The words “low-priced” and “insurance” really shouldn’t be used together, in particular when you are shopping around for the lowest insurance rates for safe drivers. Because of the high cost, let’s get started by showing you some of the things that determine insurance prices, and find out if we can help you reduce the price of your next policy.
The type of vehicle you are insuring is one of the main factors that determines the availability of cheap auto insurance for safe drivers. Vehicles with high performance features, poor crash test ratings, or high incidents of liability claims will cost more to insure than more economical and safe models. The information below outlines insurance rates for a number of the more affordable automobiles to insure in California.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $1,283 |
| Ford Edge SEL 2WD | $1,459 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $1,469 |
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $1,471 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS AWD | $1,487 |
| Dodge Ram 3500 Crew Cab Laramie 2WD | $1,517 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport Islander Package 4WD 4-Dr | $1,540 |
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $1,560 |
| Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $1,563 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,593 |
| Ford Fusion SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,603 |
| GMC Sierra 3500HD SLE Extended Cab 2WD | $1,621 |
| Dodge Ram Crew Cab TRX 2WD | $1,627 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $1,705 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $1,712 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $1,705 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Extended Cab 4WD | $1,713 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 2WD | $1,739 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $1,748 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Crew Cab 2WD | $1,782 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $1,787 |
| Ford F-250 XL Super Cab Cabela Turbo Diesel 2WD | $1,810 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $1,825 |
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Prices above based on single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, homeowner, multi-policy, and safe-driver. Price information does not factor in specific location which can influence coverage prices significantly.
Looking at the rates, you can conclude that makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Edge, and Volkswagen Jetta should be the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for good drivers.
One of the more important things that are used to help calculate the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you keep your car. Areas with more people or more claims tend to have higher auto insurance costs, whereas areas with fewer weather claims and lower vehicle theft rates get the luxury of paying less.
The information below rates the most expensive areas in California for safe drivers in which to buy car insurance. Sacramento is listed at #4 with the annual price of $1,720 for the average policyholder, which is about $143 monthly.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,146 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,058 |
| 3 | Oakland | $1,738 |
| 4 | Sacramento | $1,720 |
| 5 | San Francisco | $1,711 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,628 |
| 7 | Long Beach | $1,626 |
| 8 | Garden Grove | $1,570 |
| 9 | Fontana | $1,566 |
| 10 | Modesto | $1,547 |
| 11 | Riverside | $1,542 |
| 12 | Stockton | $1,541 |
| 13 | Moreno Valley | $1,536 |
| 14 | Santa Clarita | $1,533 |
| 15 | Anaheim | $1,474 |
| 16 | Fresno | $1,457 |
| 17 | Santa Ana | $1,439 |
| 18 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 19 | Fremont | $1,403 |
| 20 | Bakersfield | $1,381 |
| 21 | San Jose | $1,381 |
| 22 | San Diego | $1,368 |
| 23 | Oxnard | $1,358 |
| 24 | Irvine | $1,343 |
| 25 | Chula Vista | $1,337 |
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Premium amounts are comparative as the specific garaging location can revise premiums greatly.
Establishing which company offers the most affordable insurance rates for safe drivers calls for a bit more work in order to find the most economical policy. Every auto insurer uses different criteria for establishing rates, so we will examine the lowest cost insurance companies in Sacramento, CA.
We do need to point out that Sacramento, CA insurance rates are calculated based on many things that can increase the cost of having a policy. Improving your credit rating, marrying your spouse, or getting a few speeding tickets can cause premium changes that can now make some companies cheaper than others.
Find the Best Cheap Insurance for Safe Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,121 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,157 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,214 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,222 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,226 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,491 |
| 8 | Progressive | $1,512 |
| 9 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 10 | Allied | $1,541 |
| 11 | Mercury | $1,548 |
| 12 | Allstate | $1,559 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,591 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,606 |
| 15 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,733 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,849 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,026 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | ||
USAA quotes some of the best car insurance rates in Sacramento at around $1,121 each year. This is $530 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide would also make the list of some of the more affordable Sacramento, CA auto insurance companies.
In the above rates, if you currently have a policy with Century National and switched to USAA, you could realize a yearly savings of roughly $93. Insureds with CSAA might save as much as $101 a year, and Nationwide policyholders might reduce rates by $105 a year.
It’s important to note that these premiums are averages for all drivers and vehicles and do not take into consideration an exact location for safe drivers. So the auto insurance company that can offer you the lowest price may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That underscores the importance of why you need to compare rates from as many companies as possible using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
Finding the right insurance provider can be challenging considering how many different companies there are to choose from in Sacramento. The information shown next can help you decide which providers to look at when comparing rate quotes. These ratings include the companies with a significant amount of written premium nationwide, so smaller companies that only insure vehicles in California are not factored into the list.
| 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 |
| Mercury Insurance | 88 | 91 | 90 | 85% | A+ | 89.4 |
| Allstate | 85 | 90 | 92 | 88% | A+ | 89.3 |
| Nationwide | 87 | 88 | 84 | 90% | A+ | 88.7 |
| Liberty Mutual | 84 | 87 | 93 | 88% | A | 88.5 |
| 21st Century | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88% | A | 86.7 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Drive responsibly or pay higher rates
The recommended way to earn the most affordable insurance premiums for good drivers is to drive carefully and avoid accidents and traffic violations. The diagram below illustrates how traffic citations and accident claims impact yearly insurance costs for different age groups of insureds. Data assumes a single female driver, full coverage, $500 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
The data in the chart shows the average cost of a car insurance policy in California per year with no accidents and a clean driving record is $2,637. Add in two speeding tickets and the average cost jumps to $3,530, an increase of $894 each year. Now get one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the yearly cost of insurance for safe drivers jumps again to an average of $4,448. That’s an increase of $1,811, or $151 per month, just for not being attentive to the road!
Comparing rates can save you money
Sacramento, CA insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that will increase or decrease the policy premium. Simply improving your credit, buying a new vehicle, or getting a reckless driving citation may cause policy rate changes resulting in some companies being much cheaper than others.
Not only that, but insurers file new California auto insurance rates every year to reflect underwriting profits or losses. A period of increased losses may cause increased rates, while long-term profits can cause more affordable Sacramento car insurance rates.
To help illustrate this point, the data below shows rates for the cheapest car insurance in Sacramento, CA for a 30-year-old male driver with no accidents or violations, and a decent credit rating. When quoting prices based on his current risk factors, USAA may have the best car insurance rates in Sacramento at $1,470 per year. This is $181 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide are also included in the top five cheapest Sacramento, CA auto insurance companies.
Now we will pretend the driver from above an accident claim, less-than-perfect credit, and a few traffic violations. Because each insurer has a different formula for determining prices, comparing prices could now result in a completely different list of the cheapest companies as shown below.
Grange now has the best insurance rate in Sacramento with Mercury, Progressive, GEICO, and Allied also having competitive pricing. This example shows why it is critical to shop around when trying to get the cheapest car insurance rates for safe drivers.
Car insurance prices are influenced by many different factors and change substantially, so the most economical option three years ago may now be quite expensive.