If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to save on Scion iQ insurance is to do a yearly price comparison from companies who sell auto insurance in Bakersfield. Rate comparisons can be done by following these steps.
- Read about how auto insurance works and the steps you can take to lower rates. Many things that are responsible for high rates such as traffic tickets, fender benders, and a bad credit score can be improved by making lifestyle changes or driving safer. Read the full article for tips to help keep prices low and get bigger discounts.
- Compare rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only provide price estimates from a single company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agents can provide price quotes from many different companies. Compare rates
- Compare the price quotes to the premium of your current policy to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find a lower rate and switch companies, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
- Tell your current company of your intention to cancel your existing policy. Submit any necessary down payment along with the completed application to the new insurer. Once the paperwork is finalized, keep the new certificate of insurance with your vehicle’s registration.
An important part of this process is to try to use similar coverage information on each quote request and and to get rates from as many companies as possible. This ensures a fair price comparison and a thorough price selection.
It’s safe to assume that car insurance companies don’t want you to compare rates. People who perform rate comparisons will presumably buy a new policy because they have good chances of finding a policy with more affordable rates. A recent study showed that drivers who regularly compared rates saved as much as $865 a year compared to other drivers who never shopped around for cheaper prices.
If saving the most money on auto insurance in Bakersfield is why you’re here, knowing the best way to quote and compare auto insurance can save time and make the process easier.
Finding the cheapest coverage in Bakersfield can be much easier if you know how to start. If you already have coverage, you will most likely be able to find the best rates using the tips covered below. But California consumers do need to learn the way companies charge you for coverage and use this information to your advantage.
Compare Bakersfield Scion iQ insurance quotes online
Most major insurance companies provide prices from their websites. This process doesn’t take much effort as all you need to do is type in the coverages you want as requested by the quote form. After you submit the form the system automatically retrieves credit information and your driving record and quotes a price.
This helps simplify price comparisons, and it’s also necessary to perform this step in order to get affordable insurance pricing.
To find out if lower rates are available, take a look at the companies shown below. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended that you enter the insurance coverages exactly as they are listed on your policy. Doing this assures you will have rate comparison quotes using the same coverage and limits.
The companies in the list below can provide price comparisons in California. If multiple companies are shown, we suggest you visit several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Bakersfield insurance discounts for a Scion iQ
Some companies do not advertise all discounts very clearly, so we took the time to find both the well known as well as some of the hidden discounts that you may qualify for.
- No Accidents – Good drivers with no accidents get the best insurance rates as compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Bundle and Save – When you have multiple policies with one company you could save at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
- Safety Course Discount – Completing a defensive driver class is a good idea and can lower rates depending on where you live.
- Safety Restraint Discount – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt may be able to save a few bucks on medical payment and PIP coverage.
- Distant Student – Any of your kids who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from Bakersfield and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be insured at a cheaper rate.
- Low Mileage – Keeping the miles down on your Scion can earn substantially lower premium rates.
- Federal Employees – Active or retired federal employment can earn a discount up to 10% with a few insurance companies.
As a footnote on discounts, most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So despite the fact that it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won’t be that lucky.
To find insurers that offer multiple discounts in California, click here to view.
Shop online but buy locally
Some consumers would rather have an agent’s advice. An additional benefit of getting online price quotes is the fact that drivers can get cheaper rates but also keep your business local.
Once you complete this simple form, the coverage information is transmitted to local insurance agents that give free quotes to get your business. You won’t need to find an agent because quoted prices will be sent immediately to your email address. It’s the lowest rates without requiring a lot of work. If you wish to compare prices from one company in particular, don’t hesitate to jump over to their website and complete a quote there.
Picking an provider needs to be determined by more than just the price. These are valid questions to ask:
- Are all drivers listed on the coverage quote?
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
- Are there any extra charges for paying monthly?
- What companies can they write with?
- Is coverage determined by price?
- Will you get a loaner vehicle if you car is being repaired?
When narrowing the list to find a reputable agency, you should know the different types of agents and how they function. Bakersfield agents can be categorized as either independent or exclusive.
Exclusive Agents
Agents that choose to be exclusive generally can only insure with one company such as Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Exclusive agents cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so you might not find the best rates. Exclusive insurance agents receive extensive training on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Consumers sometimes buy from the same agent for years mainly due to the prominence of the brand and solid financial strength.
Shown below are exclusive insurance agencies in Bakersfield that can give you rate quotes.
- Dawn Fore – State Farm Insurance Agent
4801 Truxtun Ave #200 – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 324-2300 – View Map - Mike Brazzell – State Farm Insurance Agent
3721 Columbus St – Bakersfield, CA 93306 – (661) 872-7770 – View Map - Tom Smethurst – State Farm Insurance Agent
13061 Rosedale Hwy a – Bakersfield, CA 93314 – (661) 589-1991 – View Map
Independent Agents
Independent agencies can sell policies from many different companies so as a result can place your coverage with a variety of different insurance companies and get you the best rates possible. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move your policy to a different company and you can keep the same agent. When comparing auto insurance rates, you will want to include price quotes from independent agents to get the most accurate price comparison. They often place coverage with less well-known companies that may provide cheaper auto insurance rates.
Listed below is a short list of independent agencies in Bakersfield that are able to give price quotes.
- Fallgatter Rhodes Insurance
1701 G St – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 324-2424 – View Map - Hay Insurance Agency Inc.
4921 Calloway Dr # 101 – Bakersfield, CA 93312 – (661) 829-8933 – View Map - Nationwide Insurance: Mountain Pacific Insurance And Financial Services
3100 19th St #250 – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 873-4780 – View Map
Five factors that determine insurance premiums
Part of the auto insurance buying process is learning some of the things that help determine your auto insurance rates. If you understand what determines premiums, this helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to lower premium levels. Many different elements are used in the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are obvious such as your driving history, although some other factors are not quite as obvious like your vehicle usage and annual miles driven.
The list below includes some of the factors used by your company to calculate your rate level.
- Where do you drive? – The more you drive in a year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most insurance companies calculate prices based on their usage. Vehicles left parked in the garage cost less to insure as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. It’s a smart idea to ensure your auto insurance policy is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle, because improper ratings can cost you money. An improperly rated iQ is just wasting money.
- Rates for men may be higher – The statistics show females are less aggressive when driving. The data does not necessarily mean that males are worse at driving than females. Females and males have accidents at a similar rate, but the males get into accidents with more damage. Men also statistically receive more costly citations such as reckless driving.
- What are your physical damage deductibles? – Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay before your auto insurance pays a claim. Protection for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your car. Examples of covered claims are collision with another vehicle, damage caused by hail, and damage caused by road hazards. The more you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the bigger discount you will receive.
- Married drivers pay lower premiums – Having a wife or husband may save some money on your auto insurance bill. Marriage is viewed as being more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
- Insurance prices are higher for high performance vehicles – The make and model of the car you need to insure makes a substantial difference in your car insurance bill. The lowest base rates are usually found on lower cost passenger cars, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
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Insurance loss statistics a Scion iQ – Insurers analyze historical claim data to help calculate a profitable premium rate. Models that are shown to have increased claim numbers or amounts will cost more for specific coverages.
The data below shows the insurance loss data for Scion iQ vehicles. For each insurance policy coverage type, the claim amount for all vehicles as a whole is a value of 100. Numbers that are below 100 mean the vehicle has better than average losses, while numbers shown that are more than 100 indicate higher probability of having a loss or an increased chance of a larger loss.
Scion iQ Insurance Loss Statistics Specific Scion Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Scion iQ 77 81 75 BETTERAVERAGEWORSEEmpty fields indicate not enough data collected
Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years
Three main reasons to buy insurance
Even though it can be expensive, insuring your vehicle serves several important purposes.
First, most states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a specific minimum amount of liability insurance if you drive a vehicle. 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.
Second, if you have a loan on your Scion iQ, more than likely the lender will require that you buy full coverage to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you default on your policy, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Scion for a lot more money and require you to reimburse them for the expensive policy.
Third, insurance preserves not only your Scion but also your financial assets. It will also provide coverage for many types of medical costs for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability coverage will also pay to defend you if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, comprehensive and collision coverage will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of buying insurance more than cancel out the cost, particularly if you ever have a claim. As of last year, the average driver in California is overpaying more than $830 a year so compare quotes from several companies every year to ensure rates are inline.
Which car insurance company is best in Bakersfield?
Buying coverage from the highest-rated car insurance provider can be challenging considering how many companies there are in Bakersfield. The company rank data displayed below could help you analyze which providers you want to consider when comparing rate quotes.
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+
Top 10 Bakersfield Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Value
- USAA
- American Family
- The Hartford
- AAA of Southern California
- Titan Insurance
- The General
- AAA Insurance
- State Farm
- Mercury Insurance
- Nationwide
One last thing about your coverage
Consumers switch companies for many reasons like policy cancellation, denial of a claim, unfair underwriting practices or extreme rates for teen drivers. It doesn’t matter what your reason, choosing a new insurance company can be easier than you think.
Lower-priced car insurance in Bakersfield is attainable online and with local Bakersfield insurance agents, so get free Bakersfield auto insurance quotes from both of them in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies may not have rates over the internet and usually these smaller providers work with independent agents.
When you buy Bakersfield auto insurance online, it’s not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, consumers will sacrifice liability coverage limits to discover at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your goal should be to buy enough coverage at the lowest possible cost, not the least amount of coverage.
More information is located below:
- Safe Vehicles for Teens (iihs.org)
- Who Has Cheap Bakersfield Auto Insurance Quotes for a Toyota Highlander? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Bakersfield Auto Insurance for Unemployed Drivers? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Bakersfield Auto Insurance for Real Estate Agents? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Bakersfield Auto Insurance for Uninsured Drivers? (FAQ)
- Drunk Driving Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Reducing Your Risks in a Car Crash Video (iihs.org)
- Hybrid vehicles cost insurers more (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)