Our editors always tell us that when writing about auto insurance, the words “cheap” or “affordable” should not be used anywhere to describe car insurance rates. Forgive the oxymoron, but cheap auto insurance for a Toyota Tacoma is just plain contradictory. Don’t let that spoil your day, because we are going to show you how you can quote and buy insurance that is more affordable.
The likelihood of finding the best cheap insurance for a Toyota Tacoma in Connecticut is dependent upon many rating factors such as the number of years you have been licensed, if you have ever let your coverage lapse, and deductible levels for physical damage coverage. Drivers pay on average $1,210 a year for Tacoma insurance, but that rate is that uses rate data for a 40-year-old single female driver that included both comprehensive and collision coverage and $250 physical damage deductibles.
This brings up the issue that more than likely you’re not a 40-year-old female, married instead of single, or you have a violation or two on your driving record. Having what appears to be a very minor change in input factors can result in a large change in policy price.
Different coverage needs are the reason why your best chance at finding the most affordable coverage for your Toyota is to regularly compare rates at renewal.
Your Toyota’s trim level has an effect on the coverage cost, so the price you will be charged to insure a Tacoma 2WD trim level will be $66 less than the insurance cost for the high end Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD model, as shown below.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tacoma 2WD | $222 | $508 | $448 | $26 | $134 | $1,338 | $112 |
Tacoma 4WD | $256 | $418 | $448 | $26 | $134 | $1,282 | $107 |
Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $256 | $508 | $448 | $26 | $134 | $1,372 | $114 |
Tacoma X-Runner 2WD | $256 | $598 | $448 | $26 | $134 | $1,462 | $122 |
Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $288 | $508 | $448 | $26 | $134 | $1,404 | $117 |
Tacoma Double Cab TRD Off-Road Package 4WD | $288 | $508 | $448 | $26 | $134 | $1,404 | $117 |
Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $288 | $508 | $448 | $26 | $134 | $1,404 | $117 |
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Cost estimates assume single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and Connecticut minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, claim-free, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Rate quotes do not factor in specific location information which can impact rates substantially.
Picking a good quality insurance company is difficult considering how many choices drivers have in Connecticut. The ranking information in the lists below can help you select which auto insurers you want to consider shopping prices with. These rankings only include large, nationwide insurance companies, so smaller companies that only insure vehicles in Connecticut are not factored into the list.
The information below shows how choosing a deductible can change annual premium costs when trying to find cheap insurance for a Toyota Tacoma. The premiums are based on a married female driver, full coverage, and no discounts are factored in.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawDfdqcibChart);function drawDfdqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘$100 Deductible’,’$250 Deductible’,’$500 Deductible’,’$1,000 Deductible’],[‘Age 20’, 2639,2419,2161,1915],[‘Age 30’, 1857,1695,1507,1323],[‘Age 40’, 1829,1671,1491,1317],[‘Age 50’, 1603,1467,1311,1159],[‘Age 60’, 1533,1403,1251,1105],[‘Age 70’, 1633,1495,1341,1193]]);var options = {title: ‘Effect of Deductibles on Toyota Tacoma Insurance Rates in Connecticut’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 700,’chartArea’: {left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’,’height’: ‘80%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’,textStyle: {fontSize: 12}},bar: {groupWidth: ‘80%’},colors: [‘#6791b9′,’#75a8d8′,’#98bee2′,’#bad4ec’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Insurance Cost for a Toyota Tacoma’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},vAxis: {title: ‘Age of Insured’}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);formatter.format(data,3);formatter.format(data,4);var chart = new google.visualization.BarChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibdfd’));chart.draw(data, options);}
As shown above, a 40-year-old driver could pocket $292 a year by switching the physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $444 by choosing a $1,000 deductible. Even younger insureds, like the Age 20 chart data, could lower their rates up to $724 or more by choosing a larger deductible amount.
If you do make the decision to raise your deductibles, it is essential to have enough in a savings account to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense. This is the primary disadvantage of choosing high deductibles.
Connecticut auto insurance rates are impacted by many factors which can significantly increase or decrease the price you have to pay. Improving your credit rating, getting married, or getting a couple of tickets can cause premium changes that may make certain companies more affordable than the competition.
Also, companies change prices every year or even multiple times each year to help ensure profitability. Higher than normal claims may cause rate hikes, while profitable underwriting can produce cheaper Tacoma insurance rates.
To illustrate this point, the bar chart below compares the cheapest car insurance in Connecticut for a 35-year-old female driver with a clean driving record, no accidents, and great credit. If we estimate rates based on her current risk factors, Utica National might offer the best car insurance rates in Connecticut at $995 a year. This is $993 less than the average premium paid by Connecticut drivers of $1,988. Travelers, Amica, USAA, and Nationwide are also included in the cheapest Connecticut auto insurance companies.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawCTWitcqcibChart);function drawCTWitcqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Company’, ‘Rate’, { role: ‘style’ }],[‘Utica National’, 995, ‘#629100’],[‘Travelers’, 1171, ‘#517800’],[‘Amica’, 1220, ‘#436400’],[‘USAA’, 1258, ‘#375300’],[‘Nationwide’, 1425, ‘#2D4500’]]);var options = {title: ‘Best Cheap Auto Insurance for a Toyota Tacoma’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’, fontSize: 17, bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 300,’chartArea’: {left:0,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},bar: {groupWidth: “90%”},legend: {position: ‘none’},vAxis: {viewWindowMode:’explicit’,viewWindow:{max:1525,min:0}}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});var view = new google.visualization.DataView(data);view.setColumns([0, 1,{ calc: “stringify”,sourceColumn: 1,type: “string”,role: “annotation” },2]);formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);var chart = new google.visualization.ColumnChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibwitc’));chart.draw(view, options);}
In this next rate comparison, we will give the driver in the first chart a couple of claims, poor credit, and a speeding citation. Due to the fact that each insurance company has a proprietary formula to determine rates, comparing prices could result in a completely different list of affordable companies as shown below.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawCTWcqcibChart);function drawCTWcqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Company’, ‘Rate’, { role: ‘style’ }],[‘MetLife’, 1720.4, ‘#F57E00’],[‘Travelers’, 1756.5, ‘#CC6900’],[‘General Casualty’, 1783.1, ‘#AA5700’],[‘State Farm’, 1785.3, ‘#8D4800’],[‘California Casualty’, 1830.4, ‘#753C00’]]);var options = {title: ‘New Rates with Accident/Violation Surcharges’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 300,’chartArea’:{left:0,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},bar: {groupWidth: “90%”},legend: {position: ‘none’},vAxis: {viewWindowMode:’explicit’,viewWindow:{max:1930.4,min:0}}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});var view = new google.visualization.DataView(data);view.setColumns([0, 1,{ calc: “stringify”,sourceColumn: 1,type: “string”,role: “annotation” },2]);formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);var chart = new google.visualization.ColumnChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibwc’));chart.draw(view, options);}
MetLife now has the best price in Connecticut with Travelers, General Casualty, State Farm, and California Casualty now being in the top five. This illustrates why it is so important to perform an extensive rate comparison to find the most budget-friendly car insurance rates for a Toyota Tacoma.
Rates consist of many risk factors and can change substantially, so the lowest-price company two years ago may now be wasting a lot of money.
The list below details some of the better penny-pinching suggestions that can help Connecticut drivers locate more affordable auto insurance.
That last idea is extraordinarily significant, as we discussed in this write-up. Coverage prices fluctuate constantly, so drivers shouldn’t be reluctant to switch carriers if a lower-cost policy is available. Staying with the same car insurance company is fine, but it isn’t a good idea if that loyalty results in overpaying lots of money. In just a couple of minutes you could shop around to find cheaper auto insurance for a Toyota Tacoma.
You have many ways to find cheap auto insurance in Connecticut, but the most popular methods are from an independent agent, a captive (or exclusive) agency such as Allstate or State Farm, or buying direct from a company like Progressive or Geico.
They all have the same end result, but they differ in how they price policies.
Independent agencies write for multiple companies and can do rate comparisons with every one. They are not limited to a single company and can compare multiple rates, which may give you improved odds of finding cheaper coverage. If the agent locates a cheaper price, your policy can be easily switched to a different company without you having to go to a different agency.
Exclusive agencies are able to quote prices with one company such as an Auto-Owners or Allstate agent. These guys and gals cannot place coverage with different providers, so you will not be able to compare their rates to other companies.
The last way is buying direct, which means you do not use a local agent and instead buy direct from companies such as Geico or Esurance. Buying direct may be the best choice consumers who have little risk and have a decent understanding of the exclusions of a policy.
Which way works best for finding the cheapest insurance for a Toyota Tacoma in Connecticut? We would first guess that shopping direct saves the most money because there is no agent involved, but that is not always the case. We’d also like to say going through an independent agent is the best way because they can shop around, but again, that’s not a true statement. In many circumstances, exclusive agents have extremely competitive rates well below independent agents AND direct companies.
Due to the fact that auto insurance rates vary so much, really the best method to not overpay for auto insurance is to do a thorough rate comparison. Put in the effort to get quotes from all three to have enough rates to compare. For a list of companies offering online discounts in Connecticut, click here to view.