The vehicle you are buying coverage for is one of the largest factors that determines whether or not you find low-cost auto insurance for high risk drivers. Vehicles with high performance features, poor safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost more to insure than more economical and safe models.
The data below showcases car insurance costs for a number of the most budget-friendly vehicles to buy insurance for.
Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $3,254 |
Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $3,487 |
Toyota Prius | $3,502 |
Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $3,630 |
Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $3,857 |
Chevrolet Silverado LT Extended Cab 4WD | $3,867 |
Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $3,893 |
Ford F-150 STX Regular Cab 4WD | $3,943 |
Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $4,034 |
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $4,040 |
Nissan Altima 3.5 SR 4-Dr Sedan | $4,066 |
Toyota RAV4 2WD | $4,133 |
Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $4,140 |
Ford F-350 XL Super Cab Turbo Diesel 2WD | $4,139 |
Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD | $4,176 |
Ford Edge Sport AWD | $4,217 |
Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $4,224 |
Honda Odyssey EX-L W/Rear Entertainment | $4,217 |
Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $4,227 |
GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Extended Cab 4WD | $4,258 |
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Prices above based on single female driver age 30, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and homeowner. Price estimates do not factor in specific garaging location which can lower or raise price quotes noticeably.
Based upon these rates, models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Toyota Prius are some of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for high risk drivers. Auto insurance rates will tend to be more expensive anyway just because there is more exposure for high risk drivers, but in general those models will have the lowest insurance prices available.
For high risk drivers, one of the big factors that are used to help calculate car insurance rates is your zip code in San Jose. Areas with more people or more claims tend to pay slightly more, whereas areas with less people or fewer weather incidents have the enjoyment of a little cheaper coverage.
The next table rates the most expensive places in California for high risk drivers to buy an auto insurance policy in. San Jose shows up at #18 with the annual price of $1,437 for coverage, which is around $120 each month.
Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Los Angeles | $2,104 |
2 | Glendale | $2,058 |
3 | Oakland | $1,738 |
4 | San Francisco | $1,711 |
5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
6 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
7 | Fontana | $1,581 |
8 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
9 | Long Beach | $1,562 |
10 | Stockton | $1,556 |
11 | Moreno Valley | $1,551 |
12 | Modesto | $1,532 |
13 | Riverside | $1,527 |
14 | Fresno | $1,517 |
15 | Garden Grove | $1,508 |
16 | Anaheim | $1,444 |
17 | Santa Ana | $1,439 |
18 | San Jose | $1,437 |
19 | Huntington Beach | $1,402 |
20 | Fremont | $1,389 |
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Table data uses approximated as zip code location can raise or lower coverage rates noticeably.
The information below illustrates how your choice of deductibles can increase or decrease insurance costs when researching cheap insurance for high risk drivers. The prices are based on a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.
The chart above illustrates that a 30-year-old driver could lower rates by $476 a year by switching the physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $712 by selecting a $1,000 deductible. Youthful drivers, like the Age 20 category, could drop their prices $1,008 or even more by using a higher deductible. If you do decide to increase your deductibles, it is necessary to have spare funds to be able to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense. This is the primary disadvantage of choosing high deductibles.
San Jose car insurance company ratings
Finding the top auto insurance provider can be difficult considering how many choices you have in California. The rank data shown below may help you choose which providers you want to consider when shopping your coverage around. These rankings are only made up of insurance companies that insure vehicles in the majority of U.S. states, so companies that have a smaller presence are not included in the list.
Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USAA | 98 | 100 | 100 | 94% | A++ | 98.6 |
American Family | 98 | 89 | 100 | 86% | A | 95.4 |
AAA of Southern California | 91 | 94 | 97 | 92% | A+ | 94.1 |
State Farm | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90% | A++ | 92.4 |
The Hartford | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89% | A+ | 91.7 |
AAA Insurance | 88 | 89 | 95 | 91% | A | 91.2 |
GEICO | 84 | 93 | 93 | 89% | A++ | 90.3 |
The General | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88% | A- | 90 |
Titan Insurance | 90 | 87 | 91 | 95% | A+ | 89.6 |
Progressive | 84 | 91 | 93 | 87% | A+ | 89.5 |
Mercury Insurance | 88 | 91 | 90 | 85% | A+ | 89.4 |
Allstate | 85 | 90 | 92 | 88% | A+ | 89.3 |
Nationwide | 87 | 88 | 84 | 90% | A+ | 88.7 |
Liberty Mutual | 84 | 87 | 93 | 88% | A | 88.5 |
21st Century | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88% | A | 86.7 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Why you should be comparing rates
California car insurance rates are based on many factors that will increase or decrease the price of coverage. Improving your credit rating, increasing deductibles, or getting a couple of tickets may generate price changes that may make certain companies more affordable than the competition. In addition to those changes, companies change premium rates as often as every quarter to adjust for gains or losses. A period of higher than normal claims may result in higher prices, while less frequent claims can cause cheaper San Jose car insurance rates.
To illustrate this example, the bar chart below compares the cheapest car insurance in San Jose, CA for a 40-year-old male driver with a clear driving record, no claims, and a high credit rating. If we estimate rates based on his current risk profile, USAA offers the lowest car insurance rates in San Jose at $1,247 annually. This is $404 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, Wawanesa, CSAA, and Nationwide also make the list of the cheapest San Jose, CA auto insurance companies.
In the next rate comparison, we’ll give the driver from the first rate comparison an accident claim, bad credit, and a stop sign violation. Because each insurer uses a different method for setting rates, comparing rates may now present a different set of the cheapest car insurance companies in San Jose as shown below.
Grange now has the best auto insurance rate in San Jose, CA with Progressive, Mercury, Allstate, and GEICO also being competitive. This example proves why it is critical to shop around to get the best insurance quotes for high risk drivers.
Rates consist of many factors and change frequently, so the cheapest company two years ago may now be quite expensive.