It would sure be easy if we could just give you the name of the one auto insurance company that has the lowest rates in California. It’s not that simple, unfortunately, as there are a whole bunch of unknown aspects like the deductible level you need, the neighborhood you live in, whether or not your vehicle has good safety ratings, and if you currently have coverage, that help determine the price you have to pay. We will touch on the best ways to pay less and hopefully give you enough understanding to have a good start to your coverage search.
The make and model of vehicle you are seeking coverage for is probably the largest consideration that determines whether or not you find the best coverage for low mileage drivers. Vehicles with high performance features, a lack of safety features, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than more economical and safe models.
The next table showcases auto insurance rates for the most affordable vehicles to buy insurance for.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4WD 2-Dr | $890 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $892 |
| Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $920 |
| Ford Edge SE AWD | $924 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 4WD | $942 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 4-Dr Sedan | $951 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $960 |
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $968 |
| Toyota Prius | $978 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $968 |
| Toyota Camry XLE | $992 |
| Toyota Tacoma X-Runner 2WD | $997 |
| Toyota Corolla XLE | $992 |
| Nissan Rogue S AWD | $1,009 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LTZ | $1,011 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 4WD | $1,017 |
| Ford F-150 XL Crew Cab 2WD | $1,011 |
| GMC Sierra SLE Extended Cab 4WD | $1,018 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $1,037 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $1,059 |
| Ford Focus SES 2-Dr Coupe | $1,068 |
| Ford F-250 XL Harley Edition 2WD | $1,077 |
| Ford F-350 Super Cab Lariat Turbo Diesel 2WD | $1,097 |
| Compare Cheap Rates Go | |
Above prices assume single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Premium costs do not factor in specific location which can alter rates greatly.
Based upon the rates shown, cars like the Jeep Wrangler, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Ford Edge, and Toyota RAV4 are going to be a few of the more affordable vehicles to insure for infrequent drivers.
For infrequent drivers, one of the more important criteria that help determine the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you keep your vehicle in Irvine. More densely populated places likely pay more, whereas areas with less people or fewer weather incidents tend to receive cheaper rates.
The next table rates the most expensive places in California for low mileage drivers to purchase a policy in. Irvine is ranked at #23 with a yearly cost of $1,330 for the average insurance policy, which is about $111 per month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,168 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,079 |
| 3 | Sacramento | $1,720 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,711 |
| 5 | Oakland | $1,704 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,628 |
| 7 | Long Beach | $1,562 |
| 8 | Stockton | $1,556 |
| 9 | Modesto | $1,547 |
| 10 | Riverside | $1,542 |
| 11 | Fontana | $1,535 |
| 12 | Santa Clarita | $1,533 |
| 13 | Garden Grove | $1,508 |
| 14 | Fresno | $1,502 |
| 15 | Santa Ana | $1,497 |
| 16 | Moreno Valley | $1,491 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,474 |
| 18 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 19 | Fremont | $1,389 |
| 20 | San Jose | $1,381 |
| Find Cheaper Insurance Go | ||
Price information shown is estimated as the specific area where the vehicle is garaged can alter premiums substantially.
Comparing rates for cost effective car insurance is easier said than done, and finding out which company offers the lowest-priced insurance rates for low mileage drivers takes a bit more work. Every car insurance company has a different formula for determining rates, so first we will examine the overall cheapest insurance companies in Irvine.
Find the Cheapest Auto Insurance in California
Click Here to Start Your Quote
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,143 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,157 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,226 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,234 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,250 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,379 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,447 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,503 |
| 9 | Allstate | $1,543 |
| 10 | Progressive | $1,558 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,559 |
| 12 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
| 13 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,654 |
| 15 | Unitrin | $1,733 |
| 16 | State Farm | $1,750 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,756 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,842 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
| Find Your Rate Go | ||
USAA quotes some of the best car insurance rates in Irvine at around $1,143 a year. This is $508 less than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide would also be considered some of the most economical Irvine, CA auto insurance companies.
As shown above, if you buy coverage from CSAA and switched to USAA, you might achieve yearly savings of in the vicinity of $91. Customers with Nationwide could save as much as $107 a year, and 21st Century policyholders might cut rates by $236 a year.
Bear in mind that those premiums are averaged across all drivers and vehicles and and are not figured with an exact location for low mileage drivers. So the auto insurance company that has the cheapest price for you may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That affirms the importance of why you need to get car insurance quotes using your own driver data and vehicle information.
Ending up with the right insurance provider is hard considering how many companies are available to choose from in Irvine. The ranking information in the next section can help you pick which insurers you want to consider when comparing rate quotes. The rankings below only include the largest auto insurers in America, so companies that focus mainly on California business are not factored into these rankings.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 98 | 100 | 100 | 94% | A++ | 98.6 |
| American Family | 98 | 89 | 100 | 86% | A | 95.4 |
| AAA of Southern California | 91 | 94 | 97 | 92% | A+ | 94.1 |
| State Farm | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90% | A++ | 92.4 |
| The Hartford | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89% | A+ | 91.7 |
| AAA Insurance | 88 | 89 | 95 | 91% | A | 91.2 |
| GEICO | 84 | 93 | 93 | 89% | A++ | 90.3 |
| The General | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88% | A- | 90 |
| Titan Insurance | 90 | 87 | 91 | 95% | A+ | 89.6 |
| Progressive | 84 | 91 | 93 | 87% | A+ | 89.5 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Does it make sense to buy full coverage?
Paying a lower price for insurance is probably important to most vehicle owners, and one good way to find cheaper insurance for low mileage drivers is to only pay for liability coverage. The example below shows the comparison of insurance costs with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The information is based on no claims or violations, $500 deductibles, single status, and no other discounts are factored in.
If averaged for all ages, physical damage coverage on your policy costs $2,772 per year over and above liability only. A very common question is if it’s a good idea to buy full coverage. There isn’t a steadfast formula to drop physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of full coverage is about 10% or more of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
There are some situations where dropping full coverage is not a good plan. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you have to carry full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should not buy liability only.
How violations and accidents impact rates
The ideal way to enjoy affordable insurance prices for infrequent drivers is to be a safe driver and avoid accidents and traffic citations. The information below demonstrates how traffic citations and fender-benders drive up insurance rates for different age groups. The data is based on a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
The data charted above shows the average cost of a car insurance policy in California per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,909. Add in two speeding tickets and the average cost swells to $2,549, an increase of $640 each year. Now throw in two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of insurance for low mileage drivers goes up to an average of $5,114. That’s an increase of $3,206, or $267 per month, just for not driving responsibly!
You are probably paying too much for car insurance
Irvine, CA insurance rates are based on many factors which can significantly increase or decrease your annual premium. Simply having a birthday, becoming a homeowner, or getting a reckless driving citation can trigger rate changes that can now make some companies more affordable than others. Also, insurers change rates as often as every three months in order to remain profitable. Higher than usual claims can cause high rates, while profitable underwriting can produce lower-priced Irvine car insurance rates.
To illustrate this point, the bar chart below shows which company has the cheapest car insurance in Irvine, CA for a 40-year-old female driver with a clear driving record, no claims, and a decent credit rating. When quoting prices based on her personal profile, USAA might offer the lowest car insurance rates in Irvine at $1,114 annually. This is $537 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide are also on the list of the cheapest Irvine, CA auto insurance companies.
Now let’s give the driver from the first set of rates a couple of claims, poor credit, and an imperfect driving record. Due to the fact that every insurance company has a unique formula for filing rates in each state, analyzing rate quotes may result in a different set of affordable companies as shown below.
Grange now has the best auto insurance rate in Irvine, CA with Mercury, Allied, Progressive, and Allstate also having competitive pricing. This example proves why consumers need to take the time to perform a complete rate comparison when trying to find the lowest insurance rates for low mileage drivers.
Insurance prices can be altered by many different factors and change substantially, so the lowest-price company a year ago may now be an over-priced policy.
The Irvine auto insurance agencies shown below can help you determine which coverages you need, as many consumers aren’t sure which coverage to buy and prefer to have some professional guidance when comparing insurance rates for infrequent drivers. It can be time-consuming to find coverage yourself, and a professional agent can give you satisfaction knowing you have decent coverage if you have a claim. To find an auto insurance agency using an interactive map, click the button at the bottom of the list.
- Church and Casualty Insurance
3440 Irvine Ave # 150 – Newport Beach, CA 92660 – (949) 852-8558 - Allstate Insurance: Jeff Adams
4860 Irvine Blvd Ste 206 – Irvine, CA 92620 – (714) 505-2457 - Blackwell Insurance
23002 Lake Center Dr – Lake Forest, CA 92630 – (949) 421-0222 - Tustin Insurance Agency
17621 Irvine Blvd #112 – Tustin, CA 92780 – (714) 838-1704 - USG Insurance Services-California
100 Pacifica Suite 340 – Irvine, CA 92618 – (800) 886-3897