had the lowest price for IS 350 coverage on your last policy you may be paying too much now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you’re about to learn the tricks you need to know to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.

How to buy insurance online

When looking for cheap insurance coverage quotes, there are a couple ways to compare quotes from many different insurance companies. The quickest method to find cheaper 2012 Lexus IS 350 rates consists of shopping online. This is very easy and can be done in several different ways.

• If you are pressed for time, the simplest way to compare a lot of rates at once would be an industry-wide quote request form click here to open form in new window. This easy form prevents you from having to do separate quotes for every company. One form will return quotes from several companies.
• A more difficult way to get comparison quotes is to manually visit each individual company website and fill out their own quote form. For example, we’ll assume you want to see prices from Auto-Owners, Liberty Mutual and Allstate. To get rate quotes you would need to spend time on each company’s site and repeatedly type in your coverage information, which can get old fast. For a list of companies in your area, click here.
• The hardest method to find lower rates is physically going to insurance agents’ offices. The ability to quote online has reduced the need for local agents unless you’re the type of person who wants the trained advice of a licensed agent. It is possible with some companies comparison shop online and have a local agent actually service the policy.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just be sure you’re using apples-to-apples deductibles and coverage limits with each company. If you have higher or lower deductibles it will be next to impossible to get a fair rate comparison. Even a minor difference in coverage limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. Just keep in mind that getting more free quotes increases your odds of finding the best rates. Some companies don’t provide online price quotes, so you should also compare rates from them as well.

These ten discounts can lower your auto insurance rates

Some insurance providers don’t list all possible discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the list below details a few of the more well known in addition to some of the lesser obvious credits that you can use to lower your rates.

• Memberships – Participating in specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations is a good way to get lower rates when shopping for auto insurance.
• Theft Prevention Discount – Cars and trucks that have factory anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and will qualify for a discount on a insurance coverage quote.
• Discount for Swiching Early – A few larger companies give discounts for signing up before your current coverage expires. This can save 10% or more.
• Good Student Discount – A discount for being a good student can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply until age 25.
• Discount for Life Insurance – Insurance carriers who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts can save 10% or more off PIP or medical payments premium.
• Early Payment Discounts – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you can avoid monthly service charges.
• Bundled Policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with one insurance company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.
• Good Driver Discount – Drivers without accidents may receive a discount up to 45% for IS 350 coverage compared to rates paid by drivers with frequent claims.
• Active Service Discounts – Having a deployed family member may lower your rates slightly.

Don’t be shocked that many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.

A few of the larger companies and their offered discounts are included below.

• Progressive includes discounts for online signing, homeowner, good student, multi-policy, continuous coverage, and multi-vehicle.
• GEICO has discounts for military active duty, federal employee, five-year accident-free, driver training, defensive driver, air bags, and seat belt use.
• State Farm offers discounts including safe vehicle, Drive Safe & Save, defensive driving training, accident-free, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
• Esurance may have discounts that include claim free, safety device, online shopper, defensive driver, online quote, emergency road assistance, and anti-theft.
• The Hartford discounts include vehicle fuel type, defensive driver, air bag, driver training, good student, and bundle.

If you need lower rates, check with each company which discounts they offer. Some discounts listed above might not be available to policyholders in your state. For a list of insurance companies who offer discounts, follow this link.

Different people need different insurance coverage coverages

When buying the right insurance coverage, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For instance, these questions might point out whether or not you would benefit from an agent’s advice.

• When should I remove comp and collision on my 2012 Lexus IS 350?
• Is motorclub coverage worth it?
• Can I rent a car in Mexico?
• Should I buy only the required minimum liability coverage?
• Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
• What is the rate difference between pleasure use and commuting?
• I have a DUI can I still get coverage?
• Do I need rental car coverage?
• If my 2012 Lexus IS 350 is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
• Will my rates increase for filing one claim?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

The coverage is in the details

Having a good grasp of your insurance policy can help you determine appropriate coverage for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Listed below are typical coverage types offered by insurance companies.

Liability – This can cover damage that occurs to other people or property in an accident. This insurance protects YOU against claims from other people. Liability doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 100/300/100 that translate to a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, $300,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000. Occasionally you may see a combined limit which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.

Liability can pay for claims like funeral expenses, repair costs for stationary objects and loss of income. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Collision – Collision insurance pays for damage to your IS 350 resulting from a collision with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision insurance covers claims such as crashing into a ditch, hitting a mailbox, colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a parking meter and backing into a parked car. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers – This coverage provides protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for injuries to you and your family and damage to your Lexus IS 350.

Since many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Normally these coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Medical expense insurance – Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for bills such as funeral costs, EMT expenses, rehabilitation expenses, nursing services and hospital visits. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers you and your occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Comprehensive (Other than Collision) – This covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as vandalism, damage from a tornado or hurricane, hitting a bird, damage from flooding and rock chips in glass. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.