You have surely seen all the commercials from car insurance companies like The General and Liberty Mutual guaranteeing the cheapest price, so drivers should just pick the company with the best ad, right?
That is not the case, however, as there are many unknown factors such as if you are a good driver, how old you are, if you own or rent your home, and if you are married or single. We will try to cover the different ways to avoid overpaying and will hopefully give the reader a good start to your coverage search.
Figuring out which company offers the cheapest insurance rates for drivers with good credit takes a bit more effort in order to find the most economical policy. Every insurance provider has a different formula for determining rates, so let’s take a look at the insurance companies with the overall cheapest rates in Bakersfield, CA.
Cheapest Insurance Rates for High Credit
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,109 |
| 2 | CSAA | $1,186 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,190 |
| 4 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,250 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,366 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,488 |
| 9 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 10 | Progressive | $1,542 |
| 11 | Allstate | $1,559 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,591 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,606 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,682 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,705 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $1,750 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,777 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,026 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||
USAA may offer some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Bakersfield at around $1,109 each year. This is $542 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. CSAA, Century National, Wawanesa, and Nationwide also qualify as some of the most economical Bakersfield, CA car insurance companies.
As shown in the rates above, if you are a policyholder with CSAA and switched to USAA, you might see an annual premium reduction of in the vicinity of $77. Customers with Century National might save as much as $81 a year, and Wawanesa customers might lower prices by $83 a year.
Remember that these policy prices are averaged across all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and and are not figured with an exact vehicle garaging location for drivers with good credit. So the company that fits your situation best may not even be in the list above. That is why you need to get rate quotes using your own driver data and vehicle information.
One of the many components that are looked at to help calculate the annual cost of car insurance is where you keep your vehicle in Bakersfield. Cities with more crime and/or more people will most likely pay more, whereas areas with less congestion have the luxury of lower rates.
The next table sorts the priciest cities in California for drivers with good credit to buy auto insurance in. Bakersfield is ranked at #20 with an annual rate of $1,394 for car insurance, which is about $116 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,146 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,058 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,763 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,738 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,652 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,644 |
| 7 | Long Beach | $1,610 |
| 8 | Fontana | $1,581 |
| 9 | Stockton | $1,556 |
| 10 | Santa Clarita | $1,533 |
| 11 | Modesto | $1,532 |
| 12 | Garden Grove | $1,508 |
| 13 | Moreno Valley | $1,506 |
| 14 | Fresno | $1,502 |
| 15 | Santa Ana | $1,483 |
| 16 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 18 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 19 | Fremont | $1,403 |
| 20 | Bakersfield | $1,394 |
| Find the Best Rates Go | ||
Annual rates are estimated as the specific Bakersfield residence address can modify premium rates considerably.
The make and model of vehicle requiring insurance is one of the main factors when shopping around for the most affordable car insurance for drivers with good credit. Vehicles with lots of horsepower, poor safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than safer, lower-performance models.
The next list showcases insurance costs for a number of the most economical automobiles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $730 |
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $790 |
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $813 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $817 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $844 |
| Ford Edge SEL AWD | $854 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $853 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $861 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 2WD | $869 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS 2WD | $861 |
| Toyota Prius | $884 |
| Honda Odyssey LX | $886 |
| Toyota Camry XLE | $907 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $914 |
| Ford Explorer XLT AWD | $909 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LTZ | $924 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Regular Cab 2WD | $938 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | |
Data based on married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, multi-policy, homeowner, and claim-free. Price information does not factor in specific location information which can raise or lower coverage prices considerably.
Based on these rates, we can assume that makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, and Ford Escape will definitely be some of the most affordable vehicles to insure for financially responsible drivers.
Discounts on Bakersfield auto insurance
Auto insurance companies that sell policies for drivers with good credit could also offer special discounts that could lower prices by as much as 35% if you qualify for them. Companies and some of their more popular discounts are outlined below.
- State Farm offers discounts for multiple autos, good driver, Steer Clear safe driver discount, accident-free, and multiple policy.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including good student, federal employee, membership and employees, five-year accident-free, driver training, and daytime running lights.
- SAFECO may offer discounts for teen safety rewards, drive less, anti-lock brakes, bundle discounts, teen safe driver, and anti-theft.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts including business and professional, multi-car, homeowner, mature driver, and switch companies.
- AAA has discounts for AAA membership discount, multi-policy, good student, education and occupation, multi-car, pay-in-full, and good driver.
- USAA offers premium reductions for defensive driver, family discount, new vehicle, multi-policy, safe driver, multi-vehicle, and vehicle storage.
The information below shows the comparison of car insurance costs with and without discounts. The data assumes a female driver, no violations or claims, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $1,000 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multiple vehicle, defensive driving course, marriage, anti-theft, passive restraint, and multiple policy discounts applied. When discounts are factored in, the average amount saved each year on insurance for drivers with good credit is 28% or $662.
Liability-only versus full coverage
Buying cheaper insurance is important to the majority of drivers, and one easy way to buy cheaper insurance for drivers with good credit is to only pay for liability coverage. The example below illustrates the comparison of auto insurance costs with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The premiums are based on a clean driving record, no claims, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
As an overall average, physical damage insurance costs $2,772 per year more than just buying liability only. That brings up the question if it’s worth it to buy full coverage. There is no set rule of when to drop physical damage insurance, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than around 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
Why are you paying too much for Bakersfield car insurance?
Bakersfield, CA insurance rates are based on many factors which can significantly increase or decrease the price you pay. Simply having another birthday, increasing liability limits, or getting a speeding ticket may prompt premium changes that can make some companies more affordable than the competition.
Also, companies amend pricing as needed to help ensure profitability. Larger than normal claims may result in higher prices, while profitable underwriting may result in cheaper Bakersfield car insurance rates.
To illustrate this example, the graph below shows the company with the cheapest car insurance in Bakersfield, CA for a 40-year-old male driver with no accidents or violations, and good credit. If we estimate prices based on his current rating profile, USAA quotes the most affordable car insurance rates in Bakersfield at $1,168 annually. This is $483 less than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, Nationwide, and CSAA are also included in the cheapest Bakersfield, CA auto insurance companies.
The chart below compares rates after we give the driver in the first example a couple of claims, a lower credit rating, and an imperfect driving record. Due to the fact that every auto insurer uses their own calculation for determining prices, getting updated rate quotes could result in a significantly different list of the cheapest Bakersfield car insurance companies as shown below.
Grange now has the cheapest insurance rate in Bakersfield, CA with Mercury, Progressive, Allied, and Allstate now being in the top five. This illustrates why Bakersfield drivers need to compare as many rates as possible to find cheap car insurance quotes for drivers with good credit. Insurance prices are influenced by many different factors and change dramatically, so the most economical option six months ago may now be costing you a lot of money.
How to find more affordable car insurance for drivers with good credit
The list below shows some of the recommended thrifty suggestions that can help you get more affordable auto insurance.
- Staying accident-free helps keep rates low
- Avoid getting citations and tickets
- Increase your deductibles
- Safer vehicles cost less to insure
- Clean up your credit
- Compare rates regularly to ensure the best deal
That final tip is certainly significant, as was emphasized in this article. Rates in Bakersfield fluctuate constantly, so you should be ready to buy from a new company if you find a better deal.
Staying with the same company for years is fine, but it’s not a good idea if that inflexibility results in costing you a fortune every year. Now is a great time to shop around and find cheaper auto insurance for drivers with good credit.