You have most likely seen the captivating commercials from auto insurance companies like The General and Allstate that claim the cheapest rates, so drivers should just choose any one of them, right?
Unfortunately, it’s just not that easy, as there are a lot of unknowns such as the annual mileage you drive, whether you want full coverage, and if you own your own home, that all influence how much you pay for auto insurance. We will attempt to cover the best ways to save on auto insurance and will give you a good start in finding the cheapest car insurance in Bakersfield.
Trying to buy low-priced car insurance is tough enough, and determining which insurers offer the lowest-priced insurance rates for high mileage drivers may require even more work. Each auto insurance company has a proprietary method to determine rates, so we need to take a look at the most affordable insurance companies in California.
Keep in mind that Bakersfield, CA insurance rates are calculated based on many things that can increase the price you have to pay for coverage. This price variation is why Bakersfield drivers need to compare lots of rates to find the most affordable car insurance rates for high mileage drivers. Rates are influenced by many risk factors and change frequently, so the lowest-price company a year ago may now be wasting a lot of money.
Best Cheap Insurance Rates in California
USAA generally has some of the best car insurance rates in Bakersfield at around $1,121 annually. Century National, Wawanesa, CSAA, and Nationwide are also some of the lowest-priced Bakersfield, CA insurance companies.
In the above rates, if you are a customer of CSAA and switched to USAA, you might realize a yearly price reduction of about $113. Customers with Nationwide may save as much as $129 a year, and 21st Century insureds might reduce rates by $204 a year.
Remember that these policy prices are averages for all drivers and vehicles in California and do not take into consideration a specific vehicle garaging location for high mileage drivers. So the car insurance company that can offer you the lowest price may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That point stresses why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own personal information and vehicle type.
The vehicle that needs insurance is probably the most important factor in finding low-cost coverage for high mileage drivers. Vehicles with limited top-end speed, good crash test ratings, or a low likelihood of liability claims will cost substantially less to insure than high performance models.
The list below illustrates coverage prices for a handful of the cheaper automobiles to insure in California.
| Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $891 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $901 |
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $891 |
| Toyota Prius | $987 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $997 |
| Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan | $1,006 |
| Ford F-150 XL Crew Cab 4WD | $1,017 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $1,055 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $1,064 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS 2WD | $1,055 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $1,063 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $1,074 |
| Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,129 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | |
Table data represents single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Price information does not factor in garaging location in Bakersfield, CA which can alter rates substantially.
Looking at the rates, you can see that vehicles like the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Elantra, and Ford Escape are likely to be a few of the more affordable vehicles to insure for high mileage drivers.
One of the more important things that are used to help calculate the annual cost of car insurance is your zip code in Bakersfield. Cities with larger populations or higher claim trends tend to have higher rates, whereas less populated areas tend to receive cheaper rates.
The illustration below sorts the priciest cities in California for high mileage drivers to purchase a policy in. Bakersfield is ranked at #19 with an annual premium of $1,381 for the average policy, which is approximately $115 monthly.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,146 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,058 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,738 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,652 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,644 |
| 7 | Long Beach | $1,626 |
| 8 | Stockton | $1,603 |
| 9 | Fontana | $1,566 |
| 10 | Moreno Valley | $1,551 |
| 11 | Santa Clarita | $1,533 |
| 12 | Modesto | $1,532 |
| 13 | Riverside | $1,527 |
| 14 | Garden Grove | $1,524 |
| 15 | Fresno | $1,457 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,453 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,381 |
| 19 | Bakersfield | $1,381 |
| 20 | San Diego | $1,368 |
| 21 | Fremont | $1,361 |
| 22 | Huntington Beach | $1,360 |
| 23 | Chula Vista | $1,350 |
| 24 | Oxnard | $1,344 |
| 25 | Irvine | $1,330 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||
Rate quotes are estimated as specific location information can raise or lower auto insurance rates substantially.
Cost comparison with and without full coverage
Saving money when shopping for insurance is probably important to most people, and one good way to reduce the cost of insurance for high mileage drivers is to only pay for liability coverage. The diagram below illustrates the comparison of annual premium costs with full coverage and liability only. The rate quotes are based on no claims or driving citations, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
As an average for all age groups, physical damage coverage costs an extra $2,525 per year more than just insuring for liability. That may make you wonder if you should buy full coverage. There is no specific rule to exclude full coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then it might be time to buy liability only.
There are some cases where eliminating full coverage is not in your best interest. If you haven’t satisfied your loan, you have to carry full coverage to satisfy the loan requirements. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should not remove full coverage.
Discount Bakersfield insurance rates
Insurance providers that provide policies for high mileage drivers may also provide rate discounts that may potentially lower prices by as much as 40% or more if you meet eligibility requirements. Companies and some of their more popular discounts can be read below.
- State Farm offers discounts for multiple autos, safe vehicle, multiple policy, Steer Clear safe driver discount, Drive Safe & Save, and accident-free.
- Progressive has savings for online quote discount, good student, online signing, multi-policy, and continuous coverage.
- Travelers policyholders can earn discounts including home ownership, early quote, hybrid/electric vehicle, save driver, and continuous insurance.
- American Family discounts include accident-free, Steer into Savings, TimeAway discount, mySafetyValet, good student, good driver, and early bird.
- Liberty Mutual includes discounts for newly retired, multi-car, exclusive group savings, safety features, new move discount, newly married, and new vehicle discount.
The chart below compares car insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The rates are based on a male driver, no violations or claims, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $100 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with anti-theft, vehicle safety, multiple policy, passive restraint, homeowner, and defensive driving course discounts applied. When these discounts are applied to the policy premium, theaverage amount saved on insurance for high mileage drivers is 28% or $944.
The example below shows how different deductible levels can affect premium costs when quoting cheap insurance for high mileage drivers. The rates are based on a married male driver, full coverage, and no additional discounts are factored in.
As shown above, a 50-year-old driver could lower their car insurance rates by $416 a year by switching their comprehensive and collision coverages from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $626 by selecting a $1,000 deductible. Younger drivers, like the age 20 example, could save $1,398 each year just by using higher deductibles. When choosing a higher deductible, it is important to have enough in a savings account to satisfy the extra out-of-pocket expense, which deters some drivers from choosing higher deductibles.
If you aren’t sure which coverage to buy and prefer to have some advice when shopping for cheaper insurance for high mileage drivers, the agents shown below are a good start to aid you in deciding which insurance coverage will be best for you. To find an auto insurance agency nearest to you, click the link after the list.
Jim Windes – State Farm Insurance Agent
3512 Coffee Rd d – Bakersfield, CA 93308 – (661) 588-1001
Kelli Davis – State Farm Insurance Agent
2665 Calloway Dr #206 – Bakersfield, CA 93312 – (661) 829-1011
Keith Goree – State Farm Insurance Agent
11350 Ming Ave #230 – Bakersfield, CA 93311 – (661) 663-9000
Adam Hopkins – State Farm Insurance Agent
5500 Ming Ave #180 – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 396-7947
California Canyon Insurance Agency
B, 4900 California Ave #210 – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 377-2978
Find a Bakersfield, CA insurance agent near you
How to find more affordable car insurance for high mileage drivers
It’s not impossible to find cheaper rates, and here are some of the better money-saving suggestions that can help drivers get low-cost car insurance.
- Avoid accidents
- Good credit can save money
- Serious violations like DUI or reckless driving can increase rates dramatically
- Increase your comprehensive and collision deductibles
- Vehicles with safetly features generally cost less to insure
- Compare rate quotes often
The last suggestion is remarkably critical, as we hit on in this write-up. Car insurance rates vary greatly, so don’t be unwilling to buy a different policy if a cheaper rate is available. Staying with the same company for years is fine, but is isn’t recommended if that faithfulness ends up costing you money that could be spent on other things. It only takes a couple minutes to compare rates and find cheaper auto insurance for high mileage drivers in Bakersfield.