Cheapest Acura TL Insurance in San Diego

Did a good deal turn into an overpriced insurance policy? You’re in good company because many San Diego drivers have buyer’s remorse.

It’s astonishing, but the majority of drivers have purchased from the same company for more than four years, and roughly 40% of drivers have never compared insurance rates at all. Consumers in San Diego could save approximately 35% a year, but they just assume it’s a time-consuming process to compare other rate quotes. Big-name insurance companies like Allstate and Progressive all promote huge savings with TV and radio ads and it is challenging if not impossible to see through the deception and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

If you have a current insurance policy or just want cheaper coverage, you can learn to get lower rates without having to cut coverage. Locating the best rates in San Diego is not that difficult as long as you know where to start. Consumers just have to learn the most efficient way to compare company rates over the internet.

Car insurance quotes and discounts

Companies don’t always publicize every discount they offer very well, so the list below gives a summary of both the well known and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using when you buy San Diego car insurance online.

• Own a Home – Owning a house in San Diego can save a few bucks because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
• Braking Control Discount – Cars and trucks equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and the ABS can save up to 10%.
• Drive Less and Save – Driving fewer miles may allow you to get better car insurance rates on cars that stay parked.
• Save over 55 – Seniors are able to get better car insurance rates.
• Safe Driver Discount – Accident-free drivers can pay as much as 50% less compared to accident prone drivers.
• Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and earn discounts up to 10% off your San Diego car insurance quote.

As a sidenote, most discounts do not apply to the whole policy. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. If you do the math and it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don’t profit that way.

Car insurance companies that may offer quotes with these benefits include:

• Progressive
• MetLife
• Mercury Insurance
• Nationwide
• GEICO
• AAA

When quoting, ask each company or agent the best way to save money. Depending on the company, some discounts might not be offered in your state. If you would like to view car insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in California, click here.

The following companies can provide price quotes in California. If the list has multiple companies, we recommend you get rates from several of them to get the cheapest price.

Prices above based on single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and homeowner. Rate quotes do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can increase or decrease coverage rates greatly.

Where to set your deductibles

The diagram below illustrates how your deductible choice and can impact Acura TL yearly insurance costs for different age categories. Data assumes a married male driver, full physical damage coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.

How high should deductibles be?

One of the more difficult decisions when buying auto insurance is the level to set your comp and collision deductibles. The figures shown below determine the difference in cost between high and low physical damage deductibles. The first rate table uses a $250 deductible for comprehensive and collision coverage and the second set of prices uses a $1,000 deductible.

Prices based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, claim-free, and safe-driver. Premium costs do not factor in garaging location in San Diego which can change premium rates substantially.

Based on these figures, using a $250 deductible will cost you roughly $36 more each month or $432 each year than opting for the higher $1,000 deductible. Due to the fact that you would have to pay $750 more to file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you go at a minimum 21 months between claims, you would probably save some money if you choose the higher deductible.

Should I contact an agent?

Some consumers would prefer to sit down and talk to an agent and that is not a bad decision Professional agents can help determine the best coverages and help in the event of a claim. The best thing about comparing rates online is you may find lower premium rates but still work with a licensed agent.

For easy comparison, once you complete this form (opens in new window), your information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents that can give you free San Diego car insurance quotes for your business. You don’t have to drive around since rate quotes are delivered directly to you. In the event you want to get a price quote from a specific insurance provider, feel free to search and find their rate quote page and fill out their quote form.

Deciding on an insurance company should depend on more than just a cheap price quote. Any good agent in San Diego should know the answers to these questions.

• How long has their agency been open in San Diego?
• Is there a 24/7 contact number?
• Who are their largest clients?
• Do they see any coverage gaps in your plan?
• Do they have a Better Business Bureau rating in San Diego?

If you want to use a reliable insurance agent, you should know the different types of agencies and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Insurance agencies can either be independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive. Both write insurance policies, but it’s a good idea to understand the difference between them because it may have an impact on your agent selection.

Exclusive Insurance Agencies

Agents in the exclusive channel have only one company to place business with and some examples include State Farm, Allstate, or Farmers Insurance. They generally cannot place coverage with different providers so you might not find the best rates. Exclusive agents are highly trained in insurance sales and that can be a competitive advantage.

Listed below are exclusive agencies in San Diego who can help you get price quote information.

More San Diego agents

Independent Agents

These type of agents are not limited to a single company so they can write business with a variety of different insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you stay with the same agent.

When comparing rate quotes, we highly recommend that you include a few independent agents so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare.

Shown below is a short list of independent agencies in San Diego that can give you price quote information.

More San Diego agents

Insurance coverage considerations

Knowing the specifics of your insurance policy can help you determine the right coverages for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Listed below are typical coverage types offered by insurance companies.

Collision insurance

This pays for damage to your TL resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision insurance covers claims like driving through your garage door, crashing into a ditch and rolling your car. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. Another option is to bump up the deductible on your TL in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Liability auto insurance

Liability insurance provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property by causing an accident. Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 15/30/5 which means a $15,000 limit per person for injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $30,000, and property damage coverage for $5,000.

Liability insurance covers things like structural damage, medical expenses and repair costs for stationary objects. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as large an amount as possible. California state minimum liability requirements are 15/30/5 but it’s recommended drivers buy more liability than the minimum.

Insurance for medical payments

Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for short-term medical expenses such as rehabilitation expenses, dental work and surgery. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

Comprehensive insurance covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as damage from flooding, falling objects, damage from getting keyed, rock chips in glass and hail damage. The maximum amount your insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your Acura TL.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (15/30/5), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea.

More comparisons equals affordable rates

In this article, we covered many ways to lower your Acura TL insurance prices in San Diego. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding cheaper San Diego car insurance quotes. Drivers may even discover the best price on insurance is with some of the lesser-known companies. Some small companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive and GEICO.

Discount Acura TL insurance in San Diego can be purchased on the web and from local agencies, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance providers do not offer online price quotes and these smaller companies sell through independent insurance agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, you should never reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many cases where someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to discover later they didn’t have enough coverage. The goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.

Additional detailed information is available in the articles below:

• Should I Buy a New or Used Car? (Allstate)
• What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers Over Age 70 in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for First-time Drivers in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers Over Age 60 in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Uninsured Motorist Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• How to Avoid Common Accidents (State Farm)