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Insurance for the Prius C is more expensive

Discussion in 'Prius c Main Forum' started by Frank Valdivia, Aug 4, 2014.

  1. Frank Valdivia

    Frank Valdivia New Member

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    I live in So. California and after looking around for a good deal finally found one and bought my first hybrid car. I ended up paying 19,240 out the door for a model 2.
    Today I insured the car with my current Mercury agent and was unpleasantly surprised that the hybrid Prius has a very high insurance premium and my total policy for all my cars went through the roof.

    I am going to shop around for another good Ins Co. and perhaps get a better premium than what I am paying now, somehow they have been rasing my premiums continually for the last 3 years or so.

    What insurance Co. have you found to have a better rate for your Prius and are you happy with it?
     
    #1 Frank Valdivia, Aug 4, 2014
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2014
  2. tk1971

    tk1971 Active Member

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    Wawanesa
     
    Hachio16 likes this.
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    compared to what?
     
  4. tk1971

    tk1971 Active Member

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    Better rate from Wawanesa for the new C than for the car it replaced (Subaru Forester XT).
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    sorry, i was asking the o/p.:oops:
     
  6. HotDogWater

    HotDogWater Junior Member

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    another +1 for Wawanesa
     
  7. Spock

    Spock Junior Member

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    on paper it seems like they should be cheaper, but they're small and expensive to fix. they're easy for a big car to total. not paying sports car prices but they're above the average for sure. :cry:
     
  8. Frank Valdivia

    Frank Valdivia New Member

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    Compare to what? I don't understand. I am just looking for a less expensive insurance co.
     
  9. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    We can't tell you what's inexpensive unless you give us a range. Are you paying $1000/ year? Or are you paying $2k/year.
     
  10. Frank Valdivia

    Frank Valdivia New Member

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    Got it. I know the total policy went up $350 and that is taking down my tacoma from 14000 miles per year to under 5000. I will know exact numbers tonight as soon as I go and pickup the new policy.

    What insurance companies do you guys use in general? anything better and less expensive than Mercury?

    We are no accidents,nor moving violations.
     
  11. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    I don't know how expensive Mercury is. I use USAA.
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you said the hybrid prius had a very high premium, i thought you meant the car, not the insurance company.
     
  13. prius'05

    prius'05 New Member

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    On my teenager it was cheaper with the Prius than a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic in NC
     
  14. ftl

    ftl Explicator

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    When I switched in May 2012 from a 1996 BMW 318ti hatchback (book value then about $2500) to my Prius c Three, the insurance cost with State Farm increased about $40 per year.
     
  15. SwhitePC

    SwhitePC Active Member

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    usaa... no other insurance co have seem to be able to match what I'm getting with usaa when I run quotes with them every so often
     
    gsmckee, Fahfoofnik and ztanos like this.
  16. Easy Rider 2

    Easy Rider 2 Senior Member

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    Are you a AAA member ?
    They have done a good job for me lately.
    They put my bike with Progressive.
    I've been meaning to check out Nationwide but haven't yet.
     
  17. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    I'd hazard a guess that it's due to the publicity that hybrid fires have been getting lately.
     
  18. ftl

    ftl Explicator

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    It's not that simple. Here's an article from Forbes that has some info on how rates are set:
    What Really Goes Into Determining Your Insurance Rates? - Forbes

    Men pay more than women. Young men pay far more than older men. Married women pay less than single women. Speeding tickets increase the premium. Drunk driving convictions the same, but much more so. There are lots of factors that have nothing to to do with the car - if you're less likely to crash it, it doesn't matter so much what the car is worth.
     
  19. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    Pardon my skepticism, but an insurance company is more likely to spin you the story they want you to believe, than to tell you the actual truth.
     
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  20. ftl

    ftl Explicator

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    Nothing in the source for the Forbes story relied on anything from an insurance company except their quoted rates for each class of driver.

    In any event, there's no need to rely on any outside source; go to a car insurance quote site and vary the factors yourself to see what effect each of them has on the premium. Obviously it will cost more to insure a Ferrari than a Prius, but changing the make and model of car within the same general price range will have far less effect on the premium than the factors I mentioned above.