Astonishing but true according to a recent study, the majority of drivers kept their policy with the same company for more than four years, and just short of a majority have never compared rates from other carriers. Fresno drivers can save hundreds of dollars each year, but they just don’t want to go online and compare rates.
The easiest way to find more affordable car insurance rates is to begin comparing prices regularly from companies that insure vehicles in Fresno. This can be done by completing these steps.
- Take a little time to learn about how companies price auto insurance and the changes you can make to drop your rates. Many things that cause high rates like your driving record and poor credit rating can be eliminated by paying attention to minor details. This article provides information to help keep rates affordable and find available discounts that you may qualify for.
- Quote rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give rate quotes from a single company like Progressive and State Farm, while agents who are independent can provide price quotes for a wide range of insurance providers.
- Compare the price quotes to your current policy premium to see if you can save by switching companies. If you can save some money and decide to switch, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
- Provide proper notification to your current company of your decision to cancel the current policy and submit a completed policy application and payment for the new policy. Immediately keep your new proof of insurance certificate in your vehicle.
One important bit of advice is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same liability limits and deductibles on every price quote and and to get quotes from as many different insurance providers as possible. Doing this guarantees the most accurate price comparison and plenty of rates choose from.
If you already have coverage or just want cheaper rates, take advantage of these tips to find the best rates and still get good coverage. This information will help educate you on the most effective ways to compare rates and some tips to save money. Shoppers just have to know the most efficient way to compare prices using one simple form.
The companies in the list below are our best choices to provide free quotes in Fresno, CA. To buy cheap auto insurance in Fresno, CA, we suggest you get price quotes from several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Insurance protects more than just your car
Despite the high cost, insurance is required for several reasons.
- The majority of states have mandatory insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a specific level of liability insurance coverage in order to license the vehicle. 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 lien on your RX 350, it’s guaranteed your bank will stipulate that you have full coverage to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the lender will be forced to insure your Lexus at a much higher rate and require you to fork over much more than you were paying before.
- Insurance protects not only your Lexus but also your financial assets. It also can pay for medical transport and hospital expenses incurred in an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.
The benefits of having insurance are definitely more than the cost, especially for larger claims. As of last year, the average driver in California is overpaying more than $820 a year so you should quote your policy with other companies at every policy renewal to be sure current rates are still competitive.
Insurance rate breakdown
The premium table shown next outlines a range of insurance costs for Lexus RX 350 models. Being able to understand how auto insurance policy rates are formulated helps drivers make smart choices when choosing a car insurance company.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RX 350 2WD | $258 | $482 | $510 | $30 | $152 | $1,432 | $119 |
RX 350 4WD | $258 | $482 | $510 | $30 | $152 | $1,432 | $119 |
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Prices above based on married female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Premium costs do not factor in specific location which can impact coverage rates greatly.
Rate comparison for different deductibles
One of the hardest decisions when shopping for auto insurance is how high should the deductibles for physical damage be. The tables below approximate the premium difference between high and low physical damage coverage deductibles. The first rate table uses a $250 physical damage coverage deductible and the second price grid uses a $1,000 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RX 350 2WD | $430 | $780 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,915 | $160 |
RX 350 4WD | $430 | $780 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,915 | $160 |
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Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RX 350 2WD | $266 | $490 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,436 | $120 |
RX 350 4WD | $266 | $490 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,436 | $120 |
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Data based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Information does not factor in Fresno location which can lower or raise coverage prices greatly.
Based on this data, we can arrive at the conclusion that using a $250 deductible could cost the average driver approximately $40 more each month or $480 annually averaged for all RX 350 models than selecting the higher $1,000 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $750 more if you turn in a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you average more than 19 months between claim filings, you would come out ahead going with the higher deductible.
The information below highlights how deductible selection and can impact Lexus RX 350 premium costs for each age group. The premiums assume a married male driver, full coverage, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Liability only or full coverage
The example below shows the comparison of Lexus RX 350 auto insurance costs with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The price estimates are based on no accidents, no driving violations, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no additional discounts are factored in.
When to drop comprehensive and collision coverage
There is no set guideline to stop buying full coverage, but there is a broad guideline. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than about 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then it might be time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s assume your Lexus RX 350 replacement value is $6,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most your company will settle for is $5,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are currently paying more than $500 a year for your policy with full coverage, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
There are some scenarios where removing full coverage is not a good idea. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you have to maintain full coverage in order to satisfy the requirements of the loan. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should maintain full coverage.
Discount Fresno car insurance quotes
Car insurance can cost a lot, but there’s a good chance there are discounts that may help make it more affordable. A few discounts will be applied when you purchase, but a few need to be asked for in order for you to get them.
- Good Grades Discount – This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The good student discount can last well after school through age 25.
- Air Bag Discount – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
- Life Insurance – Larger insurance companies have a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
- Military Deployment Discount – Having a deployed family member may qualify for rate reductions.
- Defensive Driver – Participating in a safe driver course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.
- Telematics Discount – Drivers who elect to allow driving data submission to track driving patterns by using a small device installed in their vehicle such as Drivewise from Allstate or Snapshot from Progressive may see discounts if they are good drivers.
- Discount for Home Ownership – Owning a house in Fresno can get you a discount because it is proof that your finances are in order.
- Bundle and Save – If you can bundle your auto and homeowners insurance and insure them both with the same insurance company you could earn a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Early Signing – Some car insurance companies provide a discount for buying a new policy early. This discount can save up to 10%.
- Federal Employees – Having worked for a branch of the government could qualify for a slight premium decrease with certain companies.
Don’t be shocked that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you can get free auto insurance, you aren’t that lucky.
The diagram below shows the difference between Lexus RX 350 annual premium costs with and without discounts applied. The premiums are based on a male driver, no claims or violations, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-policy, homeowner, claim-free, multi-car, safe-driver, and marriage discounts applied.
A few of the larger companies and some of the discounts are shown below.
- Progressive may include discounts for online quote discount, homeowner, online signing, good student, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and continuous coverage.
- Farmers Insurance has discounts for alternative fuel, mature driver, distant student, pay in full, business and professional, multi-car, and early shopping.
- Farm Bureau includes discounts for renewal discount, safe driver, good student, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for multiple policy, defensive driving training, student away at school, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and Drive Safe & Save.
- GEICO offers discounts including federal employee, anti-lock brakes, driver training, air bags, emergency military deployment, and multi-policy.
- SAFECO offers discounts for drive less, safe driver, anti-lock brakes, homeowner, and accident prevention training.
- Liberty Mutual may offer discounts for preferred payment discount, teen driver discount, good student, multi-policy, new vehicle discount, newly married, and newly retired.
If you want low cost Fresno auto insurance quotes, ask each company or agent what discounts are available to you. Savings may not be available in Fresno.