It takes a little time, but the best way to get low-cost auto insurance rates in Bakersfield is to start doing an annual price comparison from companies in California.
- Spend a few minutes and learn about the coverage provided by your policy and the modifications you can make to keep rates in check. Many policy risk factors that drive up the price like speeding tickets, accidents and a lousy credit rating can be amended by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
- Quote rates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct and exclusive agents can only provide price estimates from one company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agents can provide prices from multiple insurance companies. View a list of agents
- Compare the quotes to your existing policy to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you find better rates and switch companies, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
- Notify your agent or company of your decision to cancel your current auto insurance policy and submit a completed policy application and payment for your new coverage. As soon as you can, place your new proof of insurance paperwork in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
One key aspect when comparing rates is to make sure you enter the same physical damage deductibles and liability limits on every price quote and and to get rates from as many different companies as possible. This guarantees a fair rate comparison and maximum price selection.
Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that the vast majority of California auto insurance customers kept their policy with the same company for four years or more, and approximately 40% of consumers have never compared rates from other carriers. Drivers in the U.S. could save themselves approximately 46.5% a year, but they don’t want to take the time to do a rate comparison.
If you already have coverage, you will definitely be able to lower your rates using these methods. Finding quotes for the lowest cost car insurance policy in Bakersfield is not as time-consuming as you think. But California vehicle owners benefit from understanding how the larger insurance companies sell insurance online and apply this information to your search.
Affordable Chevy insurance rates in Bakersfield
The auto insurance companies shown below are our best choices to provide quotes in Bakersfield, CA. If several companies are displayed, we recommend you compare several of them to get the best price comparison.
Cheap Bakersfield auto insurance rates with discounts
Companies don’t always advertise every possible discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the below list has a few of the more well known and the harder-to-find ways to save on auto insurance.
- Good Grades Discount – Maintaining excellent grades could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. The good student discount can last well after school through age 25.
- Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents can save substantially when compared to accident-prone drivers.
- One Accident Forgiven – Not a discount per se, but a few companies such as State Farm and GEICO will turn a blind eye to one accident before they charge you more for coverage so long as you are claim-free for a specific time period.
- Paperwork-free – A few larger online companies will give a small break for buying your policy online.
- Multi-car Discount – Buying a policy with multiple cars or trucks with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Factory options such as air bags may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
- New Vehicle Savings – Putting insurance coverage on a new Cruze can save up to 30% since new model year vehicles have better safety ratings.
- Own a Home and Save – Owning your own home or condo may trigger a policy discount on auto insurance since home ownership demonstrates responsibility.
- Driver’s Ed – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers take driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
- Theft Deterrent Discount – Vehicles equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems are stolen with less frequency and will save you 10% or more on Cruze insurance in Bakersfield.
Don’t be shocked that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Despite the fact that it seems like you could get a free auto insurance policy, that’s just not realistic. But any discount will help reduce your overall bill.
Popular auto insurance companies and some of the discounts are included below.
- Progressive may have discounts that include homeowner, continuous coverage, good student, online signing, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and online quote discount.
- The Hartford has discounts for air bag, bundle, vehicle fuel type, defensive driver, good student, driver training, and anti-theft.
- Mercury Insurance offers discounts including low natural disaster claims, annual mileage, anti-theft, good driver, multi-policy, and multi-car.
- GEICO offers discounts for air bags, good student, anti-lock brakes, driver training, and defensive driver.
- AAA offers premium reductions for AAA membership discount, education and occupation, multi-policy, good driver, anti-theft, and pay-in-full.
- State Farm may offer discounts for Drive Safe & Save, multiple policy, driver’s education, Steer Clear safe driver discount, anti-theft, and student away at school.
If you are trying to find affordable Chevrolet Cruze insurance quotes, ask each company to apply every possible discount. Some credits may not apply in Bakersfield.
You Can Change Your Insurance Premiums
One of the most helpful ways to save on auto insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the elements that play a part in calculating the level of your policy premiums. When consumers understand what determines base rates, this allows you to make good choices that could result in big savings.
Higher auto insurance rates for auto insurance policy lapses – Going without insurance is a fast way to increase your renewal premiums. In addition to paying higher premiums, getting caught without coverage may result in a revoked license or a big fine. You may need to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the California DMV.
Safer vehicles lower premiums – Cars with five star safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. Safer cars help reduce the chance of injuries in an accident and better occupant protection means your insurance company pays less passed on to you as lower rates.
Vehicle theft costs us all – Choosing to buy a car with a theft deterrent system can earn a premium discount. Theft deterrent systems such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all help prevent auto theft.
When should you not file insurance claims? – If you file a lot of claims don’t be surprised to see higher premiums or even policy non-renewal. Insurance companies in California provide better rates to policyholders who do not file claims often. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for claims that you cannot pay yourself.
Higher comp and collision deductibles lower rates – Physical damage protection, also known as collision and other-than-collision, covers damage that occurs to your Chevy. Some examples of claims that would be covered could be a dented fender, hitting a deer, and having your car stolen. The deductibles you choose represent how much money you are willing to pay if the claim is covered. The more you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the less money you will pay for auto insurance.
Use credit responsibly and save – Your credit score factor in determining premium rates. Consumers who have very high credit ratings tend to be less risk to insure than those with poor credit. Therefore, if your credit could use some work, you could save money insuring your Chevrolet Cruze if you improve your credit rating.
Discounts for married drivers – Having a significant other can get you a discount on your auto insurance policy. Having a significant other is viewed as being more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Insurance loss data for a Chevy Cruze – Insurance companies factor in insurance loss information to calculate a price that will offset losses. Models that the statistics show to have high amounts or severity of claims will have increased rates.
The table below outlines the historical loss data for Chevy Cruze vehicles. For each coverage type, the claim amount for all vehicles averaged together is represented as 100. Values below 100 imply a favorable loss record, while percentages above 100 point to more losses or a tendency for claims to be larger.
| Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Cruze | 96 | 132 | 87 | 136 | 153 | 152 |
Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years
Local insurance agents
Many drivers still like to have an agent’s advice and that is OK! One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is you can get the best rates but also keep your business local. And providing support for local agents is still important in Bakersfield.
For easy comparison, once you complete this simple form, the quote information is instantly submitted to insurance agents in Bakersfield who will give you bids for your coverage. You won’t even need to contact any agents because quoted prices will be sent directly to your email. You can find better rates and a licensed agent to talk to. If you want to quote rates from a specific insurance company, don’t hesitate to find their quoting web page and fill out the quote form the provide.
If you need to find a reliable agent, there are two different types of agencies that you can select. Insurance agencies in Bakersfield may be either independent agents or exclusive agents.
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents in the independent channel are not restricted to one company and that is an advantage because they can write policies through many different insurance companies and get the cheapest rates. If prices rise, they simply move the coverage in-house and you don’t have to find a new agent. When comparing rate quotes, it’s a good idea to get some free quotes from a couple of independent agencies to ensure the widest selection of prices. Most also write with different regional companies that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.
Featured below are independent insurance agents in Bakersfield that can give you rate quotes.
- Baldwin Georgenton Insurance
4200 Truxtun Ave # 102 – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 327-8010 – View Map - Nationwide Insurance – Michaud Insurance Agency Inc
3795 Niles St – Bakersfield, CA 93306 – (661) 633-9900 – View Map - Tony Camarena Insurance Agency
324 Oak St – Bakersfield, CA 93304 – (661) 322-3500 – View Map
Exclusive Agencies
Exclusive agencies can only provide one company’s prices and some examples include Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. These agents are not able to provide prices from multiple companies so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Exclusive agencies are very knowledgeable on what they offer which helps them sell on service rather than price. A lot of people buy insurance from these agents primarily because of the prominence of the brand rather than having the cheapest rates.
Shown below are Bakersfield exclusive insurance agencies willing to provide rate quotes.
- Allstate Insurance: Charles Brummer
4300 Coffee Rd, Ste A4 – Bakersfield, CA 93308 – (661) 283-0300 – View Map - Dawn Fore – State Farm Insurance Agent
4801 Truxtun Ave #200 – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 324-2300 – View Map - Mike Boyer – State Farm Insurance Agent
9720 Brimhall Rd Ste 200 – Bakersfield, CA 93312 – (661) 588-1140 – View Map
Finding the right auto insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just a low price. Any agent in Bakersfield should be willing to answer these questions.
- Who are their largest clients?
- Is every driver in your family covered?
- Do they have designations such as AIC, CPCU, or CIC?
- Does the company use OEM repair parts?
- How often do they review coverages?
- Are they able to provide referrals?
- Does the agent recommend any additional coverage?
Quote more and you will save more
Cheaper car insurance in Bakersfield can be found both online in addition to many Bakersfield insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. A few companies do not offer rate quotes online and most of the time these smaller companies provide coverage only through independent agencies.
Consumers change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as unfair underwriting practices, not issuing a premium refund, poor customer service and extreme rates for teen drivers. It doesn’t matter what your reason, choosing a new company is not as hard as you think.
When buying insurance coverage, do not buy poor coverage just to save money. Too many times, someone sacrificed liability coverage limits and found out when filing a claim that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best possible price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
Additional car insurance information can be found at the links below
- Vehicle Insurance in the U.S. (Wikipedia)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for Hybrid Vehicles in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes for Uber Drivers in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for Veterans in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Bakersfield Auto Insurance Rates for High Mileage Drivers? (FAQ)
- Protecting Teens from Drunk Driving (Insurance Information Institute)
- Parking Tips to Reduce Door Dings (State Farm)