You have probably seen the captivating commercials from car insurance companies like GEICO and Nationwide that guarantee enormous savings. So drivers just need to choose the one with the best commercial, right?
Regrettably, it’s not quite that easy, as there are a whole bunch of unknown elements like if you are a man or woman, if you have a lapse in coverage, if you need full coverage or liability-only, and how experienced of a driver you are, that all have an effect on the price. This article goes into detail about the causes of high insurance rates and will hopefully give the reader a good start in finding the cheapest insurance in California.
For drivers with no prior coverage, one of the more important considerations that are looked at to determine auto insurance rates is where you call home in San Diego. Areas with a lot of weather claims or more people will most likely have higher rates, whereas areas with less people or fewer weather incidents have the benefit of cheaper auto insurance prices.
The illustration below rates the most costly cities in California for uninsured drivers to purchase auto insurance in. San Diego makes the list at #24 with a yearly cost of $1,340 for the average insured, which is about $112 monthly.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,168 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,142 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
| 4 | Sacramento | $1,703 |
| 5 | Oakland | $1,687 |
| 6 | Long Beach | $1,626 |
| 7 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
| 8 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
| 9 | Garden Grove | $1,554 |
| 10 | Stockton | $1,541 |
| 11 | Fontana | $1,535 |
| 12 | Fresno | $1,517 |
| 13 | Moreno Valley | $1,506 |
| 14 | Modesto | $1,502 |
| 15 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,453 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 18 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 19 | Bakersfield | $1,394 |
| 20 | San Jose | $1,381 |
| 21 | Irvine | $1,371 |
| 22 | Fremont | $1,361 |
| 23 | Chula Vista | $1,350 |
| 24 | San Diego | $1,340 |
| 25 | Oxnard | $1,318 |
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Rates are estimated as the specific zip code location can impact auto insurance rates substantially.
Finding out which companies offer the lowest-priced car insurance rates for uninsured drivers calls for a bit more effort in order to find coverage that fits your budget. Each insurance company has their own unique process for determining rates, so we need to take a look at the most budget-friendly car insurance companies in San Diego, CA.
Keep in mind that San Diego car insurance rates are impacted by many factors that control the policy price. Simply having a birthday, having a teen driver, or getting caught speeding can produce rate changes that can cause some rates to be cheaper in comparison to the competition.
Find the Best Cheap Insurance in California
USAA offers some of the best car insurance rates in San Diego at around $1,121 per year. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide would also make the list of some of the most economical San Diego, CA car insurance companies.
In the above rates, if you are a policyholder with Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you may realize an annual savings of in the vicinity of $71. Customers with Century National could save as much as $93 a year, and CSAA policyholders might see rate reductions of $101 a year.
If you want to find out if you’re overpaying, click here or visit any of the companies below.
Be aware that those policy rates are averaged across all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and do not factor in an exact vehicle garaging location for uninsured drivers. So the company that can offer you the best rate may not even be in the list above. That’s why you need to quote rates from many companies using your own driver data and vehicle information.
How much more does full coverage cost?
Saving money on car insurance is probably important to most people, and an effective way to reduce the cost of insurance for uninsured drivers is to only pay for liability coverage. The diagram below shows the difference between annual premium costs with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The information is based on no accidents or driving violations, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no policy discounts are applied.
Averaged out for all age groups, physical damage coverage on your policy costs an additional $3,385 per year more than insuring for liability only. At some point, almost every driver questions if it’s worth it to buy full coverage. There is no set guideline of when to stop paying for physical damage insurance, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of having full coverage is more than about 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
There are some scenarios where buying only liability insurance is not advised. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you have to carry full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest in the vehicle. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should keep full coverage in place.
Poor driving habits will raise your car insurance rates
The obvious way to score good car insurance rates in San Diego for drivers with no prior coverage is to drive carefully and avoid traffic citations and accidents. The information below demonstrates how traffic citations and at-fault accidents drive up auto insurance costs for different ages of insureds. Data assumes a married male driver, comp and collision included, $100 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
In the prior example, the average cost of car insurance in California per year with no accidents or violations is $2,939. Factor in two speeding tickets and the average cost jumps to $4,075, an increase of $1,136 each year. Now add two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the yearly cost of car insurance for uninsured drivers goes up to an average of $8,076. That’s an increase of $5,138, or $428 per month, just for not keeping your driving record clean!
Last year’s bargain might be this year’s rip off
San Diego car insurance rates are influenced by many factors that may substantially change the price you have to pay for coverage. Improving your credit score, having a claim, or having a fender bender can trigger rate changes that can now make some companies more affordable than others. Not only may your situation change, but companies change prices every year or even multiple times each year in order to be able to pay unexpected claims. Higher than normal claims can result in additional premium costs, while a lower level of claims may produce cheaper San Diego car insurance rates.
The bar chart below shows the cheapest car insurance in San Diego, CA for a 40-year-old female driver with a good driving record, no prior claims, and solid credit. Based on her current rating profile, USAA may offer the best car insurance rates in San Diego at $1,152 a year. This is $499 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Nationwide, and Century National are also on the list of the best San Diego, CA auto insurance companies.
The example below compares rates after we give the driver in the first example a couple of claims, a lower credit score, and a few blemishes on her driving record. Due to the fact that every insurance company has a unique approach for setting prices, comparing prices may now present a slightly different list of affordable companies as shown below.
Grange now has the lowest price on auto insurance in San Diego, CA with Mercury, Allstate, GEICO, and Progressive also having competitive pricing. This illustrates why drivers need to do a thorough rate comparison when trying to find the lowest car insurance rates for uninsured drivers. Insurance rates are calculated by many risk factors and can change without notice, so the cheapest rate the last time you shopped around may now be one of the higher cost companies.
How to find the cheapest insurance for uninsured drivers
The list below details some of the recommended thrifty ideas that can help San Diego drivers buy lower-cost coverage.
- Higher deductibles mean lower rates
- Higher credit ratings may save you money
- Save money by insuring older vehicles for liability only
- Insure your home and auto with the same company
- Vehicles with safetly features generally cost less to insure
- Frequent claims may make car insurance unaffordable
- Compare rates regularly and switch companies to save money
The last item on the list is notably necessary, as was pointed out in the prior article. Prices charged by car insurance companies in San Diego adjust frequently, so don’t be hesitant to switch to a new company if a better deal can be had.
Staying with the same car insurance company is fine, but it’s not a good idea if that stubbornness costs you a wad of cash every year. It only take a few minutes to compare prices to find cheaper car insurance for uninsured drivers.
The insurance agencies below can most likely help you determine which coverages are best, since some drivers have questions and prefer to get some help when comparing insurance rates for drivers with no prior coverage. It can be challenging to find the cheapest car insurance policy, and a professional agent can give comfort knowing your coverage gives you decent coverage if you have a claim.
To find a San Diego insurance agent close to you, click the button at the bottom.
- Farmers Insurance: James Calafata
4325 Cass St – San Diego, CA 92109 – (858) 483-7171 - Allstate Insurance: PGC Insurance Agency
6919 Paradise Valley Rd, # A9 – San Diego, CA 92139 – (619) 773-2300 - Dave Murphy – State Farm Insurance Agent
12121 Scripps Summit Dr Ste 100 – San Diego, CA 92131 – (858) 621-6681 - Leavitt Group – Leavitt Insurance Agency of San Diego
3636 Nobel Dr #100 – San Diego, CA 92122 – (858) 436-2441 - Leavitt Insurance Agency of San Diego
380 Stevens Ave – Solana Beach, CA 92075 – (858) 259-5800