Did you come to the realization that you have an under-performing, overpriced auto insurance policy? Don’t feel bad because there are a lot of people in San Jose just like you who feel imprisoned by their auto insurance policy.
Unbelievably, most drivers in California kept their coverage with the same auto insurance company for well over three years, and 38% of customers have never even compared rates from other companies. Most drivers in the United States can save hundreds of dollars each year by just comparing rate quotes, but they assume it’s a waste of time to go online and compare rates.
How to buy low-cost Nissan Armada insurance in San Jose
Truthfully, the best way to get cheaper Nissan Armada insurance is to regularly compare prices from insurers who provide car insurance in San Jose. Rate comparisons can be done by following these guidelines.
- It will benefit you to learn about what is in your policy and the factors you can control to prevent expensive coverage. Many factors that cause rate increases such as traffic citations and a negative credit rating can be rectified by being financially responsible and driving safely. Later in this article we will cover additional tips to get cheaper rates and get discounts that may be available to you.
- Compare prices from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only quote rates from one company like Progressive or State Farm, while agents who are independent can give you price quotes from multiple sources.
- Compare the quotes to your existing policy to see if you can save by switching companies. If you find a lower rate and change companies, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Notify your company or agent of your intent to cancel the current policy. Submit a down payment and signed policy application for the new coverage. Immediately put the proof of insurance paperwork in an easily accessible location.
One thing to point out is that you use the same amount of coverage on every price quote and and to get rates from every company you can. This enables a fair price comparison and a good representation of prices.
Insurance companies such as Progressive, State Farm and GEICO continually hit you with ads and consumers find it hard to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
You should take the time to shop coverage around yearly because rates trend upward over time. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rate on Nissan Armada insurance in San Jose a year ago a different company probably has better prices today. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the best way to reduce your cost while improving coverage.
If you have a policy now or just want to reduce your rates, use these cost-cutting techniques to find better prices while maintaining coverages. Buying affordable car insurance in San Jose is really quite easy. Comparison shoppers only need an understanding of how to compare prices over the internet.
How do Insurance Companies Determine Nissan Armada Insurance Premiums?
Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that come into play when calculating the price you pay for car insurance. If you know what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this enables you to make decisions that can earn you better car insurance rates. Many different elements are used in the calculation when quoting car insurance. Some factors are common sense like your driving record, but others are more transparent such as your credit history and annual miles driven.
Prices and your address – Choosing to live in small towns and rural areas can save you money when insuring your vehicles. Less people living in that area corresponds to lower accident rates in addition to fewer liability claims. Urban drivers have more auto accidents and higher rates of accident claims. Spending more time driving can result in more accidents.
Drive fewer miles and save – Driving a lot of miles in a year the more you’ll pay to insure it. Many insurance companies charge rates based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Vehicles used primarily for pleasure use get more affordable rates than those that get driven frequently. Ask your agent if your vehicle rating is showing the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money. Having the wrong rating on your Armada is just wasting money.
Performance makes a difference – The performance level of the car, truck or SUV you drive makes a big difference in the rate you pay. The cheapest rates will normally be found when insuring the lowest performance passenger cars, but your final cost has many other factors.
The following chart uses these variables: single male driver age 30, full coverage with $1000 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. The data compares Nissan Armada insurance premiums compared to other models that have different performance rating factors.
Do you work long hours in a high stress job? – Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Occupational choices like lawyers, architects, and miners have higher rates than the rest of us due to high stress levels and lengthy work days. On the flip side, occupations such as farmers, engineers and the unemployed have lower than average premiums.
Safeguard your assets with liability coverage – Liability insurance kicks in if you are found liable for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides you with a defense in court which can be incredibly expensive. This coverage is relatively inexpensive when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Frequent car insurance claims will cost more – Companies in California award better rates to insureds who do not file claims often. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can pretty much guarantee either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance coverage is meant to be used in the event of the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
Bump up physical damage deductibles to lower rates – Physical damage insurance, aka comp and collision, covers damage that occurs to your Nissan. Some examples of covered claims would be running into the backend of another car, vandalism, and having your car stolen. Physical damage deductibles represent how much money the insured will be required to pay if a covered claim is submitted. The more expense you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the less money you will pay for car insurance.
Nissan Armada claim statistics – Car insurance companies include the past claim history for a vehicle when determining insurance rates. Models that the data determines to have higher losses will cost more for coverage. The next table illustrates the historical loss data for Nissan Armada vehicles.
For each policy coverage, the claim probability for all vehicles, regardless of make, model or trim level, is represented as 100. Numbers shown that are under 100 represent a good loss history, while percentage numbers above 100 indicate more frequent claims or a tendency for losses to be larger than average.
Vehicle Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nissan Armada 4dr 2WD | 94 | 104 | 93 | 106 | 87 | |
Nissan Armada 4dr 4WD | 123 | 120 | 109 | 91 | 69 |
Empty fields indicate not enough data collected
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
The companies shown below are our best choices to provide quotes in San Jose, CA. If several companies are displayed, we suggest you visit as many as you can to find the cheapest car insurance rates.
Data for Nissan Armada insurance
The rate table below outlines different coverage costs for Nissan Armada models. Understanding how car insurance premiums are established can help customers make informed decisions when comparing rate quotes.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Armada SE 2WD | $270 | $478 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,326 | $111 |
Armada SE 4WD | $270 | $564 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,412 | $118 |
Armada Titanium 2WD | $270 | $564 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,412 | $118 |
Armada Titanium 4WD | $270 | $564 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,412 | $118 |
Armada Platinum 2WD | $270 | $564 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,412 | $118 |
Armada Platinum 4WD | $300 | $564 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,442 | $120 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Prices above based on single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Information does not factor in specific San Jose garaging location which can raise or lower auto insurance rates substantially.
Analysis of deductible levels
When comparing auto insurance rates, the most common question is where to set your physical damage deductibles. The following tables illustrate the differences in price when you select higher and lower deductibles. The first set of prices uses a $100 comprehensive and collision deductible and the second data table uses a $500 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Armada SE 2WD | $430 | $686 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,651 | $138 |
Armada SE 4WD | $430 | $810 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,775 | $148 |
Armada Titanium 2WD | $430 | $810 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,775 | $148 |
Armada Titanium 4WD | $430 | $810 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,775 | $148 |
Armada Platinum 2WD | $430 | $810 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,775 | $148 |
Armada Platinum 4WD | $478 | $810 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,823 | $152 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Armada SE 2WD | $314 | $464 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,288 | $107 |
Armada SE 4WD | $314 | $546 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,370 | $114 |
Armada Titanium 2WD | $314 | $546 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,370 | $114 |
Armada Titanium 4WD | $314 | $546 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,370 | $114 |
Armada Platinum 2WD | $314 | $546 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,370 | $114 |
Armada Platinum 4WD | $348 | $546 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,404 | $117 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Price data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Premium costs do not factor in garaging location in San Jose which can influence premiums substantially.
Based on the figures above, using a $100 deductible costs an average of $34 more each month or $408 a year than requesting the higher $500 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $400 more to file a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you tend to have more than 12 months between claims, you would save more money if you elect the higher deductible.
Does full coverage make sense?
The information below compares Nissan Armada car insurance costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The premium estimates are based on no accidents or driving violations, $250 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are factored in.
When to stop paying for full coverage
There is no set guideline to stop paying for physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than about 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your Nissan Armada book value is $3,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most your company would pay you is $2,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are paying over $200 a year to have full coverage, then it might be time to buy liability only.
There are a few situations where buying only liability insurance is not advised. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you have to maintain full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should not remove full coverage.
Why do I need car insurance?
Despite the potentially high cost of Nissan Armada insurance, maintaining insurance is required in California but it also protects you in many ways.
- Almost all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means you are required to carry a specific minimum amount of liability coverage if you want to drive legally. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
- If your vehicle has a loan, it’s most likely the lender will make it a condition of the loan that you buy full coverage to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If the policy lapses, the lender may insure your Nissan at a much higher rate and make you pay for the much more expensive policy.
- Insurance protects both your car and your personal assets. It will also cover hospital and medical expenses for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. As part of your policy, liability insurance also pays for attorney fees and expenses in the event you are sued. If you have damage to your Nissan as the result of the weather or an accident, comprehensive and collision coverage will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of having insurance definitely exceed the price paid, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. According to a survey of 1,000 drivers, the average driver overpays more than $850 per year so you should quote and compare rates at every policy renewal to ensure rates are competitive.
These discounts can lower Nissan Armada insurance rates
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you may qualify for discounts that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of quoting, but once in a while a discount must be asked for prior to getting the savings.
- Safety Course Discount – Taking a safe driver class could earn you a small percentage discount and easily pay for the cost of the class.
- Distant College Student Discount – Youth drivers who are enrolled in higher education away from home and do not take a car to college can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Anti-theft System – Cars equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems can help prevent theft and that can save you a little bit as well.
- Seat Belt Usage – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to fasten their seat belts may be able to save a few bucks off PIP or medical payments premium.
- Clubs and Organizations – Affiliation with specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations is a simple method to lower premiums on your next insurance statement.
- Student Driver Training – Teen drivers should enroll in driver’s education as it can save substantially.
- Waiver for an Accident – Not necessarily a discount, but certain companies will let one accident slide before raising your premiums if you are claim-free before the accident.
- Discounts for Responsible Drivers – Insureds who avoid accidents can save up to 40% or more on their San Jose auto insurance quote compared to rates paid by drivers with frequent claims.
- Discount for Swiching Early – A few larger companies offer discounts for signing up prior to your current Armada insurance policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
You can save money using discounts, but most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. Despite the fact that it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.
The information below visualizes the comparison of Nissan Armada insurance premiums with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The data is based on a female driver, no claims or driving citations, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-policy, multi-car, safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, and marriage discounts applied.
Larger insurance companies and some of the discounts can be read below.
- Farm Bureau may include discounts for driver training, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, youthful driver, good student, 55 and retired, and safe driver.
- State Farm offers discounts including multiple autos, passive restraint, good student, accident-free, and multiple policy.
- Progressive may have discounts that include online quote discount, online signing, good student, continuous coverage, and multi-policy.
- Allstate offers premium reductions for premier plus, anti-lock brakes, passive restraint, safe driver, and defensive driver.
- Nationwide has savings for business or organization, family plan, Farm Bureau membership, defensive driving, multi-policy, easy pay, and good student.
- MetLife may offer discounts for good driver, accident-free, claim-free, multi-policy, and defensive driver.
Before you buy a policy, ask all the companies how many discounts you can get. All car insurance discounts may not be offered in San Jose.
Insurance agents can help
Many drivers still like to talk to a local agent and that is just fine! Most agents are highly skilled in risk management and help submit paperwork. One of the benefits of comparing insurance prices online is you may find cheap auto insurance quotes and still have a local agent.
To find an agent, once you fill out this quick form, your information is transmitted to agents in your area that can give you free San Jose auto insurance quotes to get your business. You won’t need to contact any agents since price quotes are sent to your email. If you want to quote rates from one company in particular, you would need to jump over to their website and fill out their quote form.
Choosing a company requires more thought than just the premium amount. Here are some questions to ask:
- Is there a 24/7 contact number?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- Are aftermarket or OEM parts used to repair vehicles?
- What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
- Do they write coverage based solely on cost?
- Does the company have a local claim office in San Jose?
When searching for a reputable insurance agent or broker, it can be helpful to understand the types of insurance agents to choose from. Auto insurance agents in San Jose may be either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive). Both types of agents can handle auto insurance, but it is a good idea to know how they differ because it can impact which agent you choose.
Exclusive Agencies
These type of agents have only one company to place business with and examples are State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. Exclusive agents cannot provide prices from multiple companies so they have no alternatives for high prices. They are usually quite knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps them sell on service rather than price.
Listed below is a list of exclusive agents in San Jose who may provide you with price quote information.
Thachvu Ho – State Farm Insurance Agent
1025 Lincoln Ave – San Jose, CA 95125 – (408) 267-4100 – View Map
Van (Von) Le – State Farm Insurance Agent
301 N Jackson Ave #12 – San Jose, CA 95133 – (408) 259-8826 – View Map
Rolando Suarez – State Farm Insurance Agent
696 E Santa Clara St #110 – San Jose, CA 95112 – (408) 642-1399 – View Map
Independent Auto Insurance Agencies
Independent agents often have affiliation with several companies and that gives them the ability to insure with a variety of different insurance companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If you want to switch companies, they simply switch companies in-house and the insured can keep the same agent.
When comparison shopping, we recommend you include price quotes from at a minimum one independent agency in order to have the best price comparison.
Below is a short list of independent agencies in San Jose that can give you comparison quotes.
Casey Nguyen Insurance Agency, Inc.
1639 Meridian Ave a – San Jose, CA 95125 – (408) 286-4467 – View Map
Mission Counties Insurance Agency
1777 Hamilton Ave – San Jose, CA 95125 – (408) 979-8160 – View Map
Care Insurance Agency Inc
900 N 1st St E – San Jose, CA 95112 – (408) 292-2925 – View Map
Find cheaper auto insurance prices by comparing often
Some companies may not offer price quotes online and many times these smaller companies sell through independent agencies. Affordable Nissan Armada insurance in San Jose can be sourced online and also from your neighborhood San Jose agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to get a complete price analysis.
When trying to cut insurance costs, you should never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that they should have had better coverage. The ultimate goal is to find the BEST coverage at the best possible price while not skimping on critical coverages.
How to quote cheaper Nissan Armada insurance in San Jose
If you want to save the most money, the best way to get the cheapest car insurance rates in San Jose is to compare prices annually from different companies in California.
- First, try to understand car insurance and the changes you can make to prevent high rates. Many things that drive up the price like at-fault accidents and a lousy credit rating can be improved by being financially responsible and driving safely.
- Second, get rate quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can give quotes from a single company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can quote prices from many different companies. Compare rates now
- Third, compare the new quotes to your current policy premium and see if there is a cheaper rate. If you can save money and decide to switch, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
An important part of this process is that you’ll want to make sure you compare similar limits and deductibles on every quote request and to quote with all possible companies. Doing this provides a fair price comparison and the best rate selection.
Much more information about auto insurance in California can be found on the following sites:
- Bodily Injury Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- How Much is Car Insurance for Good Drivers in San Jose? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Honda Civic in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for Teenage Males in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Credit Impacts Car Insurance Rates (State Farm)
- Older Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)