You have probably seen the ads from auto insurance companies like Nationwide, State Farm, and GEICO that make promises of big savings, so you just need to choose the one with the best commercial, right?
It’s just not that simple, as there are many unknown factors like your age, your gender, and if you own a home, that all factor into the price you pay. This article covers these factors and others that can influence the price of auto insurance and also should give you a jump start in finding the best auto insurance in Fresno.
The type of vehicle requiring coverage is a significant factor when shopping for the most economical insurance for drivers with bad credit. Vehicles with limited speed and performance, excellent safety ratings, or a low likelihood of liability claims will cost significantly less to insure than adrenaline junky models. The list below shows coverage prices for a number of the most affordable vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Make, Model, and Trim Level | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $1,055 |
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $1,157 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,171 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Super Cab 2WD | $1,180 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $1,185 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $1,247 |
| Toyota RAV4 4WD | $1,252 |
| Honda Odyssey LX | $1,266 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $1,284 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,315 |
| Nissan Rogue S 2WD | $1,338 |
| Ford Edge SE AWD | $1,340 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,348 |
| Honda Civic DX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,340 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LT Extended Cab 4WD | $1,365 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 2WD 4-Dr | $1,372 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD LTZ Crew Cab 2WD | $1,386 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD | $1,393 |
| Honda Accord EX 2-Dr Coupe | $1,405 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $1,412 |
| Toyota Camry Hybrid | $1,430 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,442 |
| Dodge Ram Crew Cab TRX 4WD | $1,453 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | |
Data assumes single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Prices do not factor in your specific Fresno, CA location which can modify premium rates significantly.
Looking at the data, cars like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Toyota Prius are most likely going to be some of the cheaper vehicles to insure for people with poor credit. Rates will be higher anyway because of the fact that there is more claim exposure for drivers with bad credit, but generally speaking those vehicles will probably have the cheapest rates available.
For people with poor credit, one of the largest considerations that aid in calculating the price you pay for insurance is where your car is garaged. Regions with larger populations or more claims will most likely pay more, whereas areas with lower crime rates and fewer weather claims have the enjoyment of a little cheaper coverage.
The information below shows the highest-priced areas in California for drivers with bad credit in which to buy car insurance. Fresno shows up at #16 with the annual price of $1,457 on average, which is approximately $121 per month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,168 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,121 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,711 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,687 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,580 |
| 7 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
| 8 | Garden Grove | $1,570 |
| 9 | Long Beach | $1,562 |
| 10 | Stockton | $1,541 |
| 11 | Fontana | $1,519 |
| 12 | Riverside | $1,497 |
| 13 | Moreno Valley | $1,491 |
| 14 | Anaheim | $1,488 |
| 15 | Modesto | $1,487 |
| 16 | Fresno | $1,457 |
| 17 | Santa Ana | $1,439 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,395 |
| 19 | San Diego | $1,368 |
| 20 | Huntington Beach | $1,360 |
| Quote Best Rates Go | ||
Table data uses approximated as the specific area where the vehicle is garaged can impact price quotes substantially.
Types of discounts on Fresno insurance
Car insurance companies that offer cheap quotes for drivers with bad credit may also give you policy discounts that can lower rates by as much as 35% or more if you are eligible to receive them. Large auto insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts can be found below.
- Mercury Insurance discounts include low natural disaster claims, multi-policy, accident-free, annual mileage, and multi-car.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts including switch companies, electronic funds transfer, bundle discounts, pay in full, and good student.
- Farm Bureau may have discounts that include multi-policy, driver training, 55 and retired, renewal discount, multi-vehicle, and safe driver.
- State Farm may include discounts for multiple autos, student away at school, multiple policy, good student, driver’s education, and anti-theft.
- Allstate has savings for FullPay discount, auto/life discount, teenSMART discount, passive restraint, premier plus, and eSmart discount.
- GEICO offers premium reductions for seat belt use, military active duty, defensive driver, membership and employees, daytime running lights, and emergency military deployment.
The example below shows the comparison of auto insurance rates with and without discounts being applied to the rates. The price estimates are based on a female driver, no accidents, no driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with marriage, safe-driver, claim-free, defensive driving course, multiple vehicle, and vehicle safety discounts applied. With discounts applied, the average yearly reduction on auto insurance for drivers with bad credit is 28% or $661.
The illustration below shows how different deductible levels can change insurance costs when trying to find cheap insurance for drivers with bad credit. The premium estimates are based on a single female driver, full coverage, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
The chart above illustrates that a 40-year-old driver could lower rates by $476 a year by switching the physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $712 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger insureds, such as the 20-year-old chart data, could drop their prices $1,216 every year just by choosing higher deductibles. If you do decide to increase your deductibles, it will be necessary to have emergency funds available to allow you to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense. That is the one drawback of using higher deductibles.
Insuring your vehicle with a good quality insurance company is difficult considering how many choices there are in California. The company ratings below may help you pick which providers you want to consider when shopping your coverage around.
These rankings only include insurance companies that insure vehicles in the majority of U.S. states, so smaller regional companies are not taken into consideration for these rankings. To compare prices from these and other companies in California, just click here.
Top 10 Large Car Insurance Companies in Fresno Ranked by Customer Service
- AAA of Southern California
- GEICO
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- Mercury Insurance
- The General
- Progressive
- Allstate
- AAA Insurance
- American Family
Can you find cheaper Fresno car insurance?
California auto insurance rates are impacted by many things that can increase the cost of your policy. Simply getting older, buying a new vehicle, or getting a speeding ticket may generate price changes resulting in some rates now being more affordable than others. And not only may your rating factors change, but insurance companies modify rates every year or even multiple times each year to adjust for gains or losses. Higher than usual claims may cause price increases, while lower claim expenses may produce more affordable Fresno car insurance rates.
For instance, the bar chart below compares the cheapest car insurance in Fresno, CA for a 30-year-old female driver with no violations or accidents, and excellent credit. Based on her personal risk profile, USAA has the most affordable car insurance rates in Fresno at $1,323 each year. This is $328 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide are the remainder of the cheapest Fresno, CA auto insurance companies.
In this example, we will give the driver from the above example a claim surcharge, slightly worse credit, and a speeding citation. Since each insurance company has their own process for setting prices, analyzing rate quotes may result in a significantly different list of affordable companies as shown below.
Grange now has the cheapest rate in Fresno with Mercury, Allstate, GEICO, and Allied completing the list. This shows why it is so important to perform an extensive rate comparison when trying to find the most affordable insurance rates for drivers with bad credit. Auto insurance prices are calculated by many different factors and change substantially, so the cheapest company the last time you checked may now be one of the higher cost companies.
The agents listed below can help you determine which coverages are best, as lots of people like to get some professional input when buying car insurance for people with poor credit. It can be hard to find the best policy yourself, and getting professional guidance from a licensed agent can provide you satisfaction knowing your policy gives you sufficient coverage for your assets.
To locate a Fresno insurance agent by location nearest to you, click the link after the list.
- Greg Caves – State Farm Insurance Agent
7740 N Fresno St #103 – Fresno, CA 93720 – (559) 435-7500 - Wilson Wong – State Farm Insurance Agent
1341 W Bullard Ave #6 – Fresno, CA 93711 – (559) 438-0470 - Leavitt Group
3245 W Figarden Dr – Fresno, CA 93711 – (559) 256-2500 - New Horizon Insurance
3039 W Ashlan Ave – Fresno, CA 93726 – (559) 244-6644