Auto Insurance - Collision Premium for 6th gen 4Runner vs 2025 Toyota Camry Le

[ModernDay4Runner]

I purchased a new '25 TRD Sport Premium in March and my wife purchased a 2025 Toyota Camre LE (Hybrid) in June. Our auto insurance policy with GEICO is renewing in early September and I am noticing that 6-month premium for her $31K car is $50 more than my 4Runner whose value is approximately double that of the Camry. The collision coverage for her 25 Camry is 33% higher than the collision coverage for my 4Runner and that is what is making her policy more expensive than mine.

I called GEICO for an explanation, and I am not satisfied with the answer, so I am throwing this out to the real experts, you all, other 4Runners owners paying for insurance.

Care to share your thoughts as to why my wife's Camry cost more to insure than my 4Runner that holds twice the value? I told my wife it is because they know she is the primary driver (and my wife is a woman) and that is why it cost more. That was said tongue in cheek, and she did not laugh. And the fact is, premiums are generally higher for males.

Anyways, please share your thoughts and if you have a similar situation (also own a new Camry) let me know what your collision coverage looks like on both vehicles. Thanks

Sponsored

 

[JayTech]

I purchased a new '25 TRD Sport Premium in March and my wife purchased a 2025 Toyota Camre LE (Hybrid) in June. Our auto insurance policy with GEICO is renewing in early September and I am noticing that 6-month premium for her $31K car is $50 more than my 4Runner whose value is approximately double that of the Camry. The collision coverage for her 25 Camry is 33% higher than the collision coverage for my 4Runner and that is what is making her policy more expensive than mine.

I called GEICO for an explanation, and I am not satisfied with the answer, so I am throwing this out to the real experts, you all, other 4Runners owners paying for insurance.

Care to share your thoughts as to why my wife's Camry cost more to insure than my 4Runner that holds twice the value? I told my wife it is because they know she is the primary driver (and my wife is a woman) and that is why it cost more. That was said tongue in cheek, and she did not laugh. And the fact is, premiums are generally higher for males.

Anyways, please share your thoughts and if you have a similar situation (also own a new Camry) let me know what your collision coverage looks like on both vehicles. Thanks

Insurance isn't based off vehicle value. It is based off of safety ratings, how many are on the road, how many are stolen and how many accidents they are involved in. Camrys are amongst one of the top stolen vehicles in the US. And while 4Runners are also stolen a fair bit, they aren't stolen as often as a Camry.

 

[Doofy]

I am an insurance broker in Canada and we likely have quite a different insurance system than you do, but collision coverage typically accounts for how expensive it is to fix/repair/replace a vehicle, the availability of parts (driving up cost to repair or settle claim), and the vehicles ability to withstand a collision, without being written off for example.


**Safety rating of the vehicle itself likely has one of the biggest impacts on the cost of collision coverage, along with driving records & claims data from your general locale

bigger, more robust vehicles, protect themselves better as well, so it doesn't surprise me that the camry could cost more than the 4R. a camry might crumple in a collision that a body-on-frame 4R would not.

insurance is definitely also based on value, but is a factor buried into rates, and that is all part of the actuarial data that makes up your total rate. A higher purchase value would bring the 4R rates up closer to the Camry rates. if the 4R was the same price as the Camry, i would expect the 4R to be that much more cheaper than the Camry, comparatively speaking.

and then, there are differences between actual insurance companies, and their own data, so the impacts can vary from company to company.

to truly analyze the different in costs between two specific vehicles, yes, you would have to assign the same driver to both, and use the same rating info (use, annual mileage etc.).

for the most recent post: theft is often covered by a completely different coverage (referred to as comprehensive in Ontario) and would have no bearing on the cost of collision coverage. the original post by ModernDay is noting the difference in cost for a specific portion of the coverage on the insurance policy. a vehicle that is likely to be stolen more frequently would see a higher premium on that portion, and as is currently the case in Southern Ontario, possibly subject even to an additional theft surcharge. my 2021 4R was surcharged $1,000 this year unless i agreed to put in a TAG tracking system. for a $300 one time expense, it was a no-brainer.

hope this helps a little?

(this is a general synopsis, and doesn't necessarily answer everyone's comparative rating questions. FYI my 2025 4R is going to cost substantially more than my 2021 4R, and the main reason is due to the increased value)

 

[JayTech]

I am an insurance broker in Canada and we likely have quite a different insurance system than you do, but collision coverage typically accounts for how expensive it is to fix/repair/replace a vehicle, the availability of parts (driving up cost to repair or settle claim), and the vehicles ability to withstand a collision, without being written off for example.


**Safety rating of the vehicle itself likely has one of the biggest impacts on the cost of collision coverage, along with driving records & claims data from your general locale

bigger, more robust vehicles, protect themselves better as well, so it doesn't surprise me that the camry could cost more than the 4R. a camry might crumple in a collision that a body-on-frame 4R would not.

insurance is definitely also based on value, but is a factor buried into rates, and that is all part of the actuarial data that makes up your total rate. A higher purchase value would bring the 4R rates up closer to the Camry rates. if the 4R was the same price as the Camry, i would expect the 4R to be that much more cheaper than the Camry, comparatively speaking.

and then, there are differences between actual insurance companies, and their own data, so the impacts can vary from company to company.

to truly analyze the different in costs between two specific vehicles, yes, you would have to assign the same driver to both, and use the same rating info (use, annual mileage etc.).

for the most recent post: theft is often covered by a completely different coverage (referred to as comprehensive in Ontario) and would have no bearing on the cost of collision coverage. the original post by ModernDay is noting the difference in cost for a specific portion of the coverage on the insurance policy. a vehicle that is subject to more theft would see a higher premium on that portion, and as is current the case in Southern Ontario, possibly subject event to an additional theft surcharge. my 2021 4R was surcharged $1,000 this year unless i agreed to put in a TAG tracking system. for a $300 one time expense, it was a no-brainer.

hope this helps a little?

Huh, interesting to here from another insurance broker, but some of those things seem like it must be different for each insurance company, because when going through my policy they said the things I listed directly affect the policy price but value not so much unless you are getting depreciation protection. My Porsche 911s collision premium doesn't cost as much as what my 4Runner is quoted at and its value is far higher and parts are way more expensive.

 

[ModernDay4Runner]

I am an insurance broker in Canada and we likely have quite a different insurance system than you do, but collision coverage typically accounts for how expensive it is to fix/repair/replace a vehicle, the availability of parts (driving up cost to repair or settle claim), and the vehicles ability to withstand a collision, without being written off for example.


**Safety rating of the vehicle itself likely has one of the biggest impacts on the cost of collision coverage, along with driving records & claims data from your general locale

bigger, more robust vehicles, protect themselves better as well, so it doesn't surprise me that the camry could cost more than the 4R. a camry might crumple in a collision that a body-on-frame 4R would not.

insurance is definitely also based on value, but is a factor buried into rates, and that is all part of the actuarial data that makes up your total rate. A higher purchase value would bring the 4R rates up closer to the Camry rates. if the 4R was the same price as the Camry, i would expect the 4R to be that much more cheaper than the Camry, comparatively speaking.

and then, there are differences between actual insurance companies, and their own data, so the impacts can vary from company to company.

to truly analyze the different in costs between two specific vehicles, yes, you would have to assign the same driver to both, and use the same rating info (use, annual mileage etc.).

for the most recent post: theft is often covered by a completely different coverage (referred to as comprehensive in Ontario) and would have no bearing on the cost of collision coverage. the original post by ModernDay is noting the difference in cost for a specific portion of the coverage on the insurance policy. a vehicle that is likely to be stolen more frequently would see a higher premium on that portion, and as is currently the case in Southern Ontario, possibly subject even to an additional theft surcharge. my 2021 4R was surcharged $1,000 this year unless i agreed to put in a TAG tracking system. for a $300 one time expense, it was a no-brainer.

hope this helps a little?

(this is a general synopsis, and doesn't necessarily answer everyone's comparative rating questions. FYI my 2025 4R is going to cost substantially more than my 2021 4R, and the main reason is due to the increased value)

Thanks for all the great information. Geico basically said what you said with respect to safety features and cost to repair and the probability or the increase probability of the Camry to have to be totally written off versus the 4Runner. I knew that the value of the vehicle alone was not the driving Factor but I wanted to get some facts to relay to my wife because she really thought since she paid about half what I paid her insurance it would be lower. All the information you and the others have provided have been useful. Thanks!

 

[Doofy]

ah, sports cars, believe it or not, are often one of the cheapest to insure, compared to other vehicles, all other items being equal.
Safety rating (cockpit) for occupant is a huge factor.
one of the cheapest sports vehicles to insure is a Corvette Z06 - it might be worth the same as a new 4Runner, but costs noticeably less to insure

one other item, is that newer computer-filled vehicles, compared to less sophisticated/tech & slightly older vehicles, are costing substantially more to insure.
simple example: windshields: used to cost $400-$1,000 to replace. i see replacement costs for windshields on some vehicles coming in at $1,900 to $2,800

again, there are so many factors, and pricing can also vary substantially from insurer to insurer. just make sure you are aware of your options.

 

[CO/ZA]

My erstwhile 2017 BMW 340i was more expensive to insure than my TRD OR Premium, something like $40-50 per month as well.

4runners are driven by costco dads, whereas Camrys and other sedans are averaged across rental fleets, young drivers, etc.

 

[Nodak]

forgot to take into account that a sports car (above avg model, not your everyday driver) is not driven as much so its less likely to get into an accident.

but on the flip side if they do get into an accident, the cost is $$$ and they may drop you afterwards.

i see that happen with house insurance, they pay out and drop you afterwards.

 

[JayTech]

forgot to take into account that a sports car (above avg model, not your everyday driver) is not driven as much so its less likely to get into an accident.

but on the flip side if they do get into an accident, the cost is $$$ and they may drop you afterwards.

i see that happen with house insurance, they pay out and drop you afterwards.

Except I have the mileage set to 15000KM on the Porsche and currently set for 12000 on the 4Runner(estimated mileage). I drive it all the time. Only thing it doesn't see is winter(Currently have a civic as a winter beater until I take delivery of the 4Runner).
Also, I can see them dropping you if you get in an one too many at fault accidents, but so long as its not your fault, they probably aren't concerned as its the other persons insurance paying the bill.

Sponsored