It’s hard to miss the catchy advertisements from insurers like The General and GEICO that make claims of dirt cheap rates, so drivers just need to pick the one with the catchiest commercial, right?
It’s just not that easy, however, as there are a ton of unknowns such as if you have ever let your coverage lapse, your date of birth, and whether you are male or female. This article will cover the best ways to maintain low rates and should give you a good beginning to your quest for cheaper car insurance in California.
For poor drivers, one of the big components that help determine the price you pay for insurance is where you call home. Areas with more people or even just a higher incidence of claims tend to have more expensive car insurance rates, whereas areas with fewer weather claims and lower vehicle theft rates profit from lower rates.
The next table shows the most expensive places in California for low income drivers to purchase car insurance in. Irvine ranks #21 with an annual cost of $1,371 for the average insured, which is about $114 per month.
Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Glendale | $2,121 |
2 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
3 | Oakland | $1,755 |
4 | San Francisco | $1,711 |
5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
6 | Long Beach | $1,626 |
7 | San Bernardino | $1,580 |
8 | Santa Clarita | $1,548 |
9 | Stockton | $1,541 |
10 | Modesto | $1,532 |
11 | Garden Grove | $1,524 |
12 | Fontana | $1,519 |
13 | Moreno Valley | $1,506 |
14 | Fresno | $1,502 |
15 | Riverside | $1,497 |
16 | Santa Ana | $1,453 |
17 | Anaheim | $1,444 |
18 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
19 | San Jose | $1,395 |
20 | Bakersfield | $1,394 |
Start a Quote Go |
Price information shown is comparative as vehicle location can raise or lower coverage prices noticeably.
Figuring out which insurers offer the best car insurance rates for low income drivers calls for a little more sweat than just getting one or two price quotes. Every insurance company has their own guidelines for determining rates, so let’s look at the rankings for the lowest cost car insurance companies in Irvine, CA.
It’s important that you understand Irvine car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can substantially decrease or increase the cost of coverage. Turning one year older, buying higher coverage limits, or getting a few speeding tickets may cause policy rate changes that can make some companies cheaper than before.
Find Cheaper Auto Insurance in California
Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Wawanesa | $1,146 |
2 | USAA | $1,155 |
3 | Century National | $1,178 |
4 | CSAA | $1,222 |
5 | Nationwide | $1,250 |
6 | 21st Century | $1,366 |
7 | Grange | $1,491 |
8 | Mercury | $1,503 |
9 | Allied | $1,541 |
10 | Progressive | $1,542 |
11 | Allstate | $1,559 |
12 | GEICO | $1,575 |
13 | MetLife | $1,590 |
14 | The Hartford | $1,623 |
15 | Esurance | $1,688 |
16 | State Farm | $1,699 |
17 | Unitrin | $1,750 |
18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
19 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
Quote Your Rates Go |
Wawanesa quotes some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Irvine at around $1,146 each year. USAA, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide also rank well as some of the best Irvine, CA auto insurance companies.
In the rate table above, if you currently have coverage with USAA and switched to Wawanesa, you might achieve a yearly price reduction of around $9. California drivers with Century National may save as much as $32 a year, and CSAA policyholders might reduce prices by as much as $76 a year.
Bear in mind that those policy rates are averages for all drivers and vehicles in California and and are not calculated with a specific zip code for low income drivers. So the company that has the cheapest price for you may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That points out the importance of why you need to quote rates from as many companies as possible using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
The make and model of vehicle you are seeking coverage for is probably the most important factor when looking for the lowest-priced coverage for low income drivers. Vehicles with higher performance, poor passenger safety features, or a track record of large liability claims will cost much more to insure than more modest models.
The table below presents coverage rates for a handful of the most economical automobiles to buy insurance for.
Insured Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Toyota Prius | $895 |
Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $903 |
Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $909 |
Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $988 |
Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 2WD | $994 |
Toyota Corolla LE | $1,004 |
Toyota Camry SE | $1,014 |
Ford Edge Sport 2WD | $1,004 |
Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T 4-Dr Sedan | $1,022 |
Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,024 |
Honda Odyssey EX | $1,029 |
Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,024 |
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $1,044 |
Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $1,050 |
Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $1,044 |
Chevrolet Malibu LS | $1,049 |
Toyota RAV4 Limited 2WD | $1,044 |
Get a Custom Quote Go |
Cost estimates assume single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-policy. Rate information does not factor in zip code location which can impact prices greatly.
Looking at the numbers, you can infer that cars like the Toyota Prius, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Dodge Grand Caravan are going to be a few of the cheaper vehicles to insure for poor drivers.
Get discounts on Irvine auto insurance rates
Insurance providers that offer quotes for low income drivers may also give you rate discounts that could lower prices by as much as 35% or more if you can meet the requirements. Larger car insurance companies and a selection of discounts can be read below.
- State Farm has savings for accident-free, good student, defensive driving training, Drive Safe & Save, passive restraint, student away at school, and multiple policy.
- Esurance has discounts for defensive driver, good student, DriveSense, Pac-12 alumni, claim free, and anti-lock brakes.
- Progressive may offer discounts for multi-policy, good student, multi-vehicle, homeowner, online quote discount, continuous coverage, and online signing.
- Liberty Mutual discounts include newly retired, safety features, new graduate, preferred payment discount, and new vehicle discount.
- Auto-Owners Insurance offers premium reductions for mature driver, anti-lock brakes, air bags, company car, safe vehicle, and teen driver.
- GEICO includes discounts for multi-policy, defensive driver, seat belt use, five-year accident-free, multi-vehicle, driver training, and good student.
The chart below illustrates the comparison of auto insurance rates with and without some available policy discounts. The premiums assume a male driver, no violations or accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $100 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with accident-free, passive restraint, multiple policy, claim-free, multiple vehicle, and marriage discounts applied. When discounts are factored in, theaverage yearly reduction on car insurance for low income drivers is 28% or $957.
Which car insurance company is best in California?
Choosing a high-quality auto insurance company is difficult considering how many companies provide coverage in California. The company ratings displayed below can help you analyze which car insurance companies you want to consider shopping your coverage with. The ratings below are for the largest companies in America, so companies that have a smaller presence are not taken into consideration for this list.
Top 10 Major Car Insurance Companies Overall in Irvine
- USAA
- American Family
- AAA of Southern California
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- AAA Insurance
- GEICO
- The General
- Titan Insurance
- Progressive
Top 10 Major Car Insurance Companies in Irvine Ranked by Value
- USAA
- American Family
- The Hartford
- AAA of Southern California
- Titan Insurance
- The General
- AAA Insurance
- State Farm
- Mercury Insurance
- Nationwide
Chances are good that you’re overpaying for Irvine car insurance
Irvine, CA car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can significantly increase or decrease the price of your policy. Simply improving your credit, buying a home, or having a fender bender may cause policy rate changes that can now make some companies cheaper than competitors. Not only may your situation change, but car insurance companies file new rates multiple times each year to ensure their profitability. Unexpectedly high claims may cause higher prices, while lower claims can result in lower-cost Irvine car insurance rates.
As an example, the data below shows the company with the cheapest car insurance in Irvine, CA for a 40-year-old female driver with no accidents or violations, and a decent credit rating. If we estimate rates based on her current risk profile, USAA might offer the most affordable car insurance rates in Irvine at $1,123 annually. This is $528 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide are the remainder of the cheapest Irvine, CA auto insurance companies.
The next chart shows rates after we give the driver from above some claims, poor credit, and a couple of points charged on her driving record. Due to the fact that each insurance company has their own unique process for setting rates, comparing insurance quotes most likely will result in a different set of cheap Irvine auto insurance companies as shown below.
Grange now has the best price on car insurance in Irvine, CA with Mercury, Allstate, Allied, and Progressive also being competitive. This example demonstrates why drivers need to do a thorough rate comparison to find the best insurance rates for low income drivers. Prices consist of many things and change frequently, so the cheapest rate the last time you shopped your coverage around may now be priced much higher than other options.
The professional agents shown below can aid you in deciding which coverages are best, since some people have coverage questions and would like to have the advice of a professional agent when buying car insurance for low income drivers. It can be challenging to find the cheapest rate yourself, so getting advice from a licensed California insurance agent can give you satisfaction knowing your policy gives you suitable coverage if you ever need to use it.
To find an Irvine insurance agency in your neighborhood, click the button below the list.
Farmers Insurance – Charmaine Lim
20 Pacifica #1450 – Irvine, CA 92618 – (949) 387-9999
California Agency Insurance
17632 Irvine Blvd # 235 – Tustin, CA 92780 – (714) 731-8300
Allstate Insurance: Jeff Adams
4860 Irvine Blvd Ste 206 – Irvine, CA 92620 – (714) 505-2457
Rich Stevens – State Farm Insurance Agent
4482 Barranca Pkwy #224 – Irvine, CA 92604 – (949) 552-6601
State Farm: Jane Lee
30 Corporate Park – Irvine, CA 92606 – (949) 223-5020