The words “bargain” and “insurance” really don’t belong together, specifically when comparison shopping for the cheapest auto insurance for good drivers. Because of the high cost, let’s go over some things that have an effect on auto insurance rates, and see if you can take a little off the next policy you buy.
The make and model of vehicle you are buying coverage for is one of the largest considerations in finding the best car insurance for good drivers. Vehicles with average performance, a great safety record, or a track record of few liability claims will cost significantly less to insure than fast, unsafe models. The next list presents car insurance costs for some of the most economical automobiles to insure.
| Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $1,350 |
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $1,545 |
| Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $1,569 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $1,598 |
| Toyota RAV4 4WD | $1,603 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 2WD 4-Dr | $1,621 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $1,656 |
| Ford Edge Sport 2WD | $1,679 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,708 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 2WD | $1,711 |
| Honda Accord LX-S 2-Dr Coupe | $1,793 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLT Crew Cab 4WD | $1,795 |
| Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab Hybrid 2WD | $1,801 |
| Honda Odyssey LX | $1,814 |
| Hyundai Sonata Limited 4-Dr Sedan | $1,824 |
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Above prices assume single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, homeowner, claim-free, and safe-driver. Rate information does not factor in specific San Francisco, CA garaging location which can raise or lower price quotes greatly.
By looking at the data, you can expect models like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Toyota Tacoma, and Chevrolet Malibu are going to be a few of the more affordable vehicles to insure for safe drivers.
Comparing rates for low-priced auto insurance is not the easiest thing to do, and figuring out which companies have the cheapest auto insurance rates for good drivers may require even more work.
Every auto insurer has a unique approach to establish rates, so we need to take a look at the auto insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in California.
Best Car Insurance Prices for Good Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,143 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,181 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,226 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $1,226 |
| 5 | CSAA | $1,234 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,366 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,447 |
| 8 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 9 | Allstate | $1,513 |
| 10 | Mercury | $1,548 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,559 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,591 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,638 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,699 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,705 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $1,733 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,842 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,849 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,966 |
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USAA offers some of the cheapest car insurance rates in San Francisco at around $1,143 each year. This is $508 less than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, Nationwide, and CSAA would also make the list of some of the lowest-priced San Francisco, CA car insurance companies.
As depicted above, if you currently have coverage with Nationwide and switched to Wawanesa, you may see annual savings of in the neighborhood of $45. California drivers with CSAA might save as much as $53 a year, and 21st Century policyholders might realize rate reductions of up to $185 a year.
To find out how much you can save, click here to start your custom quote or click several companies below for low rates.
Understand that those policy prices are averaged across all types of insureds and vehicles and do not factor in a specific zip code for good drivers. So the insurer that fits you best may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That is why you need to get rate quotes using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
The illustration below demonstrates how deductibles can influence insurance costs when researching cheap insurance for good drivers. The price estimates are based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are factored in.
The chart above illustrates that a 50-year-old driver could reduce rates by $420 a year by changing from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $634 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, like the Age 20 chart data, can save up to $1,042 annually by selecting a higher deductible.
If you do raise deductibles, it is a good idea to have enough funds in savings to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which deters some people from using high deductibles.
Cost comparison with and without full coverage
Buying cheaper auto insurance is the goal of most vehicle owners, and one great way to find cheap insurance for good drivers is to buy only liability coverage. The information below shows the difference between insurance prices with and without physical damage coverage. The rate quotes are based on a clean driving record, no claims, $500 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are factored in.
If we average all the age groups together, full coverage on your policy costs an additional $2,075 per year more than just buying liability only. Many drivers will wonder when is the right time to remove full coverage. There is no exact rule of when to eliminate full coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is about 10% or more of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.
Auto insurance rates are higher with tickets and accidents
The recommended way to receive affordable auto insurance premiums for safe drivers is to be a safe driver and not have accidents or get tickets. The illustration below demonstrates how citations and at-fault accidents drive up auto insurance costs for each different age group. The premiums assume a single male driver, full coverage, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
The data in the chart shows the average cost of a car insurance policy in California per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $2,525. Get written up for two speeding tickets and the average cost increases to $3,354, an increase of $829 each year. Next add two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of auto insurance for good drivers jumps again to an average of $6,291. That’s an increase of $3,766, or $314 per month, just for not being attentive to the road!
How to find cheaper insurance for good drivers
Lowering your rates is not difficult, and here are some penny-pinching solutions that can help California drivers quote low-cost car insurance.
- Save money by observing traffic laws and speed limits
- Higher credit scores may earn you cheaper rates
- Increase deductibles to save money
- Drive safe vehicles
- Having at-fault accidents will increase rates
- Compare rates regularly and switch companies to save money
The final tip is highly important, as we hit on in this write-up. Prices charged by car insurance companies fluctuate constantly, so drivers shouldn’t be reluctant to change insurance companies if a cheaper price is available. Loyalty to a specific company is fine, but we do not recommend it if that devotion results in you overpaying a lot of money every month. If you have a few minutes, now is a great time to compare rates to find cheaper auto insurance for good drivers in San Francisco.