Cheapest Auto Insurance for 17 Year Olds in California

Cheapest Auto Insurance for 17 Year Olds in California

Wouldn’t life be great if you could know instantly the one perfect company that has the best auto insurance prices for 17 year olds? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple as there are a ton of unknown elements such as which neighborhood you live in, if you are a woman or a man, the performance level of your vehicle, and whether or not you are married. We know insurance is not everyone’s favorite topic, but in this article we will cover the different scenarios that increase car insurance cost and will hopefully give the reader a good beginning to your quest for cheaper car insurance.

For teen drivers, one of the largest factors that helps insurance companies calculate the amount you pay each year for auto insurance is where your car is garaged in California. Cities with larger populations or higher claims like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento likely pay more, whereas less populated areas have the luxury of the cheapest auto insurance for 17 year olds in California.

The next table illustrates the priciest cities in California for 17 year olds to buy auto insurance in.

California cities ranked by car insurance cost
Rank City Premium Per Year
1 Los Angeles $2,146
2 Glendale $2,142
3 San Francisco $1,745
4 Oakland $1,738
5 Sacramento $1,703
6 Long Beach $1,610
7 Stockton $1,603
8 San Bernardino $1,596
9 Santa Clarita $1,580
10 Garden Grove $1,570
11 Modesto $1,547
12 Riverside $1,527
13 Fontana $1,519
14 Moreno Valley $1,506
15 Santa Ana $1,497
16 Anaheim $1,488
17 Fresno $1,472
18 San Jose $1,423
19 Fremont $1,403
20 San Diego $1,381
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Prices are approximated as the specific zip code location can influence premium rates considerably.

The car, truck, or SUV needing coverage is probably the biggest factor that determines if you can find the cheapest auto insurance for 17 year olds in California. Vehicles with high performance engines, poor safety ratings, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than safer, lower-performance models. The tables below features auto insurance prices for a selection of the most affordable automobiles to buy insurance for.

Car Insurance Rates for Popular Cars in California
Make, Model, and Trim Level Annual Cost Semi-Annual Cost Monthly Cost
Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid $4,968 $2,484 $414
Ford Focus SES 2-Dr Coupe $5,644 $2,822 $470
Ford Fusion Hybrid 4-Dr Sedan $6,344 $3,172 $529
Honda Accord LX-S 2-Dr Coupe $5,644 $2,822 $470
Honda Civic LX-S 4-Dr Sedan $5,228 $2,614 $436
Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon $4,182 $2,091 $349
Hyundai Sonata SE 4-Dr Sedan $5,644 $2,822 $470
Nissan Altima Hybrid 4-Dr Sedan $5,324 $2,662 $444
Toyota Camry XLE $5,276 $2,638 $440
Toyota Corolla S $5,276 $2,638 $440
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Prices based on single female driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Estimates do not factor in California location which can lower or raise premiums noticeably.

Insurance Rates for Popular SUVs and Crossovers in California
Make, Model, and Trim Level Annual Cost Semi-Annual Cost Monthly Cost
Acura MDX Advance/Entertainment 4WD $5,372 $2,686 $448
BMW X5 3.0I AWD $5,372 $2,686 $448
Buick Enclave CX 2WD $5,324 $2,662 $444
Chevrolet Traverse LTZ AWD $4,584 $2,292 $382
Ford Escape XLT 2WD $4,182 $2,091 $349
Ford Explorer Limited 4WD $5,016 $2,508 $418
GMC Acadia SLT 2WD $4,968 $2,484 $414
Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD $4,230 $2,115 $353
Honda Pilot EX 4WD $4,710 $2,355 $393
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD $4,968 $2,484 $414
Nissan Pathfinder S 4WD $4,662 $2,331 $389
Toyota 4Runner SR/5 2WD $4,584 $2,292 $382
Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4WD $5,372 $2,686 $448
Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD $4,968 $2,484 $414
Volvo XC90 3.2 R-Design 2WD $5,324 $2,662 $444
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Table data represents single female driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Information does not factor in California location which can change prices substantially.

Auto Insurance Rates for Popular Pickup Trucks in California
Make, Model, and Trim Level Annual Cost Semi-Annual Cost Monthly Cost
Chevrolet Colorado LT Extended Cab 2WD $4,920 $2,460 $410
Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LT Crew Cab Diesel 4WD $5,678 $2,839 $473
Chevrolet Silverado LS Crew Cab 4WD $5,324 $2,662 $444
Dodge Ram 3500 Crew Cab Laramie 4WD $7,466 $3,733 $622
Dodge Ram Crew Cab TRX 4WD $5,740 $2,870 $478
Ford F-150 STX Regular Cab 2WD $4,614 $2,307 $385
Ford F-350 XLT Crew Cab 2WD $5,422 $2,711 $452
GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Regular Cab 4WD $5,324 $2,662 $444
GMC Sierra SLE Extended Cab 4WD $5,324 $2,662 $444
Toyota Tundra Regular Cab 2WD $4,982 $2,491 $415
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Data rating is based on single female driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Premium costs do not factor in specific garaging location which can influence auto insurance rates significantly.

Finding budget insurance is not easy, and deciding which insurers offer the lowest-priced auto insurance rates for 17 year olds takes even more work. Policy prices will more than likely be much greater than the average price in California attributed to the potentially higher risk that comes with offering insurance for teen drivers, but economical insurance may be achievable if you find the right company. Each auto insurance company has their own unique process for setting prices, so first we will examine the overall cheapest auto insurance companies in California.

Best Auto Insurance Prices for Teens

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Who has the cheapest car insurance in California?
Rank Company Cost Per Year
1 USAA $1,109
2 Wawanesa $1,146
3 Century National $1,178
4 CSAA $1,186
5 Nationwide $1,226
6 21st Century $1,366
7 Grange $1,447
8 Mercury $1,488
9 Allstate $1,513
10 Progressive $1,542
11 GEICO $1,559
12 Allied $1,603
13 The Hartford $1,639
14 MetLife $1,654
15 State Farm $1,699
16 Esurance $1,705
17 Unitrin $1,750
18 Bristol West $1,777
19 Travelers $1,788
20 Farmers $2,026
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USAA quotes some of the best car insurance rates in California at around $1,109 a year. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide also make the cut as some of the cheapest California insurance companies.

As the rates illustrate above, if you currently have coverage with CSAA and switched to Wawanesa, you could earn a yearly savings of in the neighborhood of $40. Insureds with Nationwide may save as much as $80 a year, and 21st Century insureds might realize rate reductions of up to $220 a year.

It’s important to note that these policy rates are averages across all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and and are not calculated with a price increase for 17 year olds. So the auto insurance company that is best suited for you may not even be featured in the list of companies above. That is why you need to get rate quotes using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.

Rate increases following a ticket or accident

A great way to maintain affordable auto insurance rates in California for teen drivers is to be a safe driver and avoid accidents and violations. The example below highlights how speeding tickets and at-fault fender-benders can affect insurance premiums for each age group. The premiums assume a single male driver, full coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.

google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawVioqcibChart);function drawVioqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘No Violations or Accidents’, ‘One Speeding Ticket and No Accidents’, ‘One Speeding Ticket and Two Accidents’],[‘Age 20’, 5403,5801,9241],[‘Age 30’, 2799,3197,6639],[‘Age 40’, 2765,3167,6605],[‘Age 50’, 2515,2917,6355],[‘Age 60’, 2433,2835,6273],[‘Age 70’, 2969,3369,6809]]);var options = {title: ‘Impact of Tickets and Accidents on California Insurance Rates’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’, fontSize: 17, bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 600,’chartArea’: {left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’,textStyle: {fontSize: 12}},colors:[‘#b2da64′,’#eed355′,’#e39e71’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle in California’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},vAxis: {title: ‘Age of Insured’}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);formatter.format(data,3);var chart = new google.visualization.BarChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibvio’));chart.draw(data, options);}

In the previous example, the average cost of a car insurance policy per year with no accidents and a clean driving record is $3,147. Factor in one speeding ticket and the average cost hikes up to $3,548, an increase of $400 each year. Now add two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the 12-month cost of auto insurance for 17 year olds jumps again to an average of $6,987. That’s an increase of $3,840, or $320 per month, just for a couple of infractions!

Discounts on California insurance

<img class="floatright" src="http://www.quoteclickinsure.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/best-car-insurance-17-year-olds-ca.jpg" alt="Cheaper California auto insurance for teen drivers”/>Insurance providers that sell the cheapest auto insurance for 17 year olds in California may provide rate discounts that may potentially lower prices by as much as 35% if you meet specific eligibility requirements. Popular auto insurance companies and some of the discounts are included below.

  • State Farm offers premium reductions for safe vehicle, accident-free, defensive driving training, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and passive restraint.
  • GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including seat belt use, multi-policy, membership and employees, emergency military deployment, military active duty, five-year accident-free, and daytime running lights.
  • Progressive has discounts for multi-policy, good student, multi-vehicle, online quote discount, and homeowner.
  • 21st Century offers discounts for student driver, good student, 55 and older, homeowners, automatic seat belts, air bags, and defensive driver.
  • American Family may offer discounts for mySafetyValet, early bird, bundled insurance, defensive driver, and multi-vehicle.
  • The Hartford offers discounts including bundle, defensive driver, driver training, air bag, vehicle fuel type, and anti-theft.
  • AAA may have discounts that include anti-theft, multi-car, good driver, AAA membership discount, education and occupation, and good student.

The diagram below compares insurance prices with and without discounts. Data assumes a male driver, no tickets, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $250 deductibles.

The first bar for each age group shows the price with no discounts. The second shows the rates with paperless filing, good student, vehicle safety, passive restraint, continuous coverage, and anti-theft discounts applied. When taking advantage of discounts, the average amount saved each year on auto insurance for 17 year olds is 28% or $903.

google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawDiscqcibChart);function drawDiscqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘Male Driver No Discounts’, ‘Male Driver with Discounts’],[‘Age 17’, 6527,4677],[‘Age 30’, 2279,1661],[‘Age 40’, 2257,1637],[‘Age 50’, 2049,1489],[‘Age 60’, 1979,1435]]);var options = {title: ‘Insurance Rate Comparison for 17 Year Olds’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 500,’chartArea’:{left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’},colors: [‘#6791b9’, ‘#98bee2’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle in California’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},vAxis: {title: ‘Age of Insured’}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);var chart = new google.visualization.BarChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibdisc’));chart.draw(data, options);}

How to find cheaper car insurance for 17 year olds

It is possible to find better rates, and here are many thrifty solutions that can help California drivers find the cheapest car insurance.

  • Earn discounts for being claim-free
  • Drivers with good credit ratings often pay less
  • Raise comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles
  • Speeding tickets and other violations increase rates
  • Being accident-free can lower rates significantly
  • Bundle car and home insurance and save money
  • Comparison shop at least every other year

That last piece of advice is notably necessary, as was emphasized in this article. Car insurance prices in California can be modified anytime, so don’t be tentative to switch carriers if a lower-cost policy is available. Staying with the same company for years is fine, but it isn’t a good idea if it’s costing you major coinage every year. In just a couple of minutes you could compare prices and find cheaper car insurance for 17 year olds.