Finding affordable insurance is not most people’s favorite thing to do, and determining which company has the most affordable insurance rates for business use will take even more diligence. Each company has their own guidelines for setting rates, so we’ll go over the most budget-friendly insurance companies in California.
It’s important to know that Fresno, CA insurance rates are calculated based on many things which can substantially decrease or increase the cost of having a policy. Price variation is why consumers need to perform a complete rate comparison when trying to find the lowest insurance quotes for business use. Rates are influenced by many different factors and change substantially, so the cheapest rate a year ago may now be quite expensive.
Cheapest Insurance Rates for Business Use
USAA quotes some of the best car insurance rates in Fresno at around $1,155 each year. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide also rank well as some of the cheaper Fresno, CA car insurance companies.
As illustrated above, if you are currently insured with Century National and switched to USAA, you might realize an annual premium reduction of about $35. California drivers with CSAA may save as much as $43 a year, and Nationwide policyholders might see rate reductions of $71 a year.
Be aware that those premium estimates are averages across all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and are not factoring in a specific zip code for business use. So the auto insurance company that can offer you the best price may not even be in the list above. That points out the importance of why you need to get auto insurance quotes using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
The vehicle model you are insuring is one of the largest considerations when shopping for cheaper auto insurance for business use. Vehicles with lots of horsepower, a lack of safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost quite a bit more to insure than more modest models. The table below illustrates insurance premiums for a number of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure.
| Make, Model, and Trim Level | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $992 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $1,084 |
| Ford Explorer XLT AWD | $1,111 |
| Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $1,149 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,174 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $1,197 |
| Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,215 |
| Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $1,237 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,241 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $1,259 |
| Ford Fusion Sport 4-Dr Sedan | $1,269 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $1,264 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $1,286 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 4WD | $1,295 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $1,286 |
| Ford Edge SE AWD | $1,298 |
| Honda Accord EX-L 2-Dr Coupe | $1,345 |
| GMC Sierra SLT Crew Cab 4WD | $1,347 |
| Toyota Camry XLE | $1,356 |
| Dodge Ram Crew Cab Sport 2WD | $1,367 |
| GMC Sierra 3500HD SLT Crew Cab 2WD | $1,369 |
| Kia Optima LX | $1,376 |
| Ford F-150 Lariat Crew Cab Platinum 2WD | $1,381 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | |
Table 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-vehicle, multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, and safe-driver. Price estimates do not factor in specific location information which can increase or decrease insurance rates noticeably.
Based upon these rates, you can assume that cars like the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Explorer, Ford Escape, and Volkswagen Jetta are likely to be some of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for using your car for business. The cost of a car insurance policy will be higher anyway just because there is more liability exposure for business use, but in general those vehicles will tend to have the cheapest auto insurance rates that you are likely to find.
One of the more important factors that are looked at to help calculate auto insurance rates is where you call home in Fresno. Areas with more people or higher crime rates tend to have higher auto insurance costs, whereas areas with lower crime rates and fewer weather claims have the luxury of cheap car insurance rates.
The next table ranks the most expensive cities in California for business use to buy auto insurance in. Fresno comes in at #16 with an annual cost of $1,472 for the average policyholder, which is approximately $123 monthly.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glendale | $2,121 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | $2,104 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,763 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,738 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
| 6 | Fontana | $1,581 |
| 7 | San Bernardino | $1,580 |
| 8 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
| 9 | Garden Grove | $1,570 |
| 10 | Long Beach | $1,562 |
| 11 | Stockton | $1,541 |
| 12 | Santa Ana | $1,497 |
| 13 | Moreno Valley | $1,491 |
| 14 | Modesto | $1,487 |
| 15 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 16 | Fresno | $1,472 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 18 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 19 | Bakersfield | $1,394 |
| 20 | Irvine | $1,384 |
| 21 | San Jose | $1,381 |
| 22 | Fremont | $1,361 |
| 23 | Oxnard | $1,344 |
| 24 | San Diego | $1,327 |
| 25 | Chula Vista | $1,311 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||
Annual rates are approximated as zip code location can decrease or increase coverage rates substantially.
Picking the highest-rated company is difficult considering how many companies sell insurance in Fresno. The company information shown next could help you analyze which providers to look at when comparing rate quotes. These rankings are for companies that insure vehicles across America, so smaller companies that only insure vehicles in California are not taken into consideration for these rankings.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 98 | 100 | 100 | 94% | A++ | 98.6 |
| American Family | 98 | 89 | 100 | 86% | A | 95.4 |
| AAA of Southern California | 91 | 94 | 97 | 92% | A+ | 94.1 |
| State Farm | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90% | A++ | 92.4 |
| The Hartford | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89% | A+ | 91.7 |
| AAA Insurance | 88 | 89 | 95 | 91% | A | 91.2 |
| GEICO | 84 | 93 | 93 | 89% | A++ | 90.3 |
| The General | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88% | A- | 90 |
| Titan Insurance | 90 | 87 | 91 | 95% | A+ | 89.6 |
| Progressive | 84 | 91 | 93 | 87% | A+ | 89.5 |
| Mercury Insurance | 88 | 91 | 90 | 85% | A+ | 89.4 |
| Allstate | 85 | 90 | 92 | 88% | A+ | 89.3 |
| Nationwide | 87 | 88 | 84 | 90% | A+ | 88.7 |
| Liberty Mutual | 84 | 87 | 93 | 88% | A | 88.5 |
| 21st Century | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88% | A | 86.7 |
| Esurance | 85 | 80 | 95 | 87% | A+ | 85.9 |
| Safeco | 85 | 85 | 85 | 86% | A | 85.8 |
| Travelers | 80 | 87 | 87 | 83% | A++ | 85.2 |
| Farmers Insurance | 78 | 87 | 88 | 79% | A | 84.3 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
The example below shows how choosing a deductible can change insurance rates when getting quotes for cheap insurance for business use. The data assumes a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.
As shown above, a 30-year-old driver could lower their policy premium by $482 a year by switching the physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $724 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Young drivers, like the age 20 example, could shave $1,068 every year by selecting a higher deductible.
When raising deductibles, it’s a good idea to have emergency funds available to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense. This is the primary disadvantage of choosing high deductibles.
Impact of violations and accidents on rates in Fresno
The recommended way to enjoy affordable insurance rates for using your car for business is to drive carefully and avoid accidents and traffic violations. The example below demonstrates how citations and at-fault collisions can influence car insurance rates for different age groups of insureds. The information is based on a single male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
In the prior example, the average cost of car insurance in Fresno per year with no accidents or violations is $2,816. Factor in one speeding ticket and the average cost swells to $3,177, an increase of $361 each year. Now throw in two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the 12-month cost of insurance for business use goes up to an average of $6,400. That’s an increase of $3,584, or $299 per month, just for not keeping your driving record clean!