Acura ZDX Insurance Rates in San Diego

Would you like to find low-cost Acura ZDX insurance in San Diego? Did a good deal turn out to be overpriced Acura ZDX insurance in San Diego? Say no more because many San Diego consumers feel financially strained by their car insurance policy.

Sad but true, almost 70% of drivers have been with the same company for more than four years, and just short of a majority have never shopped around. Consumers in San Diego could save $469 every year, but they just don’t understand how easy it is to do a rate comparison.

Companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually bombard you with ad campaigns and it is difficult to avoid their marketing magic and find the best price available.

It is always a good idea to do rate comparisons at least once a year because prices are constantly changing. If you had the best price on Acura ZDX insurance in San Diego two years ago you will most likely find a better rate today. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in one of the best ways to remove unneeded coverages and save money.

Just remember that comparing more prices helps improve the odds of finding a lower rate than you’re paying now. Not every company provides online price quotes, so you need to compare rates on coverage from those companies, too.

The providers in the list below are ready to provide price quotes in San Diego, CA. If the list has multiple companies, it’s a good idea that you visit several of them to get the best price comparison.

Data based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Prices do not factor in specific location information which can alter premium rates significantly.

Physical damage deductibles: Should you raise them?

A question often asked by San Diego drivers is the level to set your comp and collision deductibles. The rates shown below may help you to understand the premium difference of buying low and high deductibles. The first data set uses a $250 physical damage deductible and the second set of rates uses a $500 deductible.

Price data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Price information does not factor in specific San Diego garaging location which can change premiums substantially.

We can derive from the above data that using a $250 deductible costs about $23 more each month or $276 each year than buying the higher $500 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $250 more out-of-pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you tend to go at least 11 months between claims, you would save money by going with a higher deductible.

Full coverage or liability only

The chart below shows the difference between Acura ZDX insurance prices with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. Data assumes no tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, married female driver, and no other discounts are factored in.

When to drop full coverage

There isn’t a written rule to drop physical damage insurance, but there is a general school of thought. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is more than about 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s pretend your Acura ZDX replacement value is $3,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company would pay you is $2,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If premium cost is more than $200 annually for physical damage coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.

There are some conditions where eliminating full coverage is not financially feasible. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you have to carry full coverage to satisfy the loan requirements. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should maintain full coverage.

Choosing the best ZDX insurance in California is an important decision

Even though San Diego ZDX insurance rates can get expensive, buying insurance may not be optional for several reasons.

• Almost all states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means the state requires specific minimum amounts of liability insurance in order to get the vehicle licensed. 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 you have a loan on your Acura, more than likely the lender will stipulate that you have insurance to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totalled. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the bank may insure your Acura for a lot more money and make you pay for the much more expensive policy.
• Insurance preserves your car and your assets. Insurance will pay for many types of medical costs for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. Liability coverage also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If your car is damaged in a storm or accident, collision and comprehensive coverages will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.

The benefits of carrying enough insurance more than offset the price you pay, particularly if you ever have a claim. An average driver in America overpays as much as $800 each year so you should quote your policy with other companies once a year at a minimum to be sure current rates are still competitive.

How Your ZDX Insurance Premiums are Determined

It’s important that you understand a few of the rating criteria that aid in calculating your premiums. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates, this allows you to make good choices that could result in lower premium levels. Multiple criteria are used in the calculation when premium rates are determined. Some factors are common sense like your driving record, but some are not quite as obvious such as your credit history or how safe your car is.

Liability limits on your policy – Your insurance policy’s liability coverage will protect you in the event that you are found liable for damages caused by your negligence. This coverage provides you with a defense in court to attempt to prove you were not liable. This coverage is very inexpensive when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.

Safer the car lower the rate – Safer cars tend to be cheaper to insure. Highly rated vehicles reduce injuries and better occupant protection translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders. If your Acura ZDX scored at minimum an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website you may be receiving a better rate.

Higher coverage deductibles reduce rates – Deductibles for physical damage are how much you are willing to pay if the claim is covered. Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are colliding with a stationary object, damage from fire, or theft of your vehicle. The more of the claim the insured is willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.

Your gender affects rates – Statistics show that females tend to be a little less risky than males. The data does not necessarily mean that females are better at driving than males. Females and males are in fender benders at a similar rate, but males get into accidents with more damage. In addition to higher claims, males also get higher numbers of serious violations like DUI and reckless driving.

Lower rates by qualifying for discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don’t necessarily list all their discounts very well, so below is a list both well-publicized in addition to some of the lesser obvious credits available to you.

• Telematics Discount – Insureds that choose to allow driving data submission to monitor driving patterns by using a telematic data system such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate might get better premium rates if they show good driving skills.
• Payment Method – If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can avoid monthly service charges.
• Multi-car Discount – Having all your vehicles with the same company can get a discount for every vehicle.
• Discount for Passive Restraints – Factory options such as air bags or automatic seat belts may get savings of 20 to 30 percent.
• Waiver for an Accident – This isn’t a discount exactly, but a handful of insurance companies may permit one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you are claim-free for a specific time period.
• Student Discounts – A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. Many companies even apply the discount to college students up until you turn 25.
• Theft Deterrent System – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and will save you 10% or more on ZDX insurance in San Diego.
• Discounts for Responsible Drivers – Accident-free drivers can save as much as half off their rates than less cautious drivers.
• Driver’s Ed – Teen drivers should successfully take a driver’s education course in high school.

You can save money using discounts, but many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. Even though it may seem like all the discounts add up to a free policy, that’s just not realistic.

A few popular companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be read below.

• State Farm has discounts for multiple policy, Steer Clear safe driver discount, student away at school, good driver, accident-free, passive restraint, and driver’s education.
• American Family may have discounts that include defensive driver, air bags, accident-free, good driver, and bundled insurance.
• GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including anti-theft, emergency military deployment, five-year accident-free, multi-vehicle, membership and employees, driver training, and air bags.
• 21st Century has savings for teen driver, driver training, theft prevention, defensive driver, good student, early bird, and student driver.
• Progressive includes discounts for online quote discount, online signing, good student, multi-vehicle, and continuous coverage.

Check with each insurance company what discounts are available to you. Some discounts may not be available everywhere. If you would like to view companies that have a full spectrum of discounts in California, click here to view.

What is the best insurance coverage?

When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s needs are different.

Here are some questions about coverages that may help you determine if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.

• Will filing a claim cost me more?
• Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
• Is motorclub coverage worth it?
• Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
• What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
• Why am I required to buy liability insurance?
• Does low annual mileage earn a discount?
• What is an SR-22 filing?
• Is my state a no-fault state?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form.

When to talk to an insurance agency

Many drivers still like to talk to an insurance agent and that is a smart decision One of the benefits of getting online price quotes is that you can obtain the lowest rates and also buy local. Buying from small agencies is especially important in San Diego.

After completing this form (opens in new window), your insurance coverage information is submitted to agents in your area who will give you bids for your business. You don’t have to find an agent due to the fact that quote results will go straight to your inbox. You can find better rates AND a local agent. If you want to compare rates for a specific company, you just need to go to their quote page and fill out their quote form.

If you are wanting to purchase insurance from a local insurance agency, it’s helpful to know the different types of agents and how they can quote your rates. San Diego agents can be categorized as either exclusive agents or independent agents.

Independent Insurance Agents

These agents can quote rates with many companies so as a result can place your coverage with lots of companies and find the cheapest rate. If they find a lower price, they can switch companies in-house and you don’t have to switch agencies. If you are comparing rate quotes, it’s a good idea to include a few independent agents to get the best comparison.

Listed below are San Diego independent agencies that may be able to give you pricing information.

View more agents

Exclusive Insurance Agencies

Agents that elect to be exclusive write business for a single company and examples are State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. They generally cannot give you multiple price quotes so it’s a take it or leave it situation. They are usually quite knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates.

Listed below is a list of exclusive insurance agencies in San Diego that can give you rate quotes.

View more agents

Picking an auto insurance agent requires you to look at more than just the bottom line cost. Get answers to these questions too.

• Will they give you a referral list?
• Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
• Is the agency covered by Errors and Omissions coverage?
• Are they full-time agents?
• Is auto insurance their primary focus in San Diego?
• Will one accident increase rates?
• Is the quote a firm price?
• Will the agent help in case of a claim?

Persistence will pay off

Throughout this article, we presented many ideas to shop for Acura ZDX insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the higher your chance of finding affordable San Diego auto insurance quotes. You may even be surprised to find that the lowest prices are with an unexpected company.

Budget-friendly auto insurance in San Diego can be found from both online companies and with local San Diego insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who do not provide the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small insurance companies only sell through independent agents.

Insureds switch companies for a variety of reasons including poor customer service, not issuing a premium refund, denial of a claim or even questionable increases in premium. Whatever your reason, finding the right auto insurance provider can be easy and end up saving you some money.

More detailed auto insurance information is available by following these links:

• Auto Insurance Basics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for Veterans in San Diego? (FAQ)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers Under 25 in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for Seniors in San Diego? (FAQ)
• How Much is Auto Insurance for a Jeep Wrangler in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Eight Auto Insurance Myths (Insurance Information Institute)
• Rental Reimbursement Coverage (Allstate)
• Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
• Auto Insurance FAQ (Farmers Insurance)