Auto Insurance Quotes for a Toyota Avalon in Seattle

Feel like you’re a prisoner to an overpriced insurance policy? Don’t feel bad because there are lots of Seattle residents who feel the same.

It’s astonishing, but the vast majority of consumers kept their coverage with the same insurance company for four years or more, and roughly 40% of drivers have never compared rates from other carriers. Drivers in Washington can save almost 40% each year just by getting comparison quotes, but most tend to underestimate the amount of money they would save if they switched. Drivers have many insurers to choose from, and even though it’s nice to have a selection, so many choices can make it hard to compare rates for Toyota Avalon insurance in Seattle.

Buying affordable car insurance in Seattle is quite easy. If you’re already insured, you will surely be able to get lower rates using the ideas you’re about to read. Comparison shoppers just need to learn the proper methods to compare insurance rates online from multiple companies.

Best companies for competitive Toyota Avalon insurance in Washington

The following companies are our best choices to provide price comparisons in Washington. If more than one company is shown, it’s a good idea that you click on several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.

Premium data assumes single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and Washington minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and claim-free. Estimates do not factor in specific zip code location which can change coverage prices greatly.

Price comparison of only insuring for liability

The example below shows the difference between Toyota Avalon auto insurance rates with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The premium estimates are based on no violations or claims, $100 deductibles, married male driver, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

When to stop paying for full coverage

There is no clear-cut formula to stop paying for physical damage insurance, but there is a general school of thought. If the annual cost of having full coverage is more than 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you might consider buying liability only.

For example, let’s say your Toyota Avalon settlement value is $9,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most you would receive is $8,000 after paying your deductible. If it’s costing you more than $800 annually for full coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.

There are a few situations where eliminating full coverage is not financially feasible. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you have to keep full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest in the vehicle. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should not remove full coverage.

Policy deductibles

One frequently asked question is how high should the deductibles for physical damage be. The data tables below may help to conceptualize the premium difference when you choose different comp and collision deductibles. The first data table uses a $250 deductible for comp and collision and the second set of rates uses a $500 deductible.

Data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Washington minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, claim-free, multi-policy, and homeowner. Table data does not factor in vehicle location which can change auto insurance rates noticeably.

Based on this data, using a $250 deductible costs about $14 more each month or $168 each year than requesting the higher $500 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $250 more to file a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you normally go at least 18 months between claims, you would most likely save money if you opt for a higher deductible.

Irresponsible driving raises your rates

The diagram below highlights how speeding tickets and at-fault fender-benders can influence Toyota Avalon yearly insurance costs for different age categories. The data assumes a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

Companies offer money-saving discounts on Toyota Avalon insurance in Seattle

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but there could be significant discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. Certain discounts will be applied when you purchase, but some need to be specially asked for before you get the savings.

• Multiple Vehicles – Purchasing coverage when you have primary and secondary vehicles with one company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
• Home Ownership Discount – Just being a homeowner can earn you a little savings because of the fact that having a home requires personal responsibility.
• Seat Belts Save – Forcing all vehicle occupants to use their safety belts can save a little on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
• E-sign – A few insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks just for signing your application on their website.
• Resident Student – College-age children who live away from home to go to college and leave their car at home can be insured at a reduced rate.
• Membership in Organizations – Joining a professional or civic organization could trigger savings on your bill.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you could get a free insurance policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.

The best insurance companies and a selection of discounts are:

• Farm Bureau includes discounts for driver training, multi-policy, 55 and retired, renewal discount, and youthful driver.
• State Farm offers discounts including good driver, anti-theft, defensive driving training, multiple policy, Drive Safe & Save, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and student away at school.
• Progressive may include discounts for multi-vehicle, multi-policy, online quote discount, good student, online signing, and homeowner.
• Allstate has discounts for multi-policy, anti-lock brakes, premier discount, utility vehicle, and premier plus.
• Nationwide offers premium reductions for good student, Farm Bureau membership, easy pay, family plan, and business or organization.
• MetLife may have discounts that include claim-free, accident-free, multi-policy, good student, good driver, defensive driver

It’s a good idea to ask all companies you are considering to apply every possible discount. Some discounts may not be offered in Seattle. To view insurance companies who offer online Toyota Avalon insurance quotes in Seattle, click here to view.

Local Seattle insurance agents

Certain consumers just want to sit down with an agent and that is recommended in a lot of cases Insurance agents can make sure you are properly covered and help file insurance claims. A good thing about getting free rate quotes online is that drivers can save money and get lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.

Upon completion of this simple form, your insurance data is submitted to companies in Seattle who can give free rate quotes to get your business. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent immediately to your email address. If for some reason you want to compare rates for a specific company, you just need to jump over to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.

Picking the best provider requires you to look at more than just a cheap price quote. The answers to these questions are important, too.

• Will you work with the agent or an assistant?
• Do they have 24-hour customer assistance?
• Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
• Can glass repairs be made at your home?
• Are there any discounts that you might be missing?

Exclusive and independent Seattle car insurance agents

If you want a local Seattle insurance agency, you should know the different types of agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Seattle agents can be classified as either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments. Both properly insure your vehicles, but it’s good to learn how they differ because it may have an impact on the kind of agent you use.

Exclusive Agencies

Exclusive agents can only provide pricing for a single company like Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They generally cannot shop your coverage around so they have no alternatives for high prices. They are trained well on sales techniques which helps them sell on service rather than price.

Below is a list of exclusive agencies in Seattle who may provide you with price quotes.

View more Seattle agents

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agents do not work for one specific company so they can quote policies through lots of different companies and get you the best rates possible. If they find a lower price, the business is moved internally and you don’t have to do anything. When comparing insurance rates, you need to compare prices from at least one independent agent to get the best comparison.

Below is a short list of independent insurance agents in Seattle that can give you rate quotes.

View more Seattle agents

Can you really save if you switch?

Washington drivers can’t escape the ads that claim the cheapest prices by companies like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. They all have a common claim that you can save if you change your policy.

How does each company offer drivers better rates? It’s all in the numbers.

Insurance companies have specific characteristics for the driver that earns them the most money. An example of a driver they prefer could possibly be over the age of 45, carries high limits, and does not commute to work. Anyone who fits that profile receives the best prices in Seattle and will save some money.

People who do not fit this stringent profile will get a higher premium which translates to the customer not purchasing. The trick is to say “customers that switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save that much money. That’s the way insurance companies can claim big savings. Because of these techniques, you really should quote coverage with many companies. You cannot predict which insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Information about specific coverages

Learning about specific coverages of your auto insurance policy helps when choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are the normal coverages found on most auto insurance policies.

Comprehensive coverages – This will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims like damage from a tornado or hurricane, rock chips in glass and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The most a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Collision coverage – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage pays for claims like scraping a guard rail, damaging your car on a curb, sideswiping another vehicle, sustaining damage from a pot hole and crashing into a ditch. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible on your Avalon in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Liability car insurance – Liability insurance provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property in an accident. It protects YOU against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see limits of 25/50/10 which stand for $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and a limit of $10,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability can pay for things like funeral expenses, loss of income, medical expenses and attorney fees. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as much as you can afford. Washington state minimum liability requirements are 25/50/10 but you should consider buying higher limits.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage – This coverage protects you and your vehicle from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Due to the fact that many Washington drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (25/50/10 in Washington), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family.

Coverage for medical payments – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for bills for things like X-ray expenses, pain medications and doctor visits. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible

Quote more and you will save more

Some insurance providers may not have online price quotes and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent insurance agencies. Low-cost Toyota Avalon insurance in Seattle can be bought from both online companies and from local agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both to get a complete price analysis.

When you buy Seattle auto insurance online, it’s not a good idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many situations where an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later they didn’t have enough coverage. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage at the best possible price and still be able to protect your assets.

We covered many ways to shop for Toyota Avalon insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from an unexpected company. Regional companies often have lower premium rates on specific markets compared to the large companies like GEICO and State Farm.

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

• All About Airbag Safety (State Farm)
• Who Has Cheap Seattle Car Insurance Rates for Unemployed Drivers? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Seattle Auto Insurance for a Dodge Grand Caravan? (FAQ)
• What Auto Insurance is Cheapest in Seattle, Washington? (FAQ)
• Alcohol Impaired Driving FAQ (iihs.org)
• Learn About Car Insurance (GEICO)