The words "cheap" and "insurance" really shouldn't be used together, specifically when searching for the lowest insurance rates for drivers requiring a SR22. In an attempt to save some money, let's familiarize you with some things the can have a considerable influence on auto insurance rates, and come up with some ways to lower the cost of the next policy you buy.
The make and model of vehicle requiring insurance is one of the largest factors when looking for cheap insurance for drivers requiring a SR22. Vehicles with high performance, a lack of advanced safety features, or a track record of large liability claims will cost quite a bit more to insure than safer models.
The information below presents car insurance rates for a number of the more affordable vehicles to insure.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $3,458 |
| Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $3,605 |
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $3,649 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $3,800 |
| Toyota Prius | $3,842 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $3,909 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $4,025 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport Islander Package 4WD 2-Dr | $4,033 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Regular Cab 2WD | $4,038 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $4,096 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT AWD | $4,106 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 2WD | $4,133 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $4,178 |
| Get a Custom Quote Go | |
Prices based on single male driver age 30, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Rates do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can impact coverage prices significantly.
Based upon the rates shown, you can infer that makes and models like the Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Volkswagen Jetta will definitely be some of the more affordable vehicles to insure for high risk drivers. Car insurance rates will tend to be higher because there is more exposure for drivers requiring a SR22, but overall those models will have the best insurance prices that you are likely to find.
One of the more important components that are looked at to determine insurance cost is where your car is garaged. Areas with more people or even just a higher incidence of claims will most likely have higher rates, whereas areas that tend to be more rural have the enjoyment of a little cheaper coverage.
The table below shows the most expensive places in California for drivers requiring a SR22 to purchase car insurance in. Santa Ana is ranked #17 with a yearly cost of $1,439 for car insurance, which is approximately $120 monthly.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,168 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,121 |
| 3 | Oakland | $1,755 |
| 4 | Sacramento | $1,720 |
| 5 | San Francisco | $1,693 |
| 6 | Santa Clarita | $1,595 |
| 7 | Stockton | $1,588 |
| 8 | San Bernardino | $1,580 |
| 9 | Fontana | $1,566 |
| 10 | Long Beach | $1,562 |
| 11 | Garden Grove | $1,524 |
| 12 | Moreno Valley | $1,506 |
| 13 | Riverside | $1,497 |
| 14 | Anaheim | $1,488 |
| 15 | Modesto | $1,487 |
| 16 | Fresno | $1,457 |
| 17 | Santa Ana | $1,439 |
| 18 | Fremont | $1,403 |
| 19 | Huntington Beach | $1,402 |
| 20 | San Jose | $1,395 |
| 21 | Bakersfield | $1,381 |
| 22 | Irvine | $1,343 |
| 23 | San Diego | $1,327 |
| 24 | Oxnard | $1,304 |
| 25 | Chula Vista | $1,298 |
| Get a Custom Quote Go | ||
Table data uses estimated as the specific Santa Ana residence address can impact auto insurance rates considerably.
Deciding which companies have the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers requiring a SR22 may require more work than just picking a company at random. Every auto insurer has a unique approach for establishing rates, so let's rank the lowest cost car insurance companies in Santa Ana, CA.
It's important to understand that Santa Ana car insurance rates are impacted by many things which can substantially change the price you have to pay for coverage. Getting older, getting divorced, or getting a driving violation can cause premium changes resulting in some rates now being affordable when they were higher priced.
Lowest Insurance Price Quotes for SR22 Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,121 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,181 |
| 3 | CSAA | $1,186 |
| 4 | Century National | $1,226 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,250 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,366 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,433 |
| 8 | Allstate | $1,513 |
| 9 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 10 | Mercury | $1,533 |
| 11 | Progressive | $1,542 |
| 12 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
| 13 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,654 |
| 15 | Unitrin | $1,682 |
| 16 | State Farm | $1,699 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,756 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,842 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,966 |
| View More Rates Go | ||
USAA may offer some of the lowest car insurance rates in Santa Ana at around $1,121 each year. This is $530 less than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide also are some of the cheaper Santa Ana, CA car insurance companies.
As the rates illustrate above, if you are currently insured with Nationwide and switched to Wawanesa, you may see savings of in the vicinity of $69. California drivers with 21st Century could save as much as $185 a year, and Grange customers might realize rate reductions of up to $252 a year.
Be aware that those prices are averaged across all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and and are not figured with a vehicle location for drivers requiring a SR22. So the company that is best for you may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That helps illustrate why you need to compare rates from as many companies as possible using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
The illustration below illustrates how your deductible choice can impact insurance rates when searching for cheap insurance for drivers requiring a SR22. The data assumes a married female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
In the chart above, a 40-year-old driver could lower their car insurance rates by $300 a year by increasing from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $456 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Young drivers, such as the Age 20 example, can save $750 each year by using a higher deductible.
When increasing deductibles, it will be necessary to have additional funds in a savings account to allow you to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the one disadvantage of using larger deductibles.
Price comparison of only insuring for liability
Saving money when shopping for car insurance is the goal of most drivers, and one way to find cheap insurance for drivers requiring a SR22 is to only buy liability insurance. The chart below illustrates the comparison of insurance premiums with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The rates are based on no accidents or driving violations, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
As an average, full coverage on your policy costs an extra $2,558 per year over and above liability coverage. That touches on the question if you should buy full coverage at all. There is no exact formula that works best for making the decision to drop full coverage, but there is a general guideline. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is about 10% or more of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
There are some cases where buying only liability insurance is not financially feasible. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you are required to maintain full coverage in order to keep the loan. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not drop full coverage.
Get discount Santa Ana car insurance
Insurance companies that provide policies for drivers requiring a SR22 could also offer premium discounts that may potentially lower prices by 30% or more if you meet specific criteria. Larger car insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer can be read below.
- Progressive has discounts for multi-policy, homeowner, online quote discount, continuous coverage, and online signing.
- MetLife policyholders can earn discounts including good driver, claim-free, defensive driver, accident-free, good student, multi-policy
- Mercury Insurance offers discounts for professional/association, multi-policy, location of vehicle, anti-theft, ease of repair, good driver, and good student.
- Nationwide has savings for defensive driving, easy pay, anti-theft, business or organization, Farm Bureau membership, multi-policy, and accident-free.
- GEICO may include discounts for anti-theft, military active duty, emergency military deployment, membership and employees, and anti-lock brakes.
- AAA discounts include good student, AAA membership discount, multi-car, pay-in-full, multi-policy, and good driver.
The chart below shows the difference between insurance prices with and without discounts applied to the premium. The premium estimates are based on a female driver, three violations and one accident, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The second shows the rates with passive restraint, homeowner, anti-theft, vehicle safety, marriage, and paid-in-full discounts applied. When these discounts are applied to the policy premium, theamount saved on car insurance for drivers requiring a SR22 is 28% or $1,119.
Ideas to find economical car insurance for drivers requiring a SR22
The list below shows some of the recommended money-saving ideas that can help California drivers buy cheap coverage.
- Higher physical damage deductibles lower rates
- Violations and traffic tickets increase rates
- Drive vehicles with five-star safety ratings
- Do not insure for full coverage
- Better credit scores save money
- Avoid at-fault accidents and claims
- Compare rate quotes frequently
The last tip is certainly critical, as was pointed out in the prior information. Auto insurance prices can be adjusted at any time, so you should be ready to buy a policy from a new company if a better deal can be had.
Brand loyalty is not necessarily bad, but we do not recommend it if that loyalty ends up costing potentially thousands of dollars a year. Spend a few minutes and compare prices and find cheaper auto insurance for drivers requiring a SR22 in Santa Ana.
If you like to have the advice of a professional agent when buying car insurance for high risk drivers, the insurance agencies listed below can most likely help you determine which car insurance policy is best.
To locate an agency nearest to you, click the button following the list or click here to compare prices now.
- Farmers Insurance - Rosa Evaristo
2901 W Warner Ave - Santa Ana, CA 92704 - (714) 966-1461 - Jose Gastelum - State Farm Insurance Agent
1780 E McFadden Ave Ste 114 - Santa Ana, CA 92705 - (714) 557-3344 - Farmers Insurance - Daniel Canzone
2323 N Tustin Ave, Ste E-F - Santa Ana, CA 92705 - (714) 203-6033