Best Rates for Chevy Colorado Insurance in San Jose

Being forced to pay for overpriced auto insurance premiums can sap your checking account, especially in this economy.

It’s astonishing, but nearly 70% of customers have purchased from the same company for four years or more, and practically 40% of auto insurance customers have never even shopped around for cheap coverage. Drivers in California could save up to 35% a year by just comparing rate quotes, but they just don’t understand how easy it is to find cheap rates by getting comparison quotes. Numerous insurers battle for your business, so it’s not easy to compare every provider and get the best coverage at the best price available on Chevy Colorado insurance in San Jose.

Low Cost companies for Chevy Colorado insurance in California

The companies shown below offer comparison quotes in San Jose, CA. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you get rates from several of them to find the most competitive auto insurance rates.

Chevy Colorado insurance rates and statistics

The rate information displayed next covers a range of insurance premium costs for Chevy Colorado models. Being aware of how car insurance prices are formulated is important for you to make smart policy decisions.

Data based on single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Premium amounts do not factor in San Jose location which can impact premium rates greatly.

Should you raise deductibles?

When shopping for auto insurance, a common question is how high should your deductibles be. The figures shown below can help you understand the cost difference when you select higher and lower physical damage deductibles. The first table uses a $250 deductible for comp and collision and the second set of rates uses a $500 deductible.

Data variables include married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, homeowner, multi-policy, and safe-driver. Premium amounts do not factor in zip code location which can affect coverage prices considerably.

Based on these figures, using a $250 deductible will cost you approximately $15 more each month or $180 for a full year averaged for all Colorado models than opting for the higher $500 deductible. Due to the fact that you would have to pay $250 more out of your own pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you normally go more than 17 months between claim filings, you would probably come out ahead if you elect the higher deductible.

Careless San Jose drivers pay higher rates

The information below shows how traffic citations and fender-benders can increase Chevy Colorado insurance premiums for each different age category. The premiums are based on a married female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.

Auto insurance rates based on gender in San Jose

The illustration below visualizes the comparison of Chevy Colorado insurance premiums for male and female drivers. The costs are based on no accidents, no driving violations, full physical damage coverage, $500 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are factored in.

Cost comparison with and without full coverage

The chart below illustrates the comparison of Chevy Colorado auto insurance rates with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The rate quotes are based on no tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied.

When to drop full coverage

There isn’t a written rule for dropping physical damage insurance, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the annual cost of coverage is more than about 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.

For example, let’s assume your Chevy Colorado book value is $6,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most you would get paid by your company is $5,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are paying over $500 a year for your policy with full coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.

There are some conditions where dropping full coverage is not a good idea. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you have to keep full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should keep full coverage on your policy.

Seven Tips to Get Cheaper San Jose Insurance Costs

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the factors that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. If you have a feel for what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this helps enable you to make changes that may result in better auto insurance rates.

The items below are most of the major factors that factor into rates.

Stay claim-free and save money – Auto insurance companies in California give cheaper rates to people who do not file claims often. If you frequently file small claims, you can definitely plan on higher premiums or even policy non-renewal. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for larger claims.

Is your car, truck or SUV built for speed? – The performance level of the car you own makes a significant difference in how high your rates are. Low performance passenger cars generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.

The chart below uses these variables: single male driver age 30, full coverage with $500 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. The data compares Chevrolet Colorado insurance premiums compared to other models of vehicles that have different performance rating factors.

Premiums are lower the older you get – More mature drivers have been proven to be more responsible, are lower risk to insure, and get fewer tickets. Young drivers tend to be less responsible when driving so auto insurance rates are higher.

The next chart uses these variables: single driver, full coverage with $1000 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.

Incidental coverages push up prices – Insurance companies have many add-on coverages you can purchase if you aren’t careful. Insurance for replacement cost coverage, high-cost glass coverage, and membership fees could be just wasting money. The coverages may be enticing when deciding what coverages you need, but if they’re wasting money think about removing them and cutting costs.

Qualify for multi-policy discounts – Lots of insurance companies will give a discount to insureds who consolidate policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, it’s always a smart idea to comparison shop to help ensure you have the lowest rates.

Premiums are affected by your credit rating – Credit rating is likely to be a major factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. Drivers with high credit ratings tend to be more responsible than those with lower credit ratings. So if your credit rating is lower than you’d like, you could potentially save money when insuring your Chevrolet Colorado by repairing your credit.

Liability safeguards assets – The liability section of your policy will protect you if ever you are found liable for personal injury or accident damage. It provides legal defense starting from day one. Liability is cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.

Insurance losses for a Chevy Colorado – Insurers analyze the history of losses to calculate a price that will offset losses. Models that the statistics show to have a trend towards higher claims will have a higher cost to insure. The table below illustrates the loss history for Chevy Colorado vehicles.

For each insurance policy coverage type, the loss probability for all vehicles averaged together is represented as 100. Values below 100 mean the vehicle has better than average losses, while numbers above 100 indicate more frequent claims or larger claims.

Check for these money saving discounts

Some companies do not list every possible discount very well, so below is a list some of the best known and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving when you buy San Jose car insurance online.

• Cautious Driver Discount – Accident-free drivers can save up to 40% or more on their San Jose car insurance quote than drivers with accidents.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars with anti-lock braking systems can reduce accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• One Accident Forgiven – Not a discount per se, but some companies like Allstate and State Farm will forgive one accident before your rates go up as long as you don’t have any claims prior to the accident.
• Life Insurance Discount – Insurance companies who offer life insurance give lower premium rates if you buy a life policy as well.
• Student Driver Training – Cut your cost by having your teen driver take driver’s ed class in school or through a local driver safety program.
• Onboard Data Collection – San Jose drivers who agree to allow their insurance company to spy on their driving habits by using a telematic data system such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate could save a few bucks if their driving habits are good.
• Low Miles Discount – Driving fewer miles could earn slightly better rates than normal.

Discounts reduce rates, but you should keep in mind that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any qualifying discounts should help reduce your overall premium however.

The information below visualizes the comparison of Chevy Colorado insurance premiums with and without discounts. The prices are based on a male driver, no violations or claims, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, multi-policy, homeowner, marriage, claim-free, and multi-car discounts applied.

If you would like to choose from a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts in San Jose, click here to view.

Do I need an agent?

A lot of people prefer to go talk to an agent and we recommend doing that Good agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help submit paperwork. A nice benefit of comparing rate quotes online is you may find the best rates and still buy from a local agent. Putting coverage with small agencies is important especially in San Jose.

By using this form (opens in new window), your information is instantly submitted to insurance agents in San Jose that can give you free San Jose car insurance quotes to get your business. You don’t have to drive around because quoted prices will be sent instantly to you. If for some reason you want to get a price quote for a specific company, don’t hesitate to navigate to their website and complete a quote there.

If you want to use a reliable insurance agency, there are two different types of agents that you can choose from. San Jose agents can either be exclusive agents or independent agents. Either type can sell insurance policies, but it’s a good idea to understand the difference in how they write coverage since it may influence buying decisions.

Independent Insurance Agents (or Brokers)

Agents that choose to be independent are not employed by any specific company and that allows them to write policies amongst many companies and find the cheapest insurance rates. If they find a lower price, they can switch companies in-house and the insured can keep the same agent. When comparing insurance rates, it’s a good idea to get quotes from several independent agencies to have the most options to choose from.

Featured below are independent agents in San Jose that can possibly get you free price quotes.

More San Jose agents

Exclusive Insurance Agencies

These type of agents can only place business with one company like AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance, and Allstate. Exclusive agents are unable to compare other company’s rates so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Exclusive agents receive extensive training on sales techniques which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates.

Listed below are San Jose exclusive agencies willing to provide price quote information.

More San Jose agents

Finding a good insurance agent is decision based upon more than just a low price. A good agent in San Jose will have answers to these questions.

• If you raise deductibles, how much can you save?
• Do they offer accident forgiveness?
• How long has the business existed?
• Do you qualify for any additional discounts?
• How often do they review policy coverages?
• Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
• Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
• Is assistance available after office hours?

Quote often and quote early

Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how to get a better price on Chevy Colorado insurance in San Jose. It’s most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even be surprised to find that the best price on car insurance is with a small mutual company. These companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like State Farm or Progressive.

There are still a few companies who may not offer online price quotes and usually these smaller providers only sell coverage through independent insurance agents. The cheapest Chevy Colorado insurance in San Jose is possible both online in addition to many San Jose insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best selection.

How to find cheaper rates for Chevy Colorado insurance in San Jose

The best way to find cheaper Chevy Colorado insurance in San Jose is to annually compare prices from providers who provide auto insurance in California. Rates can be compared by following these steps.

Step 1: Try to learn a little about car insurance and the things you can change to keep rates down. Many rating criteria that drive up the price such as at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, and a bad credit rating can be remedied by making minor changes in your lifestyle.

Step 2: Obtain price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like GEICO or Allstate, while independent agents can provide rate quotes from multiple companies.

Step 3: Compare the new rates to your existing policy to see if you can save by switching companies. If you can save some money, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.

Step 4: Give notification to your agent or company to cancel your current auto insurance policy and submit a down payment along with a signed application for the new policy. Once received, put the new proof of insurance certificate above your visor, in the console, or in the glove compartment.

One bit of advice is to use the same liability limits and deductibles on each price quote and and to get price estimates from as many carriers as you can. This helps ensure a fair price comparison and plenty of rates choose from.

Additional car insurance information can be found on the following sites:

• Choosing an Insurance Company (Insurance Information Institute)
• Who Has Affordable San Jose Auto Insurance Quotes for Postal Workers? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers Under 25 in San Jose? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest San Jose Auto Insurance Quotes for Single Moms? (FAQ)
• Distracted Driving Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Honda warning system reduces insurance claims (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Cellphones, Texting and Driving (iihs.org)
• Senior Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)