Buying economical coverage for a Nissan Sentra in California is dependent upon a whole bunch of factors such as your age, where you live, and citations on your driving record. California drivers will pay on average $1,243 each year for Sentra insurance, but that is an estimation based upon a 40-year-old single female driver with full physical damage coverage and $1,000 deductibles.
When estimating a car insurance rate like we just did, the issue is that you may not be 40 years old (or even female), you might be married instead of single, or maybe you prefer liability limits higher than required by California state law. Just a slight change in the rating criteria used to formulate rates can make a big difference in rates.
Different coverage needs are the reason why the only way to find cheap car insurance rates for your Nissan is to compare as many rates as you can. In less than five minutes you will receive prices from the best companies that sell coverage in California.
Your vehicle’s trim level will influence the coverage cost, so the cost to insure a Sentra 2 will be $172 cheaper than the insurance cost for the high end Sentra SE-R SPEC V trim level, as shown in the table below.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentra 2 | $176 | $408 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,364 | $114 |
| Sentra 2.0 S | $176 | $482 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,438 | $120 |
| Sentra 2.0 SR | $176 | $482 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,438 | $120 |
| Sentra 2.0 SL | $202 | $482 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,464 | $122 |
| Sentra SE-R | $202 | $482 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,464 | $122 |
| Sentra SE-R SPEC V | $202 | $554 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,536 | $128 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Data based on single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Rate quotes do not factor in specific San Francisco garaging location which can alter rates considerably.
Finding decent, cost effective insurance is not always easy, and determining which company offers the lowest-priced auto insurance rates for a Nissan Sentra calls for even more shopping around. Every auto insurer has their own formula to set policy rates, so first let’s look at the rankings for the overall cheapest auto insurance companies in California.
Best Car Insurance Prices for Your Sentra
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,121 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,157 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,190 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,222 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,226 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,433 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,533 |
| 9 | Allied | $1,541 |
| 10 | Progressive | $1,542 |
| 11 | Allstate | $1,543 |
| 12 | GEICO | $1,575 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,590 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,639 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,699 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,705 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,831 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,842 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,966 |
| Find Your Rate Go | ||
USAA may have some of the cheapest car insurance rates in San Francisco at around $1,121 a year. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide would also be considered some of the best San Francisco, CA insurance companies.
In this example, if you currently have coverage with Century National and switched to USAA, you could realize an annual premium reduction of in the vicinity of $69. Drivers with CSAA might save as much as $101 a year, and Nationwide customers might lower prices by up to $105 a year.
These policy rates are averages for all drivers and vehicles and do not factor in an exact zip code location for a Nissan Sentra. So the company that fits you best may not even be in the list above. That helps illustrate why you need to get rate quotes using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
Get discount San Francisco insurance rates
Insurers that offer coverage for a Nissan Sentra may also give you rate discounts that can reduce rates by 25% or more if you qualify. A list of companies and some of the premium reductions they offer can be found below.
- State Farm has discounts for defensive driving training, safe vehicle, multiple policy, good driver, and student away at school.
- GEICO offers premium reductions for anti-lock brakes, multi-policy, federal employee, driver training, membership and employees, and defensive driver.
- Liberty Mutual policyholders can earn discounts including teen driver discount, hybrid vehicle, new move discount, multi-policy, preferred payment discount, and newly retired.
- The Hartford offers discounts including driver training, good student, anti-theft, defensive driver, vehicle fuel type, and bundle.
- MetLife discounts include multi-policy, good driver, defensive driver, good student, and accident-free.
- Progressive may have discounts that include online signing, multi-vehicle, good student, continuous coverage, and online quote discount.
The diagram below illustrates the difference between yearly insurance costs with and without discounts. The premium estimates are based on a male driver, no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $1,000 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The second shows the rates with anti-theft, homeowner, defensive driving course, multiple vehicle, vehicle safety, and claim-free discounts applied. In this example, theamount saved on auto insurance for a Nissan Sentra is 28% or $648.
The importance of comparing Sentra insurance rates
California auto insurance rates are based on many factors which can substantially decrease or increase your annual premium. Simply improving your credit, getting divorced, or having an accident can trigger changes in premium resulting in some companies being cheaper in comparison to the competition.
In addition to those changes, car insurance companies modify rates as needed in order to protect their financial rating. Heavier than normal losses can cause rate hikes, while a better loss history can result in cheaper Sentra insurance rates.
For instance, the graph below shows the companies that have the cheapest car insurance in San Francisco, CA for a 45-year-old male driver with no prior accidents, a clean driving record, and great credit. If we look at prices based on his current situation, USAA may have the most affordable car insurance rates in San Francisco at $1,522 a year. This is $129 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide are the remainder of the cheapest San Francisco, CA auto insurance companies.
Let’s now give the driver from the first rate comparison a claim or two, a lower credit rating, and a traffic ticket or two. Since each insurance company has their own guidelines to determine rates, comparing rates may now result in a different set of the cheapest companies as shown below.
Grange now has the cheapest price in San Francisco, CA with Mercury, Progressive, Allstate, and GEICO now being in the top five. This example demonstrates why it is important to compare many different companies to find the most budget-friendly insurance quotes for a Nissan Sentra.
Car insurance prices are made up of many risk factors and change frequently, so the most economical company when you bought your policy may now be one of the more expensive options.
How to find the cheapest insurance for a Nissan Sentra
Lowering your rates is not difficult, and here are some of the recommended money-saving suggestions that can help San Francisco drivers locate more affordable coverage.
- Buying your home and auto policies from the same company can earn a discount
- Increase your credit rating
- Safe vehicles cost less to insure
- Avoid preventable accidents
- Save money by only buying liability coverage for older vehicles
- Compare rates often to find the best deal
The last item on the list is especially vital, as was stressed in this article. Car insurance prices can be adjusted at any time, so don’t be afraid to change insurance companies if a cheaper price is available. Brand loyalty is not necessarily bad, but it’s not a good idea if that dedication is costing a small fortune year after year. It only takes a couple minutes to compare rates to find cheaper insurance for a Nissan Sentra in San Francisco.