Our editors have a joke that when writing about auto insurance, the words “affordable” or “cheap” should not appear anywhere to describe car insurance prices. Nonetheless, cheap car insurance for a Ford Focus just does not exist. Don’t let that get you down, though, because we can show you some ways you can get insurance that is considered budget-friendly.
The chances that you’ll find the best cheap car insurance for a Ford Focus in California hinges on a complex rating formula that takes into consideration things such as how experienced of a driver you are, if you have prior claims, and if you have tickets or violations. Drivers will pay on average $1,870 every 12 months for Focus insurance, but that policy rate is an estimation calculated based on a 30-year-old single female driver who requires full comprehensive and collision coverage and $100 policy deductibles.
The problem with using this number is the good chance you are not exactly 30 years old and possibly not even female, maybe you are married instead of single, or you have a violation or two on your driving record. Even a minor difference in policy rating criteria or coverages can make a huge difference in the policy cost.
Everyone has different rating factors, so the only real way to find cheap insurance prices for your Ford is to do a thorough rate comparison.
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The trim level of your Focus can impact the cost of insurance, so the rate you will pay to insure a Focus S 4-Dr Sedan trim level will be $312 less expensive the price to insure the high end Focus SES 2-Dr Coupe model, as shown by the rates below.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $368 | $844 | $596 | $36 | $178 | $2,022 | $169 |
Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $368 | $844 | $596 | $36 | $178 | $2,022 | $169 |
Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $368 | $996 | $596 | $36 | $178 | $2,174 | $181 |
Focus SES 4-Dr Sedan | $368 | $996 | $596 | $36 | $178 | $2,174 | $181 |
Focus SE 2-Dr Coupe | $422 | $996 | $674 | $40 | $202 | $2,334 | $195 |
Focus SES 2-Dr Coupe | $422 | $996 | $674 | $40 | $202 | $2,334 | $195 |
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Price data assumes single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Information does not factor in specific California garaging location which can influence coverage prices greatly.
Choosing a good quality insurer can be difficult considering how many different companies sell coverage in California. The rank data in the lists below may help you analyze which auto insurance companies you want to consider purchasing a policy from.
These rankings include large insurance companies, so smaller regional companies will not be included in these rankings. If you’d like to compare prices from these and other competitive companies, follow this link.
Finding the cheapest insurance for a Ford Focus in California is important to the majority of vehicle owners, and one of the easiest ways to lower the cost of insurance is to not pay for full coverage. The chart below compares auto insurance rates with and without full coverage. The rates are based on no violations or claims, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no policy discounts are applied.
On average, full coverage on your policy costs an extra $2,937 per year over liability only. That raises the question if buying full coverage is worth the expense. There is no clear-cut rule to stop paying for full coverage, but there is a general guideline. If the annual cost of having full coverage is more than 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
For example, let’s say your vehicle’s replacement value is $5,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company will settle for is $4,000 after paying your deductible. If it’s costing in excess of $400 annually for physical damage coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
There are some cases where dropping full coverage is not financially feasible. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you have to keep full coverage in order to keep the loan. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should not buy liability only.
When it comes to buying auto insurance, the most popular companies are Allstate, Geico, Progressive, and State Farm. Combined they insure 48.5% of all auto insurance written. All offer your standard physical damage and liability coverages, but each one has different features and discounts that add value to each policy. The data below compares and contrasts pricing and service ratings, as well as optional policy coverages that are available for customers.
Allstate | Geico | Progressive | State Farm | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Customer Satisfaction | 2nd | 1st | 3rd | 4th |
Claims Service | 1st | 3rd | 4th | 2nd |
Number of Discounts | 1st | 2nd | 4th | 3rd |
Policy Cost | 4th | 1st | 3rd | 2nd |
Percent of U.S. market | 10% | 11.4% | 8.8% | 18.3% |
Recommend by customers | 86% | 87% | 88% | 88% |
Rating from A.M. Best | A+ | A++ | A+ | A++ |
Standard & Poor’s rating | AA- | AA+ | AA | AA |
Coverage for Uber and Lyft drivers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Mechanical breakdown insurance | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Accident forgiveness coverage | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Roadside service | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
New car replacement coverage | Yes | No | No | No |
Usage-based rating | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
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There are many different ways to shop for and buy insurance in California, but the most frequently used are either through an exlusive agent such as Allstate or Liberty Mutual, an independent agent, or direct online or over the phone from a company like Progressive or Geico.
They all have the same basic principle, but they are slightly different in how they function.
Independent insurance agents have contracts with many companies and can get policy pricing from every one. These types of agencies are able to give you more rates, which can help you get a better chance of finding cheaper coverage. If they quote lower rates, they simply move your policy to a different company and you stay with the same agent.
A captive or exclusive agent is able to place business with a single company, two examples are an Allstate or State Farm agent. They generally cannot quote rates from more than one company, so you will not be able to compare other companys’ rates.
Opting to purchase insurance direct means you do not use an exlusive or independent agent and buy from a direct company like Geico. Shopping for insurance direct may be preferred by families who do not need advice for asset protection and have an above average understanding of the limitations of their policy.
So which of those three methods works best to find the cheapest insurance for a Ford Focus in California? Most drivers assume that shopping direct results in the best prices since it doesn’t require paying agent commissions, but that is not always the case. An argument could also be made that using an independent agent results in the best rates due to more options, but again, that’s not accurate. And sometimes, the exclusive agents may have prices that are impossible to beat.
Due to the fact that insurance rates vary so much, really the only way to buy the cheapest coverage is to get rate quotes and compare. Make the effort to get price quotes from independent, exclusive, and direct to give yourself plenty of rates to compare. A great place to start is our list of online companies offering discounts: click here to view.
The list below details some of the recommended penny-pinching suggestions that can help you find cheaper coverage.
The last tip is incredibly crucial, as was stressed in the prior information. Coverage prices in California go up and down frequently, so you should be ready to change to a new company if a more affordable price is available. Having a favorite company is great, but it’s not recommended if that dedication is costing money that could be spent on other things. Spend a few minutes and compare prices and find cheaper auto insurance for a Ford Focus.