Save Money on Volkswagen Beetle Insurance in San Diego

How many years has it been since you compared more affordable Volkswagen Beetle insurance in San Diego? Locating better insurance prices for a Volkswagen Beetle in California could be an all-consuming task, but you can use our car insurance buying tips to make it easier.

There is a better way to compare car insurance rates so you’re going to learn the best way to get price quotes for your Volkswagen and get the cheapest rates from San Diego insurance agents and online providers.

Sad but true, the vast majority of car insurance customers in California have bought car insurance from the same company for well over three years, and practically 40% of car insurance customers have never quoted rates to find lower-cost coverage. American drivers could pocket as much as 46.5% a year just by shopping around, but they don’t know how much savings they would realize if they swap their current policy for a cheaper one.

You should make it a habit to do price comparisons every six months since insurance prices fluctuate regularly. Just because you found the best rates on Volkswagen Beetle insurance in San Diego six months ago there may be better deals available now. You can find a lot of wrong information about Beetle insurance out there, but we’re going to give you some excellent ideas to find cheap car insurance in San Diego.

These discounts can lower your insurance quotes

Not too many consumers would say insurance is affordable, but you might already qualify for some discounts to reduce the price significantly. Certain reductions will be credited when you quote, but a few need to be asked about before being credited.

• Paper-free Discount – Many insurance companies provide a small discount just for signing your application on your computer.
• No Charge for an Accident – Not necessarily a discount, but a handful of insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge so long as you are claim-free for a specific time period.
• Telematics Devices – Drivers who elect to allow their insurance company to scrutinize driving habits remotely such as Progressive’s Snapshot could see a rate decrease as long as they are good drivers.
• Defensive Driver Discount – Participating in a driver safety course could cut 5% off your bill and easily pay for the cost of the class.
• Discount for Home Ownership – Owning your own home or condo can save a few bucks since home ownership is proof of financial responsibility.
• Multiple Vehicles – Having several vehicles with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
• Passenger Safety Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags can receive discounts of 20% or more.
• Seat Belt Discounts – Drivers who require all occupants to buckle up can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off the personal injury premium cost.

While discounts sound great, it’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.

Car insurance companies that have most of the discounts above include:

• 21st Century
• State Farm
• AAA
• Liberty Mutual
• Progressive

Before buying, ask each company or agent to apply every possible discount. Some credits may not apply in your area. For a list of providers that offer some of these discounts in California, click here to view.

The quickest method to compare rates for Volkswagen Beetle insurance in San Diego is to know most larger insurance companies will pay a fee to give rate comparisons. The only thing you need to do is provide a little information like how much school you completed, distance driven, your credit rating estimate, and the make and model of your vehicles. Your details gets sent immediately to all major companies and they return cost estimate immediately.

To check car insurance prices now, click here and enter your zip code.

The companies shown below are our best choices to provide quotes in California. If several companies are displayed, it’s a good idea that you click on several of them to get a more complete price comparison.

Prices above based on single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, and safe-driver. Prices do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can influence rates significantly.

Policy deductibles

One frequently asked question is the level to set your comp and collision deductibles. The following insurance rates may help you to understand the differences in price when you choose different policy deductibles. The first data table uses a $100 deductible and the second set of rates uses a $500 deductible.

Prices above based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, and homeowner. Price information does not factor in specific garaging location which can affect coverage prices greatly.

Based on this data, using a $100 deductible will cost you approximately $31 more each month or $372 every year than selecting the higher $500 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $400 more out-of-pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally average at a minimum 13 months between claims, you would save more money going with the higher deductible.

Does full coverage make sense?

The information below shows the difference between Volkswagen Beetle car insurance costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The premiums are based on no violations or accidents, $500 deductibles, single male driver, and no discounts are applied.

When to switch to liability coverage only

There is no set guideline that works best for making the decision to drop full coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than about 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then it might be time to buy liability only.

For example, let’s pretend your Volkswagen Beetle book value is $6,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, you would only receive $5,000 after you pay the deductible. If premiums are more than $500 a year for your policy with full coverage, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.

There are some circumstances where only buying liability is not a good plan. If you haven’t satisfied your loan, you must maintain physical damage coverage as part of the loan requirements. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should keep full coverage on your policy.

Why You Might Pay Higher Rates in San Diego

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that are used to determine your policy premiums. If you have a feel for what determines base rates, this enables you to make decisions that could result in better insurance rates.

The itemized list below are a partial list of the pieces utilized by car insurance companies to help set your rate level.

Improve your credit rating – Having a good credit score is a big factor in your rate calculation. Insureds that have excellent credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers who have lower ratings. Therefore, if your credit history is not that good, you could be paying less to insure your Volkswagen Beetle if you clean up your credit.

Prices impacted by vehicle usage – The more you drive each year the more you will pay for insurance. Most insurance companies calculate prices based on their usage. Vehicles not used for work or commuting receive lower rates compared to those used for work or business. Ask your agent if your insurance policy is showing the correct driver usage, because improper ratings can cost you money. An improperly rated Beetle may be costing you higher rates.

Do you really need to file that insurance claims? – Car insurance companies in California give the best rates to people who only file infrequent claims. If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Auto insurance is meant to be used in the event of the large, substantial claims.

Does your job cost you more? – Careers such as real estate brokers, airline pilots, and dentists generally pay the highest rates in part from intense work-related stress and lengthy work days. Other jobs like farmers, athletes and performers have the lowest average rates.

Buy as much liability as you can afford – The liability coverage on your policy will protect you in the event that a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is pretty cheap when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.

Discounts for multiple policies – Lots of insurance companies apply a discount to people that buy multiple policies, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can amount to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even if you qualify for this discount already, consumers should still get quotes from other companies to help guarantee you have the best rates. You may still save more without the discount by buying insurance from more than one company.

Volkswagen Beetle claim statistics – Car insurance companies factor in insurance loss information to help set a rate to offset losses. Models that are shown to have higher claim frequency or loss amount will have increased rates. The table below illustrates the insurance loss data for Volkswagen Beetle vehicles.

For each coverage type, the loss probability for all vehicles, without regard to make or model, is considered to be 100. Values under 100 indicate a favorable loss history, while numbers above 100 indicate higher probability of having a loss or tendency to have higher losses.

Independent versus exclusive car insurance agents

Many drivers just prefer to have an agent’s advice and doing so can bring peace of mind Good agents are very good at helping people manage risk and help submit paperwork. The best thing about getting free rate quotes online is that you can obtain lower rates and still have a local agent. Putting coverage with local agencies is important especially in San Diego.

After filling out this simple form, your coverage information is submitted to insurance agents in San Diego who will gladly provide quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to contact any agents because quoted prices will be sent to you instantly. If you want to get a comparison quote from a specific auto insurance provider, just visit that company’s website to submit a rate quote request.

If you are wanting to find an insurance agent, there are two different types of agents to choose from. Auto insurance policy providers can be described as either independent agents or exclusive agents. Either one can sell and service auto insurance coverage, but it’s worth learning the difference in the companies they write for because it can impact the kind of agent you use.

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agencies can quote rates with many companies so they can quote policies through many companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If they quote lower rates, they simply switch companies in-house which is easy for the insured. When comparing auto insurance rates, you definitely need to compare prices from several independent agencies to maximize your price options. Many write coverage with smaller companies which may provide better rates.

Shown below are independent insurance agencies in San Diego that may be able to give price quote information.

• Einhorn Insurance
  3940 Hancock St – San Diego, CA 92110 – (858) 336-4644 – View Map
• Barney and Barney Insurance Services LLC
  9171 Towne Centre Dr Suite 500 – San Diego, CA 92122 – (800) 321-4696 – View Map
• Leavitt Insurance Agency of San Diego
  380 Stevens Ave – Solana Beach, CA 92075 – (858) 259-5800 – View Map

View more San Diego agents

Exclusive Auto Insurance Agents

These type of agents generally can only insure with one company such as Farmers Insurance, State Farm, or Allstate. Exclusive agents are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Exclusive agents are trained well on what they offer which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates. Consumers often use the same agent partially due to the prominence of the brand rather than low rates.

Below is a short list of exclusive insurance agencies in San Diego that are able to give comparison quotes.

• Matt Kalla – State Farm Insurance Agent
  4148 Voltaire St – San Diego, CA 92107 – (619) 223-1629 – View Map
• David Thompson – State Farm Insurance Agent
  7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Ste 217 – San Diego, CA 92111 – (858) 560-5400 – View Map
• Allstate Insurance: PGC Insurance Agency
  6919 Paradise Valley Rd, # A9 – San Diego, CA 92139 – (619) 773-2300 – View Map

View more San Diego agents

Picking an insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. The questions below may impact your decision as well.

• Are they full-time agents?
• Will you get a loaner vehicle if you car is being repaired?
• Do they specialize in personal lines auto insurance in San Diego?
• Which insurance company do they prefer to write with?
• Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
• How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?

Insuring your Beetle just makes sense

Despite the potentially high cost of Volkswagen Beetle insurance, auto insurance is required in California but it also protects you in many ways.

• The majority of states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to buy a specific minimum amount of liability coverage if you drive a vehicle. 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 took out a loan on your Volkswagen, almost all lenders will require you to have insurance to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If the policy lapses, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Volkswagen for a lot more money and force you to pay for the expensive policy.
• Insurance safeguards not only your vehicle but also your assets. It will also pay for most medical and hospital costs that are the result of an accident. Liability insurance will also pay attorney fees if you are sued as the result of an accident. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.

The benefits of insuring your car more than offset the price you pay, especially if you ever need it. Despite what companies tell you, the average driver is currently overpaying as much as $700 annually so we recommend shopping around once a year at a minimum to make sure the price is not too high.

Smart consumers save more

In this article, we covered many tips how you can shop for Volkswagen Beetle insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the best rates are with a lesser-known regional company.

Consumers change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including being labeled a high risk driver, poor customer service, not issuing a premium refund and delays in paying claims. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, choosing a new company is not as hard as you think.

Cheap Volkswagen Beetle insurance in San Diego can be sourced both online and also from your neighborhood San Diego agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers do not provide internet price quotes and most of the time these small insurance companies only sell through independent agents.

To learn more, link through to the resources below:

• Older Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Rates for Low Income Drivers in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for a Nissan Altima in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for a Subaru Outback in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Senior Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)
• How Does Hitting a Deer Impact Insurance Rates? (Allstate)
• Electronic Stability Control FAQ (iihs.org)