The vehicle model you are trying to insure is one of the biggest factors when consumers are trying to find the most affordable coverage for drivers over age 50. Vehicles with lower acceleration and performance, excellent safety ratings, or a positive history of liability claims will cost significantly less to insure than fast, unsafe models.
The information below estimates car insurance prices for a handful of the most budget-friendly vehicles to buy insurance for.
Make, Model, and Trim Level | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $1,409 |
Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $1,418 |
Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $1,497 |
Subaru Forester X Premium AWD | $1,526 |
Chevrolet Traverse LT AWD | $1,532 |
Toyota Prius | $1,526 |
Ford Explorer XLT 4WD | $1,544 |
Chevrolet Impala LS | $1,600 |
Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,609 |
Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $1,615 |
Chevrolet Silverado LS Regular Cab 2WD | $1,626 |
Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $1,631 |
Hyundai Tucson Limited 2WD | $1,641 |
Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $1,631 |
Toyota Sienna XLE | $1,637 |
Toyota RAV4 Sport 4WD | $1,631 |
Chevrolet Equinox LS 2WD | $1,639 |
Subaru Outback 3.6R | $1,660 |
Toyota Highlander Sport 4WD | $1,665 |
Kia Forte SX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,660 |
Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $1,665 |
Ford F-150 Lariat Super Cab 2WD | $1,660 |
Honda Civic EX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,690 |
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Data rating is based on 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, homeowner, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and claim-free. Rate quotes do not factor in specific garaging location which can lower or raise coverage prices considerably.
Based upon the table data, you can figure that cars like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, Subaru Forester, and Chevrolet Traverse should be a few of the cheaper vehicles to insure for older drivers.
Figuring out which companies offer the cheapest auto insurance rates for drivers over age 50 may require more work than just comparing a company or two. Every insurance company has a unique approach for determining rates, so let’s take a look at the auto insurance companies that tend to have lower prices in California.
It’s a good idea to be aware that California auto insurance rates are impacted by many things which can significantly increase or decrease the price of your policy. Getting older, having a teen driver, or having an accident can trigger changes in premium resulting in some rates now being cheaper in comparison to the competition.
Best Insurance Companies for Age 50+
Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | USAA | $1,109 |
2 | CSAA | $1,186 |
3 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
4 | Century National | $1,214 |
5 | Nationwide | $1,263 |
6 | 21st Century | $1,338 |
7 | Grange | $1,477 |
8 | Progressive | $1,512 |
9 | Allstate | $1,513 |
10 | Mercury | $1,548 |
11 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
12 | GEICO | $1,575 |
13 | MetLife | $1,590 |
14 | Allied | $1,603 |
15 | State Farm | $1,699 |
16 | Esurance | $1,739 |
17 | Unitrin | $1,750 |
18 | Bristol West | $1,777 |
19 | Travelers | $1,842 |
20 | Farmers | $2,026 |
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USAA quotes some of the best car insurance rates in California at around $1,109 annually. CSAA, Wawanesa, Century National, and Nationwide also make the cut as some of the cheapest California insurance companies.
As shown above, if you have coverage with Nationwide and switched to CSAA, you may see savings of in the neighborhood of $77. Drivers with 21st Century might save as much as $152 a year, and Grange customers might lower prices by up to $291 a year.
Bear in mind that those prices are averages for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and and are not calculated with a price discount for drivers over age 50. So the auto insurance company that can offer you the lowest price may not even be featured in the list of companies shown earlier. That’s why you need to compare rates from as many companies as possible using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
For older drivers, one of the big things that insurance companies take into consideration when calculating the cost of insurance is your zip code in California. Cities with larger populations or higher claim trends like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento are more likely to have higher rates, whereas areas with less congestion generally have lower rates.
The next table shows the highest-priced places in California for drivers over age 50 to buy car insurance in.
Rank | City | Annual Premium |
---|---|---|
1 | Los Angeles | $2,146 |
2 | Glendale | $2,142 |
3 | San Francisco | $1,763 |
4 | Oakland | $1,755 |
5 | Sacramento | $1,703 |
6 | San Bernardino | $1,628 |
7 | Long Beach | $1,626 |
8 | Santa Clarita | $1,595 |
9 | Stockton | $1,588 |
10 | Fontana | $1,566 |
11 | Riverside | $1,527 |
12 | Fresno | $1,517 |
13 | Garden Grove | $1,508 |
14 | Moreno Valley | $1,506 |
15 | Santa Ana | $1,497 |
16 | Modesto | $1,487 |
17 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
18 | San Jose | $1,423 |
19 | Bakersfield | $1,381 |
20 | Huntington Beach | $1,374 |
21 | Fremont | $1,361 |
22 | Oxnard | $1,358 |
23 | Chula Vista | $1,350 |
24 | Irvine | $1,343 |
25 | San Diego | $1,327 |
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Rate quotes are approximated as the specific California residence address can decrease or increase auto insurance rates greatly.
Auto insurance companies that provide coverage for drivers over age 50 may also give you price discounts that can lower rates by 40% or more if you meet specific eligibility requirements. The best auto insurance companies and a selection of discounts can be read below.
Discount | State Farm | Allstate | Progressive | Geico |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bundle discount | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Multiple vehicles | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Theft prevention | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Anti-lock brakes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Passive restraint | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Newer vehicle | Yes | Yes | No | No |
No accidents | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Defensive driving course | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Low mileage | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Armed forces | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Affinity/occupation | No | No | No | Yes |
Paid in full | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Auto-pay | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Loyalty | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Smart student | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Student away from home | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Own home | No | No | Yes | No |
Seat belt usage | No | No | No | Yes |
Quote online | No | No | Yes | No |
Teen driver | No | No | Yes | No |
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The illustration below shows the comparison of insurance rates with and without discounts being applied to the rates. The premium estimates are based on a female driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multiple vehicle, anti-theft, multiple policy, claim-free, defensive driving course, and accident-free discounts applied. When drivers qualify for the discounts, the the average yearly reduction on auto insurance for drivers over age 50 is % or $.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawDiscqcibChart);function drawDiscqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘Female Driver No Discounts’, ‘Female Driver with Discounts’],[‘Age 20’, 2637,1053],[‘Age 30’, 1775,1891],[‘Age 40’, 1663,1285],[‘Age 50’, 1453,1199],[‘Age 60’, 1407,1053],[‘Age 70’, 1665,1019]]);var options = {title: ‘Effect of Discounts on Insurance Rates for Drivers Over Age 50’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 500,’chartArea’:{left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’},colors: [‘#c096ca’, ‘#e1b7ec’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},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);}
The easiest way to receive cheap insurance for drivers over age 50 in California is to be a safe driver and have a clean driving record. The illustration below shows how traffic citations and fender-benders can drive up car insurance costs for each age group. The prices are based on a single female driver, full coverage, $250 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawVioqcibChart);function drawVioqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘No Violations or Accidents’, ‘One Speeding Ticket and No Accidents’, ‘One Speeding Ticket and Two Accidents’],[‘Age 20’, 3243,3537,6073],[‘Age 30’, 2241,2533,5069],[‘Age 40’, 2081,2375,4909],[‘Age 50’, 1819,2113,4647],[‘Age 60’, 1759,2053,4589],[‘Age 70’, 2051,2345,4879]]);var options = {title: ‘Impact of Tickets and Claims on California Car Insurance Prices’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’, fontSize: 17, bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 600,’chartArea’: {left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’,textStyle: {fontSize: 12}},colors:[‘#b2da64′,’#eed355′,’#e39e71’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle in California’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},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);}
The data above shows the average cost of car insurance per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $2,199. Factor in one speeding ticket and the average cost hikes up to $2,493, an increase of $294 each year. Then add two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the yearly cost of auto insurance for drivers over age 50 jumps again to an average of $5,028. That’s an increase of $2,829, or $236 per month, just for not driving attentively!
If you’re looking for the best car insurance for older drivers, probably the best companies to start with are Allstate, Geico, Progressive, and State Farm. The next table shows pricing and service ratings, as well as optional policy coverages that are available for policyholders.
Allstate | Geico | Progressive | State Farm | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Claims Handling | 1st | 3rd | 4th | 2nd |
Price Rank | 4th | 1st | 3rd | 2nd |
Customer Satisfaction | 2nd | 1st | 3rd | 4th |
Policy Discounts | 1st | 2nd | 4th | 3rd |
Recommend by customers | 86% | 87% | 88% | 88% |
A.M. Best financial rating | A+ | A++ | A+ | A++ |
Emergency roadside assistance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Breakdown insurance | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Usage-based rating | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Accident forgiveness coverage | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
New car replacement coverage | Yes | No | No | No |
Rideshare insurance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Available in California | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Types of agents used | Allstate-only agents | Online or through a Geico agent | Buy online or from an independent agent | State Farm-only agents |
Number of agents | 11,000+ | 150+ | 30,000+ | 18,000+ |
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