How Much Does Auto Insurance Cost for Drivers Over Age 60 in California?

How Much Does Auto Insurance Cost for Drivers Over Age 60 in California?

It’s hard to miss the captivating ads from car insurance companies like Farmers, Progressive, and Liberty Mutual that say if you switch you’ll get huge savings. So you should just choose the one with the flashiest ad, right?

It’s just not that easy, however, as there are many unknowns such as whether you need higher levels of liability coverage, how much you actually drive in a year, what deductibles to use for physical damage coverage, and whether or not your vehicle has good safety ratings, that all have an effect on the price. This article will cover the best ways to pay less and will hopefully give the reader a good beginning to your quest for cheaper car insurance in California.

The vehicle model you are trying to insure is probably the largest consideration that determines the availablility of cheap insurance for drivers over age 60 in California. Vehicles with economical engines, an excellent safety record, or a low likelihood of liability claims will cost substantially less to insure than high performance models.

The next table features insurance rates for a selection of the cheapest automobiles to insure.

Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers Over Age 60 in California
Make and Model Estimated Cost for Full Coverage
Ford Escape XLT 2WD $1,504
Honda CR-V LX 4WD $1,514
Chevrolet Traverse LS 2WD $1,541
Toyota Prius $1,687
Subaru Forester X Limited Edition AWD $1,724
Ford Edge SEL AWD $1,748
Chevrolet Silverado LS Regular Cab 2WD $1,753
Chevrolet Impala LT $1,785
Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD $1,794
Hyundai Tucson Limited 4WD $1,785
Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan $1,790
Volkswagen Jetta S 4-Dr Sedan $1,785
Chevrolet Malibu LS $1,793
Toyota RAV4 Sport 2WD $1,785
Toyota Sienna XLE $1,794
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 4WD 4-Dr $1,787
Toyota Highlander Sport 2WD $1,822
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Above prices assume single male driver age 60, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, and safe-driver. Premium amounts do not factor in specific location which can change rates greatly.

Looking at the rates, you can presume that cars like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Chevrolet Traverse are likely to be a few of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for older drivers.

When shopping for cheaper car insurance for older drivers, one of the many criteria that help determine the cost of insurance is where you keep your vehicle. Cities that have higher claim levels or more people like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento tend to pay more, whereas more rural areas generally pay lower car insurance rates.

The illustration below lists the more expensive cities in California for drivers over age 60 to buy car insurance in.

Most expensive California cities for auto insurance
Rank City Annual Premium
1 Los Angeles $2,104
2 Glendale $2,079
3 San Francisco $1,711
4 Oakland $1,687
5 Sacramento $1,669
6 San Bernardino $1,628
7 Santa Clarita $1,580
8 Long Beach $1,578
9 Fontana $1,566
10 Garden Grove $1,554
11 Stockton $1,541
12 Moreno Valley $1,506
13 Fresno $1,502
14 Modesto $1,502
15 Riverside $1,497
16 Anaheim $1,488
17 Santa Ana $1,483
18 San Jose $1,437
19 Huntington Beach $1,402
20 Fremont $1,389
21 Irvine $1,371
22 Oxnard $1,344
23 Bakersfield $1,340
24 San Diego $1,327
25 Chula Vista $1,298
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Rate information is approximated as the specific zip code location can revise price quotes noticeably.

Finding the best car insurance provider is hard considering how many companies sell coverage in California. The information in the lists below can help you decide which auto insurance companies you want to consider comparing rates from.

The rankings below include companies that insure vehicles across America, so smaller companies that only insure vehicles in California are not taken into consideration for the list. To view rates from many more California auto insurance companies, click this link.

Top Ten Auto Insurance Companies in California
Company Value Customer Service Claims Customer Satisfaction A.M Best Rating Overall Score
USAA 98 100 100 94% A++ 98.6
American Family 98 89 100 86% A 95.4
AAA of Southern California 91 94 97 92% A+ 94.1
State Farm 88 93 96 90% A++ 92.4
The Hartford 94 92 90 89% A+ 91.7
AAA Insurance 88 89 95 91% A 91.2
GEICO 84 93 93 89% A++ 90.3
The General 89 91 89 88% A- 90
Titan Insurance 90 87 91 95% A+ 89.6
Progressive 84 91 93 87% A+ 89.5
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies

The illustration below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles can affect yearly insurance costs when researching cheap insurance for drivers over age 60. The information is based on a single male driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are applied.

In the chart above, a 30-year-old driver could lower rates by $410 a year by switching the physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $616 by selecting a $1,000 deductible. Younger drivers, such as the 20-year-old example, can save up to $1,190 or even more just by choosing higher deductibles when buying full coverage.

When increasing deductibles, it is necessary to have additional funds in a savings account to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the main inconvenience of larger deductibles.

State Farm, Geico, Progressive, and Allstate compared

If you’re looking for the cheapest auto insurance for older drivers in California, four of the larger companies to compare rates for are State Farm, Geico, Progressive, and Allstate. Between them, they insure almost 50% of all vehicles in the U.S.. All four offer physical damage and liability coverage, but each has a different combination of discounts, features, and options that may influence which company you choose. The next table points out price and claims rank as well as some different options shoppers can find with each company.

Largest U.S. Car Insurance Company Ratings
State Farm Geico Progressive Allstate
Customer Satisfaction 4th 1st 3rd 2nd
Handling of Claims 2nd 3rd 4th 1st
Price Ranking 2nd 1st 3rd 4th
Discounts Offered 3rd 2nd 4th 1st
Percent of U.S. market 18.3% 11.4% 8.8% 10%
New car replacement No No No Yes
Rate for vehicle usage Yes No Yes Yes
Rideshare insurance Yes Yes Yes Yes
Roadside assistance Yes Yes Yes Yes
Accident forgiveness coverage No Yes Yes Yes
Breakdown insurance No Yes Yes No
Where you can buy State Farm-only agents Can buy online or use a Geico agent Indpendent agents or online Allstate exclusive agents
Number of agents 18,000+ 150+ 30,000+ 11,000+
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