The type of vehicle you are trying to insure is one of the biggest factors when comparing quotes for cheap auto insurance for drivers with bad credit. Vehicles with high performance engines, poor crash test ratings, or a high likelihood of having liability claims will cost quite a bit more to insure than safer models.
The table below outlines insurance premiums for a handful of the most budget-friendly vehicles to buy insurance for.
| Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $1,006 |
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $1,092 |
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $1,099 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,115 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $1,128 |
| Ford Explorer XLT AWD | $1,135 |
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $1,164 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 2WD | $1,191 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Super Cab 2WD | $1,232 |
| Honda Civic LX-S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,234 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Regular Cab 4WD | $1,250 |
| Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,275 |
| Nissan Rogue S 2WD | $1,283 |
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Table data represents single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Premium amounts do not factor in your specific Riverside, CA location which can affect prices substantially.
Looking at the data, cars like the Hyundai Elantra, Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, and Toyota Prius should be the most economical vehicles to insure for people with poor credit. Prices will tend to be higher just because there is more liability exposure for drivers with bad credit, but in general those particular models will probably have the least expensive rates that you are likely to find.
Determining which companies offer the lowest-priced insurance rates for drivers with bad credit will take a tad more effort in order to find coverage that fits your budget.
Every car insurance company uses a little different formula to determine premium rates, so let’s take a look at the overall cheapest insurance companies in Riverside, CA. We do need to point out that California insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can substantially change the price of your policy. Simply turning a year older, getting married, or getting into an accident may cause policy rate changes that can now make some companies more affordable than others.
Lowest Insurance Price Quotes with Bad Credit
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,109 |
| 2 | Century National | $1,190 |
| 3 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,198 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,213 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,433 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,488 |
| 9 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 10 | GEICO | $1,529 |
| 11 | Allstate | $1,543 |
| 12 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
| 13 | Allied | $1,603 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,654 |
| 15 | Unitrin | $1,682 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,750 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,842 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,006 |
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USAA may have some of the best car insurance rates in Riverside at around $1,109 each year. Century National, Wawanesa, CSAA, and Nationwide also qualify as some of the cheaper Riverside, CA insurance companies.
In the above rates, if you buy coverage from CSAA and switched to USAA, you might realize savings of in the neighborhood of $89. Insureds with Nationwide could save as much as $104 a year, and 21st Century policyholders might lower prices by up to $216 a year.
Understand that those prices are averages across all types of insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in an exact vehicle garaging location for drivers with bad credit. So the auto insurance company that fits your situation best may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That points out the importance of why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
Choosing a good quality auto insurance company can be difficult considering how many companies provide coverage in California. The company rank data in the lists below may help you select which car insurance companies to look at when trying to find the cheapest insurance for drivers with bad credit.
These ratings only include companies who write in the majority of U.S. states, so companies with more of a regional focus are not included in these rankings. If you’d like to compare prices from these and other top-rated companies, just click here.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 98 | 100 | 100 | 94% | A++ | 98.6 |
| American Family | 98 | 89 | 100 | 86% | A | 95.4 |
| AAA of Southern California | 91 | 94 | 97 | 92% | A+ | 94.1 |
| State Farm | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90% | A++ | 92.4 |
| The Hartford | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89% | A+ | 91.7 |
| AAA Insurance | 88 | 89 | 95 | 91% | A | 91.2 |
| GEICO | 84 | 93 | 93 | 89% | A++ | 90.3 |
| The General | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88% | A- | 90 |
| Titan Insurance | 90 | 87 | 91 | 95% | A+ | 89.6 |
| Progressive | 84 | 91 | 93 | 87% | A+ | 89.5 |
| Mercury Insurance | 88 | 91 | 90 | 85% | A+ | 89.4 |
| Allstate | 85 | 90 | 92 | 88% | A+ | 89.3 |
| Nationwide | 87 | 88 | 84 | 90% | A+ | 88.7 |
| Liberty Mutual | 84 | 87 | 93 | 88% | A | 88.5 |
| 21st Century | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88% | A | 86.7 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Drive responsibly or pay higher rates
The recommended way to find the most affordable insurance premiums in Riverside for people with poor credit is to drive cautiously and not get tickets or have accidents. The diagram below demonstrates how citations and at-fault collisions impact annual premium costs for different age categories. The premium estimates are based on a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
The chart shows that the average cost of auto insurance in Riverside per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,570. Get written up for one speeding ticket and the average cost increases to $1,810, an increase of $239 each year. Now include one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the yearly cost of insurance for drivers with bad credit increases to an average of $2,466. That’s an increase of $896, or $75 per month, just for being a less-than-perfect driver!
How to find budget-friendly insurance for drivers with bad credit
It’s not impossible to find cheaper rates, and here are a few money-saving ideas that can help California drivers buy cheaper auto insurance.
- Buying home and auto insurance together can earn discounts
- Increase your physical damage deductibles
- Prevent price hikes by avoiding at-fault accidents
- Serious violations like DUI or reckless driving can increase rates dramatically
- Improve your credit
- Try paying for small claims out-of-pocket
- Shop around once a year for cheaper rates
The last tip is extraordinarily crucial, as we hit on in this write-up. Auto insurance prices go up and down frequently, so you should be ready to switch to a new company if a more affordable price is available. Brand loyalty is not necessarily bad, but we do not recommend it if that stubbornness costs you hundreds every year. If you have a few minutes, now is a great time to shop around to find cheaper car insurance for drivers with bad credit in Riverside.
If you like to get some help when shopping around for cheaper insurance for people with poor credit, the professional agents shown below can most likely help you decide which is the best policy. To locate a Riverside auto insurance agent closest to you, click the link after the list or click here to compare price quotes.
- Maria Abrigo – State Farm Insurance Agent
7000 Indiana Ave #113 – Riverside, CA 92506 – (951) 782-8450 - Rick Plata Insurance Agency
4204 Riverwalk Pkwy #200 – Riverside, CA 92505 – (951) 801-2032 - Farmers Insurance: Ronald Alldis
6600 Jurupa Ave #202 – Riverside, CA 92504 – (951) 788-2005