The words “economical” and “insurance” really shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, especially when you are searching for the lowest insurance rates for a school permit. Because of the high cost, let’s familiarize you with a few of the things the can have a considerable influence on auto insurance premiums, and find some ways to take a little off your next policy.
Trying to find affordable insurance is not most people’s favorite thing to do, and deciding which companies offer the best car insurance rates for a school permit may require a little more work.
Each auto insurance company has a proprietary formula for setting rates, so to begin we’ll rank the most competitive car insurance companies in San Jose, CA. It’s important that you understand San Jose, CA car insurance rates are influenced by many factors that may substantially change the price you have to pay. This is why consumers need to take the time to shop around with many companies to find the most budget-friendly auto insurance rates for a school permit. Insurance prices are made up of many factors and change substantially, so the cheapest option six months ago may now be one of the higher cost companies.
Lowest Insurance Price Quotes for Students
USAA may have some of the most affordable car insurance rates in San Jose at around $1,143 annually. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide also rank well as some of the more affordable San Jose, CA car insurance companies.
As shown in the rates above, if you currently have coverage with Century National and switched to Wawanesa, you may realize annual savings of about $57. Policyholders with Nationwide may save as much as $69 a year, and 21st Century policyholders might realize rate reductions of up to $168 a year.
To see if you’re overpaying, click here to get a free quote or click through to the companies below.
Be aware that those policy prices are averages for all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and and are not figured with an exact zip code location for a school permit. So the company that can offer you the lowest price may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That points out the importance of why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own individual information.
The car, truck, or SUV on the policy is one of the biggest factors when comparison shopping for cheap car insurance for a school permit. Vehicles with lower acceleration and performance, a great safety record, or a positive history of liability claims will cost less to insure than higher performance models. The table below features coverage premiums for a handful of the most cost-effective automobiles to insure.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $3,800 |
| Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan | $3,806 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $3,835 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $4,067 |
| Toyota Prius | $4,103 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $4,272 |
| Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $4,468 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $4,503 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 2WD | $4,509 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $4,503 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $4,511 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer AWD | $4,539 |
| Honda Civic LX-S 4-Dr Sedan | $4,701 |
| Toyota Camry SE | $4,737 |
| Ford Edge Sport 2WD | $4,745 |
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Data based on single male driver age 16, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, and claim-free. Rates do not factor in vehicle location which can revise coverage rates noticeably.
Based upon the rates shown, you can conclude that cars like the Ford Escape, Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Volkswagen Jetta, and Toyota Prius will be some of the cheapest vehicles to insure for a learners permit. Auto insurance rates will trend higher just because there is more liability risk for a school permit, but overall those specific models will tend to have the lowest insurance prices that you’ll find.
For a learners permit, one of the big things that determine the amount you pay each year for auto insurance is your address. More populated areas tend to have more expensive auto insurance rates, whereas less populated areas receive better rates.
The table below shows the highest-priced areas in California for a school permit in which to purchase auto insurance. San Jose is ranked #19 with a yearly cost of $1,381 for the average policyholder, which is around $115 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glendale | $2,121 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,763 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,755 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,644 |
| 7 | Stockton | $1,603 |
| 8 | Long Beach | $1,578 |
| 9 | Fontana | $1,566 |
| 10 | Garden Grove | $1,554 |
| 11 | Moreno Valley | $1,551 |
| 12 | Modesto | $1,547 |
| 13 | Santa Clarita | $1,533 |
| 14 | Riverside | $1,527 |
| 15 | Fresno | $1,517 |
| 16 | Anaheim | $1,488 |
| 17 | Santa Ana | $1,439 |
| 18 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 19 | San Jose | $1,381 |
| 20 | Irvine | $1,371 |
| 21 | Oxnard | $1,358 |
| 22 | Fremont | $1,348 |
| 23 | San Diego | $1,340 |
| 24 | Bakersfield | $1,340 |
| 25 | Chula Vista | $1,298 |
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Annual rates are approximated as vehicle location can affect prices greatly.
The information below shows how different deductible levels can influence insurance rates when quoting cheap insurance for a school permit. Data assumes a married male driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are applied.
In the chart above, a 40-year-old driver could save $370 a year by changing from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $556 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Youthful drivers, like the Age 20 category, could shave $1,230 each year by selecting a higher deductible. If you do decide to increase your deductibles, it is important to have enough in a savings account to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the one disadvantage of using larger deductibles.
How much more does full coverage cost?
Buying cheaper car insurance should be important to most drivers, and one of the easiest ways to reduce the cost of insurance for a school permit is to not insure for full coverage. The chart below illustrates the comparison of car insurance costs with and without full coverage. The premium estimates are based on no claims or driving violations, $100 deductibles, single marital status, and no other discounts are factored in.
Averaged for all ages 20 through 70, comp and collision coverage costs an additional $2,525 per year more than just buying liability insurance. Many of you may wonder if physical damage coverage is worth the money. There is no definitive formula to delete physical damage insurance, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is about 10% or more of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
Types of discounts on San Jose auto insurance rates
Insurance companies that offer quotes for a school permit may also offer price discounts that could lower prices by as much as 25% or more if you are eligible for them. The best car insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are outlined below.
- GEICO may have discounts that include federal employee, anti-lock brakes, multi-policy, air bags, and five-year accident-free.
- Mercury Insurance offers discounts for annual mileage, good driver, age of vehicle, ease of repair, and multi-car.
- Farmers Insurance has discounts for electronic funds transfer, homeowner, early shopping, mature driver, distant student, and teen driver.
- Auto-Owners Insurance has savings for teen driver, group or association, air bags, company car, and multi-policy.
- Liberty Mutual discounts include newly married, hybrid vehicle, safety features, teen driver discount, and new vehicle discount.
- SAFECO includes discounts for bundle discounts, teen safe driver, homeowner, multi-car, anti-theft, drive less, and teen safety rewards.
- Progressive offers discounts including online signing, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, good student, and homeowner.
- USAA may include discounts for family discount, multi-vehicle, safe driver, multi-policy, driver training, and good student.
The information below shows the comparison of premium costs with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. Data assumes a male driver, no violations or accidents, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $500 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with passive restraint, continuous coverage, paperless filing, anti-theft, good student, and paid-in-full discounts applied. When these discounts are applied to the policy premium, theaverage yearly reduction on car insurance for a school permit is 28% or $1,043.
How to find low-cost insurance for a school permit
It’s not impossible to find cheaper rates, and here are many penny-pinching solutions that can help drivers locate lower-cost coverage.
- Buying your home and auto policies from the same company can earn a discount
- Drive safe vehicles
- Being accident-free can lower rates significantly
- Do not get tickets
- Having too many claims will increase rates substantially
- Comparison shop at least every other year
The last tip is especially necessary, as we emphasized in the prior information. Rates can be adjusted at any time, so drivers shouldn’t be reluctant to buy from a new company if you can find a cheaper rate.
Having a favorite company is fine, but it isn’t a good idea if your bullheadedness ends up costing you thousands of dollars over the life of your policy. If you have a few minutes, compare prices to find cheaper car insurance for a school permit in San Jose.