Astonishing but true, nearly 70% of consumers have purchased from the same company for over three years, and nearly 40% of drivers have never compared rate quotes at all. Many drivers in San Jose could save almost $469 a year by just comparing quotes, but they just assume it takes a lot of time to find cheap auto insurance rates.
If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to find cheaper Lexus IS 200t insurance in San Jose is to begin comparing prices regularly from insurers in California. Prices can be compared by following these guidelines.
- Step 1: Take a few minutes and learn about individual coverages and the measures you can control to prevent expensive coverage. Many factors that increase rates like accidents, careless driving, and a poor credit rating can be rectified by making minor changes to your lifestyle.
- Step 2: Request rate estimates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive and direct companies can give quotes from one company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agents can provide price quotes from multiple companies. Compare rates now
- Step 3: Compare the quotes to your current policy to see if a cheaper rate is available. If you find a lower rate quote, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
One thing to point out is that you’ll want to compare identical coverage information on every quote and to quote with as many carriers as you can. This ensures a fair price comparison and a thorough price selection.
If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will surely be able to save money using the ideas covered in this article. Obtaining price quotes for more affordable car insurance in San Jose is not as confusing as people think. Nevertheless, California drivers must comprehend how insurance companies calculate your car insurance rates.
Score discounts to get cheaper San Jose insurance quotes
Some companies don’t always publicize every discount they offer very clearly, so the next list breaks down both the well known in addition to some of the lesser obvious credits available to bring down your rates.
- No Claims – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims can save substantially as opposed to policyholders that have many claims.
- Drive Safe and Save – Insureds without accidents can pay as much as 50% less compared to rates paid by drivers with frequent claims.
- Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Buying coverage for multiple cars on one policy can get a discount for every vehicle.
- Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Factory options such as air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts of 25 to 30%.
- Discount for Multiple Policies – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same insurance company you could get a discount of nearly 15% which can help you find cheaper IS 200t insurance.
- 55 and Retired – Seniors can get a slight reduction on a San Jose auto insurance quote.
- Professional Memberships – Having an affiliation with a professional or civic organization could earn you a nice discount on your next insurance statement.
- Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with a discount if you purchase some life insurance too.
Discounts save money, but please remember that many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. Despite the fact that it seems like you can get free auto insurance, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
The best insurance companies and some of their more popular discounts can be read below.
- American Family may have discounts that include good driver, TimeAway discount, air bags, mySafetyValet, early bird, bundled insurance, and accident-free.
- Farm Bureau offers premium reductions for youthful driver, renewal discount, safe driver, multi-policy, driver training, 55 and retired, and multi-vehicle.
- State Farm may include discounts for Steer Clear safe driver discount, passive restraint, safe vehicle, multiple policy, anti-theft, driver’s education, and student away at school.
- Travelers includes discounts for home ownership, new car, payment discounts, hybrid/electric vehicle, and IntelliDrive.
- The Hartford has discounts for air bag, defensive driver, anti-theft, driver training, vehicle fuel type, good student, and bundle.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including multi-policy, seat belt use, federal employee, driver training, anti-theft, defensive driver, and daytime running lights.
- Progressive has savings for online signing, multi-vehicle, good student, multi-policy, homeowner, continuous coverage, and online quote discount.
When quoting, ask all companies you are considering which credits you are entitled to. Discounts may not apply to policies everywhere. To find insurers who offer free Lexus IS 200t insurance quotes in San Jose, click this link.
Compare Lexus IS 200t insurance rates
Keep in mind that comparing more prices helps increase your odds of locating the best rates. Not every company does San Jose IS 200t insurance quotes over the internet, so it’s recommended that you also compare prices from the smaller companies as well.
The providers in the list below provide price comparisons in California. If the list has multiple companies, we recommend you visit as many as you can to get a more complete price comparison.
Informed Drivers Can Cut Insurance Costs
Many things are considered when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are obvious like your driving record, although some other factors are less apparent such as whether you are married or your commute time. Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the things that help calculate your premiums. If you have a feel for what controls the rates you pay, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with big savings.
The list below includes some of the major factors that factor into premiums.
Liability protection is critical – The liability section of your policy will protect you if ever you are determined to be liable for damages caused by your negligence. Liability provides legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should make sure they buy enough to cover all assets.
Your address can push rates up or down – Choosing to live in a small town has it’s advantages when trying to find low car insurance rates. Fewer drivers and short commutes corresponds to lower accident rates and lower theft and vandalism rates. City drivers have more traffic problems and much longer commute distances. More time behind the wheel means higher likelihood of an accident.
Lower comp and collision deductibles cost more – Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, insures against damage to your Lexus. Some instances where coverage would apply would be a broken windshield, vandalism, and having your car stolen. Your deductibles state the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. The more money you have to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
Stay claim-free and lower premiums – Companies in California give better rates to insureds who are not frequent claim filers. If you are the type of insured that files lots of claims you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Your car insurance is meant to be used in the event of claims that you cannot pay yourself.
Safer the car lower the rate – Safer cars can get you lower premiums. These vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates means less claims paid and lower rates for you. If your Lexus IS 200t is rated at a minimum four stars on Safercar.gov you may qualify for a discount.
Costs go up with performance – The type of vehicle you need insurance for makes a big difference in your premium level. Economy passenger cars usually are quite affordable to insure, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
Local San Jose insurance agencies
Many drivers just want to go talk to an agent and that is a personal choice. The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is you may find the lowest rates but also keep your business local.
After completing this simple form, the quote information is sent to insurance agents in San Jose who will gladly provide quotes to get your business. There is no reason to visit any agencies due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to your email address. You can find the lowest rates and a licensed agent to work with. If you have a need to get a rate quote from a particular provider, just jump over to their website and submit a quote form there.
Finding the right company shouldn’t rely on just a low price. Any agent in San Jose should have no problem answering these questions:
- How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
- What is the financial rating for the quoted company?
- Will you get a loaner vehicle if you car is being repaired?
- Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
The type of auto insurance agent you choose is important
If you need to find a reliable insurance agency, there are two types of agencies from which to choose. Car insurance agents in San Jose can be categorized as either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.
Exclusive Agencies
Agents that elect to be exclusive have only one company to place business with and examples are Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. These agents are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so they really need to provide good service. These agents are trained well on their company’s products and that allows them to sell at a higher price point. Consumers frequently purchase coverage from exclusives partially due to the brand rather than low rates.
The following are San Jose exclusive agencies that can give you rate quotes.
- GEICO Insurance Agent
2195 Monterey Rd #20 – San Jose, CA 95125 – (408) 286-4342 – View Map - Dick Alesch – State Farm Insurance Agent
164 N Bascom Ave a – San Jose, CA 95128 – (408) 918-0877 – View Map - Mike Myers – State Farm Insurance Agent
4855 Atherton Ave #150 – San Jose, CA 95130 – (408) 550-7868 – View Map
Independent Agencies or Brokers
These agents are not locked into one company and that enables them to quote your coverage with multiple insurance companies and find the cheapest rate. If they find a cheaper price, they simply switch companies in-house and you don’t have to do anything.
When comparison shopping, we recommend you get rate quotes from a few independent agents to ensure the widest selection of prices. Most have the option of insuring with smaller regional carriers that may have much lower rates than larger companies.
The following is a short list of independent agencies in San Jose that can give you rate quotes.
- Gatewood Insurance Agency Inc
1095 Bird Ave #2 – San Jose, CA 95125 – (408) 298-1611 – View Map - Cya Insurance Agency From Sn
1271 Story Rd #50 – San Jose, CA 95122 – (408) 971-4172 – View Map - All Spectrum Insurance Brokers
4010 Moorpark Ave #117 – San Jose, CA 95117 – (408) 604-0092 – View Map
Upon getting positive responses to any questions you may have as well as a affordable price, you may have found an auto insurance agent that can be relied on to service your policy. Just be aware that you can cancel a policy whenever you choose to so don’t feel you’re contractually obligated to a specific company indefinitely.
Why you need quality insurance for your vehicle
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Lexus in San Jose, buying car insurance is required for several reasons.
- Most states have minimum liability requirements which means you are required to carry specific minimum amounts of liability in order to drive the car. 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 you took out a loan on your IS 200t, more than likely the lender will force you to have full coverage to guarantee loan repayment. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the bank will be required to insure your Lexus for a much higher rate and require you to pay for the expensive policy.
- Car insurance preserves your Lexus IS 200t and your assets. Insurance will also pay for medical transport and hospital expenses for not only you but also any passengers injured in an accident. Liability insurance also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you cause an accident and are sued. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.
The benefits of insuring your car definitely exceed the price paid, especially if you ever need it. But the average American driver is wasting up to $869 every year so compare rate quotes at least once a year to save money.
Quote often and quote early
We covered some good ideas how to shop for Lexus IS 200t insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even be surprised to find that the lowest rates are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.
When searching for low cost San Jose auto insurance quotes, it’s very important that you do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where drivers have reduced full coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big error on their part. The aim is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best possible price, but do not skimp to save money.
Budget-friendly auto insurance in San Jose is definitely available on the web and from local insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both to have the best selection. Some insurance providers do not provide online rate quotes and usually these small insurance companies sell through independent insurance agents.
Additional detailed information can be found in these articles:
- Neck Injury FAQ (iihs.org)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Chevrolet Equinox in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Rates for 18 Year Olds in San Jose? (FAQ)
- How Much are Car Insurance Quotes for a 20 Year Old Female in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Driving in Bad Weather (Insurance Information Institute)
- Cellphones, Texting and Driving (iihs.org)
- How Does Hitting a Deer Impact Insurance Rates? (Allstate)