The vehicle driven is one of the largest considerations when consumers are trying to find the lowest-priced car insurance for low credit scores. Vehicles with higher performance, a lack of advanced safety features, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost much more to insure than safer, lower-performance models.
The data below illustrates insurance prices for a selection of the most cost-effective vehicles to buy insurance for.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $920 |
| Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan | $986 |
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $993 |
| Ford Edge SE 2WD | $988 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Super Cab 4WD | $1,029 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $1,057 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 2WD 4-Dr | $1,100 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $1,104 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 2WD | $1,110 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,123 |
| Toyota Camry SE | $1,129 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,128 |
| Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,143 |
| Nissan Rogue S AWD | $1,152 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Regular Cab 2WD | $1,160 |
| GMC Sierra SL Extended Cab 2WD | $1,168 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 4WD | $1,174 |
| Start a Quote Go | |
Cost estimates assume single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Information does not factor in vehicle location which can impact premium rates substantially.
Based upon the table data, we can infer that vehicles like the Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, and Ford Escape are most likely to be some of the more affordable vehicles to insure for bad credit.
Figuring out which company has the cheapest auto insurance rates for low credit scores will require a little more effort in order to find the lowest price quote. Each insurer uses their own method for setting rates, so let’s rank the auto insurance companies with the overall best prices in San Jose.
It’s a good idea to be aware that California auto insurance rates are impacted by many things which can substantially change the price you pay for coverage. Simply having a birthday, buying another vehicle, or getting a ticket for running a stop sign may prompt premium changes that can make some companies cheaper than competitors.
Find Cheaper Car Insurance in California
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,155 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,181 |
| 3 | Nationwide | $1,213 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,222 |
| 5 | Century National | $1,226 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,366 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,491 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,503 |
| 9 | Allstate | $1,513 |
| 10 | GEICO | $1,529 |
| 11 | Progressive | $1,542 |
| 12 | The Hartford | $1,591 |
| 13 | Allied | $1,603 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,638 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,682 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,739 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,860 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,966 |
| Find Your Rate Go | ||
USAA quotes some of the best car insurance rates in San Jose at around $1,155 annually. Wawanesa, Nationwide, CSAA, and Century National also rank well as some of the most economical San Jose, CA auto insurance companies.
As shown in the rates above, if you currently have coverage with Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you may realize annual savings of roughly $26. Insureds with Nationwide may save as much as $58 a year, and CSAA policyholders might lower prices by up to $67 a year.
Bear in mind that those policy prices are averaged across all drivers and vehicles in California and do not take into consideration a vehicle location for low credit scores. So the car insurance company that has the cheapest rates for you may not even be in the list above. That emphasizes why you need to quote rates from as many companies as possible using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
The information below illustrates how your choice of deductibles can increase or decrease premium costs when researching cheap insurance for low credit scores. The costs are based on a single female driver, full coverage, and no discounts are factored in.
The chart above illustrates that a 30-year-old driver could save $482 a year by switching their comprehensive and collision coverages from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $724 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Young drivers, such as the Age 20 example, can cut up to $1,068 annually by choosing larger deductibles on their policy.
When insureds make the decision to increase the deductibles on their policy, it will be important to have plenty of money set aside to offset the extra out-of-pocket expense that deters many people from opting for higher deductibles.
How to get discounts on San Jose insurance rates
Insurers that offer cheap quotes for low credit scores may additionally offer special discounts that could reduce prices by as much as 35% if you can meet the requirements. A few of the larger companies and some of their more popular discounts are outlined below.
- Progressive offers discounts for online quote discount, good student, multi-policy, continuous coverage, homeowner, and online signing.
- AAA policyholders can earn discounts including education and occupation, good student, multi-car, anti-theft, pay-in-full, AAA membership discount, and multi-policy.
- Farmers Insurance has discounts for mature driver, teen driver, good student, switch companies, homeowner, and distant student.
- GEICO may include discounts for multi-policy, air bags, membership and employees, anti-lock brakes, and five-year accident-free.
- Esurance discounts include claim free, anti-theft, defensive driver, paid-in-full, renters, Switch & Save, and homeowner.
- SAFECO includes discounts for safe driver, anti-theft, bundle discounts, anti-lock brakes, teen safety rewards, multi-car, and drive less.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for defensive driving training, multiple policy, driver’s education, accident-free, good student, and anti-theft.
The chart below illustrates the difference between insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the premium. The data is based on a female driver, no claims or driving citations, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $500 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the price with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multiple policy, accident-free, homeowner, anti-theft, multiple vehicle, and marriage discounts applied. When these discounts are applied to the policy premium, theaverage yearly reduction on auto insurance for low credit scores is 28% or $747.
Selecting the right car insurance company is hard considering how many companies there are in San Jose. The ranking information shown next can help you choose which auto insurers you want to consider when shopping car insurance rates for low credit scores.
The ratings below are for companies that insure vehicles nationwide, so companies that have a smaller presence are not included in these rankings. To get rate quotes from the insurers below and more, just click here.
Top 10 Large Auto Insurers in San Jose Ranked by Value
- USAA
- American Family
- The Hartford
- AAA of Southern California
- Titan Insurance
- The General
- AAA Insurance
- State Farm
- Mercury Insurance
- Nationwide
Top 10 Large Auto Insurers in San Jose Ranked by Customer Service
- AAA of Southern California
- GEICO
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- Mercury Insurance
- The General
- Progressive
- Allstate
- AAA Insurance
- American Family
Why you should be comparing rates
San Jose auto insurance rates are based on many factors that control the cost of a policy. Simply improving your credit, getting married, or having a fender bender may generate price changes that can now make some companies much cheaper than others. Additionally, insurance companies file new rates as often as every quarter as an adjustment for underwriting gains or losses. Unexpectedly high claims can result in price increases, while a profitable period can result in lower-priced San Jose car insurance rates.
For instance, the graph below shows which companies have the cheapest car insurance in San Jose, CA for a 30-year-old female driver with no prior claims, no tickets, and excellent credit. If we estimate prices based on her current risk factors, USAA might offer the lowest car insurance rates in San Jose at $1,223 per year. This is $428 less than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide round out the rest of the cheapest San Jose, CA auto insurance companies.
The chart below compares rates after we give the driver from the first set of rates an accident surcharge, a lower credit rating, and a speeding ticket. Since each company has their own formula to determine rates, getting updated rate quotes may now result in a significantly different list of cheap San Jose auto insurance companies as shown below.
Grange now has the best price in San Jose, CA with Allstate, Mercury, Progressive, and Wawanesa now being in the top five. This shows why it is so important to spend some time comparing rates to get the cheapest auto insurance rates for low credit scores. Prices are made up of many risk factors and can change without notice, so the most economical company when you last compared rates may now be one of the more expensive options.