The words "economical" and "auto insurance" probably shouldn't be used in the same sentence, in particular when you are trying to find the cheapest car insurance for infrequent drivers. Because of the high cost, let's start the ball rolling by going over some of the factors that can significantly affect auto insurance premiums, and find out if you can take a little off the next policy you buy.
Figuring out which company offers the cheapest auto insurance rates for infrequent drivers will take a little more work in order to find a policy that fits your budget.
Each auto insurance company used slightly different criteria to determine premium rates, so we'll go over the most affordable auto insurance companies in Santa Ana. It's a good idea to know that California auto insurance rates are impacted by many factors that may substantially change the price you pay. Turning one year older, buying another vehicle, or getting a ticket for careless driving may cause policy rate changes that can now make some companies cheaper than competitors.
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| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,109 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,181 |
| 3 | CSAA | $1,186 |
| 4 | Century National | $1,190 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,226 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,338 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,491 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,503 |
| 9 | Allstate | $1,513 |
| 10 | Allied | $1,556 |
| 11 | Progressive | $1,558 |
| 12 | GEICO | $1,559 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,638 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,750 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,750 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,756 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,831 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,842 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,026 |
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USAA normally has some of the lowest car insurance rates in Santa Ana at around $1,109 each year. This is $542 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide also make the cut as some of the most economical Santa Ana, CA auto insurance companies.
In the above example, if you currently buy coverage from Nationwide and switched to Wawanesa, you could realize yearly savings of upwards of $45. California drivers with 21st Century may save as much as $157 a year, and Grange customers might realize rate reductions of up to $310 a year.
To get a fast rate comparison, click here to get a free quote or click several companies below for low rates.
Be aware that those rates are averages for all insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in a vehicle location for infrequent drivers. So the car insurance company that fits you best may not even be in the list above. That illustrates why you need to get rate quotes using your own individual information.
For low mileage drivers, one of the more important considerations that aid in calculating the amount you pay each year for auto insurance is your zip code. Cities with larger populations tend to pay more, whereas less populated areas benefit from lower rates.
The information below rates the highest-priced areas in California for infrequent drivers in which to buy car insurance. Santa Ana is ranked #16 with the yearly price of $1,497 for the average policy, which is about $125 per month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,146 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,058 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,763 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,738 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,703 |
| 6 | Long Beach | $1,610 |
| 7 | Stockton | $1,588 |
| 8 | San Bernardino | $1,580 |
| 9 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
| 10 | Fontana | $1,566 |
| 11 | Moreno Valley | $1,536 |
| 12 | Modesto | $1,532 |
| 13 | Riverside | $1,527 |
| 14 | Garden Grove | $1,508 |
| 15 | Fresno | $1,502 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,497 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,488 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,423 |
| 19 | Huntington Beach | $1,402 |
| 20 | Fremont | $1,389 |
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Premium amounts are estimated as zip code location can impact coverage rates greatly.
The vehicle model you are buying coverage for is probably the largest consideration when comparing quotes for low-cost auto insurance for infrequent drivers. Vehicles with average performance, good safety features, or a track record of few liability claims will cost much less to insure than adrenaline junky models.
The list below showcases coverage prices for some of the most affordable vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $1,025 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,137 |
| Ford Explorer XLT AWD | $1,151 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $1,190 |
| Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,194 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $1,217 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $1,225 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 4WD 4-Dr | $1,254 |
| Hyundai Elantra Blue 4-Dr Sedan | $1,261 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Regular Cab 2WD | $1,274 |
| Toyota Camry XLE | $1,283 |
| Toyota Corolla XRS | $1,306 |
| Ford Edge Limited 2WD | $1,312 |
| Ford Fusion S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,331 |
| GMC Sierra SLE Regular Cab 2WD | $1,336 |
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Above prices assume single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, and claim-free. Price estimates do not factor in garaging location in Santa Ana, CA which can affect premiums considerably.
Based upon the rates shown, you can see that cars like the Ford Escape, Toyota Prius, and Ford Explorer will be the less-costly vehicles to insure for low mileage drivers.
Choosing the right auto insurance provider is difficult considering how many different companies insure vehicles in Santa Ana. The company rank data shown below can help you select which insurers you want to consider comparing prices from. These rankings are for large insurance companies, so companies that focus mainly on California business are not taken into consideration for these rankings.
Top 10 Large Auto Insurance Companies in Santa Ana Ranked by Claims Service
- AAA of Southern California
- State Farm
- Esurance
- AAA Insurance
- Progressive
- Liberty Mutual
- GEICO
- Allstate
- Titan Insurance
- The Hartford
Top 10 Large Auto Insurance Companies in Santa Ana Ranked by Customer Satisfaction
- Titan Insurance - 95%
- USAA - 94%
- AAA of Southern California - 92%
- AAA Insurance - 91%
- Nationwide - 90%
- State Farm - 90%
- The Hartford - 89%
- GEICO - 89%
- The General - 88%
- 21st Century - 88%
Discount Santa Ana insurance rates
Insurers that offer coverage for infrequent drivers may have rate discounts that could reduce prices by 30% or more if you meet specific criteria. A list of companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts include:
- Farmers Insurance may have discounts that include business and professional, youthful driver, electronic funds transfer, teen driver, multi-car, and early shopping.
- Esurance policyholders can earn discounts including emergency road assistance, safety device, DriveSense, Switch & Save, and claim free.
- State Farm has discounts for student away at school, driver's education, multiple autos, anti-theft, Steer Clear safe driver discount, defensive driving training, and multiple policy.
- GEICO may include discounts for driver training, seat belt use, five-year accident-free, multi-vehicle, membership and employees, and good student.
- Allstate offers premium reductions for auto/life discount, farm vehicle, utility vehicle, good payer, and 55 and retired.
The illustration below illustrates the difference between auto insurance rates with and without policy discounts. The premiums assume a female driver, no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with marriage, safe-driver, defensive driving course, multiple policy, homeowner, and multiple vehicle discounts applied. When these discounts are applied to the policy premium, theamount saved on auto insurance for infrequent drivers is 28% or $549.
The example below illustrates how your deductible choice can increase or decrease insurance rates when getting quotes for cheap insurance for infrequent drivers. The price estimates are based on a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, and no discounts are applied.
In the chart above, a 30-year-old driver could pocket $490 a year by changing from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $736 by selecting a $1,000 deductible. Youthful drivers, like the 20-year-old, could possibly save $1,042 every year just by choosing larger deductibles.
When using a larger deductible, it is important to have enough spare savings to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the main inconvenience of larger deductibles.