Locating low-cost auto insurance is hard enough, and determining which companies quote the best car insurance rates for a school permit will require a little more work.
Every car insurance company has a unique approach to set premium rates, so let’s take a look at the most competitive car insurance companies in San Diego, CA. It’s important that you understand California car insurance rates are impacted by many factors that control the price you have to pay for coverage. That is why it is important to perform a complete rate comparison when trying to find the lowest car insurance rates for a school permit. Insurance rates are influenced by many factors and can change without notice, so the most affordable company three years ago may now not even be in the top five.
Cheapest Insurance Rates for Students
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,109 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
| 3 | CSAA | $1,198 |
| 4 | Century National | $1,214 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,250 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 9 | Mercury | $1,533 |
| 10 | Progressive | $1,542 |
| 11 | Allstate | $1,559 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,603 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,606 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,639 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,682 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $1,750 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,006 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||
USAA may have some of the most affordable car insurance rates in San Diego at around $1,109 annually. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide would also make the list of some of the cheaper San Diego, CA insurance companies.
As depicted above, if you have coverage with CSAA and switched to USAA, you may see yearly savings of in the vicinity of $89. Customers with Century National might save as much as $105 a year, and Nationwide insureds might lower prices by $141 a year.
Be aware that those estimates are averages for all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and do not factor in a vehicle location for a school permit. So the company that has the cheapest rates for you may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That points out the importance of why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
The car, truck, or SUV that needs insurance is probably the largest consideration when comparing cheaper insurance for a school permit. Vehicles with higher performance, poor safety ratings, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost much more to insure than safer models. The next table features insurance prices for a selection of the most budget-friendly vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $3,124 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $3,153 |
| Toyota Prius | $3,381 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 4WD | $3,506 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Regular Cab 4WD | $3,511 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $3,506 |
| Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $3,673 |
| Ford Edge Limited 2WD | $3,683 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $3,673 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $3,702 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 2WD | $3,707 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $3,702 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $3,707 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $3,702 |
| Hyundai Elantra Blue 4-Dr Sedan | $3,871 |
| Start a Quote Go | |
Prices based on single female driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Price information does not factor in San Diego, CA location which can impact rates greatly.
Based upon the table data, you can assume that vehicles like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Toyota Prius, Ford Explorer, and Ford F-150 will definitely be the most affordable vehicles to insure for a learners permit. The price for an auto insurance policy will tend to be more expensive because there is more claim exposure for a school permit, but overall those particular models will tend to have the least expensive rates that you’ll find.
The illustration below demonstrates how deductibles can increase or decrease yearly insurance costs when getting quotes for cheap insurance for a school permit. The premiums are based on a married female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are factored in.
The chart above illustrates that a 40-year-old driver could lower rates by $420 a year by switching from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $634 by selecting a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, like the Age 20 category, have the ability to save as much as $1,042 every year by choosing a larger deductible amount.
If you do raise deductibles, it will be important to have emergency funds available to be able to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense associated with higher deductibles.
Get discounts on San Diego insurance
Insurance companies that provide policies for a school permit may also give you premium discounts that could potentially reduce rates by 25% or more if you are eligible for them. Companies and a selection of discounts can be found below.
- GEICO offers discounts including federal employee, multi-policy, air bags, membership and employees, multi-vehicle, emergency military deployment, and anti-theft.
- MetLife discounts include multi-policy, claim-free, defensive driver, good student, and accident-free.
- State Farm has discounts for Drive Safe & Save, good driver, multiple policy, safe vehicle, driver’s education, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
- Progressive may offer discounts for homeowner, good student, online signing, continuous coverage, online quote discount, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle.
- Mercury Insurance may have discounts that include annual mileage, multi-policy, accident-free, location of vehicle, age of vehicle, anti-theft, and type of vehicle.
- 21st Century policyholders can earn discounts including 55 and older, homeowners, air bags, automatic seat belts, and teen driver.
- Allstate includes discounts for passive restraint, teenSMART discount, multi-policy, 55 and retired, and farm vehicle.
The diagram below compares car insurance costs with and without discounts applied. Data assumes a female driver, no claims or violations, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $500 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The second shows the rates with anti-theft, paperless filing, continuous coverage, vehicle safety, paid-in-full, and good student discounts applied. When drivers qualify for the discounts, theamount saved on car insurance for a school permit is 28% or $755.
Impact of citations and accidents on insurance rates
One of the best ways to enjoy good car insurance prices in California for a learners permit is to be a good driver and avoid accidents and traffic violations. The illustration below highlights how speeding tickets and fender-benders can impact annual premium costs for different age groups of insureds. The price estimates are based on a single male driver, full physical damage coverage, $100 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.
The chart shows that the average cost of an auto insurance policy per year with no accidents and a clean driving record is $2,525. Add in one speeding ticket and the average cost increases to $2,844, an increase of $319 each year. Then add in one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the 12-month cost of car insurance for a school permit goes up to an average of $3,742. That’s an increase of $1,217, or $101 per month, just for not being attentive to the road!