The vehicle to be insured is a large factor when shopping for the lowest-priced insurance for good drivers. Vehicles with limited top-end speed, modern passenger safety features, or low incidents of liability claims will cost less to insure than high performance models.
The next list presents auto insurance prices for a selection of the cheapest vehicles to buy insurance for.
| Make, Model, and Trim Level | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $872 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $920 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 2WD | $936 |
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $950 |
| Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $966 |
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $972 |
| Honda Odyssey EX-L W/Navigation | $968 |
| Ford F-150 STX Regular Cab 2WD | $978 |
| GMC Sierra SLT Extended Cab 2WD | $984 |
| Nissan Altima 3.5 SR 4-Dr Sedan | $993 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 4WD 4-Dr | $1,000 |
| Dodge Ram Quad Cab SLT 2WD | $1,002 |
| Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,034 |
| Start Your Quote Go | |
Premium data assumes single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-policy. Prices do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can alter prices significantly.
Looking at the data, we can presume that makes and models like the Dodge Grand Caravan, Chevrolet Malibu, and Ford Explorer are a few of the most affordable vehicles to insure for safe drivers.
Finding out which companies offer the best auto insurance rates for good drivers will involve a little more work than just getting one or two price quotes.
Each company has their own unique process to set policy rates, so we’ll take a look at the most budget-friendly auto insurance companies in San Diego, CA. It’s important that you understand San Diego, CA auto insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can substantially decrease or increase the price you pay. Improving your credit score, buying a different vehicle, or having an at-fault accident can produce rate changes that can cause some rates to be more affordable than competitors.
Find Cheaper Car Insurance for Good Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,109 |
| 2 | Century National | $1,178 |
| 3 | Wawanesa | $1,181 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $1,213 |
| 5 | CSAA | $1,222 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,366 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,433 |
| 8 | Allstate | $1,497 |
| 9 | GEICO | $1,529 |
| 10 | Progressive | $1,542 |
| 11 | Mercury | $1,548 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,556 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,639 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,654 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,682 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,849 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
| Find Your Rate Go | ||
USAA quotes some of the best car insurance rates in San Diego at around $1,109 a year. This is $542 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, Wawanesa, Nationwide, and CSAA also qualify as some of the cheapest San Diego, CA auto insurance companies.
In the rate table above, if you currently buy coverage from Century National and switched to USAA, you might achieve an annual savings of around $69. Insureds with Wawanesa may save as much as $72 a year, and Nationwide insureds might lower prices by up to $104 a year.
It’s important to note that these premium estimates are averages for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and and are not calculated with a vehicle location for good drivers. So the car insurance company that can offer you the best rate may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That point stresses why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own individual information.
Rate comparison of full coverage and liability-only
Finding cheaper auto insurance is probably important to most vehicle owners, and an easy way to pay less for insurance for good drivers is to not insure for full coverage. The example below illustrates the comparison of auto insurance rates with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The prices are based on no tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, drivers are single, and no additional discounts are factored in.
If we average all the age groups together, physical damage insurance costs $2,075 per year more than insuring for liability only. That raises the question if buying full coverage is worth the money. There is no written rule for eliminating full coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of having full coverage is about 10% or more of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
There are a few situations where dropping physical damage coverage is not recommended. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you have to carry full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should not remove full coverage.
Drive responsibly or pay higher rates
The best way to maintain low auto insurance prices in California for safe drivers is to drive safe and not get tickets or have accidents. The chart below shows how violations and accidents can raise insurance rates for different age groups. The data is based on a single male driver, full coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
The data above shows the average cost of car insurance per year with no violations or accidents is $1,849. Get two speeding tickets and the average cost hikes up to $2,435, an increase of $585 each year. Then add in one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the 12-month cost of auto insurance for good drivers goes up to an average of $3,029. That’s an increase of $1,180, or $98 per month, just for not keeping your driving record clean!
Get discount San Diego auto insurance rates
Car insurance companies that offer coverage for good drivers may also provide policy discounts that may potentially lower prices by as much as 35% if you meet eligibility requirements. The best auto insurance companies and their offered discounts are detailed below.
- Progressive includes discounts for continuous coverage, homeowner, good student, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle.
- Farmers Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including switch companies, teen driver, alternative fuel, mature driver, and bundle discounts.
- Farm Bureau offers discounts for multi-policy, safe driver, good student, driver training, renewal discount, 55 and retired, and multi-vehicle.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for Steer Clear safe driver discount, multiple autos, good student, anti-theft, student away at school, Drive Safe & Save, and safe vehicle.
- GEICO discounts include seat belt use, daytime running lights, membership and employees, air bags, multi-policy, defensive driver, and emergency military deployment.
- SAFECO has discounts for homeowner, anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, bundle discounts, and teen safety rewards.
- Liberty Mutual offers discounts including exclusive group savings, new move discount, teen driver discount, hybrid vehicle, newly married, and new graduate.
The example below illustrates the comparison of car insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the rates. The premiums assume a male driver, no accidents, no driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $250 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with passive restraint, multiple policy, accident-free, safe-driver, defensive driving course, and homeowner discounts applied. In this example, the average savings per year on auto insurance for good drivers is 28% or $863.