Auto Insurance Rates for a Toyota FJ Cruiser in Bakersfield

The most effective way to get more affordable Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance in Bakersfield is to compare quotes annually from companies who provide car insurance in California.

1. Take a little time to learn about policy coverages and the things you can control to drop your rates. Many factors that drive up the price like traffic tickets, fender benders, and an unacceptable credit history can be controlled by making minor changes in your lifestyle. This article provides additional tips to get affordable coverage and find possible discounts that are available.
2. Obtain price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive and direct companies can only quote rates from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agencies can provide prices for a wide range of companies.
3. Compare the quotes to your existing policy to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find a lower rate quote and decide to switch, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
4. Provide proper notification to your current company of your intent to cancel your current auto insurance policy and submit payment and a completed application to the new insurer. As soon as you have the new policy, safely store the certificate verifying coverage along with your vehicle registration.

A good piece of advice is that you’ll want to compare the same amount of coverage on each quote request and and to get price quotes from as many carriers as you can. This helps ensure the most accurate price comparison and a complete price analysis.

Amazingly, a recent NerdWallet.com study showed that most auto insurance policyholders in California kept their policy with the same company for at least the last four years, and just under half have never quoted rates to find cheap coverage. Many drivers in America could pocket almost $859 a year, but they don’t want to spend time to compare rates and save money.

If you are already insured or are looking for a new policy, use these money-saving tips to get lower rates without sacrificing coverage. Locating the most cost-effective insurance policy in Bakersfield is really quite easy. Drivers only need to know the proper methods to buy insurance over the internet.

Discounts for cheaper insurance quotes

Buying insurance is not cheap, but you can get discounts to help bring down the price. Many discounts should be triggered when you get a quote, but once in a while a discount must be specifically requested in order for you to get them. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you are not getting the best rate possible.

• Sign Online – Many insurance companies give back up to $50 for completing your application online.
• Resident Student – Older children who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from Bakersfield and do not have a car may be able to be covered for less.
• Drivers Education – Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
• Discounts for Good Drivers – Drivers without accidents may receive a discount up to 45% compared to accident prone drivers.
• No Claim Discounts – Drivers who don’t have accidents have much lower rates in comparison with policyholders that have many claims.
• Passive Restraints – Factory air bags may qualify for discounts of 20 to 30 percent.
• Anti-theft System – Cars and trucks optioned with advanced anti-theft systems have a lower chance of being stolen and will qualify for a discount on a Bakersfield auto insurance quote.
• Save with More Vehicles Insured – Purchasing coverage when you have primary and secondary vehicles on a single policy qualifies for this discount.
• Multi-line Discount – Larger insurance carriers have a lower price if you buy life insurance from them.
• Renewal Discounts – Some companies provide a discount for switching companies prior to your current FJ Cruiser insurance policy expiring. You may see this discount when you get Bakersfield auto insurance quotes online.

You should keep in mind that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. Despite the appearance that you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

The illustration below illustrates the comparison of Toyota FJ Cruiser car insurance costs with and without discounts. The price estimates are based on a female driver, no claims or driving citations, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, claim-free, multi-car, multi-policy, marriage, and safe-driver discounts applied.

To locate insurers that offer some of these discounts in Bakersfield, click here.

Affordable Bakersfield Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance

The companies shown below can provide free quotes in California. If the list has multiple companies, it’s highly recommended you visit as many as you can to get a more complete price comparison.

Rates and other information

The information displayed next highlights different insurance costs for Toyota FJ Cruiser models. Having a good grasp of how insurance quotes are calculated can aid in making informed coverage decisions.

Prices based on married male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, claim-free, and homeowner. Prices do not factor in specific Bakersfield garaging location which can influence price quotes significantly.

Deductible comparison

One frequently asked question is the level to set your comp and collision deductibles. The data tables below determine the rate difference between high and low comp and collision deductibles. The first rate comparisons uses a $100 deductible for physical damage and the second data table uses a $1,000 deductible.

Data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-vehicle, claim-free, multi-policy, and safe-driver. Premium amounts do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can alter prices noticeably.

We can derive from the above data that using a $100 deductible costs about $41 more each month or $492 every year across all Toyota FJ Cruiser models than opting for the higher $1,000 deductible. Due to the fact that you would have to pay $900 more if you file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you usually have at least 22 months between claim filings, you would probably come out ahead if you choose the higher deductible.

Age, gender, and Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance

The diagram below illustrates the difference between Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance costs for male and female drivers. The data assumes no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, single status, and no additional discounts are factored in.

Rate comparison of full coverage and liability-only

The example below illustrates the comparison of Toyota FJ Cruiser auto insurance rates with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The prices are based on no claims or violations, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied.

Should you pay for full coverage or liability only?

There isn’t a steadfast formula of when to phase out physical damage coverage, but there is a general school of thought. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.

For example, let’s say your Toyota FJ Cruiser replacement value is $9,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company will settle for is $8,000 after you pay the deductible. If you are paying over $800 annually for your policy with full coverage, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.

There are some conditions where buying only liability insurance is not financially feasible. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you are required to maintain full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should not drop full coverage.

How to Lower Your Insurance Rates

Lots of things are part of the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. Some of the criteria are obvious such as traffic violations, but some are more transparent like your vehicle usage and annual miles driven. Part of the insurance buying process is learning some of the things that help determine your insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this enables you to make decisions that may result in lower rates.

The itemized list below are some of the most common factors that factor into premiums.

• Teen drivers cost more – Older insureds are more cautious drivers, cause fewer claims and accidents, and usually have better credit. Youthful drivers have been known to get distracted easily when driving with friends and because of this, their insurance rates are much higher.

  The following chart is based on a single driver, full coverage with $250 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.

• Higher rates for insurance policy lapses – Having a gap between insurance policy dates is a sure-fire way to drive up your policy premiums. Not only will you pay higher rates, getting caught without coverage will get you a license revocation or jail time.
• Credit rating impacts costs – Credit score can be a huge factor in determining what you pay for insurance. So if your credit rating is not that good, you could save money insuring your Toyota FJ Cruiser by taking the time to improve your credit score. Consumers who have very high credit ratings tend to be more responsible as compared to drivers with bad credit.

• Careless drivers pay higher premiums – Being a careful driver influences premium rates substantially. Even one moving violation may increase your cost forty percent or more. Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than their less careful counterparts. Drivers with multiple violations like DUI or willful reckless driving may face state-mandated requirements to complete a SR-22 with their state’s licensing department in order to prevent their license from being revoked.

  The information below demonstrates how speeding tickets and accidents can impact Toyota FJ Cruiser car insurance rates for different age groups. The price estimates are based on a married female driver, full coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

Everyone needs different insurance coverages

When buying insurance from an agent or online, there is no one size fits all plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For instance, these questions can help discover whether your personal situation might need professional guidance.

• Does coverage extend to my business vehicle?
• How do I insure my teen driver?
• How can I find cheaper teen driver insurance?
• Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
• Should I waive the damage coverage when renting a car?
• What policy terms are available?
• Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.

Independent and exclusive auto insurance agents

A small number of people still prefer to have an agent’s advice and that is a personal choice. Most agents are very good at helping people manage risk and help you file claims. One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain cheap rate quotes and still have a local agent.

For easy comparison, once you complete this quick form, the coverage information gets sent to participating agents in Bakersfield who want to provide quotes for your business. It’s much easier because you don’t need to drive around because quoted prices will be sent to you directly. In the event you want to get a comparison quote from one company in particular, just visit that company’s website and give them your coverage information.

Choosing an insurance company needs to be determined by more than just a low price. The following questions are important to ask.

• Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
• Does the quote include credit and driving reports?
• Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
• Do they see any coverage gaps in your plan?
• Is there a Errors and Omissions policy in force?
• Are aftermarket or OEM parts used to repair vehicles?
• Who are their largest clients?
• Does the agency support the community they serve?

How to choose the best auto insurance agent in Bakersfield

If you are searching for a local agent, you must know there are a couple different types of agents and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Agents are considered either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive. Either one can insure your vehicles, but it is a good idea to know the difference in the companies they write for because it can impact your selection of an agent.

Exclusive Agents

These agents are contracted to one company such as State Farm, Allstate, or Farmers Insurance. Exclusive agents cannot provide other company’s prices so you need to shop around if the rates are high. They are well schooled on their company’s products which aids in selling service over price.

The following are exclusive agents in Bakersfield who may provide you with rate quotes.

View more Bakersfield agents

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Agents in the independent channel are appointed with more than one company and that enables them to quote your coverage through many companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If you want to switch companies, an independent agent can move your coverage which is easy for the insured. When comparing car insurance rates, you will want to include price quotes from at a minimum one independent agency so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare.

The following are Bakersfield independent agencies that can give you rate quotes.

View more Bakersfield agents

Why insurance is not optional

Even though it can be expensive, insurance is required in California but it also protects you in many ways.

• Most states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to carry specific limits of liability coverage in order to be legal. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
• If your Toyota FJ Cruiser has a lienholder, most lenders will make it mandatory that you buy insurance to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If the policy lapses, the bank may insure your Toyota for a much higher rate and require you to reimburse them a much higher amount than you were paying before.
• Insurance preserves not only your car but also your financial assets. It will also pay for many types of medical costs for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. One policy coverage, liability insurance, will also pay for a defense attorney in the event you are sued. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, collision and comprehensive coverages will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.

The benefits of insuring your car are definitely more than the cost, especially if you ever need it. But the average American driver is wasting up to $855 a year so compare quotes from several companies at every policy renewal to ensure rates are competitive.

Persistence will pay off

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s very important that you do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost and still be able to protect your assets.

Cost effective Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance can be found from both online companies in addition to many Bakersfield insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies do not provide online rate quotes and usually these smaller companies only sell coverage through independent agencies.

To read more, feel free to browse the articles below:

• Car Insurance for Teen Drivers with Divorced Parents (Allstate)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for Business Use in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Honda Pilot in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Bakersfield Car Insurance Rates for a 20 Year Old Female? (FAQ)
• Teen Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Safety Features for Your New Car (State Farm)
• Auto Insurance Facts and Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)