The words "economical" and "auto insurance" really shouldn't be used together, in particular when looking for the cheapest car insurance for inexperienced drivers. Let's introduce you to a few of the factors that have an impact on auto insurance premiums, and find out if you can reduce the price of the next policy you buy.
The type of vehicle you are seeking coverage for is probably the largest consideration when comparing low-cost coverage for inexperienced drivers. Vehicles with reasonable performance levels, excellent safety ratings, or a low likelihood of liability claims will cost quite a bit less to insure than adrenaline junky models. The list below ranks car insurance costs for a handful of the most cost-effective vehicles to insure.
| Make, Model, and Trim Level | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $1,047 |
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $1,052 |
| Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,146 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,160 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,241 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 4WD | $1,246 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $1,241 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SXT | $1,264 |
| Ford F-150 Lariat Crew Cab 2WD | $1,269 |
| Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,285 |
| Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $1,308 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Regular Cab 4WD | $1,331 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LT Crew Cab 4WD | $1,336 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LTZ | $1,331 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 4WD | $1,333 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $1,366 |
| Nissan Rogue SL AWD | $1,398 |
| Hyundai Sonata Limited 4-Dr Sedan | $1,421 |
| Toyota Tacoma X-Runner 2WD | $1,432 |
| Ford Edge Sport 2WD | $1,462 |
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Data variables include single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Premium amounts do not factor in zip code location which can alter coverage prices significantly.
Based upon the table data, you can figure that makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Honda Accord are the cheapest vehicles to insure for new drivers.
Comparing quotes for cost effective car insurance is difficult, and deciding which companies have the best insurance rates for inexperienced drivers takes even more rate comparisons.
Each insurer uses their own method for determining prices, so we'll go over the insurance companies that tend to have lower prices in Santa Ana, CA. It's a good idea to be aware that Santa Ana, CA insurance rates are calculated based on many things which can substantially change the cost of coverage. This price variation is why drivers need to compare many different companies to get the best insurance rates for inexperienced drivers. Rates are impacted by many different factors and change dramatically, so the cheapest rate a year ago may now be quite expensive.
Find the Cheapest Car Insurance for Newbies
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wawanesa | $1,146 |
| 2 | USAA | $1,155 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,178 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $1,226 |
| 5 | CSAA | $1,234 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,366 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,491 |
| 8 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 9 | Allstate | $1,497 |
| 10 | Mercury | $1,533 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,559 |
| 12 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
| 13 | Allied | $1,603 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,606 |
| 15 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 16 | State Farm | $1,733 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $1,750 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,831 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,006 |
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Wawanesa normally has some of the best car insurance rates in Santa Ana at around $1,146 per year. This is $505 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. USAA, Century National, Nationwide, and CSAA would also make the list of some of the most economical Santa Ana, CA car insurance companies.
As the rates illustrate above, if you are currently insured with CSAA and switched to USAA, you might achieve annual savings of in the neighborhood of $79. Policyholders with 21st Century might save as much as $211 a year, and Grange policyholders might lower prices by up to $336 a year.
Bear in mind that those policy prices are averages for all insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in a vehicle location for inexperienced drivers. So the auto insurance company that can offer the best rates for your situation may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That emphasizes why you need to quote rates from as many companies as possible using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
Illustration showing the impact of accidents and violations
One of the best ways to score the most affordable insurance rates in California for new drivers is to pay attention while driving and avoid getting tickets or having accidents. The diagram below illustrates how speeding tickets and accidents drive up car insurance costs for different age groups of insureds. The information is based on a married female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.
The data in the chart shows the average cost of an auto insurance policy in Santa Ana per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $2,121. Get two speeding tickets and the average cost rises to $3,016, an increase of $895 each year. Now add one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the yearly cost of insurance for inexperienced drivers goes up to an average of $3,931. That's an increase of $1,810, or $151 per month, just for not driving safely!
Get discount Santa Ana auto insurance
Insurance companies that offer quotes for inexperienced drivers may also give you price discounts that can reduce rates by as much as 35% or more if you are eligible. Companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be found below.
- State Farm has discounts for good driver, multiple autos, Steer Clear safe driver discount, defensive driving training, student away at school, anti-theft, and Drive Safe & Save.
- American Family may offer discounts for multi-vehicle, early bird, bundled insurance, defensive driver, and Steer into Savings.
- AAA offers discounts including good driver, education and occupation, pay-in-full, AAA membership discount, multi-policy, multi-car, and anti-theft.
- GEICO may have discounts that include military active duty, anti-theft, membership and employees, daytime running lights, and multi-policy.
- Mercury Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including accident-free, ease of repair, location of vehicle, good driver, and good student.
- Farmers Insurance may include discounts for youthful driver, electronic funds transfer, early shopping, multi-car, pay in full, and good student.
- Progressive discounts include homeowner, good student, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, online signing, online quote discount, and continuous coverage.
The diagram below shows the comparison of annual premium costs with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The premiums are based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no claims, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $1,000 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with multiple vehicle, claim-free, defensive driving course, safe-driver, homeowner, and marriage discounts applied. When discounts are applied, theaverage amount saved on insurance for inexperienced drivers is 28% or $703.
Why are you paying too much for car insurance?
California insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can substantially decrease or increase the policy price. Simply improving your credit, marrying your spouse, or getting a couple of tickets can trigger changes in premium resulting in some companies being more affordable than the competition. Also, car insurance companies file new California car insurance rates as often as every quarter to ensure their profitability. An extended period of higher than normal claims can result in high rates, while profitable underwriting can produce cheaper Santa Ana car insurance rates.
To help illustrate this point, the graph below shows which companies have the cheapest car insurance in Santa Ana, CA for a 35-year-old male driver with a clear driving record, no claims, and good financial standing. If we estimate prices based on his current risk profile, USAA may have the most affordable car insurance rates in Santa Ana at $1,292 a year. This is $359 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Nationwide, and Century National are the remaining top five cheapest Santa Ana, CA auto insurance companies.
Let's now give the driver in the first chart a claim or two, a little lower credit rating, and a traffic citation. Since each insurance company has their own unique process for determining rates in each state, getting updated rate quotes may result in a completely different list of affordable companies as shown below.
Grange now has the best insurance rate in Santa Ana with GEICO, Mercury, Progressive, and Allied now being in the top five. This example demonstrates why consumers need to take the time to take the time to shop around to find the lowest car insurance rates for inexperienced drivers.
Rates are influenced by many risk factors and can change substantially, so the cheapest option the last time you shopped your coverage around may now be one of the more expensive options.
How to find low-cost auto insurance for inexperienced drivers
Here are a few thrifty ideas that can help Santa Ana drivers get low-cost coverage.
- Raise your deductibles
- Vehicles with good safety ratings have lower liability rates
- Try to pay small claims out-of-pocket
- Maintaining good credit helps earn cheaper rates
- Insure your home and auto with the same company
- Full coverage is expensive so only insure older vehicles for liability only
- Compare rates regularly and switch companies to save money
That last tip is notably crucial, as was pointed out in the prior information. Rates fluctuate considerably, so don't hesitate to switch to a new company if a cheaper rate is available.
Staying with the same car insurance company is fine, but it's not a great idea if that faithfulness ends up costing you major coinage every year. It takes less than five minutes to compare rates to find cheaper auto insurance for inexperienced drivers in Santa Ana.