We don’t have to tell you that auto insurance companies want to keep you from shopping around. Consumers who compare rates once a year are highly likely to move their business because they have good chances of finding discount prices. A study showed that people who compared rates annually saved on average $3,500 over four years compared to people who don’t make a habit of comparing rates.
If finding budget-friendly rates on insurance in Tucson is your intention, then having a good understanding how to quote and compare auto insurance can make it easier to shop your coverage around.
If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to quote cheaper auto insurance rates in Tucson is to begin comparing prices regularly from companies in Arizona.
Step 1: Gain an understanding of how your policy works and the measures you can control to prevent rate increases. Many rating factors that are responsible for high rates such as multiple speeding tickets and a low credit score can be remedied by paying attention to minor details.
Step 2: Request price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only provide price estimates from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agents can provide prices from multiple sources.
Step 3: Compare the quotes to the price on your current policy to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you can save some money and change companies, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
A tip to remember is to try to compare similar deductibles and liability limits on every quote request and and to get quotes from as many different insurance providers as possible. Doing this enables a fair price comparison and a complete price analysis.
Cheaper Scion tC insurance quotes in Tucson
The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you may qualify for discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Most are applied at the time of quoting, but occasionally some discounts must be manually applied before you get the savings.
- Good Students Pay Less – Getting good grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. This discount can apply until age 25.
- Sign Online – A few larger online companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up on the web.
- ABS Braking Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can stop better under adverse conditions so companies give up to a 10% discount.
- Active Service Discounts – Having an actively deployed family member may qualify for rate reductions.
- Professional Memberships – Being in a civic or occupational organization in Tucson is a good way to get lower rates on auto insurance.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Buying coverage for more than one vehicle on one policy can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
Drivers should understand that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates all those discounts means the company will pay you, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
The example below visualizes the comparison of Scion tC car insurance rates with and without discounts being applied to the rates. The rates are based on a female driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, Arizona 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, multi-car, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, and marriage discounts applied.
A few popular companies and some of the discounts include:
- GEICO may have discounts that include emergency military deployment, defensive driver, anti-theft, five-year accident-free, seat belt use, federal employee, and multi-policy.
- USAA has discounts for driver training, military installation, vehicle storage, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and family discount.
- Progressive offers premium reductions for multi-policy, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, online quote discount, and good student.
- American Family policyholders can earn discounts including defensive driver, Steer into Savings, air bags, good student, early bird, and TimeAway discount.
- Esurance may offer discounts for Pac-12 alumni, good driver, safety device, online shopper, anti-theft, and good student.
- Farmers Insurance may include discounts for distant student, pay in full, youthful driver, mature driver, multi-car, and early shopping.
- State Farm offers discounts for multiple autos, safe vehicle, driver’s education, good driver, multiple policy, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
If you need affordable Tucson car insurance quotes, ask every prospective company what discounts are available to you. Savings may not apply in Tucson. To choose providers that offer the discounts shown above in Arizona, click here.
The fastest way that we advise to compare rates for Scion tC insurance in Tucson is to know car insurance companies will pay a fee to compare rate quotes. The one thing you need to do is give the companies some data like the ages of drivers, whether your vehicle is owned or leased, how much coverage you want, and whether the vehicles are used for commuting. Your information is instantly submitted to multiple different insurance companies and they return quotes within a short period of time.
To start a rate quote now, click here and enter the information requested.
The companies shown below have been selected to offer free quotes in Arizona. If you want the best car insurance in Tucson, we suggest you visit several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Premium rates and analysis
The premium table displayed next outlines detailed analysis of insurance premium costs for Scion tC models. Learning a little about how auto insurance prices are figured can assist in making informed decisions when shopping around for a new policy.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TC 2-Dr Hatchback | $232 | $530 | $374 | $22 | $112 | $1,270 | $106 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data rating is based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and Arizona minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and multi-policy. Estimates do not factor in vehicle location which can decrease or increase prices significantly.
Choosing deductibles
One common question asked by Tucson drivers is which comprehensive and collision deductibles to buy. The rates shown below approximate how much more you’ll pay of buying low and high insurance deductibles. The first set of rates uses a $250 deductible for physical damage and the second price table uses a $1,000 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TC 2-Dr Hatchback | $232 | $530 | $374 | $22 | $112 | $1,295 | $108 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TC 2-Dr Hatchback | $144 | $334 | $374 | $22 | $112 | $986 | $82 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data rating is based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Arizona minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Information does not factor in vehicle location which can influence rates considerably.
Based on the above data, using a $250 deductible could cost the average driver approximately $26 more each month or $312 every year across all Scion tC models than quoting the higher $1,000 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $750 more if you file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you have more than 29 months between claims, you would probably be better off if you choose the higher deductible.
The example below illustrates how your choice of deductibles and can increase or decrease Scion tC insurance premiums for each different age group. The costs are based on a single male driver, full physical damage coverage, and no discounts are factored in.
Full coverage or liability only
The diagram below illustrates the comparison of Scion tC insurance costs with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The data is based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Guidelines for dropping full coverage
There isn’t a written rule of when to drop full coverage on your policy, but there is a broad guideline. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than about 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
For example, let’s assume your Scion tC replacement cost is $7,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most you would get paid by your company is $6,000 after paying your deductible. If you are paying more than $600 annually for your policy with full coverage, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
There are some cases where eliminating full coverage is not financially feasible. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you have to maintain full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should not eliminate full coverage.
How You Can Control Scion tC Insurance Costs
Lots of factors are used in the calculation when premium rates are determined. Some of the criteria are obvious such as your driving record, but others are not quite as obvious such as your marital status or your vehicle rating.
Shown below are some of the factors used by insurance companies to determine premiums.
Women tend to be lower risk – Over the last 50 years, statistics have shown females are less aggressive when driving. The data does not necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Both genders are in accidents in similar percentages, but the men cause more damage. Men also get ticketed for serious violations like DUI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are several times more likely to be in an accident and therefore pay the highest rates.
The illustration below visualizes the comparison of Scion tC annual premium costs for male and female drivers. The rate quotes are based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, comprehensive and collision coverage, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are factored in.
No policy lapses saves money – Not having insurance is against the law and your next policy will cost more because you let your coverage have a gap. In addition to paying higher rates, not being able to provide proof of insurance may earn you a steep fine or even jail time. You may then be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Arizona DMV.
Do you know you’re credit rating? – Having a bad credit history can be an important factor in your rate calculation. Consumers who have high credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers with bad credit. So if your credit leaves room for improvement, you may save money insuring your Scion tC by improving your rating.
Filing insurance claims can increase rates – If you file a lot of claims you can expect either higher rates or even cancellation. Insurance companies in Arizona give the lowest premiums to insureds who file claims infrequently. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Multi-policy discounts can save money – Most major insurers allow discounts to clients who buy several policies from them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. This can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even if you already get this discount, it’s still a good idea to compare other Tucson tC insurance rates to verify if the discount is saving money.
Occupation impacts prices – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for insurance? Occupations like real estate brokers, social workers, and miners usually pay higher premiums than the average policyholder attributed to intense work-related stress and lengthy work days. On the flip side, jobs like farmers, historians and performers get better rates.
Loss probability for a Scion tC – Companies use statistical claims data when they file their rates in each state. Vehicles that historically have a trend towards higher claim severity or frequency will cost more for coverage. The data below shows the historical insurance loss data for Scion tC vehicles.
For each coverage type, the claim amount for all vehicles, regardless of make, model or trim level, is considered to be 100. Values that are under 100 mean the vehicle has better than average losses, while values over 100 indicate frequent claims or tendency to have larger claims.
Vehicle Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scion tC | 133 | 139 | 136 | 148 | 152 | 143 |
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
Local agents and auto insurance
A lot of people still prefer to talk to a local agent and that is a personal choice. A nice benefit of comparing rate quotes online is you may find lower rates and still choose a local agent. Buying from neighborhood agents is especially important in Tucson.
For easy comparison, once you complete this quick form, your insurance data is submitted to local insurance agents in Tucson who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. There is no need to leave your house because prices are sent instantly to you. You can get cheaper auto insurance rates and work with a local agent. If for some reason you want to compare prices from one company in particular, you just need to jump over to their website and fill out their quote form.
Picking the best insurance company should include more criteria than just a cheap price quote. These are some valid questions you should ask.
- Which companies can they place coverage with?
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
- Has the agent ever had any license suspensions?
- If you raise deductibles, how much can you save?
- Will one accident increase rates?
- Is the agent CPCU or CIC certified?
- Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
- Do they specialize in personal lines coverage in Tucson?
Why insurance is not optional
Despite the high cost, buying insurance is required for several reasons.
First, most states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to carry a minimum amount of liability coverage if you want to drive legally. In Arizona these limits are 15/30/10 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.
Second, if your tC has a loan, more than likely the lender will require you to carry insurance to guarantee payment of the loan. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the lender may insure your Scion at a more expensive rate and make you pay for the much more expensive policy.
Third, insurance safeguards both your assets and your vehicle. It will also cover medical bills incurred in an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, will also pay for a defense attorney if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, comprehensive and collision coverage will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.
The benefits of carrying adequate insurance definitely exceed the cost, particularly for liability claims. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer is currently overpaying as much as $700 annually so smart consumers compare quotes at every renewal to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Affordable auto insurance premiums are out there
When searching for cheaper Tucson car insurance quotes, don’t be tempted to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that it was a big mistake. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
You just learned many ideas to get a better price on Scion tC insurance in Tucson. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the lowest car insurance rates come from the smaller companies. Smaller companies can often provide lower premium rates in certain areas as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate and Progressive.
Low-cost Scion tC insurance in Tucson can be found from both online companies in addition to many Tucson insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some auto insurance companies may not provide the ability to get quotes online and usually these regional insurance providers sell through independent insurance agencies.
Other information
- Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
- How Much are Car Insurance Rates for Drivers Over Age 60 in Tucson? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for Active Military in Tucson? (FAQ)
- Collision Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)
- Insurance losses by make and model (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Teen Driver Licensing Information (iihs.org)