Feeling guilty for buying an under-performing, overpriced insurance policy? Trust us, there are lots of people in the same boat.
Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that the vast majority of insurance customers in California have bought insurance from the same company for more than four years, and 38% of customers have never quoted insurance rates at all. With the average premium in the U.S. being $1,847, drivers could save an average of about $859 each year by just comparing rate quotes, but they don’t know the amount of money they would save if they just switched companies.
Steps to finding lower priced Jeep Grand Cherokee insurance in Riverside
If saving money is your primary concern, then the best way to get the cheapest Jeep Grand Cherokee insurance in Riverside is to compare quotes once a year from providers that insure vehicles in California. Price quotes can be compared by following these guidelines.
- Step 1: Get a basic knowledge of auto insurance and the things you can change to prevent high rates. Many things that are responsible for high rates such as high-risk driving behaviors and a lousy credit rating can be improved by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility. Later in this article we will cover more information to get lower rates and find possible discounts that are available.
- Step 2: Quote rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give prices from one company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agents can provide price quotes from multiple insurance companies.
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your existing policy to determine if you can save on Grand Cherokee insurance in Riverside. If you find a lower rate and make a switch, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
- Step 4: Provide proper notification to your current company to cancel your existing policy and submit a down payment along with a signed application to your new agent or company. Make sure you put the proof of insurance paperwork with your vehicle’s registration.
An important part of this process is that you’ll want to compare identical coverages on every price quote and and to get price quotes from as many companies as feasibly possible. Doing this enables an apples-to-apples comparison and a good representation of prices.
With vehicle owners having so many choices for buying lower-cost insurance for a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Riverside, it is very difficult to pick the lowest price insurance provider.
The car insurance companies shown below are our best choices to provide comparison quotes in Riverside, CA. If the list has multiple companies, it’s a good idea that you get rate quotes from several of them to get the best price comparison.
Insurance analysis for a Jeep Grand Cherokee
The price information shown below covers detailed analysis of insurance coverage prices for Jeep Grand Cherokee models. Having knowledge of how auto insurance policy rates are formulated can be valuable when making informed decisions when shopping around for a new policy.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
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Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $380 | $686 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,666 | $139 |
Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $380 | $686 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,666 | $139 |
Grand Cherokee Limited 2WD | $430 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,840 | $153 |
Grand Cherokee Limited 4WD | $430 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,840 | $153 |
Grand Cherokee SRT-8 4WD | $430 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,840 | $153 |
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Table data represents married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Price information does not factor in Riverside location which can lower or raise auto insurance rates substantially.
Deductible analysis
When buying insurance, a common question is the level to set your comp and collision deductibles. The following insurance rates sum up the price difference between high and low insurance deductibles. The first data table uses a $100 physical damage coverage deductible and the second set of rates uses a $500 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $380 | $686 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,691 | $141 |
Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $380 | $686 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,691 | $141 |
Grand Cherokee Limited 2WD | $430 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,865 | $155 |
Grand Cherokee Limited 4WD | $430 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,865 | $155 |
Grand Cherokee SRT-8 4WD | $430 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,865 | $155 |
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Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $278 | $464 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,342 | $112 |
Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $278 | $464 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,342 | $112 |
Grand Cherokee Limited 2WD | $314 | $546 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,460 | $122 |
Grand Cherokee Limited 4WD | $314 | $546 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,460 | $122 |
Grand Cherokee SRT-8 4WD | $314 | $546 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,460 | $122 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data rating is based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and safe-driver. Premium amounts do not factor in specific Riverside garaging location which can impact coverage rates noticeably.
We can derive from the above data that using a $100 deductible would cost the average driver about $31 more each month or $372 for a full year than selecting the higher $500 deductible. Since you would have to pay $400 more to file a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you tend to have at least 13 months between claims, you would probably be better off if you elect the higher deductible.
Calculation for determining deductible levels
Average monthly premium for $100 deductibles: | $149 |
Average monthly premium for $500 deductibles (subtract): | – $118 |
Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $31 |
Difference between deductibles ($500 – $100): | $400 |
Divide difference by monthly savings: | $400 / $31 |
Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 13 months |
One important issue to know is that higher deductibles means you pay more out-of-pocket when you have a comprehensive or collision claim. That will necessitate enough extra money in the event you need to pay more for the deductible.
Full coverage versus liability-only
The diagram below visualizes the comparison of Jeep Grand Cherokee annual premium costs with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. Data assumes no claims or violations, $500 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Are you wasting money paying for full coverage?
There is no clear-cut formula to exclude physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then you might consider buying liability only.
For example, let’s assume your Jeep Grand Cherokee replacement value is $6,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, you would only receive $5,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If you are paying in excess of $500 annually for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
There are a few cases where buying only liability insurance is not recommended. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you have to keep full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should not remove full coverage.
How Your Grand Cherokee Insurance Premiums are Determined
Lots of factors are taken into consideration when quoting car insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious like a motor vehicle report, although some other factors are less apparent like where you live or how financially stable you are. One of the most helpful ways to save on insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the things that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for insurance. When you understand what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this enables you to make decisions that can help you get lower premium levels.
- Incidental coverages that aren’t used – There are a lot of add-on coverages that can waste your money on your insurance policy. Insurance for things like rental car reimbursement, better glass coverage, and Farm Bureau memberships are some examples. The coverages may be enticing at first, but if they’re wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
- Employer stress can affect rates – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for insurance? Jobs such as fire fighters, business owners, and accountants tend to pay higher premium rates attributed to stressful work requirements and long work days. Conversely, occupations like farmers, athletes and retirees have the lowest average rates.
- Annual mileage and car insurance rates – Driving a lot of miles every year the higher your rates will be. A lot of insurance companies calculate rates based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Cars and trucks not used for work or commuting receive lower rates than cars that get driven a lot. Incorrect rating for your Grand Cherokee may be wasting your money. Double check that your insurance coverage is showing annual mileage.
- Low credit history equals high rates – Having a good credit score is a big factor in determining premium rates. If your credit history could use some work, you could be paying less to insure your Jeep Grand Cherokee if you clean up your credit. Consumers who have excellent credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers who have lower credit ratings.
- Rural areas have lower rates – Having an address in a small town may provide you with better prices when insuring your vehicles. Fewer drivers and short commutes translates into fewer accidents and lower theft and vandalism rates. Drivers in populated California areas regularly have congested traffic and a longer drive to work. Spending more time driving means a statistically higher chance of an accident.
- Buy as much liability coverage as you can afford – The liability coverage on your policy will provide protection in the event that a jury decides you are liable for physical damage or personal injury to other. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. This coverage is relatively inexpensive when compared with rates for comp and collision, so drivers should carry high limits.
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Jeep Grand Cherokee historical loss data – Auto insurance companies factor in insurance loss information to help determine the price you pay. Models that the data shows to have a higher amount or frequency of claims will cost more for specific coverages. The next table shows the insurance loss data for Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles.
For each coverage category, the statistical loss for all vehicles, as an average, is considered to be 100. Numbers that are below 100 indicate a favorable loss history, while percentages above 100 show a trend for more claims or tendency to have higher losses.
Insurance Loss Ratings for Jeep Grand Cherokee Vehicles Vehicle Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Jeep Grand Cherokee 4dr 2WD 81 111 71 62 60 94 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4dr 4WD 91 112 98 67 63 89 BETTERAVERAGEWORSEData Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
Why you need to buy insurance
Despite the fact that insurance is not cheap in Riverside, maintaining insurance is a good idea for several reasons.
- Just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means the state requires specific limits of liability coverage in order to be legal. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you have a loan on your Jeep Grand Cherokee, more than likely the lender will have a requirement that you buy insurance to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totaled. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Jeep at an extremely high rate and force you to reimburse them for the much more expensive policy.
- Insurance protects both your vehicle and your assets. Insurance will pay for many types of medical costs that are the result of an accident. Liability insurance will also pay for a defense attorney if you are sued as the result of an accident. If your Jeep gets damaged, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of insuring your Grand Cherokee definitely exceed the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. Today the average American driver is currently overpaying as much as $850 per year so compare rate quotes every year to ensure rates are inline.