This would be a much shorter article if we could simply give you the name of the single best car insurance company that has the best insurance prices in California. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple as there are a lot of unknown factors like whether you are single or married, any driving violations you may have, and what liability limits you need, that all factor into the price you pay. In this article, we will cover the best ways to avoid overpriced car insurance and will give you a good beginning to your quest for cheaper car insurance in Bakersfield.
Buying low-cost car insurance is not easy, and figuring out which company quotes the most affordable car insurance rates for inexperienced drivers requires even more diligence. Every car insurance company has their own unique process for setting rates, so let’s begin by taking a look at the car insurance companies with the most affordable rates in Bakersfield, CA.
Cheapest Insurance Rates for Newbies
Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | USAA | $1,121 |
2 | Century National | $1,190 |
3 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
4 | CSAA | $1,198 |
5 | Nationwide | $1,250 |
6 | 21st Century | $1,366 |
7 | Grange | $1,447 |
8 | Mercury | $1,503 |
9 | Progressive | $1,558 |
10 | GEICO | $1,559 |
11 | Allstate | $1,559 |
12 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
13 | Allied | $1,588 |
14 | MetLife | $1,590 |
15 | State Farm | $1,733 |
16 | Unitrin | $1,750 |
17 | Esurance | $1,756 |
18 | Bristol West | $1,777 |
19 | Travelers | $1,788 |
20 | Farmers | $1,966 |
View More Rates Go |
USAA generally has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Bakersfield at around $1,121 each year. This is $530 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, Wawanesa, CSAA, and Nationwide are also some of the cheaper Bakersfield, CA auto insurance companies.
As the example above demonstrates, if you are a policyholder with CSAA and switched to Century National, you could realize savings of around $8. Insureds with Nationwide may save as much as $60 a year, and 21st Century policyholders might see rate reductions of $176 a year.
Understand that those policy prices are averaged for all insureds and vehicles and do not factor in a specific vehicle garaging location for inexperienced drivers. So the auto insurance company that fits you best may not even be in the list above. That emphasizes why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
One of the more important components that are looked at to help calculate car insurance rates is where you normally keep your vehicle in Bakersfield. Cities with larger populations tend to have higher rates, whereas areas with lower crime rates and fewer weather claims receive better rates.
The information below lists the priciest cities in California for inexperienced drivers to purchase auto insurance in. Bakersfield is ranked at #21 with an annual cost of $1,353 for the average insured, which is around $113 monthly.
Rank | City | Average Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Los Angeles | $2,168 |
2 | Glendale | $2,142 |
3 | Oakland | $1,738 |
4 | San Francisco | $1,711 |
5 | Sacramento | $1,703 |
6 | San Bernardino | $1,628 |
7 | Stockton | $1,588 |
8 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
9 | Long Beach | $1,578 |
10 | Fontana | $1,566 |
11 | Garden Grove | $1,554 |
12 | Moreno Valley | $1,551 |
13 | Modesto | $1,532 |
14 | Fresno | $1,517 |
15 | Santa Ana | $1,497 |
16 | Riverside | $1,497 |
17 | Anaheim | $1,474 |
18 | San Jose | $1,437 |
19 | Huntington Beach | $1,402 |
20 | Fremont | $1,389 |
21 | Bakersfield | $1,353 |
22 | Chula Vista | $1,350 |
23 | San Diego | $1,340 |
24 | Irvine | $1,330 |
25 | Oxnard | $1,304 |
Compare Prices Now Go |
Annual rates are comparative as the specific garaging location can change auto insurance rates significantly.
The type of vehicle needing coverage is probably the biggest factor when comparing quotes for cheap insurance for inexperienced drivers. Vehicles with more horsepower, poor safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost substantially more to insure than more economical and safe models. The information below estimates coverage premiums for the cheaper automobiles to buy coverage for.
Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $906 |
Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $994 |
Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $1,004 |
Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan | $994 |
Ford Edge SE 2WD | $997 |
Toyota Prius | $1,005 |
Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $1,076 |
Volkswagen Jetta LE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,083 |
Honda Civic LX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,113 |
Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $1,119 |
Honda Odyssey EX-L W/Rear Entertainment | $1,134 |
Nissan Rogue SL 2WD | $1,153 |
Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,161 |
Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,153 |
Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD LT Crew Cab 2WD | $1,175 |
Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $1,201 |
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 4WD 4-Dr | $1,205 |
Find Cheaper Rates Go |
Above prices assume single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Price information does not factor in garaging location in Bakersfield, CA which can influence coverage rates greatly.
Looking at the numbers, you can infer that cars like the Ford Escape, Hyundai Elantra, Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, and Ford Edge should be some of the most affordable vehicles to insure for new drivers.
Price comparison of only insuring for liability
Finding cheaper car insurance should be important to most people, and an easy way to find cheap insurance for inexperienced drivers is to not buy full coverage. The chart below illustrates the difference between insurance prices with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The data is based on no violations or claims, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no additional discounts are factored in.
If averaged out across all ages, full coverage on your policy costs $2,314 per year over and above liability coverage. Lot’s of drivers question when is it a good idea to stop buying full coverage. There is no definitive rule to drop comp and collision coverage, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is 10% or more of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
Tickets and at-fault accidents raise rates
The easiest method to snag cheap car insurance rates for new drivers is to drive safe and avoid accidents and violations. The example below shows how traffic citations and accident claims influence car insurance rates for each age group. Data assumes a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.
The data in the chart shows the average cost of a car insurance policy in Bakersfield per year with no violations or accidents is $2,157. Receive one speeding ticket and the average cost swells to $2,476, an increase of $319 each year. Now include two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the yearly cost of car insurance for inexperienced drivers jumps again to an average of $5,157. That’s an increase of $2,999, or $250 per month, just for not driving safely!
Get discounts on Bakersfield auto insurance
Car insurance companies that provide policies for inexperienced drivers may provide premium discounts that can lower rates by as much as 30% if you are eligible. Large car insurance companies and the discounts they provide are included below.
- State Farm may include discounts for good driver, defensive driving training, anti-theft, passive restraint, Drive Safe & Save, and good student.
- Esurance has savings for emergency road assistance, anti-theft, safety device, online quote, homeowner, and online shopper.
- Progressive offers discounts including multi-policy, good student, homeowner, online signing, continuous coverage, and multi-vehicle.
- Liberty Mutual may offer discounts for multi-policy, teen driver discount, new vehicle discount, newly married, exclusive group savings, and new graduate.
- Auto-Owners Insurance has discounts for good student, safe driver, teen driver, paid in full, company car, and air bags.
- GEICO discounts include defensive driver, daytime running lights, air bags, military active duty, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, and multi-policy.
The information below shows the difference between car insurance costs with and without discounts applied. The data assumes a female driver, no violations or claims, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the price with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with claim-free, accident-free, passive restraint, multiple vehicle, safe-driver, and homeowner discounts applied. When discounts are applied, the average savings per year on car insurance for inexperienced drivers is 28% or $608.
Why are you paying too much for car insurance?
California car insurance rates are impacted by many factors which can substantially decrease or increase the price of your policy. Improving your credit score, increasing deductibles, or having an accident may generate price changes resulting in some rates now being cheaper than others.
Also, auto insurance companies change the rates they charge in California at least once a year to ensure their profitability. Higher than normal claims can result in increased policy costs, while profitable underwriting may result in cheaper Bakersfield car insurance rates.
To help illustrate this point, the data below shows the cheapest car insurance in Bakersfield, CA for a 45-year-old female driver with a clean driving record, no accidents, and excellent credit. Based on her personal risk profile, USAA may have the most affordable car insurance rates in Bakersfield at $1,191 each year. This is $460 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide are the rest of the cheapest Bakersfield, CA auto insurance companies.
Now let’s give the driver from the first rate comparison some claims, poor credit, and a blemish on her driving record. Due to the fact that each insurance company has a proprietary formula to set their prices, analyzing rates may result in a new list of affordable Bakersfield car insurance companies as shown below.
Grange now has the best insurance rate in Bakersfield, CA with Mercury, GEICO, Allstate, and Progressive also being competitive. This illustrates why consumers need to perform an extensive rate comparison when trying to get the most economical auto insurance rates for inexperienced drivers. Car insurance prices consist of many things and can increase or decrease at any time, so the most economical option the last time you shopped your coverage around may now be wasting a lot of money.
If you aren’t sure which coverage to buy and prefer to have a little guidance when shopping around for cheaper insurance for inexperienced drivers, the agents listed below can aid you in deciding which car insurance policy is best.
To locate a Bakersfield insurance agent close to where you live, click the button after the list.
Nationwide Insurance – Michaud Insurance Agency Inc
3795 Niles St – Bakersfield, CA 93306 – (661) 633-9900
Farmers Insurance – James Burton Jr.
1309 S H St – Bakersfield, CA 93307 – (661) 836-1300
Keith Stonebraker – State Farm Insurance Agent
4600 Ashe Rd #308 – Bakersfield, CA 93313 – (661) 664-9663
Allstate Insurance: Ana M. Arreola
6649 Ming Ave – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 633-2633
Crosby and Crosby Insurance Services
111 H St – Bakersfield, CA 93304 – (661) 327-5531