Do you get exhausted from scraping the payment together to pay high car insurance rates every month? You’re in the same situation as many other California consumers.
A recent car insurance study revealed that the majority of drivers kept their policy with the same company for more than four years, and about 40% of consumers have never even compared quotes to find cheaper rates. Many drivers in California could save up to 35% every year just by shopping around, but they just feel it’s too hard to save money by comparing rate quotes. Big companies like GEICO, Farmers Insurance and State Farm constantly bombard you with catchy ads and consumers find it hard to avoid their marketing magic and do the work needed to find the best deal.
The companies shown below offer price quotes in San Diego, CA. If multiple providers are shown, we recommend you visit two to three different companies in order to get a fair rate comparison.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traverse LS 2WD | $216 | $324 | $360 | $22 | $108 | $1,030 | $86 |
| Traverse LS AWD | $216 | $274 | $386 | $22 | $116 | $1,014 | $85 |
| Traverse LT 2WD | $234 | $342 | $454 | $26 | $136 | $1,192 | $99 |
| Traverse LT AWD | $332 | $564 | $394 | $24 | $118 | $1,432 | $119 |
| Traverse LTZ 2WD | $386 | $576 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,472 | $123 |
| Traverse LTZ AWD | $234 | $416 | $454 | $26 | $136 | $1,266 | $106 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Data variables include single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, claim-free, and homeowner. Premium amounts do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can revise auto insurance rates greatly.
Annual premiums for males versus females
The chart below shows the comparison of Chevrolet Traverse insurance costs for male and female drivers. The premiums assume no tickets, no at-fault accidents, comp and collision included, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are factored in.
Here’s why auto insurance is not optional
Despite the fact that auto insurance is not cheap in San Diego, maintaining insurance is required for several reasons.
First, most states have minimum liability requirements which means the state requires a specific minimum amount of liability 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, most lenders will have a requirement that you have insurance to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you do not keep the policy in force, the bank will be required to insure your Chevy at an extremely high rate and make you pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
Third, insurance safeguards not only your Chevy but also your assets. Insurance will pay for most medical and hospital costs that are the result of an accident. Liability insurance will also pay to defend you in the event you are sued. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, your policy will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of carrying adequate insurance are definitely more than the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. Unknowingly, the average driver overpays more than $865 each year so it’s recommended you shop around at every renewal to ensure rates are competitive.
Cheap San Diego insurance rates with discounts
Insurance is easily one of your largest bills, but you may be missing some discounts that you may not know about. Some trigger automatically when you purchase, but some need to be specifically requested before they will apply.
- No Charge for an Accident – Not necessarily a discount, but companies like State Farm and Progressive permit an accident without raising rates so long as you are claim-free prior to the accident.
- Student in College – Any of your kids who are enrolled in higher education away from home without a vehicle on campus can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Defensive Driver Discount – Passing a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily pay for the cost of the class.
- Multiple Policy Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same insurance company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total Traverse insurance premium.
- New Vehicle Savings – Buying a new car model can cost up to 25% less since newer vehicles have better safety ratings.
- Pay Upfront and Save – By paying your entire bill at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can avoid monthly service charges.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars with ABS braking systems or traction control are much safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Telematics Data Discounts – Insureds who allow data collection to look at driving habits by using a telematics device such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system might get better premium rates if they have good driving habits.
As a footnote on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So despite the fact that it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it doesn’t quite work that way.
Some companies who might offer these benefits include:
If you are trying to find affordable San Diego car insurance quotes, ask each insurance company which credits you are entitled to. Some discounts may not apply in every state. To find insurers that offer many of these discounts in California, click here.
Insurance agencies can help
A small number of people would rather go talk to an agent. Professional insurance agents are very good at helping people manage risk and help file insurance claims. A good thing about comparing insurance online is that drivers can save money and get the best rates and still buy from a local agent. And supporting neighborhood agents is still important in San Diego.
After completing this quick form, your coverage information is sent to agents in your area who will gladly provide quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to drive around as quotes are delivered to you instantly. If you want to compare prices from a specific company, you can always find their quoting web page and fill out their quote form.
Selecting a company should depend on more than just a low price. These are some questions your agent should answer.
- Is the agent CPCU or CIC certified?
- Are they actively involved in the community?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
The coverage is in the details
Learning about specific coverages of your policy aids in choosing which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are typical coverages offered by insurance companies.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your Chevy Traverse.
Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits (California limits are 15/30/5), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important. Frequently these limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Liability coverages
Liability coverage can cover damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property by causing an accident. It protects you against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You commonly see limits of 15/30/5 that translate to a limit of $15,000 per injured person, a limit of $30,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $5,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage protects against things such as emergency aid, funeral expenses and legal defense fees. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but buy higher limits if possible. California requires drivers to carry at least 15/30/5 but it’s recommended drivers buy higher limits.
Collision coverage
Collision coverage covers damage to your Traverse from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision can pay for things such as hitting a parking meter, colliding with another moving vehicle and colliding with a tree. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible on your Traverse to bring the cost down.
Comprehensive protection
This coverage will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims like hail damage, falling objects, fire damage and damage from flooding. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Medical expense coverage
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for short-term medical expenses like pain medications, ambulance fees and nursing services. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover you and your occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Persistence is the key to cheap rates
Budget-conscious Chevy Traverse insurance can be purchased from both online companies and from local agencies, so you need to shop San Diego car insurance with both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance providers may not have the ability to get a quote online and these small insurance companies provide coverage only through independent agents.
As you prepare to switch companies, do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
Throughout this article, we presented quite a bit of information on how to reduce Chevy Traverse insurance car insurance rates online in San Diego. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the lowest car insurance rates are with a lesser-known regional company. Regional companies may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like GEICO and State Farm.
Helpful resources
- Things to Know Before you Cancel Insurance (Allstate)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Rates for Low Income Drivers in San Diego? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for a Nissan Altima in San Diego? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Inexperienced Drivers in San Diego? (FAQ)
- How Much are Car Insurance Quotes for a Honda Civic in San Diego? (FAQ)
- How Much are Car Insurance Quotes for a Honda Accord in San Diego? (FAQ)
- How Much is San Diego Car Insurance for College Students? (FAQ)
- Distracted Driving Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Older Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Vehicle Size and Weight FAQ (iihs.org)
- What are my Rights when Filing a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)