The words “low-cost” and “insurance” really shouldn’t be used together, in particular when you are trying to find the best coverage prices for safe drivers. To save some money, let’s familiarize you with a few of the factors that have an impact on insurance prices, and find out if you can shave a little off your next policy.
The vehicle you are buying coverage for is one of the biggest factors that determines if you can find affordable car insurance for safe drivers. Vehicles with lower performance, a great safety record, or a low likelihood of liability claims will cost substantially less to insure than fast, unsafe models.
The table below features car insurance rates for a number of the most cost-effective automobiles to insure in California.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $992 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $1,111 |
| Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,152 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 2WD | $1,174 |
| Ford Edge SE 2WD | $1,188 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $1,197 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport Islander Package 4WD 4-Dr | $1,210 |
| Ford F-150 XL Super Cab 2WD | $1,235 |
| Toyota Corolla S | $1,237 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,241 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LTZ Extended Cab 4WD | $1,259 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Extended Cab 4WD | $1,269 |
| Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $1,259 |
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Premium 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 multi-policy, multi-vehicle, claim-free, homeowner, and safe-driver. Premium amounts do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can alter rates considerably.
By looking at the data, you can conclude that vehicles like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Ford Focus, Toyota RAV4, and Ford Edge are most likely to be some of the more affordable vehicles to insure for good drivers.
For good drivers, one of the largest factors that are looked at to determine the price you pay for insurance is where your residence is. Areas with more people or more claims will most likely have higher rates, whereas areas with less congestion can boast about having cheaper rates.
The information below shows the most expensive areas in California for safe drivers to buy car insurance in. Fresno comes in at #15 with an annual cost of $1,502 for car insurance, which is about $125 each month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,168 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,121 |
| 3 | Sacramento | $1,720 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,693 |
| 5 | Oakland | $1,687 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,644 |
| 7 | Stockton | $1,603 |
| 8 | Santa Clarita | $1,595 |
| 9 | Long Beach | $1,578 |
| 10 | Modesto | $1,547 |
| 11 | Riverside | $1,542 |
| 12 | Moreno Valley | $1,536 |
| 13 | Garden Grove | $1,524 |
| 14 | Fontana | $1,519 |
| 15 | Fresno | $1,502 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,453 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,444 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,423 |
| 19 | Fremont | $1,403 |
| 20 | Huntington Beach | $1,402 |
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Rate information is approximated as the specific Fresno residence address can lower or raise auto insurance rates considerably.
The example below demonstrates how deductibles can impact insurance premiums when getting quotes for cheap insurance for safe drivers. The rates are based on a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are applied.
A 30-year-old driver could lower rates by $342 a year by switching from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $516 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Younger drivers, like the 20-year-old, could drop their prices $1,026 or more just by using higher deductibles. When choosing a higher deductible, it is important to have plenty of money set aside to be able to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense. This is the primary disadvantage of choosing high deductibles.
Discount Fresno insurance rates
Auto insurance companies that sell policies for safe drivers may additionally offer rate discounts that could reduce prices by as much as 40% or more if you can meet the requirements. Popular car insurance companies and some of the discounts can be found below.
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including good driver, defensive driving training, good student, driver’s education, safe vehicle, and anti-theft.
- American Family has discounts for good student, multi-vehicle, bundled insurance, Steer into Savings, and good driver.
- GEICO offers premium reductions for federal employee, defensive driver, multi-vehicle, military active duty, and driver training.
- 21st Century may offer discounts for good student, automatic seat belts, defensive driver, student driver, early bird, anti-lock brakes, and driver training.
- Progressive has savings for multi-policy, good student, multi-vehicle, online signing, and homeowner.
The example below illustrates the difference between car insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the premium. The price estimates are based on a male driver, no claims or violations, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with multiple vehicle, anti-theft, safe-driver, homeowner, accident-free, and defensive driving course discounts applied. In this example, the amount saved on car insurance for safe drivers is 28% or $559.
Careless Fresno drivers pay higher rates
A great way to obtain low car insurance rates for good drivers is to drive attentively and not receive tickets or have accidents. The example below highlights how speeding tickets and accidents impact annual premium costs for different age groups of insureds. The premium estimates are based on a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.
In the example above, the average cost of auto insurance in Fresno per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $2,650. Factor in two speeding tickets and the average cost hikes up to $3,786, an increase of $1,136 each year. Then include two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the 12-month cost of car insurance for safe drivers goes up to an average of $7,786. That’s an increase of $5,136, or $428 per month, just for not keeping your driving record clean!
Why are you paying too much for car insurance?
Fresno, CA car insurance rates are influenced by many factors that will increase or decrease the cost of coverage. Simply getting older, having a claim, or getting into an accident can trigger rate changes that may make certain companies cheaper than before.
Not only that, but auto insurance companies change their prices as needed to ensure their profitability. An unexpected high level of claims can cause additional price hikes, while better underwriting can cause cheaper Fresno car insurance rates.
For example, the graph below shows the company with the cheapest car insurance in Fresno, CA for a 30-year-old male driver with a good driving record, no prior claims, and good credit. Based on his personal profile, USAA may have the most affordable car insurance rates in Fresno at $1,296 annually. This is $355 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Nationwide, and Century National are the remaining best Fresno, CA auto insurance companies.
In the next rate comparison, we’ll give the driver from the first rate comparison an at-fault accident, a little lower credit rating, and a traffic ticket or two. Due to the fact that every auto insurer uses their own calculation for determining prices, comparing rates may now result in a different ranking of affordable Fresno car insurance companies as shown below.
Grange now has the cheapest insurance rate in Fresno, CA with Mercury, GEICO, Allied, and Progressive now being in the top five. This example proves why it is critical to perform an extensive rate comparison when trying to get cheap car insurance rates for safe drivers.
Insurance prices are impacted by many things and change frequently, so the best company the last time you compared rates may now be an over-priced policy.