Are you drained from not being able to scrape enough together to pay high car insurance rates every month? You’re in the same situation as millions of other drivers.
Unbelievable but true according to a study most car insurance policyholders have been with the same company for well over three years, and almost 40% of drivers have never even shopped around for cheap coverage. Many consumers in San Diego can save 35% each year just by getting comparison quotes, but most just don’t grasp the big savings they would realize if they switched to a more affordable policy.
With drivers having so many companies and agents to choose from, it can be challenging to choose a lower cost car insurance provider.
Choosing the best rates in San Diego is quite easy if you know the best way to do it. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce the price you pay using the following tips. Nevertheless, California consumers benefit from understanding how companies calculate your policy premium because rates are impacted by many factors.
These discounts can lower Dodge Caliber insurance rates
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you might be missing out on some discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. Certain discounts will be applied at the time of purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be manually applied before being credited. If you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you are paying more than you should be.
- Good Student – Performing well in school may save you up to 25%. You can use this discount normally up to age 25.
- Driver Safety – Completing a defensive driver course is a good idea and can lower rates if your company offers it.
- Safety Restraint Discount – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts could cut 10% or more off PIP or medical payments premium.
- Low Mileage – Low annual miles could be rewarded with discounted prices on garaged vehicles.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Factory options such as air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may earn rate discounts up to 30%.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – By making one initial payment rather than spreading payments over time you may reduce your total bill.
- Discounts for Responsible Drivers – Insureds without accidents may save up to 50% more compared to accident prone drivers.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same company you could earn a discount of nearly 15% which can help you find inexpensive Dodge Caliber insurance in San Diego.
- Military Discounts – Being on active duty in the military could be rewarded with lower auto insurance rates.
- Senior Discount – Older drivers may receive a small decrease in premiums.
A quick disclaimer, most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, that’s just not realistic.
Car insurance companies that may offer these money-saving discounts are:
When getting a coverage quote, ask each company or agent to apply every possible discount. Depending on the company, some discounts may not be offered in your area. To view auto insurance companies that can offer you the previously mentioned discounts in San Diego, click here to view.
The majority of larger companies such as Allstate and Progressive give pricing from their websites. Getting online rates for Dodge Caliber insurance in San Diego is fairly straightforward as you just enter the coverage amounts you desire as detailed in the form. Upon sending the form, the quote system gets credit information and your driving record and gives you a price quote determined by many factors. This makes it simple to compare prices and it’s also necessary to perform this step in order to find the most affordable auto insurance rates.
To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now, compare rate quotes from the providers shown below. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you complete the form with the limits and deductibles exactly as shown on your declarations page. This way, you will be getting a price comparison based on similar coverages.
The auto insurance companies shown below can provide price comparisons in California. If the list has multiple companies, we suggest you compare several of them to find the lowest auto insurance rates.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caliber Express | $256 | $564 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,500 | $125 |
| Caliber Heat | $180 | $416 | $534 | $32 | $160 | $1,322 | $110 |
| Caliber SE | $158 | $372 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,210 | $101 |
| Caliber Mainstreet | $232 | $524 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,536 | $128 |
| Caliber Rush | $286 | $650 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,716 | $143 |
| Caliber SXT | $158 | $354 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,142 | $95 |
| Caliber Uptown | $322 | $672 | $450 | $26 | $134 | $1,604 | $134 |
| Caliber R/T | $278 | $546 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,424 | $119 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Price data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, homeowner, and multi-policy. Estimates do not factor in specific zip code location which can change price quotes substantially.
Premiums by gender and age
The example below visualizes the comparison of Dodge Caliber car insurance rates for male and female drivers. The premium estimates are based on no violations or accidents, full coverage, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are factored in.
Why Informed Drivers Pay Less for Dodge Caliber Insurance
The best way to find cheaper insurance is to take a look at the factors that help determine insurance rates. When you understand what influences your rates, this enables informed choices that could help you find much lower annual insurance costs. Many things are considered when pricing auto insurance. A few of the factors are predictable like an MVR report, although others are more transparent such as whether you are married and annual miles driven.
The list below includes just a few of the factors utilized by car insurance companies to help set premiums.
- Policy lapses raise rates – Driving without insurance coverage in place can get you a ticket and your next policy will cost more because you let your insurance expire. And not only will insurance be more expensive, getting caught without coverage will get you a steep fine or even jail time. You may then have to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the California DMV.
- Cut insurance rates and deter theft – Buying a car with a theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your insurance. Theft deterrent systems such as vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack can help prevent auto theft and help lower rates.
- Rural vs Urban Areas – Having an address in areas with lower population is a positive aspect when trying to find low car insurance rates. Residents of big cities have more auto accidents and more severe claims. Fewer drivers on the road means fewer accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft.
- Defend yourself with liability protection – Liability coverage is the coverage that protects you if ever you are responsible for damages caused by your negligence. Your policy’s liability insurance provides for a legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability is cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not cut corners here.
- Marriage discount – Having a significant other may cut your premiums when buying insurance. Marriage may mean you are more mature than a single person and insurance companies reward insureds because married drivers get in fewer accidents.
- Cautious drivers pay the best prices – Your driving citation history impacts premiums far more than you think. Having just one speeding ticket or other violation can increase the cost of insurance twenty percent or more. Drivers who don’t get tickets pay less for auto insurance than their less careful counterparts. Drivers unfortunate enough to have serious violations such as reckless driving or DUI might be required by their state to prove financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to prevent their license from being revoked.
- Older drivers are lower risk – Beginning drivers in California tend to get distracted easily when behind the wheel and because of this, their insurance rates are much higher. Mature drivers are proven to be safer behind the wheel, file fewer claims, and are safer drivers.
Insurance agents can give valuable advice
A lot of people prefer to talk to a local agent. The best thing about comparing rates online is that you can find the best rates but still work with a licensed agent.
For easy comparison, once you complete this simple form, your insurance coverage information is emailed to agents in your area that can give you free San Diego auto insurance quotes for your coverage. You never need to leave your computer as quotes are delivered immediately to you. You can get cheaper car insurance rates and an insurance agent to talk to. If you wish to quote rates from a specific company, just jump over to their website and submit a quote form there.
Deciding on an company should include more criteria than just the price. A good agent in San Diego will have answers to these questions.
- What are their preferred companies if they are an independent agency?
- How experienced are they in personal risk management?
- If you raise deductibles, how much can you save?
- How long has the business existed?
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in California?
- Are there any extra charges for paying monthly?
What type of San Diego car insurance agent is right for you?
When looking for a local San Diego insurance agent, it can be helpful to understand the different agency structures and how they differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agents in San Diego are either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be exclusive can only quote rates from one company such as Farmers Insurance, Allstate, or State Farm. Exclusive agents are unable to compare other company’s rates so they have no alternatives for high prices. They are very knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps them sell on service rather than price.
The following is a list of exclusive agents in San Diego that can give you comparison quotes.
Farmers Insurance – Aaron Farmer
7960 Silverton Ave #202 – San Diego, CA 92126 – (858) 689-0466 – View Map
John Tran – State Farm Insurance Agent
2820 Camino del Rio S Ste 310 – San Diego, CA 92108 – (619) 291-1787 – View Map
Dave Murphy – State Farm Insurance Agent
12121 Scripps Summit Dr Ste 100 – San Diego, CA 92131 – (858) 621-6681 – View Map
Independent Agents
Agents that elect to be independent are appointed with more than one company and that is an advantage because they can write policies through lots of different companies and find the cheapest car insurance rates. If prices rise, they simply move the coverage in-house which makes it simple for you.
When searching for an agent, you will want to compare quotes from a couple of independent agencies to get the best comparison.
Listed below is a list of independent insurance agencies in San Diego that are able to give comparison quotes.
San Diego Insurance
4411 Mercury St #105b – San Diego, CA 92111 – (858) 565-6695 – View Map
AG Insurance Agency
11440 W Bernardo Ct #161 – San Diego, CA 92127 – (858) 431-9880 – View Map
Nationwide Insurance: Keith Jackson Insurance Agency Inc
1081 Camino del Rio S Ste 210 – San Diego, CA 92108 – (916) 742-6995 – View Map
Insurance is not optional but you don’t have to overpay
Despite the fact that insurance is not cheap in San Diego, insurance may be mandatory for several reasons.
First, almost all states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means state laws require a specific level of liability insurance coverage in order to be legal. 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 you have a loan on your vehicle, it’s most likely the lender will require that you buy insurance to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the lender may insure your Dodge at a more expensive rate and make you pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
Third, insurance safeguards not only your vehicle but also your financial assets. It will also reimburse you for medical expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. As part of your policy, liability insurance also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If you have damage to your Dodge as the result of the weather or an accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of buying enough insurance more than cancel out the cost, especially if you ever need it. According to a 2015 survey, the average American driver is currently overpaying as much as $825 a year so compare rate quotes each time the policy renews to make sure the price is not too high.
One last thing to lower rates
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, you should never reduce needed coverages to save money. In too many instances, someone sacrificed uninsured motorist or liability limits and learned later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at the best cost, but do not skimp to save money.
Budget-conscious Dodge Caliber insurance is available both online and from local insurance agents, so you need to quote San Diego auto insurance with both so you have a total pricing picture. A few companies may not offer rate quotes online and most of the time these regional insurance providers only sell coverage through independent agents.
For more information, feel free to browse the resources below:
- Self-driving cars won’t replace humans (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for a Dodge Grand Caravan in San Diego? (FAQ)
- How Much are Car Insurance Rates for a Toyota Camry in San Diego? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Teachers in San Diego? (FAQ)
- Dangers of fake or stolen airbags (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Hybrid vehicles cost insurers more (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)