Cheapest Insurance for a Ford Ranger in Bakersfield

The recommended way to find discount auto insurance rates in Bakersfield is to make a habit of regularly comparing prices from different companies who provide auto insurance in California.

1. Take a little time to learn about how insurance works and the steps you can take to keep rates in check. Many rating factors that result in higher rates like traffic citations and a negative credit score can be controlled by making lifestyle changes or driving safer. Keep reading for more information to prevent high rates and find discounts that you may qualify for.
2. Request price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give rate quotes from one company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agents can provide rate quotes from multiple insurance companies. Compare rates
3. Compare the new rate quotes to the premium of your current policy and see if you can save money. If you find a lower rate and change companies, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.

The key thing to know about shopping around is to make sure you’re comparing the same level of coverage on every quote request and and to get rates from as many companies as possible. This guarantees an apples-to-apples comparison and a complete selection of prices.

Smart shoppers know that auto insurance companies don’t want policyholders to shop around. People who perform rate comparisons are highly likely to buy a new policy because there is a good chance of finding lower prices. Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that people who routinely compared quotes saved as much as $865 a year compared to people who never shopped around for better prices.

If finding discount rates on Ford Ranger insurance in Bakersfield is the reason for your visit, then understanding how to find and compare coverage rates can help you succeed in finding affordable rates.

If you have coverage now, you will most likely be able to find better prices using these methods. Buying affordable auto insurance in Bakersfield can be easy if you know a few tricks. Although California drivers can benefit by having an understanding of the way companies calculate their prices and take advantage of how the system works.

Compare Bakersfield Ford Ranger insurance quotes online

Most of the larger companies like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO make it easy to get pricing direct online. Doing online price comparisons for Ford Ranger insurance in Bakersfield can be done by anyone as you just type in your coverage information into the quote form. Once you submit the form, their quoting system collects credit information and your driving record and generates pricing information determined by many factors. Being able to quote online for Ford Ranger insurance in Bakersfield simplifies rate comparisons, and it’s necessary to compare as many rates as possible in order to find affordable rates.

To save time and fill out one form to compare multiple rates now, take a look at the companies shown below. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you enter coverages and limits exactly as they are listed on your policy. This ensures you will have comparison quotes using the exact same coverages.

The car insurance companies shown below are ready to provide free rate quotes in California. If multiple providers are shown, it’s a good idea that you get rate quotes from several of them in order to find the most competitive rates.

Insurance coverage details

The premium information displayed below showcases different insurance prices for Ford Ranger models. Knowing how car insurance premiums are figured is important for drivers to make informed coverage decisions.

Data based on married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and claim-free. Information does not factor in vehicle location which can revise coverage rates considerably.

Comparison of policy deductibles

One of the most common car insurance questions is how low should you set your deductibles. The comparison tables below lay out the price difference between low and high physical damage coverage deductibles. The first set of rates uses a $100 physical damage deductible and the second price grid uses a $500 deductible.

Above prices assume married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, and claim-free. Price information does not factor in garaging location in Bakersfield which can alter coverage prices considerably.

Based on this data, we can arrive at the conclusion that using a $100 deductible costs an average of $26 more each month or $312 every year than quoting the higher $500 deductible. Because you would pay $400 more to file a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you tend to go at least 15 months between claim filings, you would probably come out ahead if you choose a higher deductible.

One big caveat is that raising deductibles to save money means you will have to pay more if you have a claim. You need access to more funds in order to pay the deductible for vehicle repair.

Should you buy full coverage?

The diagram below visualizes the comparison of Ford Ranger annual premium costs when comparing full coverage to state minimum liability only. The rate quotes are based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

When to stop buying physical damage coverage

There is no definitive guideline for eliminating comp and collision coverage, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.

For example, let’s say your Ford Ranger replacement value is $5,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, you would only receive $4,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If it’s costing you more than $400 annually for your policy with full coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.

There are some cases where dropping full coverage is not financially feasible. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to maintain full coverage in order to prevent the bank from purchasing higher-priced coverage. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should keep full coverage in place.

Smart Consumers Can Lower Insurance Rates

Many factors are used when quoting car insurance. Most are fairly basic like a motor vehicle report, but some are more transparent like your vehicle usage and annual miles driven.

The factors shown below are a few of the things that factor into your rate level.

• Safer vehicles save money – Vehicles that have high safety ratings cost less to insure. Highly rated vehicles have better occupant injury protection and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims which can mean better rates for you. If your Ford has ratings of a minimum an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website you may be receiving a better rate.

• Better drivers pay lower premiums – Having just one moving violation could increase your next policy renewal by twenty percent. Attentive drivers receive lower rates than their less careful counterparts. People who have license-revoking citations such as reckless driving or DUI may face state-mandated requirements to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to drive a vehicle legally.

  The illustration below highlights how speeding tickets and at-fault fender-benders drive up Ford Ranger annual premium costs for each age group. The data is based on a married male driver, full coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

• Physical damage deductibles – The deductibles you choose define the amount you are required to spend out-of-pocket if a covered claim is submitted. Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some coverage claims are a windshield broken by a bird, vandalism, and having a roll-over accident. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the bigger discount you will receive.
• Car insurance lapses lead to higher rates – Driving your car without having proper coverage is against the law and car insurance companies will penalize you for letting your insurance coverage expire. And not only will your rates increase, failure to provide proof of insurance may earn you fines or a revoked license. You may then have to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the California motor vehicle department.
• Bundle policies to earn discounts – Lots of insurance companies apply discounts to buyers who buy several policies from them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can amount to ten percent or more. Even with this discount applied, it’s still a good idea to compare other company rates to help guarantee you have the best rates.

• Your age impacts your premiums – Older drivers have been proven to be more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents, and get fewer tickets. Teenage drivers are statistically proven to be inattentive and easily distracted when driving with friends so they pay higher car insurance rates.

  The chart below is based on a single driver, full coverage with $500 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.

• Premiums are affected by your credit rating – Your credit score factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. Insureds with very good credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers who have lower credit scores. Therefore, if your credit history is lower than you’d like, you could save money insuring your Ford Ranger by improving your rating.
• Your liability insurance limits – The liability section of your policy kicks in if ever a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. It provides legal defense which can cost a lot. Liability is cheap compared to comp and collision, so do not skimp.

Buying the right Ford Ranger insurance in California is an important decision

Despite the fact that car insurance is not cheap in Bakersfield, buying car insurance serves a purpose in several ways.

• The majority of states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry specific limits of liability insurance coverage if you want to drive legally. 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 you bought your vehicle with a loan, most lenders will require you to buy full coverage to guarantee payment of the loan. If you do not keep the policy in force, the lender will be forced to insure your Ford at an extremely high rate and force you to pay for the expensive policy.
• Car insurance preserves your Ford Ranger and your assets. Insurance will pay for hospital and medical expenses for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you cause an accident and are sued. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, comprehensive and collision coverage will pay to have it repaired.

The benefits of carrying enough insurance more than offset the price you pay, particularly for liability claims. According to a survey of 1,000 drivers, the average driver is wasting up to $855 a year so you should quote and compare rates at every policy renewal to ensure rates are inline.