A study showed that the vast majority of consumers have remained with the same insurance company for four years or more, and about 40% of consumers have never compared rate quotes at all. With the average insurance premium being $1,390, San Francisco drivers could save approximately $469 every year just by getting comparison quotes, but they don’t want to spend time to compare rates and save money.
The best way we recommend to get cheaper auto insurance rates is to regularly compare quotes from insurers who sell auto insurance in San Francisco. You can shop around by following these guidelines.
Step 1: Try to understand how insurance companies determine prices and the measures you can control to lower rates. Many things that are responsible for high rates such as multiple speeding tickets and a not-so-good credit rating can be amended by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
Step 2: Obtain price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct and exclusive agents can only give prices from one company like GEICO or Allstate, while independent agencies can quote rates for many different companies. View rates
Step 3: Compare the new rates to your existing rates to see if a cheaper rate is available. If you find a better price, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
Step 4: Notify your current company of your intent to cancel your current car insurance policy and submit payment and a signed application for your new policy. Be sure to store the certificate verifying proof of insurance with the vehicle registration.
A tip to remember is that you’ll want to compare the same level of coverage on every quote request and to quote with as many companies as feasibly possible. Doing this ensures an accurate price comparison and a better comparison of the market.
If you’re already insured or just want to save money, use these techniques to cut your premiums without reducing protection. These techniques will let you in on how to effectively get price quotes and some money-saving tips. Smart buyers just need to know how to get comparison quotes from multiple carriers.
Smart Consumers Can Cut Insurance Costs
Smart consumers have a good feel for a few of the rating criteria that help determine your premiums. If you have a feel for what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this enables you to make decisions that can earn you lower rates.
The following are a few of the things companies use to determine your prices.
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Teen drivers are expensive to insure – Older people are more cautious drivers, tend to file fewer claims, and are generally more financially stable. Youthful drivers have a tendency to be inattentive and easily distracted when at the wheel of a vehicle therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.
The chart below assumes a single driver, full coverage with $1000 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.
- Rates can drop if you have more than one policy – The majority of auto insurance companies afford discounts for people that have more than one policy. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can amount to 10 percent or more. Even if you’re getting this discount you still need to comparison shop to make sure you are getting the best deal. Drivers may still save even more by buying auto insurance from a different company.
- Low deductibles cost more – Physical damage deductibles are the amount of money you are required to pay in the event of a claim. Physical damage protection, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply would be collision with another vehicle, damage from fire, and having a roll-over accident. The larger the amount you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the better rate you will receive.
- Commute or pleasure use – The more miles you rack up on your Mazda in a year the higher the price you pay to insure it. The majority of insurers calculate prices determined by how the vehicle is used. Vehicles that do not get driven very much receive better premium rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Make sure your vehicle rating correctly shows annual mileage, because it can save money. Incorrect rating for your 6 can cost quite a bit.
- Do safer cars cost less to insure? – Vehicles that have high safety ratings tend to have lower insurance rates. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and fewer serious injuries means your insurance company pays less and cheaper rates on your policy. If the Mazda 6 is rated at a minimum four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org it may be receiving lower rates.
- Why do you need liability insurance? – A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance provides coverage in the event that a court rules you are at fault for physical damage or personal injury to other. It provides for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. It is affordable coverage as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not cut corners here.
- Filing auto insurance claims can increase rates – Car insurance companies in California provide the lowest premiums to insureds who are not frequent claim filers. If you frequently file small claims, you can look forward to either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
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Careless drivers pay higher prices – Having a clean driving record influences premium rates substantially. Just one citation can bump up the cost by as much as twenty percent. Attentive drivers pay less for auto insurance compared to bad drivers. Drivers with license-revoking violations like reckless driving or DUI may find that they have to to file a SR-22 with their state’s licensing department in order to keep their license.
The chart below illustrates how speeding tickets and accident claims influence Mazda 6 insurance costs for different age groups of insureds. The premiums assume a married female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
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Mazda 6 insurance loss data – Car insurance companies use past insurance losses to determine a rate that will be profitable for them. Models that have a higher amount or frequency of claims will have a higher premium rate.
The table shown below demonstrates the compiled insurance loss statistics for Mazda 6 vehicles. For each coverage type, the loss probability for all vehicles combined as an average equals 100. Values under 100 indicate a favorable loss history, while values over 100 point to more claims or tendency to have higher losses.
Mazda 6 Insurance Loss Statistics Specific Mazda Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Mazda 6 99 92 112 94 98 94 BETTERAVERAGEWORSEStatistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years
Data for Mazda 6 insurance
The price information displayed next showcases detailed analysis of insurance coverage prices for Mazda 6 models. Having knowledge of how rate quotes are established can benefit drivers when making informed decisions when shopping around for a new policy.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 I Sport 4-Dr Sedan | $296 | $584 | $424 | $26 | $126 | $1,456 | $121 |
| 6 I SV 4-Dr Sedan | $296 | $584 | $424 | $26 | $126 | $1,456 | $121 |
| 6 I Touring 4-Dr Sedan | $296 | $584 | $424 | $26 | $126 | $1,456 | $121 |
| 6 I Touring Plus 4-Dr Sedan | $334 | $584 | $424 | $26 | $126 | $1,494 | $125 |
| 6 I Touring Plus 4-Dr Sedan | $334 | $584 | $424 | $26 | $126 | $1,494 | $125 |
| 6 I Grand Touring 4-Dr Sedan | $334 | $688 | $424 | $26 | $126 | $1,598 | $133 |
| 6 S Touring Plus 6 Cyl 4-Dr Sedan | $334 | $688 | $424 | $26 | $126 | $1,598 | $133 |
| 6 S Touring Plus 4-Dr Sedan | $334 | $688 | $424 | $26 | $126 | $1,598 | $133 |
| 6 S Grand Touring 4-Dr Sedan | $334 | $688 | $424 | $26 | $126 | $1,598 | $133 |
| 6 S Grand Touring 6 Cyl 4-Dr Sedan | $334 | $688 | $424 | $26 | $126 | $1,598 | $133 |
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Data rating is based on married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, claim-free, safe-driver, and homeowner. Information does not factor in specific location information which can increase or decrease price quotes considerably.
The illustration below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles and can influence Mazda 6 premium costs for different age groups. The premiums are based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, and no other discounts are factored in.
How much more does full coverage cost in San Francisco?
The example below illustrates the comparison of Mazda 6 insurance costs with and without physical damage coverage. Data assumes a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no additional discounts are factored in.
When to switch to liability coverage only
There isn’t a steadfast formula of when to phase out physical damage coverage, but there is a general guideline. If the annual cost of having full coverage is about 10% or more of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then it might be time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s say your Mazda 6 claim settlement value is $6,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, you would only receive $5,000 after paying your policy deductible. If premium cost is more than $500 annually to have full coverage, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
There are a few situations where dropping full coverage is not in your best interest. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to carry full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should keep full coverage in place.
Do you qualify for discounts?
Insurance is expensive, but there could be significant discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Some discounts will apply at the time of quoting, but once in a while a discount must be asked for before being credited.
- Online Discount – A few insurance companies may give you up to $50 get San Francisco auto insurance on the web.
- Switch and Save Discount – Some companies reward drivers for signing up before your current coverage expires. You may see this discount when you get San Francisco auto insurance quotes online.
- Resident Student – Any of your kids who attend college more than 100 miles from San Francisco without a vehicle on campus could qualify for this discount.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Forcing all vehicle occupants to wear their seat belts could save 15% off PIP or medical payments premium.
- Life Insurance Discount – Some insurance carriers give better premium rates if you take out a life policy as well.
- Multiple Vehicles – Purchasing coverage when you have multiple cars with the same company can get a discount for every vehicle.
A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Most cut individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. Even though the math looks like adding up those discounts means a free policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
The example below compares Mazda 6 auto insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The premiums are based on a male driver, no tickets, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, multi-policy, safe-driver, marriage, multi-car, and claim-free discounts applied.
Some of the insurance companies that may offer some of the above discounts possibly include:
When comparing rates, check with each company to give you their best rates. Some discounts may not be offered in San Francisco. To see a list of companies offering insurance discounts in California, click this link.
Don’t give up on affordable rates
People who switch companies do it for a variety of reasons including lack of trust in their agent, not issuing a premium refund, extreme rates for teen drivers or even high prices. It doesn’t matter what your reason, choosing a new company can be easy and end up saving you some money.
While you’re price shopping online, never buy less coverage just to save a little money. In too many instances, drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later they didn’t have enough coverage. The proper strategy is to find the BEST coverage for the lowest cost while not skimping on critical coverages.
A few companies may not provide online rate quotes and usually these small insurance companies work with local independent agents. Budget-friendly car insurance in San Francisco is attainable online as well as from independent agents in San Francisco, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates.
Much more information about car insurance in California can be read at the links below
- Help Your Teen Be a Better Driver (State Farm)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for First-time Drivers in San Francisco? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for Teenagers in San Francisco? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Inexperienced Drivers in San Francisco? (FAQ)
- All About Airbag Safety (State Farm)
- Your Car has been Stolen: Now What? (Allstate)
- Alcohol Impaired Driving FAQ (iihs.org)