The words “economical” and “insurance” probably shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, specifically when looking for the best car insurance for infrequent drivers. To save some money, let’s start off by going over some situations that impact insurance premiums, and figure out some ways to take the bite out of the next policy you buy.
The type of vehicle requiring coverage is one of the biggest factors when trying to find the cheapest auto insurance for infrequent drivers. Vehicles with lower acceleration and performance, a great safety record, or a low likelihood of liability claims will cost much less to insure than adrenaline junky models.
The table below shows insurance premiums for a selection of the most affordable vehicles to buy insurance for.
Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $842 |
Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $915 |
Toyota Prius | $934 |
Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $949 |
Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $970 |
Honda Odyssey EX | $980 |
Toyota RAV4 4WD | $1,001 |
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $1,007 |
Ford Explorer Limited 2WD | $1,020 |
Toyota Corolla LE | $1,053 |
Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD LT Crew Cab 2WD | $1,091 |
Honda Accord EX 2-Dr Coupe | $1,124 |
Ford F-150 XL Super Cab 4WD | $1,157 |
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Above prices assume single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, claim-free, and safe-driver. Price estimates do not factor in your specific Bakersfield, CA location which can lower or raise insurance rates greatly.
By looking at the data, you can presume that makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Prius, Toyota Tacoma, and Ford Escape will definitely be the less-costly vehicles to insure for low mileage drivers.
For low mileage drivers, one of the more important criteria that determine car insurance rates is where your residence is in Bakersfield. Areas with more people or higher crime rates tend to pay slightly more, whereas areas with fewer weather claims and lower vehicle theft rates have the benefit of cheaper car insurance.
The next table ranks the most expensive cities in California for infrequent drivers to purchase a policy in. Bakersfield comes in at #21 costing $1,353 for coverage, which is around $113 each month.
Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Los Angeles | $2,146 |
2 | Glendale | $2,058 |
3 | San Francisco | $1,763 |
4 | Oakland | $1,755 |
5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
6 | Santa Clarita | $1,595 |
7 | San Bernardino | $1,580 |
8 | Garden Grove | $1,570 |
9 | Long Beach | $1,562 |
10 | Stockton | $1,541 |
11 | Fontana | $1,535 |
12 | Riverside | $1,527 |
13 | Fresno | $1,502 |
14 | Moreno Valley | $1,491 |
15 | Anaheim | $1,488 |
16 | Modesto | $1,487 |
17 | Santa Ana | $1,483 |
18 | San Jose | $1,381 |
19 | Huntington Beach | $1,374 |
20 | Oxnard | $1,358 |
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Rate information is estimated as specific location information can decrease or increase premiums greatly.
Determining which company offers the most affordable car insurance rates for infrequent drivers may require a bit more effort than just comparing rates from one or two companies.
Every insurance provider has a proprietary formula for setting rates, so we’ll take a look at the car insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in Bakersfield.
Find the Cheapest Car Insurance in California
Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | USAA | $1,109 |
2 | Wawanesa | $1,181 |
3 | Century National | $1,214 |
4 | CSAA | $1,222 |
5 | Nationwide | $1,226 |
6 | 21st Century | $1,379 |
7 | Grange | $1,433 |
8 | Progressive | $1,496 |
9 | Allstate | $1,497 |
10 | Mercury | $1,503 |
11 | GEICO | $1,513 |
12 | Allied | $1,541 |
13 | The Hartford | $1,591 |
14 | MetLife | $1,638 |
15 | State Farm | $1,733 |
16 | Unitrin | $1,733 |
17 | Esurance | $1,739 |
18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
19 | Bristol West | $1,831 |
20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
Find Your Rate Go |
USAA quotes some of the best car insurance rates in Bakersfield at around $1,109 a year. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide also are some of the more affordable Bakersfield, CA insurance companies.
As the rates illustrate above, if you are insured with CSAA and switched to Wawanesa, you might achieve savings of in the neighborhood of $41. Customers with Nationwide may save as much as $45 a year, and 21st Century policyholders might realize rate reductions of up to $198 a year.
To find cheaper insurance rates for your vehicle, click here to get quotes or feel free to get quotes from the companies below.
Understand that those rates are averages across all drivers and vehicles and do not factor in an exact zip code location for infrequent drivers. So the car insurance company that fits your situation best may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That’s why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own specific driver information and vehicle.
Poor driving habits will raise your car insurance rates
The easiest way to get affordable car insurance rates for low mileage drivers is to drive safely and avoid accidents and violations. The chart below demonstrates how speeding tickets and at-fault accidents can drive up insurance premiums for different categories of driver ages. The rate quotes are based on a single male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
In the example above, the average cost of car insurance in California per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,849. Get written up for two speeding tickets and the average cost hikes up to $2,435, an increase of $585 each year. Now include one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of car insurance for infrequent drivers increases to an average of $3,029. That’s an increase of $1,180, or $98 per month, just for not paying attention while driving!
Discount Bakersfield insurance rates
Car insurance companies that sell policies for infrequent drivers may also provide discounts that could reduce prices by as much as 30% if you meet certain criteria. Companies and some of their more popular discounts can be found below.
- GEICO discounts include multi-vehicle, defensive driver, five-year accident-free, air bags, multi-policy, and membership and employees.
- MetLife may have discounts that include multi-policy, good student, accident-free, defensive driver, claim-free, and good driver.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including multi-policy, online quote discount, homeowner, online signing, multi-vehicle, and good student.
- Travelers may include discounts for new car, student away at school, save driver, payment discounts, and hybrid/electric vehicle.
- SAFECO may offer discounts for safe driver, bundle discounts, multi-car, anti-theft, teen safe driver, teen safety rewards, and anti-lock brakes.
- AAA includes discounts for AAA membership discount, education and occupation, good driver, good student, and multi-policy.
The illustration below shows the comparison of insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The data assumes a female driver, no tickets, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with defensive driving course, homeowner, accident-free, passive restraint, claim-free, and multiple policy discounts applied. When drivers qualify for the discounts, theaverage yearly reduction on car insurance for infrequent drivers is 28% or $493.
Why are you paying too much for car insurance?
Bakersfield, CA car insurance rates are based on many factors which can substantially change the policy premium. Simply getting older, getting married, or having a fender bender can cause premium changes resulting in some rates now being cheaper in comparison to the competition.
Additionally, auto insurance companies amend premium rates every year or even multiple times each year in order to maintain liquidity for claims. An unexpected high level of claims may result in additional premium costs, while lower claim expenses can result in lower-cost Bakersfield car insurance rates.
To illustrate this point, the chart below demonstrates which company has the cheapest car insurance in Bakersfield, CA for a 45-year-old female driver with no violations or accidents, and a good credit history. If we estimate rates based on her current rating profile, USAA may offer the lowest car insurance rates in Bakersfield at $1,192 per year. This is $459 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide round out the rest of the most affordable Bakersfield, CA auto insurance companies.
Let’s now give the driver from the first example a claim, a little lower credit rating, and a few blemishes on her driving record. Since each company has a unique approach for determining rates, comparing insurance quotes most likely will result in a different ranking of cheap Bakersfield auto insurance companies as shown below.
Grange now has the best price on car insurance in Bakersfield, CA with Allied, Allstate, Mercury, and Progressive also having competitive pricing. This example proves why drivers need to compare lots of rates to get the most budget-friendly auto insurance rates for infrequent drivers. Rates are determined by many different factors and can decrease or increase without notice, so the lowest-price company the last time you compared rates may now be quite expensive.
The agencies below can probably help you decide which car insurance policy is best, as many consumers aren’t sure which coverage to buy and prefer to get some help when comparing insurance rates for infrequent drivers. It can be challenging to find the cheapest car insurance policy, so insurance agents licensed in the state of California can give peace of mind knowing your policy gives you sufficient protection if you have a claim.
To locate an agency nearest to you, click the button after the list or click here to compare rates now.
James Banks – State Farm Insurance Agent
1525 Columbus St #400 – Bakersfield, CA 93305 – (661) 872-5140
NSE Insurance Agencies, Inc.
5330 Office Center Ct # 69 – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 327-0620
Stockdale Insurance Agency Inc
1675 Chester Ave #310 – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 327-3321
Nationwide Insurance – Michaud Insurance Agency Inc
3795 Niles St – Bakersfield, CA 93306 – (661) 633-9900
Covermax Insurance Agency Inc.
1910 E California Ave – Bakersfield, CA 93307 – (661) 363-0645