It would sure be easy if we could just tell you the one best company that has the cheapest rates in California. It’s not that easy, however, as there are a whole bunch of unknown elements like what deductibles to use for physical damage coverage, your credit score, and the performance level of your vehicle. This article will detail the different ways to avoid overpaying and will hopefully give you a good start in finding the cheapest car insurance in California.
The type of vehicle that is being insured is one of the biggest factors when shopping around for the best coverage for college graduates. Vehicles with average performance, good crash test ratings, or a low likelihood of having liability claims will cost much less to insure than high performance models.
The data below features coverage rates for the most budget-friendly automobiles to insure in California.
| Make, Model, and Trim Level | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| GMC Sierra SLE Crew Cab 2WD | $946 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $955 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $946 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $964 |
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $981 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $1,005 |
| Nissan Rogue SL 2WD | $1,017 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Super Cab 2WD | $1,029 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $1,039 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD LT Crew Cab 2WD | $1,031 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4WD 4-Dr | $1,050 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $1,086 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 2WD | $1,093 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,090 |
| Dodge Ram Quad Cab TRX4 Off Road 4WD | $1,102 |
| Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,123 |
| Hyundai Elantra Blue 4-Dr Sedan | $1,131 |
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Premium data assumes single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, claim-free, and safe-driver. Premium amounts do not factor in Chula Vista, CA location which can impact coverage prices substantially.
Based upon the table data, we can tell that cars like the GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Malibu, Nissan Altima, Ford Explorer, and Ford Escape will be some of the cheapest vehicles to insure for college grads.
For college grads, one of the more important considerations that are looked at to help calculate insurance cost is where you call home in Chula Vista. Areas with a lot of weather claims or more people tend to have higher auto insurance costs, whereas areas with less crime or weather claims benefit from lower prices.
The information below ranks the highest-priced areas in California for college graduates to buy auto insurance in. Chula Vista is ranked #25 with an annual cost of $1,311 for the average insured, which is about $109 each month.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,168 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,121 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,763 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,755 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,652 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,644 |
| 7 | Long Beach | $1,610 |
| 8 | Stockton | $1,603 |
| 9 | Santa Clarita | $1,595 |
| 10 | Fontana | $1,581 |
| 11 | Moreno Valley | $1,551 |
| 12 | Garden Grove | $1,524 |
| 13 | Fresno | $1,517 |
| 14 | Modesto | $1,502 |
| 15 | Santa Ana | $1,483 |
| 16 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 17 | San Jose | $1,437 |
| 18 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 19 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 20 | San Diego | $1,381 |
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Annual rates are comparative as the vehicle garaging location can raise or lower premiums noticeably.
Cost comparison with and without full coverage
Finding the cheapest auto insurance is important to the majority of vehicle owners, and one of the best ways to reduce the cost of insurance for college graduates is to only buy liability coverage. The chart below compares insurance costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying the minimum liability limits required in California. The price estimates are based on no tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied.
As an average, full coverage on your policy costs an extra $2,525 per year more than just insuring for liability. At some point, every insured wonders if you should buy full coverage. There is no definitive guideline to stop paying for physical damage coverage, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than around 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
There are some situations where dropping full coverage is not a good idea. If you still owe money 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 in place.
Get discounts on Chula Vista car insurance rates
Insurers that offer cheap quotes for college graduates may also provide special discounts that can lower rates by as much as 35% if you meet specific eligibility requirements. Popular auto insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer include:
- American Family has discounts for Steer into Savings, good student, multi-vehicle, air bags, TimeAway discount, mySafetyValet, and bundled insurance.
- State Farm has savings for Steer Clear safe driver discount, Drive Safe & Save, driver’s education, multiple autos, student away at school, defensive driving training, and passive restraint.
- 21st Century may offer discounts for teen driver, anti-lock brakes, 55 and older, good student, and defensive driver.
- Travelers offers discounts for hybrid/electric vehicle, student away at school, IntelliDrive, home ownership, good student, and save driver.
- GEICO offers discounts including multi-vehicle, membership and employees, daytime running lights, anti-theft, good student, and five-year accident-free.
The chart below illustrates the comparison of annual premium costs with and without discounts applied. The prices are based on a female driver, a clean driving record, no claims, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $100 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with multiple policy, marriage, multiple vehicle, accident-free, defensive driving course, and vehicle safety discounts applied. When taking advantage of discounts, theaverage amount saved on auto insurance for college graduates is 28% or $905.
Which auto insurance company is best in Chula Vista?
Selecting a high-quality car insurance provider can be rather challenging considering how many companies provide coverage in Chula Vista. The ranking data below could help you analyze which companies to look at when trying find the best insurance for college graduates.
The ratings below are for the largest auto insurers in America, so companies that only write business in California or surrounding areas are not taken into consideration for this list. To compare prices from the insurers below and more, simply click here.
Top 10 Major Car Insurance Companies in Chula Vista Ranked by Value
- USAA
- American Family
- The Hartford
- AAA of Southern California
- Titan Insurance
- The General
- AAA Insurance
- State Farm
- Mercury Insurance
- Nationwide
Top 10 Major Car Insurance Companies in Chula Vista Ranked by Claims Service
- AAA of Southern California
- State Farm
- Esurance
- AAA Insurance
- Progressive
- Liberty Mutual
- GEICO
- Allstate
- Titan Insurance
- The Hartford
Ideas to find more affordable insurance for college graduates
Lowering your rates is not difficult, and here are many thrifty suggestions that can help you get low-cost coverage.
- Save money by obeying traffic laws and keeping a clean driving record
- Buy a car with high safety ratings
- Avoid accidents
- Pay for smaller claims out-of-pocket
- Insure your home and auto with the same company
- Ensure you have the best deal by shopping around regularly
That final tip is remarkably important, as was pointed out in the article above. Coverage rates adjust frequently, so don’t be unwilling to switch carriers if a lower-cost policy is available. Many drivers have brand loyalty and that’s fine, but it isn’t a good idea if that stubbornness costs you thousands of dollars over the life of your policy. In just a couple of minutes you could shop around to find cheaper auto insurance for college graduates in Chula Vista.