Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for 4×4 Vehicles in San Jose?

This would be a real easy article to write if we could just tell you the company that has the cheapest rates in California. It’s not that easy, however, as there are a ton of unknowns such as the safety ratings of your vehicle, if you are a good driver, if you have maintained coverage continuously, and how well you maintain your credit. This article should teach you a little about the types of things that cause high car insurance rates and will hopefully give the reader a good beginning to your quest for cheaper car insurance in California.

For off-road vehicles, one of the big factors that are looked at to help calculate car insurance rates is the neighborhood you call home. Areas with increased crime or more people likely pay more, whereas areas with lower vehicle theft rates and fewer weather claims have the gratification of cheaper auto insurance rates.

The table below ranks the most expensive cities in California for 4×4 vehicles in which to buy car insurance. San Jose is ranked #18 with the yearly price of $1,437 for the average insurance policy, which is around $120 per month.

Table data uses estimated as the specific geographic location can impact price quotes substantially.

Determining which company offers the cheapest auto insurance rates for 4×4 vehicles takes a tad more effort than just comparing a company or two. Every car insurance company has their own process for establishing rates, so we’ll take a look at the auto insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in San Jose.

Best Cheap Insurance Rates for 4×4’s

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USAA may offer some of the best car insurance rates in San Jose at around $1,121 each year. This is $530 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide also qualify as some of the cheapest San Jose, CA insurance companies.

In the above example, if you are insured with CSAA and switched to Wawanesa, you could earn a yearly price reduction of around $76. Insureds with Nationwide may save as much as $80 a year, and 21st Century policyholders might lower prices by up to $233 a year.

To find out how your current rates compare, click here to get a free quote or quote prices from the following companies.

It’s important to note that these estimates are averaged for all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and are not factoring in a vehicle location for 4×4 vehicles. So the insurer that has the cheapest rates for you may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That emphasizes why you need to get car insurance quotes using your own specific driver information and vehicle.

Best auto insurance in California

Choosing the top insurance provider is difficult considering how many choices there are in San Jose. The information shown next can help you analyze which auto insurance companies to look at putting your business with. The ratings below include companies with a national presence, so smaller regional companies are not included in these rankings.

Top 10 Major Car Insurance Companies in San Jose Ranked by Customer Satisfaction

1. Titan Insurance – 95%
2. USAA – 94%
3. AAA of Southern California – 92%
4. AAA Insurance – 91%
5. Nationwide – 90%
6. State Farm – 90%
7. The Hartford – 89%
8. GEICO – 89%
9. The General – 88%
10. 21st Century – 88%

Top 10 Major Car Insurance Companies in San Jose Ranked by A.M. Best Rating

1. USAA – A++
2. Travelers – A++
3. State Farm – A++
4. GEICO – A++
5. Esurance – A+
6. Nationwide – A+
7. Allstate – A+
8. Mercury Insurance – A+
9. Progressive – A+
10. Titan Insurance – A+

Responsible drivers pay cheaper San Jose auto insurance rates

The recommended way to get the best auto insurance prices in California for off-road vehicles is to be a safe driver and avoid getting tickets or having accidents. The example below illustrates how violations and accidents can drive up insurance costs for different ages of insureds. The rates are based on a married male driver, full coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.

The chart shows that the average cost of a car insurance policy per year with no violations or accidents is $2,122. Get one speeding ticket and the average cost rises to $2,445, an increase of $324 each year. Now throw in two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the annual cost of auto insurance for 4×4 vehicles increases to an average of $5,469. That’s an increase of $3,347, or $279 per month, just for being a less-than-perfect driver!

How to get discounts on San Jose car insurance rates

Insurers that offer coverage for 4×4 vehicles may have rate discounts that can lower rates by as much as 30% if you meet the requirements. A list of companies and a partial list of their discounts are shown below.

• Travelers offers discounts for continuous insurance, new car, IntelliDrive, save driver, and driver training.
• 21st Century may have discounts that include defensive driver, teen driver, automatic seat belts, early bird, theft prevention, student driver, and air bags.
• State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including safe vehicle, multiple policy, student away at school, Drive Safe & Save, and accident-free.
• GEICO offers premium reductions for membership and employees, multi-vehicle, good student, federal employee, and daytime running lights.
• SAFECO offers discounts including multi-car, drive less, bundle discounts, accident prevention training, teen safety rewards, safe driver, and anti-lock brakes.
• AAA includes discounts for anti-theft, multi-car, education and occupation, pay-in-full, good student, and AAA membership discount.

The chart below shows the comparison of auto insurance rates with and without policy discounts. The data is based on a female driver, no claims or driving citations, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the average annual price with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multiple policy, safe-driver, defensive driving course, vehicle safety, anti-theft, and marriage discounts applied. When taking advantage of discounts, theaverage yearly reduction on auto insurance for 4×4 vehicles is 28% or $738.

How to find cheaper car insurance for 4×4 vehicles

It is possible to find better rates, and here are many penny-pinching suggestions that can help California drivers find cheaper coverage.

• If possible, do not file small claims
• At-fault accidents can raise rates significantly
• Older vehicles may not need full coverage
• Raise your deductibles
• Do not get traffic tickets
• Shop around for cheaper prices often

The last tip in the list is especially significant, as we stressed in this article. Insurance prices in San Jose change frequently, so don’t be unwilling to switch carriers if a cheaper price is available. Having a favorite company is fine, but it’s not recommended if that dedication is costing lots of money. Spend a few minutes and compare rates and find cheaper car insurance for 4×4 vehicles.

The San Jose auto insurance agencies shown below can answer your questions and help you decide which policy is best, since many consumers aren’t sure which coverage to buy and prefer to get some guidance when comparing insurance rates for off-road vehicles. It can be time-consuming to do it yourself, so agents can provide comfort knowing you have decent coverage if you have a claim.

To find an agent by location nearest to you, click the link at the bottom.

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