It takes a little time, but the best way to get low-cost auto insurance rates in San Francisco is to compare prices at least once a year from different companies who can sell car insurance in California. Rates can be compared by following these guidelines.
- Get a basic knowledge of the coverage provided by your policy and the factors you can control to keep rates down. Many policy risk factors that are responsible for high rates such as traffic violations, accidents, and a not-so-good credit rating can be improved by making minor changes in your lifestyle. This article provides more ideas to prevent expensive rate increases and get bigger discounts.
- Request price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive agents and direct companies can give quotes from a single company like GEICO or State Farm, while agents who are independent can provide rate quotes from multiple sources.
- Compare the new rate quotes to the price on your current policy to see if a cheaper rate is available. If you can save money and change companies, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
One piece of advice is to compare the same coverage limits and deductibles on each quote request and and to get rates from as many companies as possible. This ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and a thorough price selection.
It’s a fact that insurance companies don’t want you to look for cheaper rates. Insureds who shop around annually are likely to buy a different policy because there are good odds of finding a lower rate. A recent auto insurance study revealed that drivers who routinely compared quotes saved $3,450 over four years compared to drivers who never shopped for cheaper rates.
If finding the lowest price on auto insurance is the reason you’re reading this, then having a grasp of how to quote prices and compare coverages can help you succeed in saving money.
Locating the best rates in San Francisco can be easy if you know a few tricks. Practically every vehicle owner who has to purchase insurance will most likely get a lower-priced policy. But California car owners can benefit by having an understanding of the methods companies use to price online insurance and use this information to your advantage.
Just keep in mind that more quotes helps locate the best offered rates.
The following companies can provide quotes in California. If multiple companies are listed, we recommend you visit several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Discounts mean cheaper rates for Audi A6 insurance in San Francisco
Car insurance is not cheap nor is it fun to buy but you can get discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time of purchase, but occasionally some discounts must be specifically requested in order for you to get them.
- Paper-free Discount – A handful of insurance companies will provide an incentive for signing up over the internet.
- New Car Discount – Insuring a new A6 can cost up to 25% less since newer vehicles have better safety ratings.
- Smart Student Discounts – Performing well in school can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
- Waiver for an Accident – Not a discount per se, but companies like Progressive, Allstate, and Liberty Mutual will turn a blind eye to one accident without the usual rate increase as long as you don’t have any claims for a set time period.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Select companies reward you with lower car insurance rates if you buy auto and life insurance together.
- Mature Driver Discount – Older drivers can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
One last thing about discounts, most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Even though the math looks like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you’re out of luck.
The example below compares Audi A6 insurance premiums with and without discounts. Data assumes a female driver, no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, marriage, multi-policy, and multi-car discounts applied.
The best car insurance companies and a selection of discounts are detailed below.
- GEICO has discounts for anti-theft, membership and employees, air bags, five-year accident-free, military active duty, anti-lock brakes, and driver training.
- Auto-Owners Insurance offers discounts for safe driver, anti-lock brakes, safe vehicle, teen driver, paid in full, and mature driver.
- American Family has savings for multi-vehicle, defensive driver, good student, good driver, accident-free, TimeAway discount, and mySafetyValet.
- Esurance discounts include renters, homeowner, multi-policy, anti-lock brakes, good driver, DriveSense, and claim free.
- Progressive may have discounts that include continuous coverage, online quote discount, multi-policy, online signing, good student, and homeowner.
- State Farm may include discounts for accident-free, Steer Clear safe driver discount, student away at school, anti-theft, safe vehicle, defensive driving training, and Drive Safe & Save.
- AAA includes discounts for good student, pay-in-full, AAA membership discount, multi-car, multi-policy, and good driver.
It’s a good idea to ask each company or agent the best way to save money. Savings may not apply to policyholders in San Francisco. If you would like to choose from a list of providers that offer discounts in San Francisco, click here.
Insurance statistics and figures
The premium information shown below highlights a range of insurance coverage prices for Audi A6 models. Being aware of how car insurance premiums are figured is important to be able to make smart policy decisions.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A6 3.2 Premium 4-Dr Sedan | $428 | $876 | $596 | $36 | $178 | $2,114 | $176 |
A6 3.2 Premium Plus 4-Dr Sedan | $428 | $876 | $596 | $36 | $178 | $2,114 | $176 |
A6 3.0 Quattro Premium 4-Dr Sedan | $428 | $876 | $596 | $36 | $178 | $2,114 | $176 |
A6 3.0 Quattro Premium Plus 4-Dr Sedan | $428 | $876 | $596 | $36 | $178 | $2,114 | $176 |
A6 3.0 Quattro Premium Station Wagon | $428 | $876 | $508 | $30 | $152 | $1,994 | $166 |
A6 3.0 Quattro Premium Plus Station Wagon | $428 | $876 | $508 | $30 | $152 | $1,994 | $166 |
A6 3.0 Quattro Prestige 4-Dr Sedan | $428 | $876 | $596 | $36 | $178 | $2,114 | $176 |
A6 3.0 Quattro Prestige Station Wagon | $428 | $876 | $508 | $30 | $152 | $1,994 | $166 |
A6 4.2 Quattro Prestige 8Cyl 4-Dr Sedan | $466 | $978 | $596 | $36 | $178 | $2,254 | $188 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data based on single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, safe-driver, multi-policy, and homeowner. Estimates do not factor in specific zip code location which can decrease or increase insurance rates noticeably.
Audi A6 liability-only versus full coverage
The example below shows the comparison of Audi A6 insurance prices when comparing full coverage to liability only. The rates are based on no violations or claims, $500 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
When to drop comprehensive and collision coverage
There is no definitive guideline to exclude full coverage, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of coverage is about 10% or more of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.
For example, let’s say your Audi A6 book value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company will settle for is $7,000 after you pay the deductible. If premiums are more than $700 a year for full coverage, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
There are some cases where buying only liability insurance is not advised. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you are required to maintain full coverage to satisfy the loan requirements. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should not buy liability only.
Reduce Insurance Rates with These Tips
Many factors are used in the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. A few of the factors are predictable such as traffic violations, but some are less apparent such as your credit history or how safe your car is. An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that are used to determine the rates you pay for car insurance. When consumers understand what controls the rates you pay, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that can earn you lower premium levels.
Multiple policies with one company can save – Most insurance companies provide discounts to policyholders that purchase more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. This can amount to ten percent or more. Even though this discount sounds good, consumers should still shop around to ensure the best deal. Consumers may find a better deal by splitting coverages up.
Do you really need the add-on coverages? – Policies have additional extra coverages that can waste your money on your car insurance policy. Coverages like personal injury protection, accident forgiveness, and extra equipment coverage may not be needed and are just wasting money. You may think they are a good idea when you first buy your policy, but if you have no use for them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Age of drivers impacts costs – Older, more experienced drivers tend to be more responsible, tend to file fewer claims, and receive fewer citations. Young drivers are known to be careless and easily distracted when driving so car insurance rates are higher.
The chart below assumes a single driver, full coverage with $500 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.
Save by driving cars with good safety ratings – Cars with high safety ratings get lower rates. Safer cars reduce occupant injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates directly to fewer claims which can mean better rates for you. If your Audi scored better than an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website you are probably receiving a discount.
More people means more accidents – Being located in a rural area has definite advantages when insuring your vehicles. Drivers in populated areas have to deal with more road rage incidents and a longer drive to work. Fewer people corresponds to lower accident rates as well as less vandalism and auto theft.
No coverage gaps is important – Driving your car without having proper coverage is not a good idea and any future policy may cost more because you let your insurance lapse. In addition to paying higher rates, the inability to provide proof of insurance can result in a steep fine or even jail time. You will then be forced to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the California department of motor vehicles.
How much liability protection – Liability insurance will afford coverage in the event that you are determined to be liable for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage to defend your case. It is affordable coverage when compared with rates for comp and collision, so drivers should make sure they buy enough to cover all assets.
Does insurance coverage cost more for males? – Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. It does not mean males are worse at driving than females. They both cause accidents at about the same rate, but men tend to have more serious accidents. Not only that, but men also get higher numbers of serious violations such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly.
The information below shows the difference between Audi A6 car insurance costs for male and female drivers. The rates are based on a clean driving record, no claims, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Insurance loss data for an Audi A6 – Insurance companies factor in historical loss data to calculate a price that will offset losses. Vehicles that the data determines to have a higher amount or frequency of claims will have higher premium rates.
The table shown below demonstrates the loss history for Audi A6 vehicles. For each type of coverage, the statistical loss for all vehicles, regardless of make or model, is set at 100. Percentages below 100 are indicative of better than average losses, while values that are above 100 indicate a higher chance of having a claim or statistically larger losses.
Specific Audi Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Audi A6 4dr 2WD | 146 | 112 | 134 | |||
Audi A6 4dr 4WD | 153 | 70 | 155 | 53 | 55 | 59 |
Empty fields indicate not enough data collected
Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years