Finding good, cheap auto insurance is not the easiest thing to do, and figuring out which companies offer the cheapest auto insurance rates for low income drivers calls for more quotes for comparison.
Each auto insurer uses slightly different criteria to determine premium rates, so let’s begin by examining the most competitive auto insurance companies in California.
Best Car Insurance Prices in California
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,143 |
| 2 | Century National | $1,178 |
| 3 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,198 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,263 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,379 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,447 |
| 8 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 9 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 10 | Mercury | $1,533 |
| 11 | Allstate | $1,543 |
| 12 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,590 |
| 14 | Allied | $1,603 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,699 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,739 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,831 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,966 |
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USAA offers some of the best car insurance rates in San Diego at around $1,143 annually. This is $508 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, Wawanesa, CSAA, and Nationwide also rank well as some of the more affordable San Diego, CA insurance companies.
As illustrated above, if you are a policyholder with CSAA and switched to USAA, you could see a yearly price reduction of approximately $55. Policyholders with Nationwide could save as much as $120 a year, and 21st Century insureds might lower prices by $236 a year.
To find the cheapest coverage for you, click here or quote prices from the following companies.
These premiums are averaged for all drivers and vehicles and and are not figured with an exact vehicle garaging location for low income drivers. So the insurer that has the cheapest price for you may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That’s why you need to get auto insurance quotes using your own driver data and vehicle information.
The vehicle requiring coverage is one of the primary factors that determines if you can find low-cost car insurance for low income drivers. Vehicles with lots of horsepower, poor safety ratings, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than safer, lower-performance models. The next table ranks auto insurance premiums for a number of the most economical vehicles to buy insurance for.
| Make, Model, and Trim Level | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $787 |
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $792 |
| Toyota Prius | $872 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $912 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT AWD | $930 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $987 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $997 |
| GMC Sierra 3500HD SLE Extended Cab 2WD | $1,015 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD LT Crew Cab 2WD | $1,024 |
| Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $1,047 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LTZ Crew Cab 2WD | $1,065 |
| Kia Optima SX | $1,071 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $1,067 |
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Prices above based on single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, and safe-driver. Estimates do not factor in specific location information which can impact prices significantly.
Based upon the rates shown, you can figure that models like the Honda Accord, Ford Escape, Toyota Prius, and Chevrolet Impala should be some of the most economical vehicles to insure for poor drivers.
For poor drivers, one of the largest things that determine the price you pay for insurance is where you normally keep your vehicle. Areas with a lot of weather claims or more people tend to pay slightly more, whereas less populated areas have the benefit of cheaper auto insurance prices.
The next table rates the most expensive cities in California for low income drivers to buy auto insurance in. San Diego is ranked #25 costing $1,327 for car insurance, which is approximately $111 monthly.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,079 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,711 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,687 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
| 6 | Long Beach | $1,610 |
| 7 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
| 8 | Santa Clarita | $1,595 |
| 9 | Stockton | $1,588 |
| 10 | Modesto | $1,547 |
| 11 | Fontana | $1,535 |
| 12 | Garden Grove | $1,524 |
| 13 | Moreno Valley | $1,506 |
| 14 | Riverside | $1,497 |
| 15 | Fresno | $1,472 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,453 |
| 17 | San Jose | $1,437 |
| 18 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 19 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 20 | Fremont | $1,361 |
| 21 | Bakersfield | $1,353 |
| 22 | Chula Vista | $1,350 |
| 23 | Oxnard | $1,344 |
| 24 | Irvine | $1,330 |
| 25 | San Diego | $1,327 |
| Compare Prices Now Go | ||
Rate quotes are estimated as specific location information can alter prices greatly.
Rate increases following a ticket or accident
The easiest way to snag low auto insurance rates in San Diego for poor drivers is to drive attentively and avoid accidents and traffic citations. The diagram below shows how speeding tickets and at-fault claims raise auto insurance rates for different insured age categories. The premium estimates are based on a single male driver, full coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
In the previous chart, the average cost of a car insurance policy per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $2,314. Add in one speeding ticket and the average cost surges to $2,608, an increase of $294 each year. Then throw in one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the 12-month cost of auto insurance for low income drivers goes up to an average of $3,426. That’s an increase of $1,113, or $93 per month, just for not keeping your driving record clean!
Ratings for San Diego auto insurance companies
Buying coverage from a highly-rated company can be rather challenging considering how many companies there are to choose from in San Diego. The company ratings displayed below could help you choose which insurers you want to consider when insurance shopping for low income drivers. These ratings only include the largest companies in America, so smaller regional companies will not be included in the list.
Top 10 Major Auto Insurance Companies in San Diego Ranked by Customer Satisfaction
- Titan Insurance – 95%
- USAA – 94%
- AAA of Southern California – 92%
- AAA Insurance – 91%
- Nationwide – 90%
- State Farm – 90%
- The Hartford – 89%
- GEICO – 89%
- The General – 88%
- 21st Century – 88%
Why it’s important to shop around
California auto insurance rates are based on many factors that may substantially change the price of your policy. Simply improving your credit, adding a teenager to your policy, or getting into an accident may cause policy rate changes resulting in some rates now being cheaper than before.
Not only may your situation change, but insurers change rates multiple times each year to reflect underwriting profits or losses. An extended period of higher than normal claims can result in a rate increase, while lower claim expenses can cause cheaper San Diego car insurance rates.
The data below compares the cheapest car insurance in San Diego, CA for a 40-year-old female driver with a clear driving record, no claims, and a good credit history. If we estimate prices based on her current risk factors, USAA offers the best car insurance rates in San Diego at $1,117 per year. This is $534 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide are the rest of the most affordable San Diego, CA auto insurance companies.
Now we will give the driver from the above example an accident surcharge, poor credit, and a couple of points charged on her driving record. Since each insurance company uses a different method to set premium rates, comparing quotes may now present a different set of affordable companies as shown below.
Grange now has the cheapest car insurance in San Diego with Progressive, Allied, Mercury, and Allstate now being in the top five. This example illustrates why San Diego drivers need to do a thorough rate comparison when trying to find the best auto insurance rates for low income drivers.
Car insurance prices are made up of many factors and change dramatically, so the most economical option the last time you compared rates may now not even be in the top five.
How to find cheaper auto insurance for low income drivers
Lowering your rates is not difficult, and here are many penny-pinching suggestions that can help you buy cheaper auto insurance.
- Try to pay small claims out-of-pocket
- Avoid accidents
- Safer vehicles cost less to insure
- Violations like speeding or DUI increase rates
- Insure your home and auto with the same company
- Shop around for cheaper prices often
The last item on the list is very necessary, as was pointed out in the article above. Prices charged by companies vary greatly, so don’t be hesitant to buy from a new company if a lower-cost policy is available. Many drivers tend to have loyalty to a certain company, but it’s not a great idea if that devotion results in you overpaying money that could be spent on other things. Now is a great time to compare rates to find cheaper insurance for low income drivers in San Diego.
If you would rather have a little guidance when buying car insurance for low income drivers, the professional agents shown below can most likely help you make a decision which auto insurance policy would work best for you.
To find an agent in your neighborhood, click the button at the bottom.
- B H Gold Insurance
9699 Tierra Grande St # 100 – San Diego, CA 92126 – (800) 421-4653 - Anchor General Insurance Agency-Texas
10256 Meanley Dr – San Diego, CA 92131 – (858) 527-3600 - Barney and Barney Insurance Services LLC
9171 Towne Centre Dr Suite 500 – San Diego, CA 92122 – (800) 321-4696 - Mike Foley – State Farm Insurance Agent
5210 Balboa Ave, Ste A1 – San Diego, CA 92117 – (858) 277-1400 - Allstate Insurance: David James
8333 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Ste 110 – San Diego, CA 92111 – (858) 278-4880