To save the most money, the best way to get more affordable car insurance rates in Bakersfield is to begin comparing prices regularly from providers who provide auto insurance in California. You can compare prices by following these steps.
Step 1: Try to understand individual coverages and the things you can change to prevent rate increases. Many things that result in higher rates such as speeding tickets, accidents and a not-so-good credit history can be amended by paying attention to minor details.
Step 2: Compare prices from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only provide price estimates from a single company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agencies can provide price quotes for a wide range of insurance providers. Get quotes now
Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your existing coverage to see if you can save by switching companies. If you find better rates and decide to switch, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
Step 4: Notify your agent or company to cancel your current policy. Submit payment along with a signed and completed policy application to the newly selected company. As soon as coverage is bound, store the certificate verifying proof of insurance in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
A key point to remember is to make sure you’re comparing similar limits and deductibles on every quote and and to get rates from as many companies as you can. This helps ensure the most accurate price comparison and a complete price analysis.
Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that the vast majority of car insurance customers in California renewed their policy with the same company for well over three years, and approximately 38% of consumers have never shopped around. U.S. insurance shoppers can save about 46.5% each year by just comparing rate quotes, but most just don’t grasp the amount of money they would save if they moved their coverage to a different company.
The auto insurance companies shown below are our best choices to provide price comparisons in California. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you compare several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Analysis of Subaru Tribeca rates
The coverage table shown next outlines different insurance policy prices for Subaru Tribeca models. Learning more about how policy rates are formulated can be of help when making smart policy decisions.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
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Tribeca 3.6R Limited | $476 | $996 | $596 | $36 | $178 | $2,282 | $190 |
Tribeca 3.6R Premium | $476 | $996 | $596 | $36 | $178 | $2,282 | $190 |
Tribeca 3.6R Touring | $530 | $996 | $596 | $36 | $178 | $2,336 | $195 |
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Prices above based on single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Rate quotes do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can raise or lower rates substantially.
Does it make sense to buy full coverage?
The illustration below compares Subaru Tribeca insurance costs when comparing full coverage to liability only. The premium estimates are based on no accidents, no driving violations, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
When to drop full coverage
There isn’t a written rule for phasing out comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a broad guideline. If the annual cost of coverage is 10% or more of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
For example, let’s pretend your Subaru Tribeca settlement value is $5,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, you would only receive $4,000 after paying your deductible. If you are paying over $400 a year for physical damage coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
There are some circumstances where only buying liability is not advised. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you have to keep full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest in the vehicle. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not consider dropping full coverage.
Car insurance protects more than just your car
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Subaru Tribeca in Bakersfield, buying car insurance is required for several reasons.
- Most states have minimum liability requirements which means the state requires a specific minimum amount of liability coverage in order to license the vehicle. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
- If your vehicle has a lienholder, it’s most likely the lender will require that you carry insurance to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the bank will be required to insure your Subaru for a much higher rate and force you to pay the higher price.
- Insurance safeguards not only your Subaru but also your financial assets. Insurance will also pay for medical expenses for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit if you are sued as the result of an accident. If you have damage to your Subaru as the result of the weather or an accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance more than cancel out the cost, particularly for liability claims. But the average driver in California overpays as much as $800 each year so compare quotes from several companies at every policy renewal to help ensure money is not being wasted.
How do Insurance Companies Determine Subaru Tribeca Insurance Premiums?
Lots of factors are taken into consideration when premium rates are determined. Most are fairly basic such as your driving history, but other factors are less apparent such as your marital status or how safe your car is.
- Higher premiums for high stress employers – Occupational choices like real estate brokers, social workers, and emergency personnel generally have higher rates than average because of job stress and lengthy work days. Other occupations like professors, students and the unemployed pay lower than average rates.
- Use one insurance company and save – Many insurance companies afford better rates to customers that have more than one policy. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s still a good idea to check prices from other companies to help ensure you have the lowest rates. You may still be able to save more without the discount by splitting coverages up.
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More performance means higher costs – The performance of the car you are trying to find cheaper insurance for makes a huge difference in how high your rates are. The lowest base rates tend to be for lower cost passenger models, but many other things help determine your insurance rates.
The following data is based on a married male driver age 40, full coverage with $1000 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. It shows Subaru Tribeca rates compared to other makes and models that have different performances.
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Careless drivers pay higher prices – How you drive has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Getting just one chargeable violation can increase rates to the point where it’s not affordable. Drivers who don’t get tickets get better rates compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers unfortunate enough to have license-revoking violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may need to submit a SR-22 form with their state DMV in order to drive a vehicle legally.
The example below illustrates how traffic citations and at-fault fender-benders can drive up Subaru Tribeca car insurance costs for different age groups. The price estimates are based on a single male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $250 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
- Location can affect price – Living in a small town is a positive aspect when talking about insurance. People who live in big cities tend to have traffic congestion and longer commute times. Less people means a lower chance of having an accident in addition to lower liability claims.
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Teenagers are high risk – Teenage drivers in California are statistically proven to be careless and easily distracted with other occupants in the car so insurance rates are higher. Mature drivers tend to be more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents, and tend to be get fewer driving tickets.
The data below uses these assumptions: single driver, full coverage with $500 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.
- Additional coverages that may be costing you – There are a lot of optional add-on coverages that can add up on your Tribeca policy. Add-on coverages like rental car coverage, accidental death, and Farm Bureau memberships may not be needed and are just wasting money. They may sound like good ideas when talking to your agent, but if you don’t need them consider taking them off your policy.
- Poor credit can mean higher costs – Credit score factor in calculating your premium rate. If your credit score can be improved, you could save money insuring your Subaru Tribeca by improving your credit score. Insureds that have very good credit scores tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims than drivers who have lower credit ratings.
Ratings for Bakersfield car insurance companies
Selecting a high-quality auto insurance company is difficult considering how many companies sell coverage in California. The information in the next section can help you choose which providers to look at comparing prices from.
Top 10 Bakersfield Car Insurance Companies by A.M. Best Rank
- USAA – A++
- Travelers – A++
- State Farm – A++
- GEICO – A++
- Esurance – A+
- Nationwide – A+
- Allstate – A+
- Mercury Insurance – A+
- Progressive – A+
- Titan Insurance – A+
The lowest rates come from being thorough
Insureds change insurance companies for many reasons like extreme rates for teen drivers, high rates after DUI convictions, delays in paying claims and even unfair underwriting practices. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching companies is not as hard as you think.
Some insurance companies may not have the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small insurance companies work with independent insurance agents. Cheaper Subaru Tribeca insurance in Bakersfield is attainable both online and also from your neighborhood Bakersfield agents, and you should compare rates from both to have the best rate selection.
We covered a lot of information how to shop for Subaru Tribeca insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the higher your chance of finding low cost Bakersfield car insurance quotes. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from some of the lesser-known companies.
For more information, take a look at the following helpful articles:
- How to Avoid Common Accidents (State Farm)
- Who Has Cheap Bakersfield Auto Insurance Quotes for a Toyota Highlander? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers Over Age 50 in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Auto Theft Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Uninsured Motorist Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Anti-Lock Brake FAQ (iihs.org)
- Should I Buy a New or Used Car? (Allstate)