It’s an obvious conclusion that car insurance companies want to keep you from comparing prices. People who compare other prices will probably move their business because the odds are good of finding discount prices. A recent auto insurance study revealed that people who make a habit of shopping around saved on average $860 a year compared to other drivers who never shopped around for better prices.
If finding budget-friendly rates on Nissan Sentra insurance is your objective, then learning about how to shop for cheaper coverage can save time, money, and frustration.
The preferred way to get cheaper Nissan Sentra insurance is to compare prices at least once a year from companies who sell auto insurance in Irvine.
- Read and learn about how insurance companies determine prices and the things you can change to drop your rates. Many rating criteria that are responsible for high rates like careless driving and an imperfect credit score can be improved by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.
- Compare rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give rate quotes from one company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agencies can provide price quotes from multiple companies.
- Compare the price quotes to the premium of your current policy and determine if cheaper Sentra coverage is available in Irvine. If you find better rates and change companies, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Provide proper notification to your current company to cancel your current policy. Submit the completed application along with a down payment to your new insurance company. Immediately upon receiving it, store the proof of insurance paperwork above your visor, in the console, or in the glove compartment.
An essential thing to point out is to try to compare the same liability limits and deductibles on each quote request and and to get rates from as many car insurance companies as possible. This ensures a fair price comparison and a complete rate analysis.
The best way to compare insurance rates from multiple companies is to know the fact most of the bigger providers pay for the opportunity to compare their rates. All you need to do is provide a small amount of information including if you have an active license, if you require a SR-22, whether you are married, and your credit rating estimate. Your insurance information gets sent immediately to multiple top-rated companies and they respond with quotes almost instantly.
To start a quote now, click here and complete the form.
The companies shown below are our best choices to provide free rate quotes in California. If you want to find cheap auto insurance in Irvine, we recommend you click on several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Earn discounts on Irvine auto insurance
Buying auto insurance is not cheap, but there could be significant discounts that could help you make your next renewal payment. Some discounts will apply when you complete an application, but a few must be asked for before they will apply. If you do not check that you are getting every discount possible, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.
- Good Driver Discount – Accident-free drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than less cautious drivers.
- Safety Course Discount – Participating in a class that teaches driver safety techniques could cut 5% off your bill and easily pay for the cost of the class.
- Paperwork-free – Many insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
- No Charge for an Accident – Not necessarily a discount, but companies like State Farm, Progressive and GEICO may permit one accident before raising your premiums so long as you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
- Good Student Discount – Getting good grades could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. The good student discount can last up until you turn 25.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to successfully complete driver’s ed class as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
- Anti-theft System – Cars equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are less likely to be stolen and will save you 10% or more on Sentra insurance in Irvine.
- Club Memberships – Being a member of qualifying employment or professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates on auto insurance.
- New Car Discount – Insuring a vehicle that is new can save up to 30% compared to insuring an older model.
- Own a Home – Owning a house in Irvine may trigger a policy discount on auto insurance since home ownership is proof that your finances are in order.
It’s important to note that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Even though it may seem like you could get a free auto insurance policy, you won’t be that lucky.
The information below illustrates the difference between Nissan Sentra insurance costs with and without some available policy discounts. The data is based on a female driver, no accidents or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, multi-car, marriage, and claim-free discounts applied.
If you would like to choose from a list of companies with discount rates in Irvine, follow this link.
Insurance coverage details
The price information shown next showcases detailed analysis of insurance prices for Nissan Sentra models. Understanding how insurance quotes are formulated can assist in making smart policy decisions.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
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Sentra 2 | $332 | $686 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,618 | $135 |
Sentra 2.0 S | $332 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,742 | $145 |
Sentra 2.0 SR | $332 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,742 | $145 |
Sentra 2.0 SL | $380 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,790 | $149 |
Sentra SE-R | $380 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,790 | $149 |
Sentra SE-R SPEC V | $380 | $932 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,912 | $159 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, claim-free, and homeowner. Rates do not factor in garaging location in Irvine which can alter prices noticeably.
Physical damage deductible comparison
The hardest decision when buying coverage is how low should you set your deductibles. The rates shown below can help you understand the cost difference of buying low and high policy deductibles. The first data table uses a $100 physical damage deductible and the second price chart uses a $1,000 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
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Sentra 2 | $332 | $686 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,643 | $137 |
Sentra 2.0 S | $332 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,767 | $147 |
Sentra 2.0 SR | $332 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,767 | $147 |
Sentra 2.0 SL | $380 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,815 | $151 |
Sentra SE-R | $380 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,815 | $151 |
Sentra SE-R SPEC V | $380 | $932 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,937 | $161 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sentra 2 | $184 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,146 | $96 |
Sentra 2.0 S | $184 | $426 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,210 | $101 |
Sentra 2.0 SR | $184 | $426 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,210 | $101 |
Sentra 2.0 SL | $210 | $426 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,236 | $103 |
Sentra SE-R | $210 | $426 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,236 | $103 |
Sentra SE-R SPEC V | $210 | $490 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,300 | $108 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Above prices assume married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, and homeowner. Price information does not factor in specific zip code location which can raise or lower rates considerably.
Based on the data above, we can derive that using a $100 deductible costs approximately $47 more each month or $564 for a full year than selecting the higher $1,000 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $900 more out of your own pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you have at a minimum 19 months between claim filings, you would probably be better off if you elect the higher deductible. Below is a better example of how you can do this calculation yourself.
Average monthly premium for $100 deductibles: | $149 |
Average monthly premium for $1,000 deductibles (subtract): | – $102 |
Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $47 |
Difference between deductibles ($1,000 – $100): | $900 |
Divide difference by monthly savings: | $900 / $47 |
Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 19 months |
One thing to note is that increasing deductibles to save money means you will have to pay more if you have a claim. That will require enough disposable income in the event you need to pay the deductible for vehicle repair.
The diagram below shows how different deductible levels and can influence Nissan Sentra insurance costs for different insured age categories. The data is based on a married male driver, full physical damage coverage, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Reckless driving habits raise car insurance rates
The example below highlights how traffic violations and fender-benders can impact Nissan Sentra car insurance costs for different categories of driver ages. Data assumes a married female driver, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
Full coverage rates vs. liability-only in Irvine
The chart below visualizes the comparison of Nissan Sentra insurance prices with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The prices are based on no claims, a clean driving record, $500 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied.
When to switch to liability coverage only
There is no clear-cut formula of when to drop comp and collision coverage, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than about 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
For example, let’s assume your Nissan Sentra replacement value is $4,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most you would get paid by your company is $3,000 after the deductible is paid. If premium cost is more than $300 annually for physical damage coverage, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
There are some cases where dropping full coverage is not a good idea. If you haven’t satisfied your loan, you are required to maintain full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest in the vehicle. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should keep full coverage on your policy.
Six Things That Influence Your Insurance Premiums
It’s important that you understand the rating factors that are used to determine the rates you pay for car insurance. If you know what determines premiums, this allows you to make educated decisions that could result in lower car insurance prices.
The list below includes some of the major factors used by insurance companies to determine your rates.
- Reduce prices by driving cars with good safety ratings – Safe vehicles tend to have better insurance rates. The safest vehicles reduce occupant injuries and reduced instances of injuries translates directly to fewer claims and thus lower rates. If your Nissan Sentra scored better than four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org you may qualify for a discount.
- Additional coverages that may be costing you – Policies have extra add-on coverages that sound like a good idea at the time on your Sentra policy. Coverages like personal injury protection, towing, and additional equipment coverage could be just wasting money. You may think they are a good idea at first, but if you don’t need them get rid of them and save.
- Married people drive safer – Being married can actually save you money on your car insurance bill. Having a significant other translates into being more responsible and statistics prove married drivers tend to file fewer claims.
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Older drivers pay less – More mature drivers are shown to be more cautious, tend to file fewer claims, and tend to be get fewer driving tickets. Teen drivers are known to be less responsible when driving with friends so they pay higher car insurance rates.
The following chart uses these assumptions: single driver, full coverage with $250 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.
- Do you have a tough job? – Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Occupations such as military generals, social workers, and emergency personnel generally pay higher rates than average in part from job stress and long work hours. Conversely, jobs like farmers, students and performers generally pay rates lower than average.
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High performance equals high rates – The performance level of the car or truck you own makes a huge difference in how high your rates are. The cheapest insurance rates tend to be for lower performance four cylinder passenger cars, but your final cost has many other factors.
The next chart uses these assumptions: single male driver age 20, full coverage with $500 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. It shows Nissan Sentra insurance rates compared to other vehicles that have different performance risks.
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Insurance losses for a Nissan Sentra – Insurers analyze the history of losses when they file their rates in each state. Vehicles that are shown to have higher number or severity of losses will have a higher premium rate.
The table below illustrates the historical loss data for Nissan Sentra vehicles. For each coverage category, the claim probability for all vehicles, regardless of make, model or trim level, is a value of 100. Values below 100 indicate better than average losses, while percentages above 100 indicate frequent claims or an increased likelihood of larger losses.
Nissan Sentra Insurance Claim Statistics Specific Nissan Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Nissan Sentra 120 107 81 158 179 141 BETTERAVERAGEWORSEStatistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years