Astonishing but true according to a recent study, the vast majority of auto insurance customers kept their coverage with the same auto insurance company for a minimum of four years, and about 40% of consumers have never shopped around. Many consumers in Bakersfield could save themselves about 35% a year just by comparing rates, but most undervalue the benefits if they bought a different policy.
If you want to save the most money, the best way to get the cheapest car insurance rates in Bakersfield is to start comparing prices regularly from insurers who sell auto insurance in California.
- Step 1: Read and learn about the coverage provided by your policy and the steps you can take to prevent expensive coverage. Many factors that increase rates such as getting speeding tickets and a substandard credit score can be improved by making minor changes in your lifestyle.
- Step 2: Compare price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive and direct companies can give quotes from one company like Progressive or State Farm, while agents who are independent can give you price quotes from multiple sources.
- Step 3: Compare the price quotes to your existing rates and see if there is a cheaper rate in Bakersfield. If you can save some money and make a switch, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
One thing to remember is to try to use identical coverages on each quote request and and to look at every insurance company. Doing this ensures a fair rate comparison and a better comparison of the market.
To find low cost prices, there are a couple of ways to compare rate quotes from different Bakersfield insurance companies. By far the easiest way to compare rates is to jump online and get quotes.
It’s so fast and easy to compare quotes online that it takes the place of having to spend time driving to insurance agencies in your area. Comparing Chevy Captiva Sport insurance rate quotes online reduces the need to sit down with an agent unless you’re the type of person who wants the professional guidance that you can only get from talking to an agent. If you prefer, some companies allow you to compare online quotes and have a local agent actually service the policy.
When comparing auto insurance rates, know that comparing a large number of companies will enable you to find the best offered rates.
The companies shown below are ready to provide price comparisons in California. If several companies are displayed, it’s a good idea that you visit several of them to get the lowest price.
Cheaper Bakersfield car insurance rates with discounts
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you might already qualify for some discounts that may help make it more affordable. Some discounts will apply when you purchase, but some need to be specifically requested prior to getting the savings.
- Good Students Pay Less – Being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Most companies allow this discount well after school through age 25.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Low mileage vehicles can earn slightly better premium rates than normal.
- Renewal Discounts – A few car insurance companies offer discounts for buying a policy early. This discount can save up to 10%.
- Discount for Home Ownership – Owning your own home or condo can get you a discount due to the fact that maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Clubs and Organizations – Being in specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations may earn a discount on your policy.
- Drive Safe and Save – Drivers without accidents can save up to 40% or more on their Bakersfield car insurance quote than drivers with accident claims.
- Telematics Discount – Policyholders that allow their insurance company to look at their driving habits by using a small device installed in their vehicle such as In-Drive from State Farm or Allstate’s Drivewise system could save a few bucks if they exhibit good driving behavior.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you can combine your homeowners and auto policy and insure them with the same company you may save at least 10% off all policies.
Drivers should understand that some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So even though you would think adding up those discounts means a free policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
To choose insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in Bakersfield, click here to view.
Insurance agent or online?
Some consumers would prefer to sit down with an agent and that is recommended in a lot of cases One of the best bonuses of comparing rate quotes online is that you can find cheap car insurance rates and still have a local agent.
By using this short form, your coverage information is immediately sent to insurance agents in Bakersfield that give free quotes for your business. You won’t even need to contact any insurance agencies due to the fact that quote results will go to you. It’s the lowest rates without requiring a lot of work. If you want to get a price quote for a specific company, you can always search and find their rate quote page and complete a quote there.
Selecting an insurer should depend on more than just the price. The following questions are important to ask.
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
- Which companies do they recommend if they are an independent agency?
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
If you need to find a reputable agency, you should know the different agency structures to choose from. Car insurance agencies can be categorized as either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for.
Exclusive Agents
Agents of this type have only one company to place business with and examples are State Farm or Allstate. These agents are not able to compare other company’s rates so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Exclusive agents are well trained on sales techniques which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates.
Listed below is a list of exclusive agents in Bakersfield that are able to give price quotes.
Farmers Insurance: Grant Fortt
2623 F St – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 829-4499 – View Map
Allstate Insurance: Diana Martinez
6300 White Ln T – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 827-8800 – View Map
Allstate Insurance: Charles Brummer
4300 Coffee Rd, Ste A4 – Bakersfield, CA 93308 – (661) 283-0300 – View Map
Independent Car Insurance Agencies
Agents of this type are not required to write business for one company and that allows them to write policies with many different companies and find the cheapest car insurance rates. To move your coverage to a new company, your agent can switch companies and that require little work on your part.
When comparison shopping, we recommend you include price quotes from a couple of independent agencies in order to compare the most rates.
The following is a short list of independent insurance agents in Bakersfield who can help you get comparison quotes.
William K Lyons Agency Inc
2100 F St # 200 – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 327-9731 – View Map
Fallgatter Rhodes Insurance
1701 G St – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 324-2424 – View Map
Walter Mortensen Insurance
8500 Stockdale Hwy – Bakersfield, CA 93311 – (661) 834-6222 – View Map
What Impacts Chevy Captiva Sport Insurance Prices?
Lots of things are part of the equation when you quote your car insurance policy. Most are fairly basic like your driving record, but other criteria are not as apparent such as your credit history or how safe your car is. One of the most helpful ways to save on insurance is to to have a grasp of the factors that are used to determine your premiums. If you know what influences your rates, this enables you to make decisions that can earn you lower premium levels.
Certain employers raise rates – Careers like military personnel, airline pilots, and dentists generally have the highest average rates due to intense work-related stress and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, occupations like professors, historians and performers pay the least.
Cars with good safety ratings cost less to insure – Vehicles with good safety scores get lower rates. Vehicles built for safety help reduce the chance of injuries in an accident and better occupant protection translates into savings for insurance companies passed on to you as lower rates.
Use but don’t abuse your insurance – If you file claims often, you shouldn’t be surprised to get higher premiums or even policy non-renewal. Insurance companies in California generally give the lowest premiums to drivers who only file infrequent claims. Your insurance policy is designed for claims that pose a financial burden.
Married drivers get cheaper prices – Having a significant other may save some money on your insurance bill. Marriage demonstrates that you tend to be less irresponsible and insurance companies like that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Pleasure use saves money – Driving more miles annually the higher your rates will be. Most companies calculate rates based upon how much you drive. Cars that do not get driven very much qualify for better rates than vehicles that have high annual mileage. Ask your agent if your insurance policy states the correct usage. Incorrect rating for your Captiva Sport is throwing money out the window.
Multiple policies with one company can save – Lots of insurance companies apply discounts to clients that have more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. The discount can add up to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even with this discount applied, it’s in your best interest to compare other company rates to guarantee you are still saving the most. You may still be able to save even more even if you have your coverage with different companies
Incidental coverages you don’t use – There are many additional coverages that can add up on your insurance policy. Things like personal injury protection, high-cost glass coverage, and extra equipment coverage are probably not needed. These may sound like a good investment when buying your policy, but if they’re wasting money consider taking them off your policy.
Chevy Captiva Sport claim data – Insurance companies analyze historical claim data to help calculate a profitable premium rate. Models that are shown to have higher losses will cost more to insure. The next table illustrates the insurance loss data for Chevy Captiva Sport vehicles.
For each coverage type, the loss probability for all vehicles, without regard to make or model, is represented as 100. Numbers below 100 indicate a favorable loss history, while values that are 100 or greater point to more frequent losses or tendency to have larger claims.
| Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Captiva Sport 4dr 2WD | 89 | 95 | 88 | 123 | 115 | 105 |
Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
Auto insurance does more than just protect your car
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Chevy Captiva Sport in Bakersfield, insuring your vehicle is a good idea for several reasons.
- Almost all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means state laws require a minimum amount of liability insurance coverage in order to be legal. 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 loan, it’s guaranteed your bank will require that you have physical damage coverage to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the lender may insure your Chevy for a much higher rate and require you to reimburse them much more than you were paying before.
- Insurance protects both your assets and your Chevy Captiva Sport. It will also cover hospital and medical expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, collision and comprehensive coverages will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of buying auto insurance are definitely more than the cost, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. The average driver in California is overpaying more than $800 each year so smart consumers compare quotes once a year at a minimum to save money.
Bakersfield car insurance company ratings
Picking a high-quality car insurance provider can be difficult considering how many choices you have in Bakersfield. The information listed below can help you pick which car insurance companies to look at shopping prices with.
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+
You can find cheaper coverage
When you buy Bakersfield car insurance online, it’s very important that you do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are many occasions where someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your focus should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best possible price, but do not skimp to save money.
We just showed you many ideas to compare Chevy Captiva Sport insurance premium rates in Bakersfield. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote Bakersfield car insurance, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the best premium rates are with a lesser-known regional company. These smaller insurers can often provide lower prices in certain areas than their larger competitors like Allstate and Progressive.
Some companies may not have rates over the internet and usually these regional insurance providers only sell coverage through independent agents. Cost effective Chevy Captiva Sport insurance is definitely available both online and from local agencies, so compare prices from both in order to have the best chance of saving money.
Much more information about insurance in California can be found below:
- Safety Tips for Teen Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for a Honda Civic in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for Hybrid Vehicles in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Teenage Females in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for Postal Workers in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- New head restraint design cuts injuries (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Credit Impacts Car Insurance Rates (State Farm)
- Rearview cameras reduce backing crashes (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)