You have probably seen the ads from insurers like Nationwide, Liberty Mutual, and GEICO that promise the cheapest price, so you should just choose any one of them, right?
It’s just not that simple, as there are a lot of unknown elements such as the performance level of your vehicle, the annual mileage you drive, and if you have ever let your policy lapse. This article will discuss the different scenarios that increase car insurance cost and should give you a solid foundation to find cheaper car insurance in California.
The car, truck, or SUV needing coverage is a significant factor that determines whether or not you can buy affordable car insurance for inexperienced drivers. Vehicles with lower acceleration and performance, a plethora of safety features, or low incidents of liability claims will cost less to insure than adrenaline junky models. The data below features auto insurance rates for the most affordable automobiles to buy insurance for.
| Insured Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $860 |
| Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $880 |
| Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan | $888 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $916 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 2WD | $934 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4WD 2-Dr | $964 |
| Honda Civic EX 4-Dr Sedan | $966 |
| Ford Edge Sport 2WD | $984 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $989 |
| Toyota Prius | $986 |
| Nissan Rogue S 2WD | $1,000 |
| Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,006 |
| Nissan Altima 3.5 SR 4-Dr Sedan | $1,000 |
| Ford Explorer XLT AWD | $1,002 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $1,020 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $1,029 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $1,020 |
| Ford Fusion S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,026 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $1,028 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Off-Road Package 4WD | $1,040 |
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Price data assumes single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Table data does not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can change price quotes significantly.
Based upon these rates, models like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Honda Accord are most likely to be some of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for new drivers.
Finding reasonably-priced insurance is not easy, and figuring out which company offers the most affordable insurance rates for inexperienced drivers will involve a bit more work. Each company uses slightly different criteria for setting prices, so let’s begin by taking a look at the most budget-friendly insurance companies in Chula Vista, CA.
Keep in mind that Chula Vista insurance rates are calculated based on many things that will increase or decrease the price you pay for coverage. This price fluctuation is why it is crucial to perform an extensive rate comparison to find the cheapest car insurance rates for inexperienced drivers. Prices are influenced by many risk factors and can decrease or increase without notice, so the most economical company when you bought your policy may now be costing you a lot of money.
Find the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Newbies
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,121 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,157 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,178 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $1,213 |
| 5 | CSAA | $1,222 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,447 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,488 |
| 9 | Allstate | $1,497 |
| 10 | Progressive | $1,512 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,541 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,590 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,623 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,699 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,733 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,739 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,777 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,006 |
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USAA offers some of the best car insurance rates in Chula Vista at around $1,121 each year. This is $530 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, Nationwide, and CSAA also rank well as some of the most economical Chula Vista, CA insurance companies.
As shown in the rates above, if you currently have coverage with CSAA and switched to Wawanesa, you may see annual savings of approximately $65. Customers with 21st Century may save as much as $168 a year, and Grange customers might reduce rates by $290 a year.
These premium estimates are averaged for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and and are not calculated with a vehicle location for inexperienced drivers. So the insurer that fits your needs best may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That’s why you need to get car insurance quotes using your own personal information and vehicle type.
The chart below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles can impact premium costs when quoting cheap insurance for inexperienced drivers. The price estimates are based on a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
The chart above illustrates that a 30-year-old driver could lower their policy premium by $460 a year by changing their physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $692 by using a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, like the Age 20 category, could possibly save as much as $1,398 every year by choosing larger deductibles on their policy.
When increasing deductibles, it will be important to have enough savings to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense that is associated with using high deductibles.
Types of discounts on Chula Vista insurance rates
Auto insurance companies that provide coverage for inexperienced drivers may additionally offer policy discounts that could reduce prices by as much as 35% if you qualify for them. Large insurance companies and some of the discounts can be found below.
- American Family discounts include early bird, TimeAway discount, air bags, good driver, Steer into Savings, defensive driver, and good student.
- State Farm has savings for driver’s education, good driver, accident-free, passive restraint, Drive Safe & Save, safe vehicle, and anti-theft.
- 21st Century may include discounts for air bags, 55 and older, homeowners, driver training, and teen driver.
- Travelers policyholders can earn discounts including early quote, new car, IntelliDrive, home ownership, payment discounts, and driver training.
- GEICO may offer discounts for daytime running lights, defensive driver, multi-vehicle, anti-lock brakes, and good student.
The diagram below compares insurance rates with and without discounts. The data is based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no claims, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the price with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multiple policy, anti-theft, defensive driving course, marriage, homeowner, and multiple vehicle discounts applied. When drivers qualify for the discounts, the average savings per year on insurance for inexperienced drivers is 28% or $516.
Full coverage versus liability only rates
Lowering the price of insurance should be important to the majority of drivers, and a good way to lower the cost of insurance for inexperienced drivers is to not buy full coverage. The diagram below illustrates the difference between yearly insurance costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The premiums are based on no accidents or driving violations, $250 deductibles, marital status is single, and no additional discounts are factored in.
If we average the cost for all age groups, physical damage coverage costs an extra $2,314 per year more than insuring for liability only. That may make you wonder if buying full coverage is a good investment. There is no exact formula of when to stop paying for physical damage insurance, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is more than about 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.