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Prius insurance costs - your experiences ??

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by wtfjr, Sep 12, 2006.

  1. wtfjr

    wtfjr New Member

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    Hi All
    When we received the auto insurance for our new '06 Prius, we were surprised that it cost more to insure than the 2005 Denali & the 2005 PT convertible.
    It costs here in FL, $453 for six months with full coverage with $500,000 & $500,000 & $300,000 with a $500. deductible. The PT runs $441 & the Denali was $421.
    This was a real shock to us.
    Your comments ?

    PS: the Denali has been sold !!
     
  2. kirbinster

    kirbinster Member

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    Seems kind of high, and I am from NJ which has the highest insurance in the world. I have a pair of '02 pris. One of them has my 18 year old daughter listed as the driver - that one costs $436 for six months, the other one that I am listed on only costs $174 for six months. That is with collision with a $500 deductible and comprehensive with $zero deductible.
     
  3. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

    Joined:
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    Northern Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    In Michigan we found our Prius to be less expensive than our old minivan.

    Tom
     
  4. ekpolk

    ekpolk What could possibly...

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius
    Model:
    Two Eco
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kirbinster @ Sep 12 2006, 09:47 PM) [snapback]318739[/snapback]</div>
    I'd have to say that Louisiana, at least the New Orleans area, has NJ beat by a long margin. I keep two cars at my home in Pensacola FL and on in New Orleans, where I work. I'm a 45 year old male, safe driver, no chargeable accidents. From USAA, generally the best deal one can find, if eligible (they always undercut Geico and Progressive by ~10% when I call the toll free numbers to check), I'm paying $530 for six months for the Prius, and $400 for the wife's Sequoia (she's also an accident-free safe driver). My son, also 18, drives a 1987 Cadillac Seville (has only 58k miles!!!), we carry no collision or comp on it, for obvious reasons, so for only liability, PIP, and UM, we pay $975 for six months. :blink:

    Please, by all means, send us New Jersey's insurance "problems"!!! :p ;)

    EDIT: to get back toward the original question, of course, the answers are relative. My rates went down when I got my Prius. I traded from an early Infiniti G35 Sedan, which was expensive in every conceivable aspect of operation.
     
  5. CMDunfee

    CMDunfee New Member

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    I am in northern VA...and I only pay 386 every 6 months. I think this rocks! And...I live in metropolitan usa!
     
  6. edselpdx

    edselpdx Member

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    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    My '05 was an immediate reduction in insurance of about $100/6 months despite the fact that it replaced a 5 yr old Volvo S40 (the "cheapo" model which was $27K new).

    sj
     
  7. piseas

    piseas New Member

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    I am an insurance agent in CA. I sell a lot of Mercury Insurance. They are the lowest, PERIOD! Check them out.
     
  8. Alpha13

    Alpha13 New Member

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    Mercury was the lowest company when I recieved quotes through a broker, but esurance was even lower for me.
     
  9. mywhitenoise

    mywhitenoise New Member

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    2005 Prius
    It will cost me $1,200 for 6 months through 21st.com. That was the lowest price I could find through 10 different sources.

    How do you guys get rates so low!? Or is it just because i'm 21 years old, male, and in CA?
     
  10. marjflowers

    marjflowers New Member

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    Location:
    Owensboro, KY
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Mine went down slightly. I had a 2005 Corolla, and now I have a 2006 Prius. But I have exhorbinant (sp?) rates due to a speeding ticket, an accident, and an unfortunate DUI (long story, I was under the influence of prescribed drugs) Didn't matter -- spent the night in jail, lost my license for 6 months, and went to drunk school. Needless to say, I don't drive if I've had as much as a Tylenol.

    Peace --
     
  11. curtissac

    curtissac New Member

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    I am in northern CA - Sacramento. I have 500/300/100, UI motorists, med payments, etc. $500 deductables on comp and collision. The Prius is what I used for work travel at about 30,000 miles a year - something my insurer, Liberty Mutual is aware of. I also have chargeable accident but no cites (the accident totalled the car that the Prius replaced). My wife has a clean driving record but one comprehensive claim on a previous car.

    We pay $1090 annually for the Prius. (Liberty writes annual policies)

    Our 2005 Chrysler Pacifica costs $1029 per year for the same coverage (15K miles/yr.)

    Our 2001 Hyundai Sonata, the totalled car, was about $800 a year if I remember correctly.

    My 1995 Explorer, which I got rid of last summer, was about $500 a year, but I had dropped the collision and comp on it.

    Keep in mind that premiums can vary by quite a bit even within a state. When I moved to Concord from Pleasanton, CA several years ago my premiums went up by 20%. That was a 25 mile move. When we first moved to Sacramento, our rates went down a bit. Rates can vary measurably from one side of Sacramento county to another. Just something to think about when you take an informal survey of premiums from around the country that it may not reflect what you would pay.

    I remember comparing boat policies on another forum a few years ago. Folks in Florida with the same boat I had on the Delta in California were paying 4 times as much as me for the same coverage.





    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(piseas @ Sep 12 2006, 11:26 PM) [snapback]318781[/snapback]</div>
    How are they with claims service (since your an agent)?

    It was very coincidental that a colleague of mine brought up Mercury today when his cell phone rang but he couldn't take the call. He saw the number and said he thought it was his insurance company - Mercury. He said that they sent him a very formal note and left him a message because the address on the check he paid his premium with didn't match where is policy said he lived. They warned him that if he had moved, all of his coverage would be cancelled and could be driving without coverage right now... blah blah blah...

    They were also the first company that demanded to inspect and photgraph his car before they would write a policy on it.

    Wonder how they treat you when you have a claim.
     
  12. andreaswin

    andreaswin New Member

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    [

    hmm i tought it would be cheaper in the US...

    i pay ca 390dollar for 6months full insurance. and the value for my prius in norway ca 50 000 dollars...


    cheers
    Ola Andreas


    quote name='wtfjr' date='Sep 13 2006, 03:47 AM' post='318713']
    Hi All
    When we received the auto insurance for our new '06 Prius, we were surprised that it cost more to insure than the 2005 Denali & the 2005 PT convertible.
    It costs here in FL, $453 for six months with full coverage with $500,000 & $500,000 & $300,000 with a $500. deductible. The PT runs $441 & the Denali was $421.
    This was a real shock to us.
    Your comments ?

    PS: the Denali has been sold !!
    [/quote]
     
  13. kDB

    kDB New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mywhitenoise @ Sep 13 2006, 01:00 AM) [snapback]318811[/snapback]</div>
    initially i was paying ~$800 for 6 months through progressive. i had some stuff show up on my driving record due to an identity theft problem that should not have been there. when they finally were removed progressive would only lower $25. so i went to state farm. $560 for six months, that was about what i was paying for my firebird with only liability.

    i can see that being correct if you haven't had insurance on a car in a year, plus have some stuff on your record.

    btw. i'm a 26 year old single male. $2000/$2000 deductable (i know, i know...) and remember, most of the people on here with great rates are over 30, married, and have homeowners discounts.
     
  14. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    i'm the primary driver of the prius- we've got liability (obviously) collision and comprehensive 100/300/100 with 500 deductible. actually considering dropping that to 250 since we have less spare cash now than we did then.

    anyway i'm a 23 year old female, married and have no accidents or speeding tickets in the past 6 years. rate in NC is $108/mo for the prius and liability on DH's 89 camry.
     
  15. iaowings

    iaowings New Member

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    I was living in NC (Jacksonville a military town) paying 936 for 6 months. I moved 4 hours north and am paying 254 for 6 months. Same coverage same driver.
     
  16. Visith

    Visith New Member

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    $780/yr for 300/100 with a $500 deductable. I think I get a slight discount for being a several year "safe driver". The insurance ended up being a little cheaper than the 2002 Dodge Ram the Prius replaced. 30yo male, in a fairly low crime area. I am a homeowner but I don't think that factors into my policy at all.
     
  17. kDB

    kDB New Member

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    the homeowners discount is when you have your homeowners insurance through the same company, they discount both your homeowners rates, and your auto rates a small amount. same goes for renters insurance, by having both my renters and auto through state farm, i save $12 a year on renters ($133 instead of $145), and some more on my auto. but i don't see the paper that says how much i saved on auto right now.
     
  18. Soylent

    Soylent The v isn't a station wagon! It's just big boned

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Miami, Florida. Costs me $100 a month.
     
  19. jburns

    jburns Senior Senior Member

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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
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    III
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Sep 13 2006, 09:29 AM) [snapback]318876[/snapback]</div>
    Dropping the deductible is a bad idea. It would be foolish to use your insurance for a small damage claim because they would raise your rates for the next three years. For example, lets say you have a 250 deductible and have a fender bender that will cost 750 to repair. If you turn it in to your insurance company you will pay the first 250 and they will pay the 500. BUT....for the next three years your insurance rates will jump around 20 percent. Worse, if you own more than one car the rate will jump on all of them. You might as well get a 500 dollar loan from a loan shark. :)

    Here's what I do and have done for years. Take one of those no annual fee credit card offers you get and get the card. I have a credit limit set to the total of all my deductibles, cars and homowners. Raise your deductible for your cars to 1000. Your premium will be significantly lower. Just don't forget to get the card out every 6 months or so and buy something to keep it active. In effect you are insuring yourself free for the amount of your deductibles and also lowering your costs without increasing your risk.
     
  20. haye

    haye New Member

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    All State, Bay Area. The rate for my 06 Prius is cheaper than both my previous cars (a 97 Prizm and a 02 Outback) for the same coverage. I was surprised that it is even cheaper than my 9 year old econobox.

    EDIT: I'm with All State, not state farm as I mentioned.