2011 Toyota Sienna Car Insurance Rates – 8 Tips for Cheaper Quotes

Are you tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than most other car owners.

With so many options, it can be hard to find the right insurance company.

You should take the time to compare rates quite often because insurance rates change quite often. Just because you had the best price on Sienna coverage six months ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Starting now, block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in the tricks you need to know to find lower rates on auto insurance.

Discounts are great for lower rates

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there are discounts available to help offset the cost. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time you complete a quote, but less common discounts must be manually applied before being credited.

  • Student Driver Training – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to complete a driver education course if offered at their school.
  • Accident Waiver – Some insurance companies allow you one accident before your rates go up as long as you don’t have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
  • Early Switch Discount – Some companies give discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiring. It’s a savings of about 10%.
  • Lower Rates for Military – Being on active duty in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
  • Anti-lock Brake Discount – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can avoid accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Resident Student – Youth drivers living away from home attending college and do not have a car may qualify for this discount.
  • Payment Discounts – By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
  • Safety Course Discount – Completing a defensive driving course could cut 5% off your bill and easily recoup the cost of the course.

Drivers should understand that some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won’t be that lucky. Any qualifying discounts will reduce your overall premium however.

To see a list of insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts, click here to view.

Auto Insurance Comparison Rates

The are a couple different ways of comparing rates from auto insurance companies in your area. One of the best ways to find the cheapest 2011 Toyota Sienna insurance rates is to use the internet to compare rates. This can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

  1. The easiest and least time consuming way consumers can make multiple comparisons is a comparison rater form click here to open form in new window. This form saves time by eliminating a different quote for each company. One form compares rates from multiple low-cost companies.
  2. A slightly less efficient method to compare rate quotes requires you to visit each company website and fill out their own quote form. For example, let’s assume you want to compare USAA, 21st Century and GEICO. To get rate quotes you would need to visit each site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is quicker. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in your area, click here.
  3. The least efficient way of getting rate comparisons is to drive around to insurance agents’ offices. The internet has reduced the need for local agents unless you want the professional guidance of a licensed agent. However, consumers can obtain prices from the web but buy from a local insurance agent.

Whichever way you use, make sure you use identical coverages and limits with every price quote. If each company quotes higher or lower deductibles then you won’t be able to decipher which rate is best. Just a small difference in coverage limits may result in a large different in cost. It’s important to know that comparing a large number of companies will increase your chances of finding the best price.

You may need specialized coverage

When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Every insured’s situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether or not you might need an agent’s assistance.

  • Can I make deliveries for my home business?
  • Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
  • Are my friends covered when driving my car?
  • Do I need replacement cost coverage on my 2011 Toyota Sienna?
  • Should I buy full coverage?
  • Is my business laptop covered if it gets stolen from my vehicle?
  • Why is insurance for a teen driver so high?

If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of insurance companies in your area.

Auto insurance coverage basics

Understanding the coverages of your policy can be of help when determining the right coverages for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. These are the normal coverages available from auto insurance companies.

Liability coverages

Liability coverage will cover damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people. It protects YOU from legal claims by others, 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 might see policy limits of 25/50/25 which stand for a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property. Some companies may use one number which is a combined single limit which limits claims to one amount without having the split limit caps.

Liability insurance covers things such as legal defense fees, court costs, medical expenses, emergency aid and attorney fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but buy higher limits if possible.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your 2011 Toyota Sienna.

Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Collision coverage protection

Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision can pay for claims such as hitting a mailbox, damaging your car on a curb, scraping a guard rail and hitting a parking meter. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. It’s also possible to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Comprehensive coverages

Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for things like damage from flooding, damage from a tornado or hurricane, hitting a deer, theft and vandalism. The maximum amount your auto insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Coverage for medical payments

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for bills such as rehabilitation expenses, ambulance fees, dental work, nursing services and chiropractic care. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers you and your occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

In any little way, save everyday

When buying insurance coverage, it’s a bad idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many situations where an insured dropped liability coverage limits and learned later they didn’t have enough coverage. The aim is to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

We just presented a lot of techniques to lower your 2011 Toyota Sienna insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the lowest premiums are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Some small companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas compared to the large companies like State Farm or Progressive.

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