I’m sure you’ve seen the captivating commercials from auto insurance companies like Progressive and State Farm claiming dirt cheap rates, so you should just pick one randomly, right?
It’s just not that easy, however, as there are a lot of unknown aspects like how well you maintain your credit, the crash test ratings of your vehicle, where you live, and your annual mileage driven, that all have an effect on the price of a policy. In this article, we will teach you about the best ways to save on auto insurance and will give you a good beginning to your quest for cheaper car insurance in California.
Finding reliable, budget car insurance is not always easy, and finding out which companies quote the cheapest auto insurance rates for low mileage drivers requires even more shopping around.
Each company uses different criteria to set policy rates, so first let’s look at the rankings for the lowest cost auto insurance companies in California. We do need to point out that California auto insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that may substantially change the cost of having a policy. Price variation is why it is so important to perform a complete rate comparison to find cheap car insurance quotes for low mileage drivers. Car insurance prices are influenced by many different factors and change substantially, so the most economical option the last time you shopped around may now not even be in the top five.
Find Cheaper Auto Insurance in California
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,109 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,181 |
| 3 | CSAA | $1,198 |
| 4 | Century National | $1,226 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,250 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 9 | Mercury | $1,503 |
| 10 | GEICO | $1,559 |
| 11 | Allstate | $1,559 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,603 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,606 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,639 |
| 15 | Unitrin | $1,682 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,733 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,860 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,026 |
| Find Your Rate Go | ||
USAA generally has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Chula Vista at around $1,109 a year. This is $542 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide also are some of the most economical Chula Vista, CA car insurance companies.
As the example above demonstrates, if you are currently insured with Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you could earn a yearly price reduction of about $72. Customers with CSAA might save as much as $89 a year, and Century National policyholders might realize rate reductions of up to $117 a year.
Be aware that those rates are averaged for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and and are not calculated with a specific location for low mileage drivers. So the insurer that can offer you the lowest price may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That underscores the importance of why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own driver data and vehicle information.
The vehicle to be insured is probably the largest consideration in finding economical car insurance for low mileage drivers. Vehicles with reasonable performance levels, good safety features, or low incidents of liability claims will cost significantly less to insure than high performance models.
The next table ranks car insurance costs for a number of the cheaper automobiles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $860 |
| Toyota Prius | $872 |
| Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $888 |
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $896 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4WD 2-Dr | $964 |
| Toyota Corolla LE | $984 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LT Crew Cab 4WD | $1,000 |
| Nissan Altima 3.5 SR 4-Dr Sedan | $1,006 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LTZ Crew Cab 4WD | $1,000 |
| Nissan Rogue S 2WD | $1,006 |
| Ford Edge SEL AWD | $1,000 |
| Ford Fusion Sport 4-Dr Sedan | $1,006 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LTZ | $1,000 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | |
Data variables include single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, safe-driver, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Premium amounts do not factor in your specific Chula Vista, CA location which can influence prices considerably.
Looking at the rates, makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Toyota Prius, Honda Accord, Ford Escape, and Jeep Wrangler should be a few of the less-costly vehicles to insure for infrequent drivers.
One of the more important criteria that help determine the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you keep your car in Chula Vista. Areas with a lot of weather claims or more people tend to have more expensive car insurance rates, whereas areas that tend to be more rural benefit from having to pay less for coverage.
The following table lists the priciest cities in California for low mileage drivers to buy an auto insurance policy in. Chula Vista is ranked #24 with a yearly premium of $1,337 on average, which is approximately $111 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,079 |
| 3 | Oakland | $1,755 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,703 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
| 7 | Stockton | $1,588 |
| 8 | Long Beach | $1,578 |
| 9 | Fontana | $1,566 |
| 10 | Garden Grove | $1,554 |
| 11 | Santa Clarita | $1,548 |
| 12 | Modesto | $1,547 |
| 13 | Riverside | $1,527 |
| 14 | Moreno Valley | $1,506 |
| 15 | Fresno | $1,502 |
| 16 | Anaheim | $1,488 |
| 17 | Santa Ana | $1,439 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,423 |
| 19 | Huntington Beach | $1,402 |
| 20 | San Diego | $1,368 |
| 21 | Fremont | $1,361 |
| 22 | Irvine | $1,343 |
| 23 | Bakersfield | $1,340 |
| 24 | Chula Vista | $1,337 |
| 25 | Oxnard | $1,304 |
| Compare Prices Now Go | ||
Prices are estimated as the garaging address in Chula Vista can alter auto insurance rates significantly.
Impact of citations and accidents on Chula Vista insurance rates
The ideal way to enjoy affordable auto insurance prices in Chula Vista for infrequent drivers is to be a cautious driver and avoid traffic citations and accidents. The illustration below shows how speeding tickets and at-fault fender-benders raise insurance costs for different insured age categories. The premium estimates are based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.
In the example above, the average cost of a car insurance policy in Chula Vista per year with no accidents or violations is $1,948. Receive two speeding tickets and the average cost hikes up to $2,776, an increase of $828 each year. Now add in two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the yearly cost of auto insurance for low mileage drivers jumps again to an average of $5,713. That’s an increase of $3,765, or $314 per month, just for being a less-than-perfect driver!
Buying coverage from the top auto insurance company can be challenging considering how many companies sell coverage in California. The company information shown next may help you choose which auto insurance companies to look at when shopping around. These rankings are for companies that insure vehicles nationwide, so companies that may only write in California are not included in the list.
Top 10 Major Car Insurance Companies Overall in Chula Vista
- USAA
- American Family
- AAA of Southern California
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- AAA Insurance
- GEICO
- The General
- Titan Insurance
- Progressive
Top 10 Major Car Insurance Companies in Chula Vista Ranked by Customer Satisfaction
- Titan Insurance – 95%
- USAA – 94%
- AAA of Southern California – 92%
- AAA Insurance – 91%
- Nationwide – 90%
- State Farm – 90%
- The Hartford – 89%
- GEICO – 89%
- The General – 88%
- 21st Century – 88%
Cost comparison with and without full coverage
Finding cheaper auto insurance is the goal of the majority of drivers, and an effective way to find cheaper insurance for low mileage drivers is to not pay for full coverage. The example below shows the difference between insurance premiums with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The premiums assume no accidents, no driving violations, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
On average, comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy costs $3,385 per year over having just liability coverage. At some point, about every driver wonders when is it a good idea to stop buying full coverage. There is no exact rule of when to stop paying for full coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than around 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
There are a few cases where removing full coverage is not financially feasible. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you are required to maintain full coverage in order to prevent the bank from purchasing higher-priced coverage. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should keep full coverage on your policy.
Who has the cheapest Chula Vista car insurance?
California auto insurance rates are based on many factors which can significantly increase or decrease the price you pay. Improving your credit score, having a teenage driver, or getting a driving violation can trigger price changes that can now make some companies cheaper than competitors. Not only may your risk profile change, but insurers amend pricing at least once a year to help ensure profitability. Higher than normal claim frequency or severity can result in more expensive prices, while lower claim levels can result in more affordable Chula Vista car insurance rates.
For example, the data below shows a variety of companies that have the cheapest car insurance in Chula Vista, CA for a 45-year-old female driver with no accidents, a clean driving record, and great credit. If we look at prices based on her current rating profile, USAA may have the most affordable car insurance rates in Chula Vista at $1,155 a year. This is $496 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, Wawanesa, CSAA, and Nationwide also make the list of the best Chula Vista, CA auto insurance companies.
The chart below compares rates after we give the driver from above some claims, a lower credit rating, and a few blemishes on her driving record. Because every insurance company uses a different method to set their prices, comparing insurance quotes may now show a different list of the cheapest car insurance companies in Chula Vista as shown below.
Grange now has the best car insurance rate in Chula Vista, CA with Mercury, GEICO, Allied, and Progressive completing the list. This shows why California drivers need to do a thorough rate comparison to get cheap auto insurance quotes for low mileage drivers.
Rates consist of many factors and change frequently, so the best company the last time you shopped around may now be costing you a lot of money.