The easiest way to get cheaper Mitsubishi Mirage insurance in Bakersfield is to regularly compare quotes from insurers who sell auto insurance in California. Rates can be compared by following these steps.
- Take a few minutes and learn about policy coverages and the changes you can make to keep rates in check. Many rating criteria that are responsible for high rates such as multiple speeding tickets and poor credit can be improved by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
- Request price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can provide rates from one company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can quote rates from many different companies.
- Compare the new rate quotes to your current policy to see if you can save by switching companies. If you find a lower rate and decide to switch, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Provide notification to your current agent or company to cancel the current policy and submit payment along with a signed and completed policy application to your new company or agent. Immediately safely store the certificate of insurance with your registration paperwork.
One tip to remember is that you use the same coverage limits and deductibles on every price quote and and to look at as many companies as feasibly possible. Doing this provides a fair rate comparison and and a good selection of different prices.
Smart shoppers know that auto insurance companies want to keep you from shopping around. Drivers who shop around for cheaper rates will probably move their business because there is a high probability of finding a lower-cost company. Remarkably, a study showed that drivers who routinely compared rates saved about $3,400 over four years compared to people who never compared other company’s rates.
If saving money on insurance is your goal, understanding how to get free comparison quotes and analyze cheaper coverage can save time and make the process easier.
Most larger insurance companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm allow you to get coverage prices on the web. Getting online rates for Mitsubishi Mirage insurance in Bakersfield is possible for anyone as you just type in the amount of coverage you want into the form. When the form is submitted, their quoting system collects information on your driving record and credit history and provides a quote based on these and other factors.
This helps simplify price comparisons, and it’s also necessary to get many rate quotes if you want to find the lowest payment.
To quickly get comparison pricing now, check out the auto insurance providers below. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you replicate the coverage information just like they are on your policy. Doing this guarantees you are getting comparison quotes for exact coverage.
The companies in the list below are our best choices to provide price comparisons in California. If multiple providers are shown, it’s highly recommended you click on several of them to find the most affordable auto insurance rates.
Best reasons to buy auto insurance in California
Even though Bakersfield Mirage insurance rates can get expensive, insuring your vehicle serves several important purposes.
- Most states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means the state requires specific minimum amounts 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.
- If your vehicle has a loan, it’s most likely the lender will require you to have insurance to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you default on your policy, the lender will be forced to insure your Mitsubishi at a much higher premium rate and require you to fork over the higher premium.
- Insurance protects not only your vehicle but also your financial assets. It will also reimburse you for most medical and hospital costs that are the result of an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit if you cause an accident and are sued. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, comprehensive and collision coverage will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of having auto insurance more than offset the price you pay, particularly when you have a large claim. Today the average American driver is overpaying over $855 a year so you should quote your policy with other companies once a year at a minimum to save money.
Affordable Bakersfield insurance rates with discounts
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there’s a good chance there are discounts to help bring down the price. Some discounts apply automatically when you get a quote, but a few must be inquired about in order for you to get them.
- Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to fasten their seat belts can save 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
- Save with More Vehicles Insured – Having multiple vehicles on a single policy can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
- Mature Driver Discount – Drivers over the age of 55 can possibly qualify for a slight reduction on a Bakersfield auto insurance quote.
- Claim-Free Discount – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay much less as compared to bad drivers.
- Student Driver Training – Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully take a driver’s education course in school.
- Service Members Pay Less – Having an actively deployed family member could qualify you for better insurance rates.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts could see savings of up to 25% or more.
- Club Memberships – Joining a qualifying organization could earn you a nice discount on insurance.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So even though you would think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck.
A few companies that may include these money-saving discounts are:
When getting free Bakersfield auto insurance quotes, it’s a good idea to each company which credits you are entitled to. Depending on the company, some discounts might not apply in Bakersfield. To find insurers with the best discounts in Bakersfield, follow this link.
Don’t assume everyone needs the same insurance coverage
Always remember that when buying adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really isn’t a best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is unique so this has to be addressed.
These are some specific questions may help highlight whether you might need an agent’s assistance.
- Can I cancel at any time?
- Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
- Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
- Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
- Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
- When would I need additional glass coverage?
- Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Auto insurance quotes from neighborhood Bakersfield auto insurance agents
A lot of people just prefer to get advice from a local agent and doing so can bring peace of mind One of the benefits of comparing rates online is you can get lower rates but still work with a licensed agent.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this quick form, your insurance coverage information is submitted to participating agents in Bakersfield who will give you quotes for your business. There is no need to even leave your home since rate quotes are delivered to you instantly. You can most likely find cheaper rates without having to waste a lot of time. If you have a need to quote rates from a specific auto insurance provider, don’t hesitate to navigate to their website and give them your coverage information.
Finding the right provider requires you to look at more than just the premium amount. The questions below may impact your decision as well.
- If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
- Can you contact them at any time?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
- What is their Better Business Bureau rating?
If you are wanting to find an insurance agent, there are a couple of different types of agencies and how they are slightly different. Agents can be classified as either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.
Exclusive Agents
Agents of this type generally can only insure with one company and some examples include Allstate, AAA, Farmers Insurance, and State Farm. Exclusive agents are unable to compare rates from other companies so they have to upsell other benefits. Exclusive agents are well trained on their company’s products and that allows them to sell at a higher price point. Some consumers prefer to purchase coverage from exclusives partially due to loyalty to the company rather than low price.
Shown below is a short list of exclusive insurance agencies in Bakersfield willing to provide price quote information.
- David Hall – State Farm® Insurance Agent
5351 Olive Dr #300 – Bakersfield, CA 93308 – (661) 393-8326 – View Map - Bill Thomas – State Farm Insurance Agent
8200 Stockdale Hwy Ste M3 – Bakersfield, CA 93311 – (661) 397-1999 – View Map - Jeremy Scheidle – State Farm Insurance Agent
2017 24th St – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 861-9797 – View Map
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Agents that elect to be independent do not sell for just one brand so they can write business through many companies and find you the best rates. If your agent finds better pricing, your policy is moved internally and you stay with the same agent.
When comparing auto insurance prices, you absolutely need to contact at a minimum one independent agency so that you can do a thorough price comparison. A lot of them also have access to small mutual carriers who may have lower rates.
Shown below are Bakersfield independent insurance agencies that are able to give price quote information.
- NSE Insurance Agencies, Inc.
5330 Office Center Ct # 69 – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 327-0620 – View Map - Stockdale Insurance Agency Inc
1675 Chester Ave #310 – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 327-3321 – View Map - Edward J. Herrera Insurance Agency
2017 19th St – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 327-4028 – View Map
Once you have received good answers to any questions you may have and locked in a price quote, it’s possible that you found an insurance agency that meets the requirements to adequately provide auto insurance.
Car insurance 101
Understanding the coverages of a insurance policy can help you determine appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are typical coverages offered by insurance companies.
Comprehensive insurance – Comprehensive insurance covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like rock chips in glass, hitting a deer, damage from flooding, hail damage and vandalism. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Collision coverage – This coverage will pay to fix damage to your Mirage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision insurance covers claims such as scraping a guard rail, crashing into a ditch, driving through your garage door and crashing into a building. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also bump up the deductible on your Mirage in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Liability coverages – This coverage protects you from damage or injury you incur to a person or their property that is your fault. This coverage protects you from claims by other people. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see liability limits of 15/30/5 that means you have $15,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $30,000 in injury protection per accident, and $5,000 of coverage for damaged property.
Liability can pay for things like bail bonds, attorney fees, court costs and structural damage. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. California requires drivers to carry at least 15/30/5 but it’s recommended drivers buy higher limits.
The chart below demonstrates why buying minimum limits may not be adequate.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your Mitsubishi Mirage.
Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits (15/30/5), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Med pay and PIP coverage pay for immediate expenses for things like prosthetic devices, nursing services, chiropractic care and X-ray expenses. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Cheaper car insurance is a realistic goal
In this article, we presented many ways to find cheaper Mitsubishi Mirage insurance in Bakersfield. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding cheaper Bakersfield auto insurance quotes. Consumers could even find that the lowest prices are with some of the smallest insurance companies. Regional companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
As you quote Bakersfield auto insurance, it’s very important that you do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage to discover at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your objective should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best possible price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
Much more information about car insurance in California is located at the links below
- Should I Buy a New or Used Car? (Allstate)
- Who Has Cheap Bakersfield Car Insurance Quotes for a Jeep Grand Cherokee? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for Electric Cars in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for a Chevrolet Silverado in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- How Much are Bakersfield Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers with Good Credit? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Drivers Under 21 in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Smart Auto Insurance Tips (Insurance Information Institute)
- Airbag FAQ (iihs.org)
- What Determines the Price of My Auto Insurance Policy? (Insurance Information Institute)
- State Car Insurance Guides (GEICO)