How many times have you put off comparing quotes for more affordable BMW X1 insurance in San Diego? Tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul to pay insurance each month? You have the same problem as many other California consumers.
It’s amazing but nearly 70% of California drivers have purchased from the same company for over three years, and just short of a majority have never shopped around. American drivers could pocket roughly $850 a year by just comparing rate quotes, but they just feel it’s too hard to save money by comparing rate quotes. Insurance companies such as State Farm, Farmers Insurance, GEICO and Allstate continually hit you with fancy advertisements and it can be hard to see past the corporate glitz and take the time to shop coverage around.
If you have a policy now or are just looking to switch companies, use these cost-cutting techniques to save money without sacrificing coverage. Buying the cheapest auto insurance in San Diego is actually very simple if you learn how to start. Consumers only need an understanding of the proper methods to shop from many different companies.
Why Your Insurance Prices might be higher
Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that aid in calculating your policy premiums. When consumers understand what impacts premium levels, this allows you to make good choices that can help you get lower auto insurance prices.
Save money by having responsible credit – Having a bad credit history can be an important factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. Insureds with very good credit scores tend to be less risk to insure as compared to drivers with lower credit ratings. So if your credit is lower than you’d like, you could save money insuring your BMW X1 by taking the time to improve your credit score.
Urban residents pay more – Being located in areas with lower population can be a good thing if you are looking for the lowest rates. Lower population means fewer accidents. People in densely populated areas tend to have more aggressive driving styles and more time behind the wheel. Higher commute times translates into higher accident risk.
Does your employer cost you more? – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Jobs like military generals, airline pilots, and dentists have the highest rates because of stressful work requirements and lots of time spent away from family. On the other hand, jobs like scientists, athletes and the unemployed pay the least.
More than one policy can earn a discount – Most major auto insurance companies give lower prices to insureds who buy several policies from them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to as much as ten percent or more Even if you’re getting this discount you still need to compare other company rates to help guarantee you have the best rates.
Discounts for married couples – Having a wife or husband helps lower the price when shopping for auto insurance. Having a significant other is viewed as being more responsible it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
Bad driving means higher rates – Having just one ticket may increase your cost to the point where it’s not affordable. Attentive drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. People who have careless tickets like DUI or reckless driving may face state-mandated requirements to file a SR-22 with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.
With age comes lower prices – Inexperience drivers are statistically proven to be careless and easily distracted when driving so auto insurance rates are higher. Having to add a inexperienced driver to your policy can really hurt. Older people tend to be more responsible, are lower risk to insure, and usually have better credit.
BMW X1 insurance loss statistics – Companies use data from past claims to calculate a price that will offset losses. Vehicles that have higher losses will cost more for coverage.
The table below outlines the collected loss data for BMW X1 vehicles. For each policy coverage, the claim amount for all vehicles compiled together is equal to 100. Values below 100 indicate better than average losses, while numbers above 100 point to more losses or statistically larger losses.
BMW X1 Insurance Loss Statistics
Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BMW X1 4dr 2WD | 99 | 86 | 113 | 90 | 95 | 87 |
BMW X1 4dr 4WD | 103 | 96 | 120 | 73 | 69 | 82 |
Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years
The providers in the list below can provide price quotes in San Diego, CA. If more than one company is shown, it’s a good idea that you click on several of them to get the most affordable price.
Insurance is an important decision
Even though it can be expensive, buying insurance serves a purpose in several ways.
First, just about all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means it is punishable by state law to not carry specific minimum amounts of liability in order to get the vehicle licensed. 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.
Second, if your car has a lien holder, almost every bank will make it a condition of the loan that you have comprehensive coverage to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your BMW for a much higher rate and force you to pay for the expensive policy.
Third, insurance safeguards both your assets and your vehicle. Insurance will pay for most medical and hospital costs for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. As part of your policy, liability insurance also pays for attorney fees and expenses if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, your policy will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.
The benefits of buying enough insurance are definitely more than the cost, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. The average driver in America overpays more than $869 every year so shop around once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are competitive.
Lower rate quotes by taking advantage of discounts
Auto insurance companies don’t always list their entire list of discounts very clearly, so the following list contains both the well known as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using when you buy San Diego car insurance online.
- Driving Data Discount – People who choose to allow their company to analyze driving habits by using a telematics device such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate could see a rate decrease as long as the data is positive.
- Early Signing – A few auto insurance companies give discounts for buying a new policy prior to the expiration date on your current X1 insurance policy. This discount can save up to 10%.
- Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school may save you up to 25%. You can use this discount normally up to age 25.
- Drivers Education – Require your teen driver to participate in a local driver’s education class as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
- Theft Deterrent – Cars and trucks optioned with advanced anti-theft systems have a lower chance of being stolen and earn discounts up to 10% off your San Diego car insurance quote.
Policy discounts save money, but most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, nobody gets a free ride.
A list of auto insurance companies and their offered discounts are outlined below.
- Progressive offers discounts including multi-vehicle, multi-policy, online signing, homeowner, and continuous coverage.
- SAFECO may offer discounts for teen safety rewards, teen safe driver, bundle discounts, homeowner, multi-car, and drive less.
- American Family discounts include TimeAway discount, Steer into Savings, good driver, mySafetyValet, good student, and accident-free.
- MetLife policyholders can earn discounts including accident-free, multi-policy, defensive driver, claim-free, and good student.
- GEICO may have discounts that include good student, federal employee, membership and employees, seat belt use, military active duty, and air bags.
- The Hartford has savings for driver training, air bag, vehicle fuel type, defensive driver, good student, and anti-theft.
If you want inexpensive San Diego car insurance quotes, ask every company to give you their best rates. Discounts may not apply to policyholders in every state. If you would like to choose from a list of auto insurance companies with discount rates in California, click here.
Get rate quotes but buy from a local neighborhood San Diego car insurance agent
Certain consumers still prefer to have an agent’s advice and that is a smart decision Experienced insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help submit paperwork. A nice benefit of comparing rates online is you can get lower rates and also buy local.
By using this simple form, your insurance data is transmitted to agents in your area that provide free San Diego car insurance quotes for your business. You never need to even leave your home because prices are sent to the email address you provide. If you wish to get a rate quote for a specific company, you would need to navigate to their website to submit a rate quote request.
Choosing a company should depend on more than just the quoted price. Any agent in San Diego should be forthright in answering these questions:
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
- Which insurance company do they prefer to write with?
- Can glass repairs be made at your home?
If you prefer to buy auto insurance from a good insurance agency, there are two types of agencies and how they differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Auto insurance agencies may be either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive. Both write auto insurance policies, but it’s worth learning the difference in how they write coverage because it can impact buying decisions.
Exclusive Auto Insurance Agencies
These type of agents are contracted to one company and some examples include State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. Exclusive agents cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so keep that in mind. Exclusive agencies receive extensive training on what they offer which aids in selling service over price.
Shown below is a short list of exclusive agents in San Diego who can help you get rate quotes.
Karen L Wroan – State Farm Insurance Agent
12780 High Bluff Dr #180 – San Diego, CA 92130 – (858) 755-7553 – View Map
John Tran – State Farm Insurance Agent
2820 Camino del Rio S Ste 310 – San Diego, CA 92108 – (619) 291-1787 – View Map
Rod Thelen – State Farm Insurance Agent
110 W A St #775 – San Diego, CA 92101 – (619) 234-4882 – View Map
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Agents of this type are not employed by one company so they have the ability to put coverage through many different auto insurance companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your premiums go up, your agent can switch companies which requires no work on your part.
When comparing auto insurance rates, you will want to compare prices from a few independent agents to get the most accurate price comparison.
The following are San Diego independent agencies that are able to give price quote information.
Anchor General Insurance Agency-Texas
10256 Meanley Dr – San Diego, CA 92131 – (858) 527-3600 – View Map
Leavitt Insurance Agency of San Diego
380 Stevens Ave – Solana Beach, CA 92075 – (858) 259-5800 – View Map
Kostyo Insurance Agency
4456 Vandever Ave #10 – San Diego, CA 92120 – (619) 325-3600 – View Map
After getting good responses to any questions you may have as well as cheap X1 insurance quotes, it’s possible that you found a car insurance agent that is professional and can service your policy. Just remember once you purchase a policy you can cancel coverage when you choose so never assume you are locked into any particular company for the entire policy term.
Compare auto insurance prices regularly to save
Cost effective BMW X1 insurance is attainable on the web and from local insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some companies may not provide online price quotes and many times these small insurance companies work with independent insurance agents.
While you’re price shopping online, it’s not a good idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at the best cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
More information can be found on the following sites:
- State Laws for Cellphones and Texting (iihs.org)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates for Handicapped Drivers in San Diego? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap San Diego Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers with Good Credit? (FAQ)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for State Employees in San Diego? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Welfare Recipients in San Diego? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest San Diego Car Insurance Quotes for High School Students? (FAQ)
- Should I Purchase an Umbrella Liability Policy? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Property Damage Coverage (Liberty Mutual)