This would be a really short article if we could just tell you the single best car insurance company that has the best insurance prices in California. Unfortunately, it’s just not that easy, as there are a whole bunch of unknowns such as the liability claim history for your vehicle model, if you own the home you live in, whether or not your vehicle has good safety ratings, and your driving record. This article goes into detail about the best ways to avoid high prices and will hopefully give you a jump start in finding the best auto insurance.
Establishing which companies offer the cheapest insurance rates after a speeding ticket will take more work in order to find the lowest price quote.
Each company has their own unique process for determining rates in each state, so let’s take a look at the insurance companies with the overall cheapest rates in California.
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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 | $1,366 |
7 | Grange | $1,477 |
8 | Allstate | $1,513 |
9 | GEICO | $1,513 |
10 | Mercury | $1,533 |
11 | Progressive | $1,558 |
12 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
13 | Allied | $1,603 |
14 | MetLife | $1,654 |
15 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
16 | State Farm | $1,699 |
17 | Esurance | $1,756 |
18 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
19 | Travelers | $1,842 |
20 | Farmers | $1,966 |
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USAA generally has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in California at around $1,109 annually. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide would also make the list of some of the cheapest California insurance companies.
As illustrated above, if you are currently insured with Century National and switched to Wawanesa, you could see annual savings of in the neighborhood of $9. Drivers with Nationwide may save as much as $45 a year, and 21st Century insureds might lower prices by up to $185 a year.
To find cheap car insurance after a speeding ticket in California, click here or quote prices from the following companies.
Remember that these prices are averaged across all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and do not factor in a rate discount after a speeding ticket. So the car insurance company that can offer you the lowest price may not even be included in the list of companies above. That underscores the importance of why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own personal information and vehicle type.
One of the many criteria that control the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you keep your car in California. Areas with more people like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento likely pay more, whereas areas with less congestion benefit from lower coverage costs.
The illustration below lists the priciest cities in California after a speeding ticket to purchase auto insurance in.
Rank | City | Annual Rate |
---|---|---|
1 | Los Angeles | $2,146 |
2 | Glendale | $2,121 |
3 | San Francisco | $1,693 |
4 | Oakland | $1,687 |
5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
6 | Long Beach | $1,626 |
7 | Stockton | $1,603 |
8 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
9 | Santa Clarita | $1,533 |
10 | Modesto | $1,532 |
11 | Riverside | $1,527 |
12 | Garden Grove | $1,524 |
13 | Fontana | $1,519 |
14 | Moreno Valley | $1,506 |
15 | Fresno | $1,502 |
16 | Santa Ana | $1,483 |
17 | Anaheim | $1,474 |
18 | San Jose | $1,437 |
19 | Bakersfield | $1,394 |
20 | Irvine | $1,384 |
21 | San Diego | $1,381 |
22 | Huntington Beach | $1,374 |
23 | Fremont | $1,361 |
24 | Oxnard | $1,344 |
25 | Chula Vista | $1,298 |
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Rate information is comparative as the specific garaging location can influence rates greatly.
The vehicle model you are insuring is a large factor when looking for cheap car insurance after a speeding ticket in California. Vehicles with average performance, an excellent safety record, or a low likelihood of liability claims will cost less to insure than high performance models.
The data below estimates auto insurance costs for some of the cheaper automobiles to buy insurance for.
Vehicle Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $1,750 |
Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $1,793 |
Chevrolet Traverse LT 2WD | $1,951 |
Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $2,025 |
Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $2,033 |
Toyota Prius | $2,070 |
Chevrolet Impala LT | $2,076 |
Chevrolet Malibu LS | $2,081 |
Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $2,086 |
Hyundai Tucson GLS 4WD | $2,095 |
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 2WD 4-Dr | $2,126 |
Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $2,158 |
Chevrolet Equinox LS AWD | $2,205 |
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Data rating is based on married male driver age 40, two speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Premium amounts do not factor in specific location which can modify insurance rates significantly.
Based upon the table data, cars like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Traverse, Honda Accord, and Ford Focus are most likely going to be a few of the less-costly vehicles to insure after a few driving violations.
When buying auto insurance after a few driving violations, four companies to consider are Allstate, Progressive, State Farm, and Geico. Combined they make up about half of the entire U.S. market share. The next table rates price and claims rank as well as some different options you can expect with each one.
Allstate | Progressive | State Farm | Geico | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall Satisfaction | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 1st |
Claims Service | 1st | 4th | 2nd | 3rd |
Number of Discounts | 1st | 4th | 3rd | 2nd |
Price Rank | 4th | 3rd | 2nd | 1st |
Roadside assistance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Rate for vehicle usage | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Rideshare coverage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
New car replacement | Yes | No | No | No |
Accident forgiveness coverage | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Mechanical breakdown insurance | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Insure in California | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Insurance Agents | Only buy from Allstate agents | Indpendent agents or online | Only from State Farm agents | Online or through a Geico agent |
Number of agents | 11,000+ | 30,000+ | 18,000+ | 150+ |
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Thanks to technology, there are a lot of ways to purchase insurance in California, but the most popular are from an exclusive agency like Auto-Owners or State Farm, an independent or non-exclusive agent, or buying direct from a company like Geico or Progressive.
You can use whichever method you prefer, but each is different in how they function.
Independent insurance agents work with multiple companies and can get rate quotes from all of them. These agents can compare multiple rates, which can give you the best chance of finding a lower price. If premiums increase, the business is moved internally which makes it easier to save money.
A captive, or exclusive, agent is contracted to just one company such as a Farmers or Allstate agent. These guys and gals cannot place coverage with different providers, so it’s a take it or leave it situation.
Insurance from a direct company means you forego a local insurance agent and instead buy direct from companies such as Esurance or Progressive. Shopping for insurance direct is good for people who do not need advice for asset protection and know what coverage options they need.
So what is the best way to find cheap car insurance after a speeding ticket in California? We wish we could say buying from a direct car insurance company saves money since it doesn’t require paying agent commissions, but that turns out to not be true. It could also be said buying from an independent agent results in the cheapest rates since they have access to many companies, but again, it’s not a sure thing. For some people, exclusive agencies have extremely competitive rates that are well below what direct and independents offer.
Because it’s impossible to say who has the best insurance rates, the only true way to ensure you are not overpaying is to get rate quotes and compare. Smart shoppers will get prices from all three types to have a good selection of rates to choose from. For a list of companies with online discounts, click here to view.