Regrettably, the vast majority of consumers in California have been with the same company for a minimum of four years, and roughly 40% of drivers have never compared rates from other carriers. Many drivers in the United States could cut their rates by $859 a year, but most undervalue the big savings they would realize if they moved their coverage to a different company.
The preferred way to find cheaper Kia Soul insurance in Bakersfield is to compare prices at least once a year from insurance carriers who provide car insurance in California. Rates can be compared by following these steps.
- Step 1: Spend some time learning about auto insurance and the factors you can control to lower rates. Many factors that result in higher prices like at-fault accidents, careless driving, and a poor credit rating can be controlled by making minor changes in your lifestyle. Later in this article we will cover additional tips to prevent high rates and find missing discounts.
- Step 2: Obtain price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can give quotes from a single company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agents can provide price quotes from many different companies. Find a Bakersfield insurance agent
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to the premium of your current policy to see if a cheaper price is available. If you can save money and decide to switch, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
- Step 4: Tell your current company of your intent to cancel your current auto insurance policy and submit the required down payment along with the signed application for your new coverage. Once the paperwork is finalized, place your new certificate verifying proof of insurance in an accessible location in your vehicle.
An important part of this process is to use similar limits and deductibles on every quote request and and to get rate quotes from as many different insurance providers as possible. This provides a fair price comparison and a good representation of prices.
Buying affordable auto insurance in Bakersfield can really be easy if you know what you’re doing. Just about each driver who requires lower cost auto insurance will find a better price. Although California vehicle owners must learn how the larger insurance companies determine what you pay because it can help you find the best coverage.
Statistics and details
The rate table displayed next outlines estimates of insurance coverage prices for Kia Soul models. Learning as much as possible about how insurance policy premiums are established can be valuable when making decisions on the best policy to buy.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soul | $182 | $372 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,234 | $103 |
| Soul Plus | $182 | $372 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,234 | $103 |
| Soul Exclaim | $204 | $372 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,256 | $105 |
| Soul Sport | $204 | $372 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,256 | $105 |
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Prices based on single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, multi-policy, safe-driver, and claim-free. Premium amounts do not factor in specific Bakersfield garaging location which can change price quotes significantly.
Physical damage deductibles: Should you raise them?
A question often asked by Bakersfield drivers is where to set your physical damage deductibles. The following insurance rates may help to illustrate the rate differences when you choose different physical damage coverage deductibles. The first pricing table uses a $250 deductible for comp and collision and the second rate chart uses a $1,000 deductible.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soul | $342 | $576 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,543 | $129 |
| Soul Plus | $342 | $576 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,543 | $129 |
| Soul Exclaim | $386 | $576 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,587 | $132 |
| Soul Sport | $386 | $576 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,587 | $132 |
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| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soul | $210 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,172 | $98 |
| Soul Plus | $210 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,172 | $98 |
| Soul Exclaim | $238 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,200 | $100 |
| Soul Sport | $238 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,200 | $100 |
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Table data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Table data does not factor in Bakersfield location which can affect insurance rates greatly.
We can derive from the above data that using a $250 deductible costs approximately $32 more each month or $384 for a full year than quoting the higher $1,000 deductible. Because you would pay $750 more out of your own pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you average more than 23 months between claims, you would probably be better off if you elect the higher deductible.
How to determine if a higher deductible is a good idea
| Average monthly premium for $250 deductibles: | $131 |
| Average monthly premium for $1,000 deductibles (subtract): | – $99 |
| Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $32 |
| Difference between deductibles ($1,000 – $250): | $750 |
| Divide difference by monthly savings: | $750 / $32 |
| Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 23 months |
The information below shows how choosing a deductible and can raise or lower Kia Soul premium costs for different age categories. The premiums are based on a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are applied.
Liability only or full coverage
The example below illustrates the difference between Kia Soul insurance prices with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The rates are based on no accidents or driving violations, $500 deductibles, marital status is single, and no policy discounts are applied.
When to eliminate full coverage
There is no set rule to drop full coverage on your policy, but there is a general convention. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is more than around 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s assume your Kia Soul book value is $7,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company would pay you is $6,000 after the deductible is paid. If it’s costing in excess of $600 a year for your policy with full coverage, then you might consider buying liability only.
There are some cases where dropping physical damage coverage is not a good idea. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you must maintain physical damage coverage in order to prevent your loan from defaulting. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should not eliminate full coverage.
What Impacts Kia Soul Insurance Premiums?
Multiple criteria are taken into consideration when pricing auto insurance. Some factors are common sense such as your driving history, but other criteria are less apparent like where you live or your commute time. An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that help calculate the level of your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this allows you to make educated decisions that may result in big savings.
Safer cars save money – Vehicles that have high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Highly rated vehicles result in less severe injuries and lower rates of occupant injuries means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Save money by having multiple policies – Most larger companies apply better rates to people that buy multiple policies, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you already get this discount, you may still want to check prices from other companies to ensure the best deal. You may still be able to save even more by buying from different companies
Incidental coverages you don’t use – There are many extra coverages that can waste your money if you don’t pay attention. Things like replacement cost coverage, death and dismemberment, and motor club memberships may be costing you every month. They may seem like a good idea at first, but your needs may have changed so remove them from your policy.
A car insurance lapse can increase premiums – Allowing your car insurance policy to lapse is a fast way to increase your renewal premiums. In addition to paying higher premiums, getting caught without coverage could earn you a fine, jail time, or a revoked license.
Optional features that lower premiums – Choosing a vehicle with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft deterrent systems such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart vehicle theft.
Kia Soul insurance loss statistics – Auto insurance companies analyze historical claim data when they calculate premium costs for each model. Vehicles that are shown to have high amounts or severity of claims will have a higher cost to insure.
The table shown below demonstrates the loss history for Kia Soul vehicles. For each coverage category, the claim probability for all vehicles as a whole is equal to 100. Percentage values below 100 suggest a positive loss record, while percentage values above 100 point to more losses or an increased chance of a larger loss.
| Specific Kia Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Soul | 89 | 98 | 84 | 138 | 138 | 118 |
Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
Best car insurance company in Bakersfield
Choosing the right car insurance provider is difficult considering how many different companies sell coverage in California. The company rank data shown below may help you analyze which coverage providers you want to consider when comparing rate quotes.
| 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 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
A conclusion for your auto insurance search
People switch companies for a variety of reasons including high rates after DUI convictions, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, delays in responding to claim requests and poor customer service. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a new auto insurance company can be pretty painless.
In this article, we covered some good ideas how you can find affordable Kia Soul insurance in Bakersfield. It’s most important to understand that the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your car insurance rates. Drivers may even discover the lowest priced auto insurance comes from the smaller companies.
The cheapest Kia Soul insurance in Bakersfield can be bought online and from local insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers do not offer online quoting and usually these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agencies.
Additional information
- Young Drivers: The High Risk Years Video (iihs.org)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates for Ride Shares in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Bakersfield Car Insurance for High Risk Drivers? (FAQ)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for Hybrid Vehicles in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Vehicle Insurance (Wikipedia)
- Anti-Lock Brake FAQ (iihs.org)