Cheap 2006 Toyota 4Runner Insurance Cost

Scraping up a payment for overpriced Toyota 4Runner insurance can overdraw your savings account and make it impossible to make ends meet. Shopping your coverage around is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to make sure you’re not throwing money away. You have so many car insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and even though it’s nice to have a choice, it can be more difficult to find the lowest cost provider.

It is always a good idea to compare prices quite often because rates tend to go up over time. If you had the best rates on 4Runner coverage two years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. So just block out anything you think you know about insurance because I’m going to teach you how to use online quotes to find lower rates on insurance.

This information will let you in on the most effective way to quote insurance. If you are paying for car insurance now, you will most likely be able to save some money using these techniques. Drivers only need to know how to get comparison rates online.

How to Compare Car Insurance Costs

Getting a cheaper price on 2006 Toyota 4Runner insurance can be relatively painless. Consumers just need to take time to compare rate quotes from different insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

  1. Probably the best way to find the lowest comparison rates is a comparison rater form like this one (opens in new window). This form prevents you from having to do separate quotes to each individual car insurance company. Filling out one form compares rates from all major companies.
  2. Another way to get comparison quotes consists of visiting each individual company website to complete a price quote. For instance, we’ll pretend you want rates from Nationwide, Geico and Farmers. To get each rate you have to visit each site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.

Whichever way you use, make absolute certain that you use the exact same coverage information for every quote you compare. If you compare higher or lower deductibles then you won’t be able to decipher which rate is best.

Do you qualify for discounts?

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but there are discounts available to help offset the cost. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time you complete a quote, but a few need to be manually applied before you will receive the discount. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you’re paying more than you need to.

  • Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
  • Paperwork-free – A handful of insurance companies will give a small break for buying your policy on their website.
  • Multi-car Discount – Buying insurance for more than one vehicle on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
  • Low Mileage Discounts – Fewer annual miles on your Toyota could qualify for better rates on cars that stay parked.
  • Government Employees – Active or retired federal employment can save as much as 8% on 4Runner coverage with certain companies.
  • Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
  • Anti-lock Brakes – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Passive Restraint Discount – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts can get savings up to 30%.
  • No Claims – Good drivers with no accidents pay less compared to frequent claim filers.
  • Auto/Home Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one insurance company you may earn approximately 10% to 15%.

Keep in mind that many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But any discount will bring down the amount you have to pay.

Insurance companies that may offer some of the above discounts are:

Before buying, ask each company which discounts you may be entitled to. Some discounts may not be available in every state.

Don’t assume everyone needs the same coverage

When choosing coverage, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Each situation is unique and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether your personal situation could use an agent’s help.

  • I have health insurance so do I need medical payments coverage?
  • Should I get collision insurance on every vehicle?
  • Is my teenager covered with friends in the car?
  • Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
  • Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
  • Do I have coverage when pulling a U-Haul trailer?
  • If I drive on a suspended license am I covered?
  • Why am I required to buy liability insurance?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It is quick, free and can provide invaluable advice.

Pieces of the Toyota 4Runner insurance rate puzzle

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that help determine auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

The following are a few of the “ingredients” that factor into your rates.

  • A clean driving record saves money – A bad driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Even one moving violation can increase rates twenty percent or more. Good drivers have lower premiums than bad drivers. If you have serious violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
  • Don’t skimp on liability – Your policy’s liability coverage will protect you if ever a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not skimp.
  • Keep rates low by being claim-free – If you tend to file frequent claims, you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Companies generally give better rates to people who do not file claims often. Auto insurance is intended for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
  • Drive less and save money – The more miles you rack up on your Toyota in a year the higher your rates will be. Almost all companies price each vehicle’s coverage based on their usage. Autos left parked in the garage qualify for better rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Improper usage on your 4Runner may be wasting your money. Make sure your auto insurance policy shows how each vehicle is driven.
  • Drive a safer car and pay less – Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. The safest vehicles reduce injuries and better occupant protection translates into savings for insurance companies passed on to you as lower rates. If your Toyota 4Runner has ratings of a minimum four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org you may qualify for a discount.

Don’t listen to company ads

Drivers can’t get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of Progressive, Allstate and Geico. All the ads say the same thing about savings if you switch your coverage to them.

How do they all say the same thing?

All companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver they prefer to insure. An example of a preferred risk could be a mature driver, insures multiple vehicles, and drives newer vehicles. Any driver who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who don’t qualify for this ideal profile will be charged a higher premium which usually ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say “customers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. This is how companies can advertise the way they do.

That is why drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict the company that will have the lowest Toyota 4Runner insurance rates.

Parts of your car insurance policy

Learning about specific coverages of a car insurance policy can help you determine appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. Car insurance terms can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Below you’ll find the usual coverages offered by car insurance companies.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for bills for things like surgery, ambulance fees, hospital visits and funeral costs. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Auto liability – Liability insurance provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people. This insurance protects YOU against claims from other people, 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. As an example, you may have limits of 25/50/25 which stand for a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Another option is a combined single limit or CSL which combines the three limits into one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability insurance covers claims such as repair bills for other people’s vehicles, court costs and medical expenses. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible.

Collision – Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage pays for things like colliding with a tree, driving through your garage door, crashing into a building, hitting a mailbox and hitting a parking meter. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. Another option is to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – This gives you protection when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Due to the fact that many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important. Frequently these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Comprehensive insurance – This pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like a broken windshield, hail damage and theft. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

One last thing

When you buy insurance online, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, an insured dropped collision coverage only to regret that they should have had better coverage. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.

Lower-priced 2006 Toyota 4Runner insurance can be bought online and with local insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies do not offer online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

More information can be found at the links below