Cheap Insurance for a Scion xD in Irvine

If saving the most money is your goal, then the best way to find affordable quotes for auto insurance rates is to start doing an annual price comparison from companies in Irvine.

1. Read about how insurance works and the measures you can take to keep rates down. Many risk factors that cause rate increases such as multiple speeding tickets and an unacceptable credit score can be remedied by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility. Read the full article for information to lower rates and get discounts that may be overlooked.
2. Compare prices from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive and direct companies can provide rates from one company like GEICO or State Farm, while agents who are independent can give you price quotes from multiple insurance companies. Compare rates
3. Compare the new rate quotes to your existing coverage to determine if you can save on xD insurance in Irvine. If you can save money and change companies, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.

One thing to remember is to make sure you enter the same level of coverage on every price quote and and to get prices from every insurance company. Doing this guarantees an accurate price comparison and a complete price analysis.

Everyone knows that car insurance companies don’t want you to look for a cheaper policy. Consumers who shop around for a cheaper policy are inclined to switch insurance companies because there is a high probability of finding discount prices. A recent insurance study discovered that consumers who compared rates regularly saved approximately $850 each year compared to people who never shopped around for cheaper prices.

If finding budget-friendly insurance in Irvine is your ultimate goal, then having an understanding of how to choose a company and compare car insurance can help make the process easier.

Why You Might Pay Higher Rates in Irvine

Many factors are part of the calculation when you get a price on insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious such as traffic violations, but other factors are less apparent such as your credit history or how safe your car is.

• Tickets and citations cost more than a fine – Whether or not you get tickets impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Even a single driving citation can increase rates by twenty percent. Drivers with clean records receive lower rates compared to bad drivers. Drivers who have received multiple violations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may face state-mandated requirements to complete a SR-22 with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to legally drive a vehicle.

  The diagram below demonstrates how citations and at-fault collisions drive up Scion xD insurance premiums for different insured age categories. The data assumes a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.

• You might want pay the inexpensive policy claims yourself – Auto insurance companies in California give cheaper rates to policyholders who are not frequent claim filers. If you’re an insured who likes to file claims you can pretty much guarantee increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Your car insurance is intended to be relied upon for claims that you cannot pay yourself.

• Females pay lower costs – Over time, data shows females are less aggressive when driving. However, this does not mean females are better at driving than males. They both are in fender benders at a similar rate, but guys cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also statistically get higher numbers of serious violations like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving.

  The information below illustrates the difference between Scion xD car insurance costs for male and female drivers. The premium estimates are based on no claims, a clean driving record, full coverage, $250 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

• Single drivers take more risk – Having a significant other may save some money when buying car insurance. Having a spouse means you’re more mature and statistics prove married drivers get in fewer accidents.
• Infrequent drivers can save – Driving more miles each year the more you will pay for car insurance. Most insurance companies charge to insure your cars based on their usage. Cars left parked in the garage qualify for better rates compared to those used for work or business. Make sure your vehicle rating correctly shows the correct usage, because improper ratings can cost you money. Having an incorrect usage rating on your xD may be costing you.

• Older drivers pay less – Beginning drivers in California have been known to be careless and easily distracted when behind the wheel so they pay higher car insurance rates. More experienced drivers have been proven to be more responsible, cause fewer claims and accidents, and receive fewer citations.

  The data below uses these assumptions: single driver, full coverage with $500 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.

Rate information and statistics

The rate information shown next covers estimates of insurance costs for Scion xD models. Having insight into how insurance rates are determined helps drivers make smart choices when comparing insurance quotes.

Cost estimates assume married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and multi-policy. Prices do not factor in specific Irvine garaging location which can alter insurance rates significantly.

Physical damage deductibles: Should you raise them?

One of the hardest decisions when shopping for auto insurance is how low should you set your deductibles. The rates below can help you understand how much more rates are when you buy lower versus higher comp and collision deductibles. The first set of rates uses a $250 physical damage coverage deductible and the second set of prices uses a $500 deductible.

Price data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Rate information does not factor in garaging location in Irvine which can influence rates substantially.

Using the premium rates above, we can conclude that using a $250 deductible will cost in the ballpark of $16 more each month or $192 every year averaged for all xD models than choosing the higher $500 deductible. Because you would pay $250 more if you file a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you average at least 16 months between claim filings, you would probably save some money if you opt for a higher deductible.

Difference between liability only and full coverage rates

The chart below illustrates the comparison of Scion xD car insurance rates with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The data assumes a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, marital status is single, and no additional discounts are factored in.

When to drop comprehensive and collision

There is no exact rule for phasing out full coverage on your policy, but there is a general school of thought. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is more than around 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.

For example, let’s assume your Scion xD settlement value is $6,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most your company would pay you is $5,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are paying more than $500 annually for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.

There are some cases where dropping physical damage coverage is not a good idea. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you have to keep full coverage in order to satisfy the requirements of the loan. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should keep full coverage in place.

Determine discounts on Irvine car insurance

Some insurance providers do not advertise every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below gives a summary of a few of the more common and the harder-to-find discounts that you can inquire about if you buy Irvine car insurance online.

• Early Switch Discount – Some car insurance companies provide a discount for renewing your policy prior to the expiration date on your current xD insurance policy. You may see this discount when you get Irvine car insurance quotes online.
• Good Student – This discount can save 20 to 25%. Many companies even apply the discount to college students up until you turn 25.
• Defensive Driver – Passing a course teaching driver safety skills could earn you a small percentage discount and easily pay for the cost of the class.
• Homeowners Savings – Being a homeowner can help you save on car insurance because of the fact that having a home shows financial diligence.
• Multiple Vehicles – Buying insurance for more than one vehicle on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
• ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Cars with anti-lock braking systems can stop better under adverse conditions and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.

A quick disclaimer, most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.

The example below illustrates the difference between Scion xD insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The rates are based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-car, marriage, safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, and multi-policy discounts applied.

Insurance companies who may offer these benefits possibly include:

• Progressive
• MetLife
• Mercury Insurance
• Nationwide
• GEICO
• AAA

If you want inexpensive Irvine car insurance quotes, ask every prospective company to give you their best rates. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be offered in Irvine.

Affordable coverage is out there

People who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including lack of trust in their agent, unfair underwriting practices, policy non-renewal and even high rates after DUI convictions. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a great new company can be less work than you think.

You just learned a lot of ways to save on Scion xD insurance in Irvine. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even be surprised to find that the lowest auto insurance rates are with a small local company.

More affordable car insurance in Irvine is attainable both online and also from your neighborhood Irvine agents, so get free Irvine car insurance quotes from both of them to get a complete price analysis. A few companies don’t offer price quotes online and these smaller providers work with local independent agents.

For more information, link through to these articles:

• Credit and Insurance Scores (Insurance Information Institute)
• Older Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Understanding Rental Car Insurance (Insurance Information Institute)
• What does Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Cover? (Allstate)
• Auto Insurance 101 (About.com)