Do you want to stop overpaying and find more affordable Lexus IS 200t insurance in Bakersfield? I can’t think of anyone who fancies paying their premiums for auto insurance, especially when they are aware that the price is too high.
Everyone knows that car insurance companies don’t want policyholders to shop around. Consumers who compare rates annually will most likely switch auto insurance companies because they stand a good chance of finding a more affordable policy premium. A survey found that drivers who made a habit of comparing rates saved $3,500 over four years compared to drivers who never compared rates.
If finding the best price on insurance is your objective, then understanding how to find and compare coverage rates can help you succeed in finding affordable rates. Big-name insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive all promote huge savings with fancy advertisements and it is challenging if not impossible to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and do the work needed to find the best deal.
If you are already insured or just want to reduce your rates, use these techniques to lower your rates without reducing protection. Finding affordable auto insurance coverage in Bakersfield can be much easier if you know how to start. Drivers just need to know the most effective way to get comparison quotes from many companies at once.
Discount Bakersfield insurance quotes
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but there are discounts available that you may not know about. Certain credits will be shown when you get a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked for prior to receiving the credit. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Buy New and Save – Insuring a vehicle that is new is cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
- Memberships – Being in certain professional organizations may earn a discount on your next renewal.
- Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
- Telematics Data – Bakersfield drivers who agree to allow driving data submission to study their driving habits by installing a telematics device such as State Farm’s In-Drive might get better premium rates if they show good driving skills.
- Senior Citizens – Drivers over the age of 55 may qualify for lower premium rates.
Drivers should understand that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you could get a free insurance policy, you aren’t that lucky.
Some companies that may have most of these discounts include:
Double check with every prospective company how many discounts you can get. Some discounts might not be offered in your state. To choose insurers that provide some of the discounts listed above in Bakersfield, click here.
The companies shown below have been selected to offer comparison quotes in Bakersfield, CA. If the list has multiple companies, we recommend you get rate quotes from several of them to get the most competitive price.
Comparing quotes from local Bakersfield car insurance agents
Some people just want to buy from a local agent and that is OK! Experienced insurance agents are very good at helping people manage risk and help submit paperwork. A nice benefit of comparing rates online is you may find lower rates but also keep your business local. Putting coverage with neighborhood agents is especially important in Bakersfield.
Upon completion of this short form, your information is immediately sent to local insurance agents in Bakersfield who will give you quotes for your business. There is no need to leave your house due to the fact that quote results will go directly to your email. If you want to get a comparison quote for a specific company, feel free to go to their quote page and fill out their quote form.
Listed below are agents in Bakersfield that can give you comparison quotes for Lexus IS 200t insurance in Bakersfield.
Dawn Fore – State Farm Insurance Agent
4801 Truxtun Ave #200 – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 324-2300 – View Map
Keith Stonebraker – State Farm Insurance Agent
4600 Ashe Rd #308 – Bakersfield, CA 93313 – (661) 664-9663 – View Map
Allstate Insurance: Ana M. Arreola
6649 Ming Ave – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 633-2633 – View Map
Farmers Insurance – E Bob White
3811 Auburn St – Bakersfield, CA 93306 – (661) 871-3000 – View Map
Finding a good insurer needs to be determined by more than just a low price. A good agent in Bakersfield will have answers to these questions.
- Are they in the agency full-time?
- How many years have they been established?
- Are all drivers listed on the coverage quote?
- Do they have 24-hour customer assistance?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
Auto insurance does more than just repair your car
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Lexus in Bakersfield, buying auto insurance serves several important purposes.
First, most states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means you are required to carry a specific minimum amount of liability insurance coverage in order to drive the car. 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 your IS 200t has a lienholder, it’s guaranteed your bank will have a requirement that you buy full coverage to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the bank may insure your Lexus at a more expensive rate and force you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
Third, insurance safeguards your car and your assets. It will also cover hospital and medical expenses for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. Liability insurance also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance more than cancel out the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. According to a recent study, the average American driver is overpaying more than $865 each year so compare rates at least once a year to save money.
Auto insurance 101
Having a good grasp of a car insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Below you’ll find typical coverage types offered by car insurance companies.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision
This coverage pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for things such as theft, damage from a tornado or hurricane, damage from flooding and hail damage. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
UM/UIM Coverage
This coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your Lexus IS 200t.
Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits (15/30/5), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked. Normally the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Medical costs insurance
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for bills for things like ambulance fees, chiropractic care, hospital visits and prosthetic devices. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers all vehicle occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Collision protection
Collision insurance covers damage to your IS 200t from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage pays for things such as rolling your car, crashing into a building, sustaining damage from a pot hole and damaging your car on a curb. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible on your IS 200t to get cheaper collision coverage.
Liability car insurance
This coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to other people or property. Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have policy limits of 15/30/5 that translate to a $15,000 limit per person for injuries, $30,000 for the entire accident, and a total limit of $5,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is a combined limit which combines the three limits into one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability insurance covers things such as repair costs for stationary objects, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and legal defense fees. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but you should buy as much as you can afford. California requires minimum liability limits of 15/30/5 but you should consider buying more liability than the minimum.
The next chart shows why minimum state limits may not be adequate coverage.
California auto insurance company ratings
Selecting a high-quality insurance provider is difficult considering how many different companies insure vehicles in Bakersfield. The information shown below could help you analyze which companies you want to consider buying from.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 98 | 100 | 100 | 94% | A++ | 98.6 |
| American Family | 98 | 89 | 100 | 86% | A | 95.4 |
| AAA of Southern California | 91 | 94 | 97 | 92% | A+ | 94.1 |
| State Farm | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90% | A++ | 92.4 |
| The Hartford | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89% | A+ | 91.7 |
| AAA Insurance | 88 | 89 | 95 | 91% | A | 91.2 |
| GEICO | 84 | 93 | 93 | 89% | A++ | 90.3 |
| The General | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88% | A- | 90 |
| Titan Insurance | 90 | 87 | 91 | 95% | A+ | 89.6 |
| Progressive | 84 | 91 | 93 | 87% | A+ | 89.5 |
| Mercury Insurance | 88 | 91 | 90 | 85% | A+ | 89.4 |
| Allstate | 85 | 90 | 92 | 88% | A+ | 89.3 |
| Nationwide | 87 | 88 | 84 | 90% | A+ | 88.7 |
| Liberty Mutual | 84 | 87 | 93 | 88% | A | 88.5 |
| 21st Century | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88% | A | 86.7 |
| Esurance | 85 | 80 | 95 | 87% | A+ | 85.9 |
| Safeco | 85 | 85 | 85 | 86% | A | 85.8 |
| Travelers | 80 | 87 | 87 | 83% | A++ | 85.2 |
| Farmers Insurance | 78 | 87 | 88 | 79% | A | 84.3 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Compare but don’t skimp
There are still a few companies who don’t offer rates over the internet and these smaller providers only sell through independent agencies. Cheap Lexus IS 200t insurance in Bakersfield can be bought online as well as from insurance agents, so you need to compare both to have the best rate selection.
We just covered some good ideas how you can find lower-cost Lexus IS 200t insurance in Bakersfield. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get auto insurance rates for, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the best rates are with some of the lesser-known companies. Some small companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm or Progressive.
How to find low-cost rates for Lexus IS 200t insurance in Bakersfield
If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to find cheaper car insurance rates is to do a yearly price comparison from insurers who sell auto insurance in Bakersfield. You can shop around by completing these steps.
Step 1: Get an understanding of car insurance and the things you can control to drop your rates. Many risk factors that drive up the price like accidents, traffic violations, and a lousy credit rating can be remedied by being financially responsible and driving safely.
Step 2: Quote rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide price quotes for a wide range of companies.
Step 3: Compare the quotes to your existing coverage to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find better rates, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
An important bit of advice to remember is to compare similar limits and deductibles on every price quote and and to get rates from as many companies as possible. Doing this enables the most accurate price comparison and plenty of rates choose from.
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- Car Insurance for Teen Drivers with Divorced Parents (Allstate)
- How Can I Save Money on Auto Insurance? (Insurance Information Institute)
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