Statistics show that the vast majority of car insurance customers have bought car insurance from the same company for more than four years, and 38% of drivers have never compared quotes from other companies. Irvine drivers can cut their rates by about 35% a year just by shopping around, but they just don’t understand how easy it is to compare rates.
The best way we recommend to get the cheapest Honda Element insurance in Irvine is to compare prices once a year from insurers who can sell car insurance in California.
- Step 1: Take a few minutes and learn about how companies price auto insurance and the measures you can control to lower rates. Many rating criteria that are responsible for high rates such as at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, and an imperfect credit history can be controlled by being financially responsible and driving safely.
- Step 2: Compare price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can only give prices from one company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide price quotes from many different companies. Compare rates
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to the price on your current policy to see if a cheaper rate is available in Irvine. If you find a lower rate and decide to switch, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
- Step 4: Provide adequate notice to your current company to cancel the current policy and submit the signed application along with the required initial payment to the new insurer. When you receive it, safely store the certificate verifying coverage along with the vehicle’s registration papers.
The most important part of shopping around is that you’ll want to compare the same deductibles and limits on every quote and and to get price quotes from as many carriers as you can. This guarantees an apples-to-apples comparison and the best price quote selection.
Car insurance data for a Honda Element
The table below highlights detailed analysis of coverage prices for Honda Element models. Having insight into how auto insurance prices are calculated can help you make smart choices when comparing insurance rates.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Element LX 2WD | $266 | $524 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,570 | $131 |
Element LX 4WD | $266 | $524 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,570 | $131 |
Element EX 2WD | $266 | $524 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,570 | $131 |
Element EX 4WD | $266 | $524 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,570 | $131 |
Element SC 2WD | $266 | $524 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,570 | $131 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data variables include single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Premium costs do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can lower or raise prices considerably.
An analysis of deductible level
One of the most common car insurance questions is how high should the physical damage deductibles be. The data tables below may help to illustrate how much more rates are when you buy lower versus higher policy deductibles. The first pricing table uses a $100 comprehensive and collision deductible and the second price table uses a $1,000 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Element LX 2WD | $380 | $686 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,691 | $141 |
Element LX 4WD | $380 | $686 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,691 | $141 |
Element EX 2WD | $380 | $686 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,691 | $141 |
Element EX 4WD | $380 | $686 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,691 | $141 |
Element SC 2WD | $380 | $686 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,691 | $141 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Element LX 2WD | $210 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,172 | $98 |
Element LX 4WD | $210 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,172 | $98 |
Element EX 2WD | $210 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,172 | $98 |
Element EX 4WD | $210 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,172 | $98 |
Element SC 2WD | $210 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,172 | $98 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, homeowner, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and multi-policy. Rates do not factor in specific location information which can decrease or increase coverage rates substantially.
Based on the figures above, using a $100 deductible costs approximately $43 more each month or $516 for a full year than opting for the higher $1,000 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $900 more if you file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you tend to go at a minimum 21 months between claims, you would more than likely save some money if you elect the higher deductible. Here’s the way we made this calculation.
Average monthly premium for $100 deductibles: | $141 |
Average monthly premium for $1,000 deductibles (subtract): | – $98 |
Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $43 |
Difference between deductibles ($1,000 – $100): | $900 |
Divide difference by monthly savings: | $900 / $43 |
Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 21 months |
Careless drivers pay higher rates
The illustration below demonstrates how traffic citations and accident claims can influence Honda Element insurance prices for different age groups. The price estimates are based on a married female driver, full coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
How much more does full coverage cost?
The information below compares Honda Element car insurance costs with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The premium estimates are based on a clean driving record, no claims, $100 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Are you wasting money paying for full coverage?
There is no clear-cut formula to exclude physical damage insurance, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of coverage is about 10% or more of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your Honda Element settlement value is $6,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most you would get paid by your company is $5,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If you are paying over $500 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it might be time to buy liability only.
There are a few cases where removing full coverage is not recommended. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to carry full coverage in order to prevent your loan from defaulting. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should keep full coverage.
Get Cheaper Auto Insurance with These Tips
Many things are used when premium rates are determined. A few of the factors are predictable such as traffic violations, although others are not quite as obvious such as whether you are married or your financial responsibility. It’s important that you understand some of the things that aid in calculating your premiums. If you have a feel for what determines premiums, this allows you to make good choices that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
Listed below are most of the major factors auto insurance companies consider when setting prices.
- Safer vehicles are cheaper to insure – Vehicles with good safety scores tend to be cheaper to insure. These vehicles protect occupants better and fewer serious injuries means your insurance company pays less passed on to you as lower rates.
- Liability insurance preserves assets – Liability insurance is the coverage that protects you if ever you are found to be at fault for damages from an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage to attempt to prove you were not liable. Liability is cheap compared to comp and collision, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
- High physical damage deductibles lower costs – The deductibles you choose tell how much you are required to spend before a claim is paid by your company. Physical damage protection, also called ‘full coverage’, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of some claims that would be covered are a windshield broken by a bird, fire damage, or theft of your vehicle. The more money you have to pay, the lower your rates will be.
- High policy claims frequency drives up premiums – If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Companies in California give better rates to policyholders who do not file claims often. Your car insurance is intended for claims that you cannot pay yourself.
- Small coverages can add up – There are many extra bells and whistles you can purchase when buying auto insurance. Insurance for things like roadside assistance, towing coverage, and additional equipment coverage are probably not needed. They may sound like good ideas when you first buy your policy, but if you’ve never needed them in the past think about removing them and cutting costs.
- Save money with alarms and GPS tracking – Purchasing a vehicle with advanced anti-theft systems can help bring down rates. Anti-theft devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems help track and prevent your car from being stolen.
- See if your company offers a multi-policy discount – Some insurers afford discounts to customers that have more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount applied, drivers will still want to get quotes from other companies to ensure the best deal.
- Higher premiums for policy lapses – Driving any period of time without insurance is a misdemeanor and auto insurance companies will penalize you for letting your insurance lapse. And not only will insurance be more expensive, getting caught without coverage can result in a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license. You will then be forced to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the California DMV.
Best car insurance in California
Insuring your vehicle with a highly-rated insurance provider can be rather challenging considering how many companies sell coverage in Irvine. The ranking data in the next section can help you pick which companies to look at purchasing coverage from.
Top 10 Irvine Car Insurance Companies by A.M. Best Rank
- USAA – A++
- Travelers – A++
- State Farm – A++
- GEICO – A++
- Esurance – A+
- Nationwide – A+
- Allstate – A+
- Mercury Insurance – A+
- Progressive – A+
- Titan Insurance – A+
Top 10 Irvine Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Satisfaction
- Titan Insurance – 95%
- USAA – 94%
- AAA of Southern California – 92%
- AAA Insurance – 91%
- Nationwide – 90%
- State Farm – 90%
- The Hartford – 89%
- GEICO – 89%
- The General – 88%
- 21st Century – 88%
More quotes mean more car insurance savings
Cost effective Honda Element insurance can be purchased online in addition to many Irvine insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some car insurance companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
Consumers leave their current company for many reasons like unfair underwriting practices, policy non-renewal, being labeled a high risk driver and high rates after DUI convictions. Regardless of your reason, finding a new car insurance company is easier than you think.
In this article, we presented a lot of ways to shop for Honda Element insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the better likelihood of getting cheaper Irvine auto insurance quotes. You may even be surprised to find that the best price on car insurance is with a lesser-known regional company.
Even more information is located in the articles below:
- Should I Purchase an Umbrella Liability Policy? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has the Cheapest Irvine Car Insurance for Young Drivers? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Irvine Auto Insurance Rates for a Toyota Highlander? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for 4×4 Vehicles in Irvine? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Quotes for Low Income Drivers in Irvine? (FAQ)
- How Much are Car Insurance Quotes for a 20 Year Old Female in Irvine? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Irvine Auto Insurance Quotes for a Jeep Grand Cherokee? (FAQ)
- Learn About Car Insurance (GEICO)
- Insurance Losses by Make and Model (iihs.org)
- Car Insurance: When not to Skimp (BankRate.com)