How Much are Sacramento Car Insurance Rates for Used Cars?

You have probably watched the commercials from companies like GEICO and State Farm claiming big savings, so you should just choose one randomly, right?

It’s not that easy, however, as there are a whole bunch of unknown factors such as whether you just want liability only, the type of vehicle you drive, citations or tickets, and if you have a spouse, that all have an effect on the price of a policy. This article goes into detail about the things that cause high insurance rates and will hopefully give the reader a good beginning to your quest for cheaper car insurance in California.

For pre-owned vehicles, one of the big components that are looked at to determine the annual cost of car insurance is where you keep your car. Cities with larger populations or higher claim trends tend to have higher auto insurance costs, whereas areas with less people or fewer weather incidents have the luxury of lower rates.

The table below rates the most expensive cities in California for used cars to purchase a policy in. Sacramento shows up at #4 costing $1,720 on average, which is approximately $143 monthly.

How much does car insurance cost in Sacramento, CA?
Rank City Annual Rate
1 Los Angeles $2,146
2 Glendale $2,121
3 Oakland $1,738
4 Sacramento $1,720
5 San Francisco $1,693
6 Long Beach $1,610
7 San Bernardino $1,596
8 Stockton $1,588
9 Fontana $1,581
10 Santa Clarita $1,580
11 Garden Grove $1,570
12 Riverside $1,542
13 Fresno $1,502
14 Santa Ana $1,497
15 Moreno Valley $1,491
16 Modesto $1,487
17 Anaheim $1,430
18 Fremont $1,403
19 San Jose $1,395
20 Irvine $1,384
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Annual rates are approximated as specific Sacramento garaging address can decrease or increase coverage prices significantly.

The make and model of vehicle you are buying coverage for is a significant factor that determines whether or not you can buy economical car insurance for used cars. Vehicles with lots of horsepower, a lack of modern safety features, or a high likelihood of having liability claims will cost substantially more to insure than safer models. The next table illustrates car insurance prices for a selection of the most economical automobiles to buy insurance for.

Cheapest Vehicles to Insure in Sacramento, CA
Make and Model Estimated Cost for Full Coverage
Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan $1,264
Ford F-150 XLT Crew Cab 2WD $1,416
Honda CR-V EX 2WD $1,426
Ford Escape XLS 2WD $1,431
Chevrolet Impala LT $1,497
Toyota RAV4 2WD $1,505
Ford Explorer Limited AWD $1,525
Toyota Prius $1,537
Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon $1,542
Ford Edge SE 2WD $1,565
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 4WD $1,603
Chevrolet Equinox LS AWD $1,636
Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid $1,644
Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan $1,644
Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD LTZ Crew Cab 2WD $1,659
Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD $1,669
Dodge Grand Caravan SXT $1,678
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Data based on single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, multi-policy, safe-driver, and homeowner. Information does not factor in specific location which can lower or raise insurance rates noticeably.

Looking at the numbers, models like the Honda Accord, Ford F-150, and Honda CR-V are likely to be a few of the cheaper vehicles to insure for pre-owned vehicles.

Liability-only versus full coverage

Finding cheaper auto insurance is probably important to most people, and one of the quickest ways to lower the cost of insurance for used cars is to not insure for full coverage. The illustration below illustrates the difference between insurance prices with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The data is based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are factored in.

Averaged for all ages 20 through 70, physical damage insurance costs an extra $2,314 per year over liability only. Many drivers will wonder if full coverage is worth the money. There isn’t a steadfast formula for eliminating full coverage on your policy, but there is a general school of thought. If the annual cost of having full coverage is about 10% or more of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you might consider buying liability only.

Sacramento auto insurance companies ranked

Finding the top auto insurance company can be challenging considering how many different companies there are to choose from in Sacramento. The company ratings listed below could help you choose which car insurance providers to look at when looking for cheaper rates.

These ratings are only comprised of the companies with a significant amount of written premium nationwide, so companies that focus mainly on California business are not included in this list. To check rates from these top insurers and more, click this link.

Top 10 Large Car Insurance Companies in Sacramento Ranked by Value

  1. USAA
  2. American Family
  3. The Hartford
  4. AAA of Southern California
  5. Titan Insurance
  6. The General
  7. AAA Insurance
  8. State Farm
  9. Mercury Insurance
  10. Nationwide

Top 10 Large Car Insurance Companies in Sacramento Ranked by Customer Service

  1. AAA of Southern California
  2. GEICO
  3. State Farm
  4. The Hartford
  5. Mercury Insurance
  6. The General
  7. Progressive
  8. Allstate
  9. AAA Insurance
  10. American Family

How to get discounts on Sacramento car insurance

Auto insurance for pre-owned vehicles in Sacramento, CAAuto insurance companies that provide policies for used cars may have policy discounts that may potentially lower prices by as much as 40% or more if you meet the requirements. Popular auto insurance companies and the discounts they provide are shown below.

The chart below shows the difference between insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The premiums assume a male driver, no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $1,000 deductibles.

The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with vehicle safety, safe-driver, defensive driving course, marriage, multiple policy, and multiple vehicle discounts applied. When drivers take advantage of discounts, the average savings per year on auto insurance for used cars is 28% or $703.