The words “cheap” and “auto insurance” really shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, especially when comparison shopping for the best price on coverage for low income drivers. To help control this cost, let’s teach you some things that have an impact on auto insurance prices, and figure out some ideas to take the sting out of the next policy you buy.
The vehicle on the policy is one of the largest considerations when comparing quotes for low-cost auto insurance for low income drivers. Vehicles with economical engines, a plethora of safety features, or low incidents of liability claims will cost much less to insure than high performance models.
The list below ranks coverage rates for a selection of the most affordable vehicles to insure in California.
| Make, Model, and Trim Level | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $759 |
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $766 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $759 |
| Toyota Prius | $842 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $880 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $897 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $902 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $917 |
| Ford F-150 XL Super Cab 4WD | $927 |
| Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $944 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 S 4-Dr Sedan | $953 |
| Toyota Corolla XLE | $944 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $957 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LT Regular Cab 2WD | $961 |
| GMC Sierra SLT Crew Cab 2WD | $963 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $978 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 2WD | $1,000 |
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Data based on married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and multi-policy. Table data does not factor in your specific Bakersfield, CA location which can alter price quotes noticeably.
Looking at the rates, you can presume that makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Hyundai Elantra, and Toyota Prius will definitely be the less-costly vehicles to insure for poor drivers.
Figuring out which insurers offer the cheapest auto insurance rates for low income drivers calls for a little more effort in order to find the best price. Each company has their own process to set policy rates, so we’ll go over the auto insurance companies that tend to have lower prices in Bakersfield, CA.
Keep in mind that Bakersfield, CA auto insurance rates are impacted by many factors which can significantly increase or decrease the price of your policy. Simply turning a year older, moving to a new city, or having an at-fault accident can trigger price changes that may make certain companies more affordable than others.
Find the Cheapest Auto Insurance in California
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,143 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,157 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,190 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,198 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,263 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,338 |
| 7 | Mercury | $1,488 |
| 8 | Grange | $1,491 |
| 9 | Allstate | $1,497 |
| 10 | Progressive | $1,512 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,529 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,590 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,639 |
| 15 | Unitrin | $1,682 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,705 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,733 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,777 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,806 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
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USAA offers some of the best car insurance rates in Bakersfield at around $1,143 a year. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide would also be considered some of the best Bakersfield, CA auto insurance companies.
In this example, if you are a customer of Century National and switched to USAA, you may see an annual savings of in the neighborhood of $47. Drivers with CSAA may save as much as $55 a year, and Nationwide insureds might lower prices by up to $120 a year.
If you would like to find cheaper car insurance rates, click here to get quotes or quote rates from the companies below.
Understand that those premiums are averages for all types of insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in a specific zip code for low income drivers. So the car insurance company that fits you best may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That helps illustrate why you need to get rate quotes using your own personal information and vehicle type.
One of the more important things that determine the cost of insurance is where you call home. Cities with larger populations or higher claim trends tend to have more expensive car insurance rates, whereas areas that tend to be more rural benefit from having to pay less for coverage.
The information below sorts the priciest cities in California for low income drivers to buy car insurance in. Bakersfield makes the list at #20 with a yearly premium of $1,381 on average, which is approximately $115 monthly.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glendale | $2,142 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
| 3 | Sacramento | $1,720 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,711 |
| 5 | Oakland | $1,704 |
| 6 | Long Beach | $1,610 |
| 7 | Stockton | $1,603 |
| 8 | Fontana | $1,581 |
| 9 | San Bernardino | $1,580 |
| 10 | Garden Grove | $1,554 |
| 11 | Santa Clarita | $1,533 |
| 12 | Modesto | $1,532 |
| 13 | Moreno Valley | $1,506 |
| 14 | Santa Ana | $1,497 |
| 15 | Riverside | $1,497 |
| 16 | Anaheim | $1,474 |
| 17 | Fresno | $1,457 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,395 |
| 19 | Irvine | $1,384 |
| 20 | Bakersfield | $1,381 |
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Price information shown is comparative as the specific zip code location can raise or lower coverage prices substantially.
Types of discounts on Bakersfield car insurance rates
Car insurance companies that provide policies for low income drivers could also offer price discounts that can reduce rates by 25% or more if you are eligible for them. Companies and a partial list of their discounts can be read below.
- 21st Century policyholders can earn discounts including student driver, early bird, defensive driver, driver training, and 55 and older.
- State Farm includes discounts for anti-theft, student away at school, accident-free, Drive Safe & Save, safe vehicle, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and passive restraint.
- AAA offers discounts for education and occupation, good driver, multi-car, good student, pay-in-full, anti-theft, and AAA membership discount.
- Liberty Mutual may offer discounts for preferred payment discount, newly married, exclusive group savings, new graduate, and safety features.
- Progressive may include discounts for multi-vehicle, good student, multi-policy, online signing, homeowner, online quote discount, and continuous coverage.
The illustration below shows the comparison of car insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the rates. The premium estimates are based on a female driver, no claims, a clean driving record, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, homeowner, multiple vehicle, passive restraint, anti-theft, and claim-free discounts applied. When these discounts are applied, the average savings per year on auto insurance for low income drivers is 28% or $661.
Full coverage rates compared to liability only
Finding the cheapest auto insurance is the goal of most people, and one common way to pay less for insurance for low income drivers is to not insure for full coverage. The diagram below illustrates the difference between car insurance rates with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The price estimates are based on no claims or driving citations, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Averaged for all ages 20 through 70, full coverage costs $2,467 per year over and above liability coverage. Many people question if buying full coverage is worth the expense. There isn’t a steadfast formula to eliminate comp and collision coverage, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of having full coverage is about 10% or more of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
There are some circumstances where dropping physical damage coverage is not a good idea. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you have to carry full coverage to satisfy the loan requirements. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should not drop full coverage.
The importance of shopping around
Bakersfield, CA auto insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can significantly increase or decrease the policy price. Turning one year older, becoming a homeowner, or having a fender bender may cause policy rate changes that can cause some rates to be cheaper than competitors. Not only may your situation change, but car insurance companies file new rates every year to adjust for unexpected claims or profits. Higher than normal claims can result in increased policy costs, while profitable underwriting can produce cheaper Bakersfield car insurance rates.
For example, the graph below compares the cheapest car insurance in Bakersfield, CA for a 40-year-old female driver with a good driving record, no prior claims, and excellent credit. When quoting prices based on her current risk factors, USAA offers the cheapest car insurance rates in Bakersfield at $1,180 each year. This is $471 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, Wawanesa, Nationwide, and CSAA also make the list of the top five cheapest Bakersfield, CA auto insurance companies.
Now we will pretend the driver from above a chargeable claim, less-than-perfect credit, and a few blemishes on her driving record. Since every car insurance company has a proprietary formula to set their prices, comparing insurance quotes most likely will result in a different ranking of the cheapest Bakersfield car insurance companies as shown below.
Grange now has the best insurance rate in Bakersfield with Allstate, Progressive, GEICO, and Mercury now being in the top five. This demonstrates why it is so important to compare as many rates as possible to find the cheapest car insurance quotes for low income drivers. Prices are made up of many factors and can change without notice, so the cheapest rate three years ago may now be one of the higher cost companies.