Astonishing but true, the vast majority of drivers kept buying from the same company for over three years, and about 40% of consumers have never quoted insurance rates at all. With the average premium in the U.S. being $1,847, drivers could save themselves almost 47% a year, but most undervalue the rate savings if they swap their current policy for a cheaper one.
If you want to save the most money, the best way to find affordable quotes for car insurance rates in Pittsburgh is to start comparing rates regularly from different companies who sell insurance in Pennsylvania. Drivers can shop around by following these steps.
Step 1: Take a little time to learn about the coverage provided by your policy and the things you can control to keep rates in check. Many things that result in higher rates like traffic violations, accidents, and a low credit rating can be rectified by being financially responsible and driving safely. This article gives instructions to help reduce prices and find available discounts that you may qualify for.
Step 2: Compare prices from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give rate quotes from a single company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agents can provide price quotes for a wide range of insurance providers. Get quotes now
Step 3: Compare the new rates to your existing rates to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you find a lower rate and buy the policy, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
Step 4: Tell your current company to cancel your current policy and submit a completed policy application and payment for your new coverage. As soon as you have the new policy, place your new proof of insurance certificate above your visor, in the console, or in the glove compartment.
One thing to remember is to use the same physical damage deductibles and liability limits on each quote request and to quote with every insurance company. Doing this helps ensure an apples-to-apples comparison and a complete selection of prices.
Quoting affordable coverage in Pittsburgh is not as difficult as people think. In a nutshell, everyone who is shopping for car insurance will probably find a lower-cost company. Nevertheless, Pennsylvania car owners need to learn how the larger insurance companies calculate your policy premium because it varies considerably.
How do Car Insurance Companies Determine Toyota Avalon Insurance Prices?
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that aid in calculating your premiums. If you have some idea of what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this enables you to make decisions that will entitle you to lower rates. Multiple criteria are part of the calculation when premium rates are determined. Some of the criteria are obvious such as traffic violations, but other factors are less apparent such as your credit history or your commute time.
Older drivers save more – Older, more experienced drivers have been proven to be more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents, and usually have better credit. Inexperience drivers are proven to be careless and easily distracted in a vehicle therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.
The following data uses these assumptions: single driver, full coverage with $500 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.
Careless drivers pay higher prices – Your driving citation history has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Even one citation can increase the cost of insurance forty percent or more. Good drivers receive lower rates compared to bad drivers. Drivers who have received dangerous tickets such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to submit a SR-22 form with the DMV in their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.
The diagram below shows how speeding tickets and at-fault accidents increase Toyota Avalon annual premium costs for each age group. The rate quotes are based on a married male driver, full coverage, $250 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Maintain auto insurance coverage – Driving without insurance coverage in place is a misdemeanor and any future policy may cost more because you let your insurance expire. Not only will you pay higher rates, getting caught without coverage might get you fines and jail time. You may have to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Pennsylvania department of motor vehicles.
Auto insurance rates and your job – Occupations like real estate brokers, executives, and dentists usually pay higher rates than the rest of us in part from intense work requirements and long work days. On the flip side, jobs such as farmers, historians and the unemployed have lower than average premiums.
Insurance premiums are higher for high performance vehicles – The type of car you need to insure makes a huge difference in your premium level. Lower cost passenger vehicles generally receive the lowest base rates, but many other things help determine your insurance rates.
The following data uses these assumptions: married male driver age 20, full coverage with $250 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. The data compares Toyota Avalon car insurance rates compared to other makes and models that have different risk factors.
Toyota Avalon statistical loss data – Car insurance companies analyze historical claim data to help determine prices. Vehicles that have higher losses will have higher rates. The information below illustrates the actual insurance loss data for Toyota Avalon vehicles.
For each insurance policy coverage type, the claim probability for all vehicles, regardless of make, model or trim level, is a value of 100. Numbers that are below 100 mean the vehicle has better than average losses, while values that are above 100 indicate higher probability of having a loss or a tendency for claims to be larger.
| Vehicle Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Avalon | 113 | 72 | 112 | 106 | 98 | 74 |
| Toyota Avalon Hybrid | 120 | 72 | 132 | 107 | 85 | 80 |
Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years
Auto insurance data for a Toyota Avalon
The data table displayed next covers detailed analysis of prices for Toyota Avalon models. Having knowledge of how insurance policy premiums are formulated can assist in making decisions when shopping around.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon XL | $196 | $332 | $378 | $22 | $114 | $1,042 | $87 |
| Avalon XLS | $196 | $390 | $378 | $22 | $114 | $1,100 | $92 |
| Avalon Limited | $220 | $390 | $378 | $22 | $114 | $1,124 | $94 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Prices above based on single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and Pennsylvania minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, homeowner, claim-free, and multi-policy. Table data does not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can affect coverage rates substantially.
Should you raise deductibles?
One of the more difficult decisions when buying auto insurance is the level to set your comp and collision deductibles. The rates shown below outline the rate fluctuation of buying low and high physical damage deductibles. The first rate comparisons uses a $250 physical damage deductible and the second set of rates uses a $500 deductible.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon XL | $288 | $428 | $280 | $16 | $84 | $1,121 | $93 |
| Avalon XLS | $288 | $506 | $280 | $16 | $84 | $1,199 | $100 |
| Avalon Limited | $320 | $506 | $280 | $16 | $84 | $1,231 | $103 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon XL | $234 | $346 | $280 | $16 | $84 | $960 | $80 |
| Avalon XLS | $234 | $408 | $280 | $16 | $84 | $1,022 | $85 |
| Avalon Limited | $260 | $408 | $280 | $16 | $84 | $1,048 | $87 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Prices based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Pennsylvania minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, and homeowner. Rate quotes do not factor in specific location which can raise or lower price quotes noticeably.
Based on the data above, we can derive that using a $250 deductible will cost in the ballpark of $15 more each month or $180 every year than quoting the higher $500 deductible. Due to the fact that you would have to pay $250 more out of your own pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you have at least 17 months between claims, you would save more money going with the higher deductible.
The example below demonstrates how deductible levels and can impact Toyota Avalon insurance costs for each age group. The data assumes a single female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Auto insurance rates based on gender
The illustration below visualizes the comparison of Toyota Avalon car insurance costs for male and female drivers. The premiums are based on no accidents, no driving violations, full coverage, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Car insurance rates and discounts
Car insurance is not inexpensive, but companies offer discounts that you may not know about. Certain discounts will be applied when you quote, but some must be requested specifically before you will receive the discount. If you do not double check each discount you deserve, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Accident Forgiveness – Not a discount per se, but a handful of insurance companies may permit one accident before they charge you more for coverage so long as you are claim-free before the accident.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Vehicles with ABS and/or traction control can avoid accidents and will save you 10% or more on Avalon insurance in Pittsburgh.
- Air Bag Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags can get savings of up to 25% or more.
- Driver’s Ed – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver’s education if offered at their school.
- Distant Student Discount – Kids who live away from home at college and do not take a car to college could qualify for this discount.
- Organization Discounts – Joining certain professional organizations may earn a discount on your policy.
- Responsible Driver Discounts – Drivers without accidents can pay as much as 50% less compared to accident prone drivers.
As a footnote on discounts, some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Even though it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.
The diagram below visualizes the comparison of Toyota Avalon auto insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the rates. The data assumes a male driver, no tickets, no at-fault accidents, Pennsylvania 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, marriage, safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-car, and homeowner discounts applied.
A few of the larger companies and some of the discounts can be found below.
- American Family offers discounts including multi-vehicle, mySafetyValet, good student, defensive driver, and good driver.
- Farm Bureau discounts include safe driver, youthful driver, multi-vehicle, 55 and retired, multi-policy, and renewal discount.
- State Farm may have discounts that include anti-theft, driver’s education, good driver, multiple policy, multiple autos, accident-free, and defensive driving training.
- Travelers policyholders can earn discounts including home ownership, good student, new car, continuous insurance, and early quote.
- The Hartford has discounts for bundle, driver training, vehicle fuel type, defensive driver, air bag, anti-theft, and good student.
- GEICO may include discounts for multi-vehicle, driver training, emergency military deployment, anti-lock brakes, federal employee, and daytime running lights.
- Progressive offers discounts for multi-policy, homeowner, online signing, multi-vehicle, good student, continuous coverage, and online quote discount.
When quoting, ask every insurance company which discounts can lower your rates. A few discounts might not apply in your state. For a list of providers that offer multiple discounts in Pennsylvania, click here.
Insurance savings summarized
You just learned many tips how you can lower your Toyota Avalon insurance rates in Pittsburgh. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may even discover the biggest savings come from a small local company. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give better rates compared to the large companies like Progressive and GEICO.
When trying to cut insurance costs, make sure you don’t sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. Too many times, someone dropped physical damage coverage and found out when filing a claim that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest cost and still be able to protect your assets.
More tips and info about insurance can be found at these sites:
- Neck Injury FAQ (iihs.org)
- How Much is Pittsburgh Auto Insurance for Felons? (FAQ)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Quotes for a Dodge Ram in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for a Toyota Highlander in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Rates for Ride Shares in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for a School Permit in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
- What are my Rights when Filing a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Vehicle Size and Weight FAQ (iihs.org)