Vehicle owners that are new to comparing prices online might discover purchasing affordable Pontiac Sunfire insurance rates in San Diego is very challenging.
A recent auto insurance study revealed that over 70% of drivers kept their policy with the same company for a minimum of four years, and just short of a majority have never compared rates to find cheaper insurance. Many drivers in San Diego can save up to 35% each year just by shopping around, but most just don’t grasp the large savings they would see if they switch to a new company.
It is always a good idea to do rate comparisons as often as possible because auto insurance prices change regularly. Even if you got the best deal on Pontiac Sunfire insurance in San Diego six months ago you will most likely find a better rate today. Forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because I’m going to teach you one of the quickest ways to find better rates and still maintain coverage.
Don’t neglect these discounts
Companies offering auto insurance do not list every possible discount in an easy-to-find place, so the list below details some of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious credits that you can use to lower your rates.
- Theft Deterrent – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles are stolen less frequently and earn discounts up to 10% off your San Diego auto insurance quote.
- Drivers Ed for Students – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers take driver’s ed class if it’s offered in school.
- Discounts for Good Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates compared to rates paid by drivers with frequent claims.
- College Student – College-age children who attend college more than 100 miles from San Diego without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
- Paperless Signup – Some insurance companies will give a small break shop San Diego auto insurance online.
- Pay Early and Save – By making one initial payment as opposed to paying monthly you could save up to 5%.
- Discount for Multiple Policies – When you combine your auto and homeowners insurance and insure them both with the same insurance company you could earn a discount of up to 20% off your total Sunfire insurance premium.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Driving less may enable drivers to earn lower prices on the low mileage vehicles.
- Sign Early and Save – A few auto insurance companies allow discounts for renewing your policy prior to your current Sunfire insurance policy expiring. It could save around 10% when you buy San Diego auto insurance online.
Just know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. Even though the math looks like all the discounts add up to a free policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
Companies and their possible discounts are:
- GEICO discounts include anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, five-year accident-free, driver training, membership and employees, military active duty, and daytime running lights.
- Auto-Owners Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including air bags, multiple vehicles, company car, paperless, and paid in full.
- American Family has discounts for good student, accident-free, early bird, bundled insurance, Steer into Savings, and mySafetyValet.
- Esurance offers premium reductions for online shopper, renters, claim free, homeowner, multi-car, and anti-theft.
- Progressive may offer discounts for online signing, good student, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, and online quote discount.
- State Farm has savings for Drive Safe & Save, defensive driving training, driver’s education, accident-free, and good driver.
- AAA includes discounts for education and occupation, multi-car, multi-policy, anti-theft, pay-in-full, good student, and AAA membership discount.
If you need affordable Pontiac Sunfire insurance quotes, ask each company which discounts can lower your rates. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not apply in your state. To find companies offering auto insurance discounts in San Diego, click here.
When quoting auto insurance, remember that comparing a wide range of rates increases the chance that you will find the best offered rates. Some insurance companies are not set up to provide online price quotes, so you also need to get price estimates from the smaller companies as well.
The companies shown below are our best choices to provide free quotes in California. If multiple providers are shown, we recommend you compare several of them to get the most competitive price.
How to Lower Your Insurance Costs
Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the things that come into play when calculating your auto insurance rates. If you have some idea of what determines base rates, this enables you to make decisions that could result in cheaper rates. Lots of factors are part of the equation when premium rates are determined. Some are pretty understandable such as your driving record, but others are more obscure such as whether you are married or your financial responsibility.
- File a auto insurance claims and pay more – If you frequently file small claims, you shouldn’t be surprised to get either higher rates or even cancellation. Car insurance companies in California provide lower rates to drivers who file claims infrequently. Insurance coverage is designed for claims that you cannot pay yourself.
- Tickets will cost you – Even a single chargeable violation can increase the cost of insurance forty percent or more. Drivers with clean records receive lower rates compared to bad drivers. Drivers who have received multiple violations like reckless driving or DUI may find they need to submit a SR-22 form to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.
- Credit rating impacts premium prices – Having a bad credit rating is a large factor in determining what you pay for auto insurance. Insureds that have high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims than drivers who have poor credit scores. If your credit rating could use some work, you could save money insuring your Pontiac Sunfire by improving your credit score.
- Rates increase with policy add-ons – There are a ton of extra add-on coverages that can waste your money if you aren’t diligent. Things like vanishing deductibles, better glass coverage, and membership fees are examples of these. The coverages may be enticing when deciding what coverages you need, but now you might not need them so remove them from your policy.
You are unique and your car insurance should be too
When quoting and choosing the best car insurance coverage, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Your needs are unique to you.
These are some specific questions may help highlight if your insurance needs might need an agent’s assistance.
- Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in California?
- Should I have a commercial auto policy?
- Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
- Can my teen driver be rated on a liability-only vehicle?
- How much coverage applies to personal belongings?
- What are good deductibles for a Pontiac Sunfire?
- Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
- Is pet coverage available?
- Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form.
Exclusive or independent insurance agencies
Many drivers would prefer to have an agent’s advice. An additional benefit of price shopping on the web is that drivers can save money and get cheaper rates and still have an agent to talk to.
Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), your insurance data is instantly submitted to companies in San Diego that give free quotes to get your business. There is no reason to search for an agent since rate quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. Get lower rates without having to waste a lot of time. If you want to get a rate quote from a specific insurance provider, you just need to jump over to their website and complete a quote there.
Finding the right insurance company should depend on more than just a cheap price quote. You should also get answers to these questions.
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- Where are claims handled?
- How long has their agency been open in San Diego?
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
- Is the quote a firm price?
- Is the agency active in community causes in San Diego?
If you are searching for a reliable agent, you should know the different types of agencies to choose from. Insurance agents in San Diego are either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Exclusive insurance agents can only provide one company’s prices such as Allstate and State Farm. They are unable to provide rate quotes from other companies so they have no alternatives for high prices. Exclusive insurance agents are highly trained on their products and sales techniques which helps them sell on service rather than price. Consumers sometimes buy insurance from these agents mostly because of the prominent brand name and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.
Below is a list of exclusive insurance agents in San Diego that are able to give comparison quotes.
- Allstate Insurance: Brian McMullen
4455 Lamont St #1 – San Diego, CA 92109 – (858) 274-2377 – View Map - Lisa Keith – State Farm Insurance Agent
1635 Rosecrans St b – San Diego, CA 92106 – (619) 694-4788 – View Map - Kristin Francy – State Farm Insurance Agent
9888 Carmel Mountain Rd Ste A – San Diego, CA 92129 – (858) 484-4141 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
These type of agents are not employed by one company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If they find a lower price, they simply switch companies in-house and that require little work on your part. If you are comparing rate quotes, you will definitely want to include price quotes from independent agents so that you can do a thorough price comparison. Many independent agencies also insure through lesser-known insurance companies which may have better rates.
The following is a list of independent insurance agencies in San Diego that can give you comparison quotes.
- Curtis Moring Insurance Agency Inc.
5425 Oberlin Dr #201 – San Diego, CA 92121 – (619) 718-7578 – View Map - Nickie Heath Insurance Agency
16855 W Bernardo Dr # 230 – San Diego, CA 92127 – (858) 487-3737 – View Map - Alcott Insurance
3945 Idaho St – San Diego, CA 92104 – (619) 293-3800 – View Map
Three good reasons to insure your vehicle
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Pontiac in San Diego, insurance is a good idea for several reasons.
- Almost all states have minimum liability requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a specific minimum amount of liability insurance if you want to drive legally. 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 took out a loan on your vehicle, almost all lenders will have a requirement that you have insurance to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you default on your policy, the bank may buy a policy for your Pontiac for a much higher rate and force you to reimburse them for the expensive policy.
- Insurance protects both your Pontiac and your assets. Insurance will also pay for medical bills incurred in an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If your car is damaged in a storm or accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of buying auto insurance outweigh the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. According to a 2015 survey, the average American driver overpays as much as $820 a year so smart consumers compare quotes at every renewal to save money.
How much can you save?
We’ve covered many tips how you can save on Pontiac Sunfire insurance in San Diego. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even find the biggest savings come from a small local company.
Cheaper car insurance in San Diego is attainable online and from local agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some car insurance companies may not have the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these smaller companies only sell through local independent agents.
Insureds leave their current company for a variety of reasons including questionable increases in premium, not issuing a premium refund, denial of a claim and even being labeled a high risk driver. Regardless of your reason, finding a new company is not as difficult as it may seem.
To learn more, feel free to browse these articles:
- Dangers of fake or stolen airbags (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for a Nissan Altima in San Diego? (FAQ)
- How Much are San Diego Car Insurance Quotes for Low Mileage Drivers? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest San Diego Auto Insurance Rates for Hybrid Vehicles? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for a Ford Fusion in San Diego? (FAQ)
- Tools for Teen Driving Safety (State Farm)
- Safe Vehicles for Teens (iihs.org)
- State Laws for Cellphones and Texting (iihs.org)