Cheapest Rate Quotes for Toyota Rav4 Insurance in Bakersfield

It’s an obvious assumption that auto insurance companies don’t want their policyholders to compare prices. Consumers who shop around for the cheapest price are very likely to buy a different policy because they stand a good chance of finding a more affordable policy. A recent survey discovered that drivers who routinely shopped around saved approximately $860 a year compared to people who never compared prices.

If finding the lowest price on Toyota Rav4 insurance is your intention, then learning about how to find and compare insurance premiums can make it easier to shop your coverage around.

The most effective way to find cheaper prices for car insurance rates in Bakersfield is to start doing an annual price comparison from providers in California. You can shop around by following these steps.

Step 1: Try to understand how insurance companies determine prices and the measures you can control to keep rates down. Many rating factors that result in higher rates such as your driving record and your credit history can be remedied by paying attention to minor details. Continue reading for the details to prevent expensive rate increases and get discounts that may be available to you.

Step 2: Quote rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give prices from one company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agencies can quote prices for many different companies.

Step 3: Compare the new quotes to the premium of your current policy to see if cheaper Rav4 coverage is available. If you find better rates, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.

One key aspect of rate comparisons is to try to compare the same coverage limits and deductibles on each price quote and and to analyze as many carriers as you can. Doing this enables a fair rate comparison and the best price selection.

The quickest method to compare rate quotes for Toyota Rav4 insurance in Bakersfield is to know the trick most insurance companies have advanced systems to give you rate quotes. The only thing you need to do is provide information such as how you use your vehicles, your occupation, whether you are married, and types of safety features. Your rating data is sent automatically to multiple top-rated companies and you will receive price estimates almost instantly.

To find lower cheaper Toyota Rav4 insurance rates now, click here and find out if you can get cheaper insurance in Bakersfield.

The companies in the list below can provide free quotes in California. If multiple providers are shown, we recommend you get rates from several of them to find the lowest car insurance rates.

Save money by taking advantage of these six discounts

Car insurance is not cheap, but you might already qualify for some discounts that can help lower your rates. Some of these discounts will be visible when you purchase, but a few must be specially asked for in order for you to get them. If you do not double check each discount possible, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• Pay Early and Save – By paying your entire bill at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may have a lower total premium amount.
• Driver’s Education for Students – Cut your cost by having your teen driver take driver’s ed class as it can save substantially.
• First Accident Forgiveness – This isn’t a discount exactly, but a handful of insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before your rates go up if your claims history is clear for a particular time prior to the accident.
• Bakersfield Homeowners Discount – Being a homeowner can save a few bucks since owning and maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
• Senior Citizens – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you could receive a slight reduction on a Bakersfield auto insurance quote.
• Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may qualify for discounts of 20 to 30 percent.

One last thing about discounts, some credits don’t apply to the entire cost. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will definitely reduce the cost of your policy.

The diagram below shows the difference between Toyota Rav4 insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The data is based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no claims, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with claim-free, multi-policy, multi-car, marriage, safe-driver, and homeowner discounts applied.

For a list of insurers with the best discounts in California, follow this link.

Coverage statistics and figures

The rate table shown below showcases a range of rate quotes for Toyota Rav4 models. Having a better understanding of how insurance policy premiums are figured can help drivers make smart choices when purchasing an auto insurance policy.

Premium data assumes single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Estimates do not factor in vehicle location which can alter insurance rates significantly.

How high should deductibles be?

One of the most common auto insurance questions is which deductible level should you buy. The rates below approximate the difference in cost when you buy lower versus higher physical damage coverage deductibles. The first set of rates uses a $100 deductible for comp and collision and the second data table uses a $500 deductible.

Price data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, claim-free, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Rate quotes do not factor in vehicle location which can alter coverage rates significantly.

Using the premium rates above, we can conclude that using a $100 deductible costs an average of $29 more each month or $348 for a full year than choosing the higher $500 deductible. Since you would pay $400 more to settle a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally go more than 14 months between claims, you would probably be better off if you elect the higher deductible.

Insurance agencies can help

Many drivers would prefer to buy from a licensed agent and that is a personal choice. An additional benefit of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find cheap auto insurance rates but still work with a licensed agent. And supporting local insurance agencies is still important in Bakersfield.

Once you complete this form (opens in new window), your information gets sent to agents in your area who will give competitive quotes for your business. It’s much easier because you don’t need to search for any insurance agencies since rate quotes are delivered directly to you. You can find lower rates and a licensed agent to work with. In the event you want to get a price quote from a particular provider, just find their quoting web page and complete a quote there.

Two different types of car insurance agents

If you prefer to buy auto insurance from a good Bakersfield insurance agent, it helps to know the two different types of agents and how they operate. Agencies in Bakersfield can be classified as either exclusive agents or independent agents.

Independent Auto Insurance Agents (or Brokers)

Independent agents can quote rates with many companies so they can insure your vehicles with a variety of different insurance companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If they find a cheaper price, your agent can just switch to a different company and you don’t have to do anything. If you are comparing auto insurance prices, it’s a good idea to include several independent agencies for the best price selection.

Shown below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Bakersfield who may be able to give you competitive price quotes.

More insurance agents

Exclusive Insurance Agents

These type of agents can only provide pricing for a single company and some examples include State Farm or Allstate. Exclusive agencies are unable to give you multiple price quotes so always compare other rates. Exclusive insurance agents are well schooled on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Listed below are Bakersfield exclusive insurance agencies that can give you rate quotes.

More insurance agents

Choosing an auto insurance agent is decision based upon more than just a low price. The questions below may impact your decision as well.

• Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
• When do they do a full risk review?
• Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
• Will a damage claim use OEM or aftermarket replacement parts?
• Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
• Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in California?

Car insurance coverage considerations

Having a good grasp of car insurance helps when choosing the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are typical coverages offered by car insurance companies.

Medical expense insurance – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for expenses for things like rehabilitation expenses, hospital visits and funeral costs. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers all vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Collision coverage – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage pays for claims such as hitting a parking meter, backing into a parked car, crashing into a ditch and colliding with another moving vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to choose a higher deductible on your Rav4 to save money on collision insurance.

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers – This provides protection from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family and damage to your Toyota Rav4.

Due to the fact that many California drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (which is 15/30/5), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision) – Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix 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 hitting a bird, damage from flooding, hitting a deer, rock chips in glass and a broken windshield. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Coverage for liability – This coverage will cover damage or injury you incur to a person or their property by causing an accident. It protects you from legal claims by others, and does not provide coverage for your own vehicle damage or injuries.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show limits of 15/30/5 that means you have a limit of $15,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $30,000, and a limit of $5,000 paid for damaged property. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability insurance covers claims like legal defense fees, court costs, medical services and medical expenses. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but buy as large an amount as possible. California state law requires minimum liability limits of 15/30/5 but you should consider buying better liability coverage.

The chart below shows why buying minimum limits may not provide adequate coverage.

The best rates come from being thorough

Lower-priced Toyota Rav4 insurance in Bakersfield can be bought online and also from your neighborhood Bakersfield agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. A few companies do not offer the ability to get quotes online and usually these regional insurance providers only sell coverage through independent agencies.

In this article, we presented many ideas to find cheaper Toyota Rav4 insurance in Bakersfield. The key thing to remember is the more you quote Bakersfield auto insurance, the higher your chance of finding affordable Bakersfield auto insurance quotes. You may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from an unexpected company. Some small companies often have lower car insurance rates on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.

More information can be read at the links below

• Prom Night Tips for Teen Drivers (State Farm)
• Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes for a Ford Escape in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
• How Much are Bakersfield Auto Insurance Quotes for First-time Drivers? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Teenage Males in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
• How Much is Bakersfield Auto Insurance for Infrequent Drivers? (FAQ)
• Rental Reimbursement Coverage (Allstate)
• Distracted Driving (Insurance Information Institute)