The easiest way to find low-cost auto insurance rates in Tampa is to regularly compare price quotes from insurers who can sell car insurance in Florida.
- Read about how your policy works and the things you can change to lower rates. Many risk factors that increase rates like tickets, at-fault accidents, and a not-so-good credit score can be rectified by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes. Later in this article we will cover instructions to help keep rates affordable and get additional discounts.
- Quote rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive and direct companies can only provide price estimates from one company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while independent agents can quote prices for a wide range of companies. View prices
- Compare the new quotes to your current policy to see if a cheaper rate is available in Tampa. If you find a lower rate and change companies, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
A good piece of advice is to make sure you enter similar deductibles and liability limits on every quote request and and to get rate quotes from every company you can. Doing this provides a fair price comparison and a complete selection of prices.
A recent survey discovered that the vast majority of insurance customers kept their policy with the same company for at least four years, and virtually 40% of consumers have never even shopped around for affordable coverage. Consumers in Florida could save an average of approximately $1,130 each year, but most tend to underestimate the big savings they would realize if they switched.
Buying the cheapest insurance in Tampa seems hard but is not really that difficult. If you have insurance now or are just looking to switch companies, use these techniques to get lower rates while maximizing coverage. You just have to use the most efficient way to compare rates online from multiple companies.
How to Lower Your Insurance Premiums
Lots of things are taken into consideration when you get a price on insurance. A few of the factors are predictable like your driving record, but others are not as apparent like your vehicle usage or your commute time.
The list below includes some of the things used by companies to determine your rates.
Pay less with a high IIHS safety rating – Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. Safer cars reduce the chance of injuries and fewer serious injuries translates into savings for insurance companies and thus lower rates. If the Toyota 4Runner has at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website it is probably cheaper to insure.
Pay more for higher performance vehicles – The type of car you are trying to find cheaper insurance for makes a significant difference in determining your rates. Low performance passenger cars usually are quite affordable to insure, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
The chart below uses these variables: married female driver age 40, full coverage with $500 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. It illustrates Toyota 4Runner insurance rates compared to other makes and models that have different performance rating factors.
Having a spouse can save on auto insurance – Walking down the aisle may save some money on auto insurance. It is viewed as being more responsible and it’s proven that married drivers tend to file fewer claims.
Insure your auto and home with one company – Some companies give a discount to clients that purchase more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Even though this discount sounds good, consumers should still compare other Tampa 4Runner insurance rates to guarantee you are still saving the most.
Deductibles are a factor – Physical damage deductibles tell how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your car from damage. A few examples of covered claims would be colliding with a stationary object, animal collisions, and having a roll-over accident. The more damage repair cost you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
Do you save by driving less? – The higher the mileage driven in a year the more it will cost to insure it. A lot of insurance companies calculate prices based upon how much you drive. Cars and trucks used primarily for pleasure use receive lower rates than cars that get driven a lot. Double check that your auto insurance policy reflects the proper vehicle usage. Improper usage on your 4Runner can cost quite a bit.
Your liability insurance limits – The liability section of your policy is the coverage that protects you if you are found to be at fault for damages from an accident. It will provide for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is relatively inexpensive when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
Insurance loss probability for a Toyota 4Runner – Insurance companies use past insurance losses when they file their rates in each state. Models that the data determines to have a trend towards higher claim severity or frequency will be charged more to insure.
The table below outlines the insurance loss data for Toyota 4Runner vehicles. For each policy coverage, the statistical loss for all vehicles as a whole is considered to be 100. Values that are under 100 are indicative of better than average losses, while percentage numbers above 100 indicate frequent claims or statistically larger losses.
| Vehicle Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota 4Runner 4dr 2WD | 75 | 92 | 83 | 76 | 66 | 75 |
| Toyota 4Runner 4dr 4WD | 78 | 88 | 110 | 67 | 59 | 74 |
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
Rates and other information
The coverage table displayed next showcases detailed analysis of rate quotes for Toyota 4Runner models. Understanding how insurance rates are established is important for making informed decisions when comparing rates.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4Runner Sport 2WD | $176 | $238 | $340 | $20 | $102 | $876 | $73 |
| 4Runner SR/5 2WD | $176 | $290 | $340 | $20 | $102 | $928 | $77 |
| 4Runner Sport 4WD | $176 | $290 | $340 | $20 | $102 | $928 | $77 |
| 4Runner SR/5 4WD | $176 | $290 | $340 | $20 | $102 | $928 | $77 |
| 4Runner Trail Edition 4WD | $196 | $342 | $340 | $20 | $102 | $1,000 | $83 |
| 4Runner Limited 2WD | $196 | $342 | $340 | $20 | $102 | $1,000 | $83 |
| 4Runner Limited 4WD | $196 | $342 | $340 | $20 | $102 | $1,000 | $83 |
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Cost estimates assume married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and Florida minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, claim-free, and homeowner. Premium amounts do not factor in your specific Tampa location which can modify premiums noticeably.
Toyota 4Runner insurance premiums by gender in Tampa
The illustration below compares Toyota 4Runner insurance costs for male and female drivers. The premiums assume no accidents, no driving violations, full coverage, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied.
Slash rates with these discounts on Toyota 4Runner insurance in Tampa
Car insurance is not cheap, but there may be some discounts that you may not know about. Some of these discounts will be visible at the time of purchase, but less common discounts must be manually applied before you will receive the discount.
- Good Student Discount – Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. You can use this discount normally up until you turn 25.
- Savings for New Vehicles – Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Life Insurance – Companies who offer life insurance give lower auto insurance rates if you buy some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- E-sign – A few larger online companies will give you a small discount get Tampa auto insurance digitally online.
- Military Rewards – Having an actively deployed family member can result in better auto insurance rates.
- Air Bag Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts may qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
- Distant Student – Any of your kids who are attending college and do not take a car to college could get you a discount.
Drivers should understand that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
The chart below visualizes the comparison of Toyota 4Runner car insurance rates with and without discounts. The premium estimates are based on a female driver, a clean driving record, no claims, Florida state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, multi-policy, claim-free, multi-car, homeowner, and safe-driver discounts applied.
A partial list of companies that may include these discounts may include but are not limited to:
When getting a coverage quote, ask all companies you are considering which discounts can lower your rates. Some discounts listed above might not be offered on policies in Tampa. To locate companies that provide some of the discounts listed above in Tampa, follow this link.
Best car insurance in Florida
Insuring your vehicle with the highest-rated auto insurance company is difficult considering how many companies there are in Florida. The company ratings in the lists below can help you select which auto insurers to look at when comparing rates.
Top 10 Tampa Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Value
- Mercury Insurance
- Travelers
- American Family
- AAA Insurance
- Safeco Insurance
- Progressive
- The Hartford
- The General
- 21st Century
- Esurance
Top 10 Tampa Car Insurance Companies Overall
- Travelers
- USAA
- Mercury Insurance
- AAA Insurance
- Nationwide
- Allstate
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- Safeco Insurance
- Progressive
Quote. Compare. Save.
Insureds switch companies for many reasons like not issuing a premium refund, unfair underwriting practices, lack of trust in their agent and an unsatisfactory settlement offer. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a great new company is less work than it seems.
Some insurance companies do not provide rate quotes online and usually these regional carriers work with local independent agencies. Budget-conscious Toyota 4Runner insurance can be purchased online as well as from independent agents in Tampa, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money.
When trying to cut insurance costs, make sure you don’t reduce coverage to reduce premium. Too many times, consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage to discover at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. The proper strategy is to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford.
Much more information about auto insurance in Florida can be found at these links:
- Car Insurance: When not to Skimp (BankRate.com)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for a Chevrolet Silverado in Tampa? (FAQ)
- How Much is Car Insurance for Felons in Tampa? (FAQ)
- Property Damage Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- What to do at the Scene of an Accident (Insurance Information Institute)
- Hybrid vehicles cost insurers more (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Drunk Driving Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)