Want to learn how to buy more affordable Buick Lucerne insurance in Fresno? Are you baffled by the sheer number of insurance choices that you can choose from? There are so many options that it can quickly become a difficult mission to find the lowest price for Buick Lucerne insurance in Fresno. If you’ve ever been there, you know that Fresno is an awesome place to live, but paying high insurance rates can make it difficult for lots of drivers to afford.
It goes without saying that car insurance companies don’t want you comparing rates. Drivers who shop for lower prices will probably move their business because there is a good chance of finding a policy with better rates. A recent insurance study revealed that drivers who routinely shopped around saved as much as $72 a month compared to drivers who never shopped for cheaper rates.
If finding the most affordable insurance in Fresno is your ultimate objective, then knowing how to find companies and compare coverage rates can save time, money, and frustration.
You should take the time to shop coverage around every six months since rates fluctuate regularly. Despite the fact that you may have had the best deal on Buick Lucerne insurance in Fresno at your last renewal you can probably find a better price now. There is a lot of bad information regarding Lucerne insurance on the internet, but in a few minutes you can learn some of the best ways to slash your insurance rates in Fresno.
There are several ways to get quotes from lots of California car insurance companies. The simplest method to lower the rate you pay for Buick Lucerne insurance consists of obtaining rate quotes online. Just keep in mind that comparing a wide range of rates will increase your chances of finding lower pricing. Some regional insurers cannot provide rate quotes online, so you should also compare prices on coverage from those companies, too.
The providers in the list below offer free quotes in Fresno, CA. If you want cheap car insurance in Fresno, CA, we recommend you get rates from several of them to get the lowest price.
Auto insurance data for a Buick Lucerne
The premium information shown below showcases a range of insurance coverage prices for Buick Lucerne models. Having knowledge of how insurance quotes are figured is important for drivers to make smart choices when choosing a car insurance company.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucerne CX | $378 | $780 | $534 | $32 | $160 | $1,884 | $157 |
| Lucerne CXL | $378 | $780 | $534 | $32 | $160 | $1,884 | $157 |
| Lucerne CXL Special Edition | $378 | $898 | $534 | $32 | $160 | $2,002 | $167 |
| Lucerne Super | $420 | $898 | $534 | $32 | $160 | $2,044 | $170 |
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Data variables include single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Prices do not factor in specific Fresno garaging location which can lower or raise insurance rates substantially.
How high should deductibles be?
When buying auto insurance, a common question is what deductibles to buy. The rates shown below can help you visualize the price difference of buying low and high physical damage deductibles. The first pricing table uses a $100 comprehensive and collision deductible and the second rate table uses a $500 deductible.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucerne CX | $430 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,865 | $155 |
| Lucerne CXL | $430 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,865 | $155 |
| Lucerne CXL Special Edition | $430 | $932 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,987 | $166 |
| Lucerne Super | $478 | $932 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $2,035 | $170 |
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| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucerne CX | $314 | $546 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,460 | $122 |
| Lucerne CXL | $314 | $546 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,460 | $122 |
| Lucerne CXL Special Edition | $314 | $630 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,544 | $129 |
| Lucerne Super | $348 | $630 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,578 | $132 |
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Prices above based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, and multi-policy. Premium amounts do not factor in vehicle location which can revise rates significantly.
Based on this data, we can arrive at the conclusion that using a $100 deductible could cost the average driver approximately $36 more each month or $432 each year averaged for all Lucerne models than buying the higher $500 deductible. Due to the fact that you would have to pay $400 more out-of-pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you tend to have more than 11 months between claims, you would probably be better off by going with a higher deductible.
How to determine if a higher deductible is a good idea
| Average monthly premium for $100 deductibles: | $162 |
| Average monthly premium for $500 deductibles (subtract): | – $126 |
| Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $36 |
| Difference between deductibles ($500 – $100): | $400 |
| Divide difference by monthly savings: | $400 / $36 |
| Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 11 months |
One big caveat is that raising deductibles to save money means you will have to pay more of your own money when you have to file a claim. You need to make sure you have some non-essential savings in the event you have to pay the higher deductible.
Gender differences in auto insurance premiums
The chart below illustrates the comparison of Buick Lucerne insurance rates for male and female drivers. The price estimates are based on no violations or accidents, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no other discounts are factored in.
Cost of full coverage
The diagram below shows the difference between Buick Lucerne annual premium costs with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The data assumes no claims or driving violations, $1,000 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are applied.
Guidelines for eliminating full coverage
There is no exact rule of when to stop paying for full coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of full coverage is about 10% or more of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s say your Buick Lucerne replacement cost is $8,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most you would receive is $7,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If you are paying in excess of $700 a year to have full coverage, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
There are a few cases where only buying liability is not in your best interest. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you are required to maintain full coverage as part of the loan requirements. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should not opt for liability only.
Auto insurance is an important decision
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Buick Lucerne in Fresno, buying auto insurance is not optional due to several reasons.
- Almost all states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means the state requires specific limits of liability protection in order to get the vehicle licensed. 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 your Buick Lucerne has a loan, it’s guaranteed your bank will require that you carry insurance to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totaled. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the lender may insure your Buick at a significantly higher premium and require you to pay for the expensive policy.
- Insurance protects not only your Buick but also your assets. It will also pay for medical transport and hospital expenses that are the result of an accident. As part of your policy, liability insurance also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If your Buick gets damaged, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of having auto insurance are definitely more than the cost, especially for larger claims. On average, a vehicle owner in Fresno overpays as much as $700 annually so it’s recommended you shop around once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are inline.
Car insurance coverage basics
Understanding the coverages of car insurance helps when choosing appropriate coverage for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy.
Liability car insurance
This will cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property in an accident. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see liability limits of 15/30/5 that means you have a $15,000 limit per person for injuries, $30,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $5,000.
Liability insurance covers things like legal defense fees, bail bonds, court costs and structural damage. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but you should buy as large an amount as possible. California requires minimum liability limits of 15/30/5 but you should think about purchasing more coverage.
The illustration below shows why low liability limits may not be adequate.
Auto collision coverage
This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage pays for claims such as driving through your garage door, sustaining damage from a pot hole, hitting a mailbox and rolling your car. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. You can also bump up the deductible on your Lucerne to save money on collision insurance.
Medical expense coverage
Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for immediate expenses such as rehabilitation expenses, X-ray expenses, surgery and chiropractic care. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Comprehensive protection
This coverage will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like damage from a tornado or hurricane, hitting a deer, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, a broken windshield and vandalism. The maximum amount your car insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Due to the fact that many California drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (15/30/5), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.
Don’t give up on cheap coverage
Lower-priced Buick Lucerne insurance in Fresno is possible from both online companies and from local insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies don’t offer price quotes online and usually these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.
In this article, we covered a lot of information how to find cheaper Buick Lucerne insurance in Fresno. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the higher your chance of finding affordable Fresno car insurance quotes. You may even be surprised to find that the lowest prices are with the least-expected company.
As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s very important that you do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are too many instances where someone dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford and still be able to protect your assets.
Steps to finding better rates for Buick Lucerne insurance in Fresno
Really, the only way to find discount car insurance rates in Fresno is to compare quotes once a year from providers who sell insurance in California. You can shop around by following these steps.
- Step 1: Try to learn a little about how auto insurance works and the factors you can control to keep rates in check. Many things that cause high rates like tickets, at-fault accidents, and a less-than-favorable credit rating can be improved by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
- Step 2: Request price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give prices from one company like Progressive or State Farm, while agents who are independent can provide price quotes from multiple companies.
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your existing rates to see if cheaper Lucerne coverage is available. If you find better rates and make a switch, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
- Step 4: Give notification to your current company to cancel the current policy and submit any necessary down payment along with the completed application for your new coverage. As soon as coverage is bound, put the new certificate verifying proof of insurance in an easily accessible location in your vehicle.
One important bit of advice is to use the same liability limits and deductibles on every quote and and to get prices from as many companies as feasibly possible. This helps ensure a fair price comparison and a thorough price selection.
Additional information can be found below:
- Teen Driver Licensing Information (iihs.org)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Rates for a Chevrolet Equinox in Fresno? (FAQ)
- Airbag FAQ (iihs.org)
- Child Safety Seats (Insurance Information Institute)
- Collision Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- How to Avoid Common Accidents (State Farm)