How many times have you told yourself to find cheaper Toyota Avalon insurance in San Diego? Do you get overwhelmed by the sheer number of auto insurance companies in your area? There are so many companies to choose from that it can easily turn into a real challenge to locate the lowest premium rates for Toyota Avalon insurance in San Diego. Everyone knows San Diego is the perfect city to reside in, but inflated auto insurance prices can make it nearly impossible for many drivers to afford proper coverage amounts.
It’s hard to believe, but a large majority of drivers renewed their policy with the same company for at least four years, and approximately 40% of consumers have never even compared rates from other companies. With the average auto insurance premium being $1,400, California drivers could cut their rates by almost 35% a year by just comparing quotes, but most tend to underestimate the actual amount they would save if they bought a different policy.
It’s smart to compare premium rates on a regular basis because prices trend upward over time. Even if you got the best price on Toyota Avalon insurance in San Diego on your last policy there is a good chance you can find better rate quotes now. There is a lot of wrong information about Avalon insurance out there, but we’re going to give you some tested techniques to quit paying high auto insurance rates in San Diego.
Buying the cheapest car insurance in San Diego is really quite simple as long as you have a good starting point. Practically anyone who requires lower cost car insurance will probably get better rates. Although California vehicle owners must understand the methods companies use to set your policy premium and take advantage of how the system works.
How Insurance Companies Calculate Toyota Avalon Insurance Prices
Many things are used when you quote your car insurance policy. A few of the factors are predictable like your driving record, but some are not as apparent like where you live or your vehicle rating.
Good drivers pay better rates – Having a single speeding ticket or other violation can bump up the cost forty percent or more. Attentive drivers pay less for auto insurance compared to bad drivers. Drivers with serious tickets such as DUI or willful reckless driving may be required to file a SR-22 with the DMV in their state in order to legally drive a vehicle.
Discounts for married drivers – Having a wife or husband can actually save you money on your policy. It means you’re more stable financially and insurance companies like that being married results in fewer claims.
Small claims can cost you – If you’re an insured who likes to file claims you shouldn’t be surprised to get higher premiums or even policy non-renewal. Car insurance companies in California give better rates to insureds who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Your car insurance is intended for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
Avoid coverage lapses – Having a lapse in insurance coverage is a guaranteed way to drive up your policy premiums. Not only will you pay higher rates, getting caught without coverage will get you a fine, jail time, or a revoked license.
Higher comp and collision deductibles save money – Physical damage coverage, aka comp and collision, insures against damage to your Toyota. Examples of covered claims would be a dented fender, vandalism, and damage caused by flying debris. Physical damage deductibles are how much you are required to pay if a claim is determined to be covered. The more damage repair cost the insured is willing to pay, the lower your rates will be.
Gender and auto insurance premiums – Over the last 30 years, statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. Now that doesn’t mean men are worse drivers. Males and females tend to get into at-fault accidents at about the same rate, but the men have costlier accidents. They also get higher numbers of serious violations like DUI and reckless driving.
Do you save by driving less? – The more miles you rack up on your Toyota in a year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Many insurance companies apply a rate based upon how much you drive. Cars that are left in the garage receive lower rates than cars that get driven a lot. Verify your auto insurance coverage shows the proper vehicle usage, because improper ratings can cost you money. Improper usage on your Avalon can result in significantly higher rates.
Toyota Avalon insurance loss probability – Auto insurance companies use statistical claims data when setting rates for each model. Models that are shown to have higher losses will cost more to insure. The table shown below demonstrates the historical insurance loss data for Toyota Avalon vehicles.
For each policy coverage type, the loss probability for all vehicles, as an average, is a value of 100. Values below 100 indicate better than average losses, while numbers above 100 indicate a higher chance of having a claim or an increased likelihood of larger losses.
Auto Insurance Loss Data for Toyota Avalon Models
| Specific Toyota Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Avalon | 113 | 72 | 112 | 106 | 98 | 74 |
| Toyota Avalon Hybrid | 120 | 72 | 132 | 107 | 85 | 80 |
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
When shopping for Toyota Avalon insurance in San Diego there are multiple ways of comparing rates from all the different companies. The easiest way by far to lower the rate you pay for Toyota Avalon insurance is to perform an online rate comparison. When comparison shopping, quoting more increases the chance that you will find a lower rate than you’re paying now. Not every company allows you to get online rate quotes, so it’s recommended that you also compare quotes from them, too.
The companies in the list below have been selected to offer quotes in San Diego, CA. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you visit two to three different companies to get a more complete price comparison.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon XL | $332 | $592 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,502 | $125 |
| Avalon XLS | $332 | $664 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,574 | $131 |
| Avalon Limited | $490 | $678 | $492 | $30 | $148 | $1,838 | $153 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Premium data assumes single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, homeowner, claim-free, and safe-driver. Rate quotes do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can raise or lower premium rates greatly.
Cost difference between full coverage and liability
The example below illustrates the difference between Toyota Avalon premium costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying the minimum liability limits required in California. The prices are based on no claims or driving violations, $100 deductibles, married female driver, and no discounts are factored in.
Guidelines for dropping full coverage
There isn’t a steadfast formula to delete full coverage, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of having full coverage is more than 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then it might be time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s say your Toyota Avalon book value is $7,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most your company will settle for is $6,000 after the deductible is paid. If premium cost is more than $600 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.
There are some conditions where dropping full coverage is not advised. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you must maintain physical damage coverage in order to prevent the bank from purchasing higher-priced coverage. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should not eliminate full coverage.
Don’t listen to company ads
Respected companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive regularly use television, radio, and online ads. All the ads state the claim about savings just by switching to them. How is it possible that every company can charge lower premium rates? It’s all in how they say it.
Insurance providers have specific characteristics for the type of driver that will generate a profit. An example of this type of driver could possibly be between 30 and 50, has no claims, and the vehicle is rated for pleasure use. Any customer who fits that profile will get low car insurance rates as well as save when they switch companies.
Insureds who do not fit the “perfect” profile will see higher rates and ends up with the customer buying from a different company. The ads say “customers that switch” not “all people who quote” can get the lowest rates when switching. This is how insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings. This really emphasizes why you really should compare as many free San Diego auto insurance quotes as you can. It is just not possible to predict with any certainty which company will have the lowest rates for your situation.
Buying the right Avalon insurance in California is an important decision
Despite the fact that auto insurance is not cheap in San Diego, insurance may be required and benefits you in several ways.
First, most states have mandatory insurance requirements which means the state requires a minimum amount of liability coverage in order to drive the car legally. 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.
Second, if your vehicle has a loan, most lenders will force you to have insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If you let the policy lapse, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Toyota for a lot more money and require you to fork over a much higher amount than you were paying before.
Third, auto insurance protects both your car and your assets. It will also cover most medical and hospital costs that are the result of an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you are sued as the result of your driving. If your Toyota gets damaged, your policy will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of buying auto insurance definitely exceed the price paid, especially for larger claims. According to a survey of 1,000 drivers, the average driver is overpaying more than $810 a year so it’s recommended you shop around at every renewal to save money.
You may qualify for discounts for Toyota Avalon insurance in San Diego
Some companies don’t necessarily list all their discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of a few of the more well known as well as some of the hidden credits available to bring down your rates.
- Seat Belts Save – Drivers who require all occupants to use a seat belt could cut 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
- Discount for New Cars – Insuring a new Avalon can cost up to 25% less compared to insuring an older model.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Keeping the miles down on your Toyota may enable drivers to earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Save with More Vehicles Insured – Buying insurance for multiple cars with the same company can get a discount for every vehicle.
- Claim Free – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims can save substantially as compared to frequent claim filers.
- Organization Discounts – Joining specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations is a simple method to lower premiums when getting a San Diego auto insurance quote.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying in monthly installments you may reduce your total bill.
- Military Deployment Discount – Having a family member in the military could qualify you for better rates.
It’s important to understand that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Some only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. If you do the math and it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.
Popular car insurance companies and a selection of discounts are detailed below.
- Progressive includes discounts for online quote discount, online signing, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, continuous coverage, homeowner, and good student.
- GEICO discounts include anti-lock brakes, five-year accident-free, membership and employees, seat belt use, federal employee, emergency military deployment, and driver training.
- State Farm may offer discounts for Drive Safe & Save, good student, multiple policy, safe vehicle, and student away at school.
- Esurance offers discounts including good driver, renters, multi-policy, DriveSense, good student, online quote, and online shopper.
- The Hartford offers premium reductions for vehicle fuel type, good student, bundle, anti-theft, driver training, air bag, and defensive driver.
It’s a good idea to ask every prospective company which discounts you may be entitled to. Some credits may not be available in your area.
Getting quotes from local San Diego insurance agencies
A small number of people still prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that can be a great decision The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is that you can find lower rates and still choose a local agent.
After filling out this simple form, the coverage information gets sent to participating agents in San Diego who will gladly provide quotes for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to contact any insurance agencies due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. You can get cheaper insurance rates and a licensed agent to work with. If you need to compare prices from one company in particular, feel free to navigate to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Finding the right provider should include more criteria than just a cheap price. Here are some questions you might want to ask.
- How are claims handled?
- What are their preferred companies if they are an independent agency?
- Which family members are covered?
- Do they have cheaper tiers of coverage?
- Is the agent properly licensed in California?
- Do they specialize in personal lines auto insurance in San Diego?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
- Do you qualify for any additional discounts?
Pick the best auto insurance agent in San Diego for you
When looking for a reputable agency, it helps to know the two different types of agents and how they can service your needs differently. Agents are categorized either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be exclusive write business for a single company such as State Farm or Allstate. Exclusive agents cannot compare rates from other companies so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Exclusive agents are well schooled on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Some consumers prefer to purchase coverage from exclusives mainly due to the brand name and strong financial ratings.
Listed below are San Diego exclusive insurance agents who can help you get comparison quotes.
- Bob Francy III – State Farm Insurance Agent
11885 Carmel Mountain Rd #905 – San Diego, CA 92128 – (858) 451-1915 – View Map - State Farm: Wendy Phillips
3838 Camino Del Rio N #103 – San Diego, CA 92108 – (619) 563-0380 – View Map - Allstate Insurance: David James
8333 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Ste 110 – San Diego, CA 92111 – (858) 278-4880 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents that elect to be independent are not restricted to one company so as a result can place your coverage with lots of companies and get the cheapest rates. If they find a lower price, an independent agent can move your coverage without you having to go to a different agency.
When searching for an agent, it’s recommended you compare prices from at a minimum one independent agency to get the most accurate price comparison. They also have the ability to place coverage with companies that do not advertise much that may have much lower rates than larger companies.
Below are independent agents in San Diego that can give you comparison quotes.
- Anchor General Insurance Agency-Texas
10256 Meanley Dr – San Diego, CA 92131 – (858) 527-3600 – View Map - Alcott Insurance
3945 Idaho St – San Diego, CA 92104 – (619) 293-3800 – View Map - Rubin Insurance
6363 Greenwich Dr #120 – San Diego, CA 92122 – (858) 457-5720 – View Map
Don’t give up on cheaper coverage
Some insurance providers do not offer rate quotes online and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent insurance agents. Lower-priced insurance in San Diego is definitely available on the web and from local agencies, so you need to compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates.
Drivers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, high rates after DUI convictions, denial of a claim and unfair underwriting practices. Regardless of your reason, finding the right insurance provider can be less work than you think.
You just read many ideas to reduce Toyota Avalon insurance car insurance rates online in San Diego. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding inexpensive San Diego auto insurance quotes. Consumers could even find that the lowest car insurance rates are with a small local company.
Additional information is located at these links:
- Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers with a DUI in San Diego? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap San Diego Auto Insurance with Multiple Speeding Tickets? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Unemployed Drivers in San Diego? (FAQ)
- What are my Rights when Filing a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Distracted Driving Extends Beyond Texting (State Farm)
- Distracted Driving Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)