It would sure be easy if we could just tell you the one car insurance company that has the lowest rates in California. Unfortunately, it’s just not that easy, as there are a ton of unknown elements such as the crime level of your neighborhood, your annual mileage driven, if you need full coverage or just liability, and what your desired deductibles are, that all impact the price you pay. We will try to teach you about the best ways to find cheap auto insurance and hopefully give you enough understanding to have a jump start in finding the best auto insurance.
The vehicle to be insured is a large factor when comparing cheap auto insurance for uninsured drivers. Vehicles with high performance, poor crash test ratings, or a high likelihood of having liability claims will cost much more to insure than safer, lower-performance models.
The next table estimates coverage prices for some of the more affordable automobiles to buy coverage for.
Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,095 |
Ford F-150 XLT Regular Cab 2WD | $1,202 |
Honda Odyssey LX | $1,208 |
Toyota Prius | $1,212 |
Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $1,255 |
Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $1,283 |
Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $1,295 |
Chevrolet Equinox LS 2WD | $1,303 |
Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $1,295 |
Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $1,364 |
Volkswagen Jetta SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,388 |
Nissan Rogue S 2WD | $1,392 |
Ford Explorer XLT 4WD | $1,407 |
GMC Sierra SLT Crew Cab 4WD | $1,478 |
Kia Optima SX | $1,485 |
Toyota Camry LE | $1,494 |
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport Islander Package 4WD 4-Dr | $1,540 |
Dodge Ram 2500 Mega Cab Laramie 2WD | $1,552 |
Ford Edge Sport 2WD | $1,563 |
Toyota Corolla XLE | $1,570 |
Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $1,590 |
Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $1,597 |
Dodge Ram 3500 Crew Cab Laramie 2WD | $1,623 |
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Data variables include 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, safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Rate information does not factor in garaging location in Riverside, CA which can impact coverage prices greatly.
Looking at the rates, you can conclude that cars like the Honda Accord, Ford F-150, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Prius, and Ford Escape will be the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for drivers with no prior coverage.
For drivers with no prior coverage, one of the big things that aid in calculating car insurance rates is where you keep your car in Riverside. Larger areas are more likely to pay higher prices, whereas less populated areas have the benefit of cheaper auto insurance prices.
The following table sorts the most expensive areas in California for uninsured drivers to purchase auto insurance in. Riverside shows up at #12 having an annual price of $1,527 for the average policy, which is approximately $127 each month.
Rank | City | Annual Rate |
---|---|---|
1 | Los Angeles | $2,168 |
2 | Glendale | $2,121 |
3 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
4 | Oakland | $1,687 |
5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
6 | Stockton | $1,603 |
7 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
8 | Fontana | $1,581 |
9 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
10 | Long Beach | $1,578 |
11 | Moreno Valley | $1,536 |
12 | Riverside | $1,527 |
13 | Garden Grove | $1,524 |
14 | Modesto | $1,502 |
15 | Anaheim | $1,474 |
16 | Fresno | $1,472 |
17 | Santa Ana | $1,453 |
18 | San Jose | $1,423 |
19 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
20 | Fremont | $1,403 |
21 | Bakersfield | $1,394 |
22 | Irvine | $1,371 |
23 | San Diego | $1,368 |
24 | Oxnard | $1,344 |
25 | Chula Vista | $1,298 |
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Rates are estimated as the specific zip code location can decrease or increase auto insurance rates noticeably.
The example below illustrates how your deductible choice can influence insurance costs when quoting cheap insurance for uninsured drivers. The costs are based on a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
The data above shows that a 40-year-old driver could cut expenses by $476 a year by switching from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $712 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Young drivers, like the age 20 example, could potentially save up to $1,216 annually just by using higher deductibles. When using a larger deductible, it will be necessary to have additional savings on hand to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the one shortcoming of high deductibles.
Impact of violations and accidents on rates
The obvious way to score cheap insurance rates for drivers with no prior coverage is to be an attentive driver and avoid accidents and traffic citations. The information below shows how speeding tickets and at-fault accidents can drive up insurance costs for different ages of insureds. Data assumes a married male driver, comp and collision included, $500 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
In the previous chart, the average cost of auto insurance in California per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $2,355. Get written up for two speeding tickets and the average cost increases to $3,250, an increase of $895 each year. Now get one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the 12-month cost of insurance for uninsured drivers goes up to an average of $4,165. That’s an increase of $1,811, or $151 per month, just for not maintaining a clean driving record!
Why you are probably overpaying for car insurance
California insurance rates are calculated based on many things which can substantially change the cost of your policy. Simply getting older, having a claim, or having an at-fault accident can trigger price changes that can cause some rates to be cheaper than before.
Not only that, but companies change their prices at least once a year in order to protect their financial rating. A period of higher than normal claims can cause increased rates, while lower claims may produce lower-priced Riverside car insurance rates.
The chart below compares the cheapest car insurance in Riverside, CA for a 40-year-old female driver with no prior accidents, a clean driving record, and a good credit history. If we estimate rates based on her personal risk profile, USAA may offer the cheapest car insurance rates in Riverside at $1,331 per year. This is $320 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, Wawanesa, Nationwide, and CSAA are the remainder of the most affordable Riverside, CA auto insurance companies.
Now we will pretend the driver from the first set of rates some claims, slightly worse credit, and a stop sign violation. Since every insurance provider has their own process for establishing rates, comparing quotes could result in a new list of affordable Riverside car insurance companies as shown below.
Grange now has the lowest car insurance rate in Riverside with Progressive, Allstate, Mercury, and GEICO also having competitive pricing. This illustrates why consumers need to perform an extensive rate comparison when trying to find the most budget-friendly auto insurance rates for uninsured drivers.
Insurance prices are determined by many different factors and change frequently, so the best price when you last compared rates may now not even be in the top five.