It would sure make life easier if we could tell you the single best car insurance company that has the cheapest policy rates in California. It’s not that simple, unfortunately, as there are a whole bunch of unknown elements like the vehicle you drive, whether you are married or single, the deductible level you need, and the area you live in, that all factor into the price you pay. This article goes into detail about the best ways to save on auto insurance and will give you a good start to your coverage search.
The type of vehicle needing coverage is a large factor that determines whether or not you can buy low-cost auto insurance for drivers over age 50. Vehicles with high performance engines, a lack of advanced safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost more to insure than more economical and safe models. The list below outlines car insurance premiums for a number of the most cost-effective vehicles to insure.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $832 |
| Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan | $842 |
| Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $850 |
| Toyota Prius | $921 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 4WD | $931 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $964 |
| Ford Edge SEL 2WD | $971 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $964 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.5 Station Wagon | $973 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 2WD | $983 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $989 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $983 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $989 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Regular Cab 2WD | $985 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 2WD 4-Dr | $997 |
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Price data assumes single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and homeowner. Price estimates do not factor in vehicle location which can lower or raise premiums substantially.
Based upon these rates, we can expect makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, Ford Escape, Toyota Prius, and Ford Explorer will definitely be the most affordable vehicles to insure for older drivers.
Finding good, low-cost auto insurance is tough enough, and finding out which company offers the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers over age 50 involves even more diligence. Each insurer has a proprietary method to set policy rates, so first we will examine the most affordable car insurance companies in Irvine, CA.
Compare Cheap Insurance Quotes for Age 50+
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,121 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,181 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,226 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $1,226 |
| 5 | CSAA | $1,234 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,338 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,447 |
| 8 | GEICO | $1,529 |
| 9 | Mercury | $1,533 |
| 10 | Allied | $1,541 |
| 11 | Progressive | $1,558 |
| 12 | Allstate | $1,559 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,590 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,639 |
| 15 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,739 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,750 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,842 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
| Get a Custom Quote Go | ||
USAA quotes some of the lowest car insurance rates in Irvine at around $1,121 each year. This is $530 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, Nationwide, and CSAA also make the cut as some of the cheapest Irvine, CA auto insurance companies.
As the example above demonstrates, if you are a customer of Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you might see a yearly savings of approximately $60. Customers with Century National might save as much as $105 a year, and Nationwide insureds might lower prices by up to $105 a year.
Remember that these policy prices are averages across all types of insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in a specific location for drivers over age 50. So the insurer that fits your situation best may not even be in the list above. That helps illustrate why you need to get car insurance quotes using your own specific driver information and vehicle.
One of the many things that aid in calculating auto insurance rates is where you keep your car. Areas with more people or even just a higher incidence of claims tend to have higher rates, whereas areas with less crime or weather claims benefit from having to pay less for coverage.
The illustration below shows the highest-priced areas in California for drivers over age 50 to buy auto insurance in. Irvine is listed at #25 with a yearly cost of $1,330 for the average policyholder, which is approximately $111 monthly.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,168 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,079 |
| 3 | Oakland | $1,738 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,693 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,652 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,628 |
| 7 | Long Beach | $1,626 |
| 8 | Stockton | $1,603 |
| 9 | Santa Clarita | $1,595 |
| 10 | Fontana | $1,566 |
| 11 | Modesto | $1,547 |
| 12 | Riverside | $1,542 |
| 13 | Garden Grove | $1,508 |
| 14 | Moreno Valley | $1,506 |
| 15 | Santa Ana | $1,497 |
| 16 | Fresno | $1,457 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,444 |
| 18 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 19 | San Jose | $1,395 |
| 20 | Fremont | $1,389 |
| 21 | San Diego | $1,368 |
| 22 | Oxnard | $1,344 |
| 23 | Bakersfield | $1,340 |
| 24 | Chula Vista | $1,337 |
| 25 | Irvine | $1,330 |
| Get a Custom Quote Go | ||
Rate quotes are approximated as the specific zip code location can modify premiums significantly.
The information below demonstrates how deductibles can raise or lower premium costs when searching for cheap insurance for drivers over age 50. The premiums assume a single male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.
In the chart above, a 50-year-old driver could lower their car insurance rates by $362 a year by switching from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $546 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, such as the Age 20 example, can cut as much as $1,190 each year by choosing a higher deductible.
If you do raise deductibles, it will be necessary to have additional savings on hand to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense that comes with higher deductibles.
Discounts on Irvine car insurance rates
Car insurance companies that provide policies for drivers over age 50 could also offer premium discounts that could potentially reduce rates by 35% or more if you are eligible to receive them. Companies and the discounts they provide are outlined below.
- Progressive may have discounts that include online signing, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, homeowner, online quote discount, good student, and multi-policy.
- SAFECO offers discounts including safe driver, teen safe driver, anti-theft, bundle discounts, anti-lock brakes, multi-car, and drive less.
- American Family offers discounts for bundled insurance, accident-free, defensive driver, Steer into Savings, and good driver.
- MetLife offers premium reductions for good driver, good student, multi-policy, claim-free, defensive driver, accident-free
- GEICO may include discounts for anti-theft, multi-policy, driver training, military active duty, federal employee, and air bags.
- The Hartford discounts include air bag, driver training, good student, bundle, vehicle fuel type, and anti-theft.
The example below illustrates the comparison of insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The rates are based on a male driver, no violations or accidents, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $500 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multiple policy, multiple vehicle, marriage, defensive driving course, accident-free, and vehicle safety discounts applied. When drivers qualify for the discounts, the average savings per year on car insurance for drivers over age 50 is 30% or $613.
The importance of comparing Irvine car insurance rates
California car insurance rates are influenced by many factors that will increase or decrease the price you have to pay. Simply having another birthday, moving across town, or getting a DUI can cause premium changes that can now make some companies cheaper than before.
Not only may your risk profile change, but car insurance companies file new rates as often as every quarter in order to remain profitable. A period of higher than normal claims can result in higher rates, while lower claim levels can produce cheaper Irvine car insurance rates.
To illustrate this example, the data below shows a variety of companies that have the cheapest car insurance in Irvine, CA for a 30-year-old female driver with no accidents, a clean driving record, and good credit. Based on her current risk profile, USAA might offer the cheapest car insurance rates in Irvine at $1,160 a year. This is $491 less than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Nationwide, and Century National are the rest of the top five cheapest Irvine, CA auto insurance companies.
In this next rate comparison, we will give the driver in the first chart a chargeable claim, a lower credit score, and a speeding citation. Because each insurer has a different process to establish rates, comparing quotes may now show a slightly different list of companies as shown below.
Grange now has the cheapest rate in Irvine, CA with Mercury, Progressive, GEICO, and Allstate also having competitive pricing. This example illustrates why California drivers need to compare rates to get the most budget-friendly insurance quotes for drivers over age 50.
Rates are determined by many risk factors and can increase or decrease at any time, so the cheapest rate the last time you compared rates may now be one of the higher cost companies.