Buying more affordable San Diego GMC Terrain insurance quotes on the web might seem overwhelming for people new to online price comparisons. With such a large number of online companies, how are people expected to possibly compare each option to find better prices?
A recent insurance study revealed that a large majority of drivers kept their coverage with the same insurance company for well over three years, and nearly half have never shopped around. With the average premium in California being $1,400, drivers can save hundreds of dollars each year just by getting comparison quotes, but they don’t want to take the time to find affordable rates by getting comparison quotes.
If you are already insured, you will be able to lower your rates using the ideas covered in this article. This information will familiarize you with the most effective ways to compare rates and some tips to save money. Although California drivers do need to learn the way insurance companies determine prices and use this information to your advantage.
Buy San Diego GMC Terrain insurance online
All major insurance companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive make it easy to get prices for coverage online. Comparing prices online for GMC Terrain insurance in San Diego is possible for anyone because it’s just a matter of typing in your required coverages as detailed in the form. When complete, their quoting system makes automated requests for information on your driving record and credit history and gives you a price quote based on the data you entered.
Being able to quote online for GMC Terrain insurance in San Diego makes it simple to compare prices and it’s absolutely necessary to perform this step in order to get lower-cost prices.
To compare pricing, take a look at the companies shown below. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended that you enter deductibles and limits identical to your current policy. Doing this guarantees you will be getting comparison quotes using the exact same coverages.
The companies in the list below have been selected to offer price comparisons in California. If multiple providers are shown, it’s a good idea that you visit as many as you can in order to get a fair rate comparison.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrain SLE 2WD | $378 | $708 | $508 | $30 | $152 | $1,776 | $148 |
| Terrain SLE AWD | $182 | $372 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,132 | $94 |
| Terrain SLT 2WD | $370 | $792 | $394 | $24 | $118 | $1,698 | $142 |
| Terrain SLT AWD | $386 | $678 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,574 | $131 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Table data represents married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Information does not factor in zip code location which can revise coverage rates noticeably.
Full coverage versus liability only rates
The information below examines GMC Terrain car insurance rates with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The data is based on no claims or driving violations, $500 deductibles, single female driver, and no other discounts are factored in.
When to stop buying physical damage coverage
There is no definitive guideline of when to drop full coverage on your policy, but there is a broad guideline. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is more than 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you might consider buying liability only.
For example, let’s assume your GMC Terrain book value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most you would get paid by your company is $7,000 after paying your deductible. If you are paying over $700 annually for physical damage coverage, then you might consider buying liability only.
There are some cases where dropping full coverage is not in your best interest. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you have to carry full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should maintain full coverage.
GMC Terrain insurance rates: Men versus women
The example below illustrates the difference between GMC Terrain insurance rates for male and female drivers. The rates are based on no tickets, no at-fault accidents, comp and collision included, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Take policy discounts and save on GMC Terrain insurance in San Diego
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but you may find discounts to help offset the cost. A few discounts will automatically apply when you get a quote, but less common discounts must be manually applied before you get the savings.
- Good Students Pay Less – This discount can save 20 to 25%. Many companies even apply the discount to college students well after school through age 25.
- Renewal Discounts – A few companies give discounts for switching companies before your current Terrain insurance policy expires. It could save around 10% when you buy San Diego car insurance online.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you can combine your home and auto policy with the same insurance company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total Terrain insurance premium.
- Data Collection Discounts – San Diego drivers who agree to allow data collection to monitor their driving habits by installing a telematics device like Drivewise from Allstate or In-Drive from State Farm might see lower rates as long as the data is positive.
- Senior Citizens – If you’re over the age of 55, you may be able to get a discount up to 10%.
- Multi-car Discount – Drivers who insure all your vehicles on one policy can get a discount for every vehicle.
- E-sign Discounts – A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks just for signing your application on your computer.
- Discounts for New Vehicles – Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper since new model year vehicles have better safety ratings.
- Active Military Service – Having a family member in the military can result in better insurance rates.
Discounts save money, but please remember that most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.
If you would like to choose from a list of companies that offer many of these discounts in California, click here to view.
The GMC Terrain Insurance Premium Equation
Lots of things are part of the calculation when you quote your car insurance policy. A few of the factors are predictable like your driving record, but others are more obscure like your vehicle usage or how financially stable you are. It’s important that you understand some of the things that are used to determine the price you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels, this enables you to make decisions that could help you find lower premium levels.
The items below are some of the things used by your company to calculate your prices.
- Stay claim-free and reduce rates – Companies in California give lower rates to insureds who are claim-free. If you frequently file small claims, you can pretty much guarantee higher rates. Auto insurance is designed for more catastrophic claims.
- Traffic violations hurt – Just one citation may cause rates to rise twenty percent or more. Drivers who don’t get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance compared to bad drivers. Drivers who have gotten dangerous violations such as DUI, reckless driving or excessive speeding may need to file a SR-22 with their state in order to legally drive a vehicle.
- Long commutes cost more – The more you drive your GMC in a year’s time the higher your rate. A lot of insurance companies rate vehicles determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars that are left in the garage cost less to insure compared to those used for work or business. Make sure your car insurance declarations sheet shows the correct driver usage, because improper ratings can cost you money. Improper usage on your Terrain may be costing you higher rates.
- Deter theft and pay less – Choosing to buy a car with a theft deterrent system can help lower your rates. Theft deterrent systems such as OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms all hinder your vehicle from being stolen.
- The type of car you drive affects your prices – The make and model of the car you are buying insurance for makes a substantial difference in determining your rates. Due to the fact that the GMC Terrain is considered a standard SUV, insuring your vehicle will cost slightly more compared to average rates in San Diego. Smaller low performance passenger cars usually have the lowest premiums, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- GMC Terrain insurance claim data – Insurance companies factor in historical loss data to help calculate premium prices. Models that historically have higher claim frequency or loss amount will have a higher cost to insure. The table below outlines the historical insurance loss data for GMC Terrain vehicles.
For each type of coverage, the loss probability for all vehicles, without regard to make or model, is a value of 100. Values under 100 represent a good loss history, while numbers above 100 indicate a higher chance of having a claim or larger claims.
Car Insurance Loss Data for GMC Terrain Models
Specific GMC Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury GMC Terrain 4dr 2WD 89 83 81 96 92 86 GMC Terrain 4dr 4WD 89 86 85 83 82 74 Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
Shop online but buy locally
A small number of people would rather sit down and talk to an agent and that is OK! The best thing about comparing rates online is that drivers can save money and get lower rates and still buy from a local agent. Putting coverage with local agents is definitely important in San Diego.
Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is immediately sent to local insurance agents in San Diego who will give you bids for your coverage. You never need to contact any agents due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to you. You’ll get the best rates AND an agent nearby. If you want to compare rates from one company in particular, don’t hesitate to find their quoting web page and fill out the quote form the provide.
Pick the best auto insurance agent in San Diego for you
If you prefer to buy car insurance from a good San Diego insurance agent, it helps to know the two types of insurance agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Car insurance agencies are either independent or exclusive.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Agents of this type are appointed with more than one company and that gives them the ability to insure with any number of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To move your coverage to a new company, your agent can just switch to a different company which makes it simple for you. If you need lower rates, you will definitely want to include price quotes from a few independent agents for the best price selection. Most also have access to small regional insurance companies that may have much lower rates than larger companies.
The following are independent agents in San Diego who may provide cheap rate quotes.
- Alcott Insurance
3945 Idaho St – San Diego, CA 92104 – (619) 293-3800 – View Map - Curtis Moring Insurance Agency Inc.
5425 Oberlin Dr #201 – San Diego, CA 92121 – (619) 718-7578 – View Map - B H Gold Insurance
9699 Tierra Grande St # 100 – San Diego, CA 92126 – (800) 421-4653 – View Map
Exclusive Car Insurance Agencies
Exclusive agencies can only write with one company like AAA, Allstate, and State Farm. These agents are unable to compare rates from other companies so they have to upsell other benefits. Exclusive insurance agents are well schooled on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage. Drivers often buy from the same agent for years partially due to the prominence of the brand rather than having the cheapest rates.
Below are San Diego exclusive agents willing to provide rate quotes.
- Fred Shadlow – State Farm Insurance Agent
7332 Casper Dr – San Diego, CA 92119 – (619) 464-4261 – View Map - Albert Quiroga – State Farm Insurance Agent
8240 Mira Mesa Blvd G – San Diego, CA 92126 – (858) 695-8000 – View Map - Steve Elder – State Farm Insurance Agent
9225 Mira Mesa Blvd #208d – San Diego, CA 92126 – (858) 271-8928 – View Map
Selecting an insurance agency requires you to look at more than just a low price. Any agent in San Diego should have no problem answering these questions:
- Are they involved in claim handling?
- Can you get a list of referrals?
- Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in California?
- If you raise deductibles, how much can you save?
- What kind of financial rating does the company have?
- How often do they review coverages?
After receiving acceptable answers as well as cheaper Terrain insurance quotes, chances are good that you have found a car insurance agent that is reliable enough to insure your vehicles.
Can you really save that much by switching?
Car insurance providers like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive seem to constantly run television, radio, and online ads. They all seem to convey the message about savings just by moving to them. How does each company give you a lower rate on GMC Terrain insurance in San Diego? Here is how they do it.
All companies quote the lowest rates for the type of driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a profitable customer should be over the age of 45, insures multiple vehicles, and drives a safe vehicle. A driver that fits those parameters will get low premium rates and will save quite a bit of money when switching.
Insureds who fall short of the ideal profile will see a higher premium and this results in the customer buying from a different company. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “people who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save that much. That’s why companies can truthfully make claims that they all have the best prices.
Because of the profiling, drivers should get a wide range of price quotes. Because you cannot predict with any certainty which company will fit your personal profile best.
Compare. Compare. Compare.
As you restructure your insurance plan, do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many cases, an insured cut full coverage only to discover later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your objective should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the lowest possible cost, not the least amount of coverage.
People switch companies for a variety of reasons including policy non-renewal, lack of trust in their agent, extreme rates for teen drivers and delays in paying claims. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, choosing a new insurance company is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.
The cheapest GMC Terrain insurance in San Diego is attainable both online and with local San Diego insurance agents, so you need to shop San Diego car insurance with both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers don’t offer price quotes online and many times these small, regional companies provide coverage only through independent agents.
To read more, link through to the articles below:
- Five Steps to Filing an Auto Insurance Claim (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Affordable San Diego Car Insurance Rates for Drivers Under 21? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for Teenage Females in San Diego? (FAQ)
- Pickups fall short in headlight tests (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Crash Avoidance Technologies FAQ (iihs.org)
- Information for Teen Drivers (GEICO)