Save on Hyundai Sonata Insurance in Bakersfield

A recent NerdWallet.com study revealed that the majority of drivers have stayed with the same insurance company for at least four years, and nearly 40% of drivers have never compared rate quotes at all. Consumers in Bakersfield could save themselves as much as $470 a year by just shopping around, but they just don’t understand how easy it is to save money by comparing rate quotes.

The most effective way to get cheaper Hyundai Sonata insurance in Bakersfield is to start doing an annual price comparison from insurance carriers who can sell car insurance in California. Price quotes can be compared by following these guidelines.

First, try to comprehend how companies set rates and the modifications you can make to keep rates in check. Many rating criteria that are responsible for high rates such as traffic tickets, fender benders, and a negative credit history can be rectified by making lifestyle changes or driving safer. This article gives more information to get low prices and get bigger discounts that may have been overlooked.

Second, request rate estimates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only provide price estimates from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agents can quote rates for a wide range of companies.

Third, compare the new quotes to your existing rates and determine if there is any savings. If you can save some money and make a switch, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.

Fourth, provide adequate notice to your current company to cancel the current policy. Submit payment along with a signed and completed policy application for the new policy. Once coverage is bound, place the new certificate verifying proof of insurance along with your vehicle registration.

A tip to remember is to use identical coverage information on each quote request and to quote with as many companies as you can. Doing this provides a fair rate comparison and the best price selection.

Lowering your Hyundai Sonata car insurance rates is surprisingly easy. Drivers just need to invest a little time to compare rate quotes from some recommended companies.

The companies in the list below can provide quotes in Bakersfield, CA. If the list has multiple companies, we recommend you visit two to three different companies to find the cheapest auto insurance rates.

Hyundai Sonata insurance analysis

The premium table shown next highlights estimates of insurance premium costs for Hyundai Sonata models. Having a better idea how insurance premiums are calculated helps drivers make smart choices when purchasing an insurance policy.

Data assumes single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and homeowner. Price information does not factor in vehicle location which can alter coverage rates greatly.

Physical damage deductibles: Should you raise them?

When comparing car insurance rates, the most common question is how high or low should comp and collision deductibles be. The tables below show the differences in price when you buy lower versus higher policy deductibles. The first data set uses a $250 physical damage deductible and the second set of prices uses a $500 deductible.

Data rating is based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Table data does not factor in vehicle garaging location which can lower or raise coverage prices greatly.

Based on these figures, using a $250 deductible will cost you approximately $18 more each month or $216 every year across all Hyundai Sonata models than quoting the higher $500 deductible. Since you would have to pay $250 more out-of-pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you have at a minimum 14 months between claim filings, you would probably save some money if you decide on a higher deductible. Below is the way you can make your own decision.

One important issue to know is that raising deductibles to save money means you will have to pay more at claim time. That will require enough disposable income in the event you have to pay more for the deductible.

How accidents and violations affect rates in Bakersfield

The diagram below demonstrates how citations and accidents can impact Hyundai Sonata auto insurance costs for different ages of insureds. The costs are based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.

Liability only or full coverage

The example below illustrates the comparison of Hyundai Sonata car insurance rates with full coverage and liability only. The data is based on no claims, a clean driving record, $250 deductibles, single status, and no policy discounts are applied.

Are you wasting money on full coverage?

There is no definitive guideline to stop paying for physical damage insurance, but there is a broad guideline. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than about 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.

For example, let’s pretend your Hyundai Sonata book value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most you would receive is $7,000 after you pay the deductible. If premium cost is more than $700 a year to have full coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.

There are some situations where buying only liability insurance is not advised. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you have to maintain full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should maintain full coverage.

Three reasons to not skimp on insurance

Even though Bakersfield Sonata insurance rates can get expensive, insurance serves a purpose in several ways.

First, just about all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means it is punishable by state law to not carry specific minimum amounts of liability if you want to drive legally. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.

Second, if you have a loan on your Sonata, almost every bank will make it mandatory that you have physical damage coverage to guarantee payment of the loan. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Hyundai at a much higher premium rate and require you to fork over much more than you were paying before.

Third, insurance protects both your assets and your car. Insurance will pay for all forms of medical expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, your insurance policy will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.

The benefits of buying enough insurance greatly outweigh the cost, especially for larger claims. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer is overpaying more than $865 each year so you should quote and compare rates at least once a year to help ensure money is not being wasted.

Four Things That Determine Your Insurance Prices

Multiple criteria are considered when quoting car insurance. Some are pretty understandable like a motor vehicle report, although others are less apparent like where you live or your commute time.

The itemized list below are a few of the things auto insurance companies consider when setting prices.

• Car and home together may be cheaper – Lots of insurance companies allow better rates to insureds that purchase more than one policy in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even if you qualify for this discount already, it’s still a good idea to compare Hyundai Sonata rates in Bakersfield to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
• High deductibles save money – Physical damage protection, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your Hyundai. Examples of covered claims are a broken windshield, flood damage, and having your car stolen. Your deductibles define the amount you are willing to pay if a covered claim is submitted. The more money you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the bigger discount you will receive.
• Claim-free discounts can add up – Companies in California provide discounts to people who are claim-free. If you file claims often, you can pretty much guarantee either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Your car insurance is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
• Do you save by driving less? – Driving a lot of miles every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most companies charge to insure your cars based on their usage. Vehicles that have low annual miles cost less to insure than cars that get driven a lot. Incorrect rating for your Sonata is throwing money out the window. Ask your agent if your policy is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle.

• Hyundai Sonata insurance claim data – Insurance companies use statistical claims data as a tool for profitable underwriting. Models that have increased losses will have increased rates. The table below outlines the loss history for Hyundai Sonata vehicles.

  For each policy coverage type, the claim amount for all vehicles averaged together is a value of 100. Numbers shown that are under 100 suggest a better than average loss history, while numbers above 100 indicate more frequent claims or larger claims.

  
  

  Hyundai Sonata Insurance Claim Statistics

  Specific Hyundai Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Hyundai Sonata	129	88	101	138	149	110
  Hyundai Sonata Hybrid	142	116	119	124	138	121

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years

Hyundai Sonata insurance discounts in Bakersfield

Car insurance is not cheap nor is it fun to buy but companies offer discounts that could help you make your next renewal payment. A few discounts will be applied at the time of quoting, but less common discounts must be requested specifically before being credited. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount available, you’re paying more than you need to.

• Service Members Pay Less – Being on active duty in the military may lower your premium rates slightly.
• Policy Bundle Discount – If you can combine your auto and homeowners policy with one company you could earn a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
• Save over 55 – If you’re over the age of 55, you may qualify for a small discount on rates.
• Theft Prevention System – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen with less frequency and earn discounts up to 10% off your Bakersfield car insurance quote.
• Distant Student – College-age children who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from Bakersfield without a vehicle on campus can receive lower rates.
• Early Signing – A few car insurance companies allow discounts for switching to them before your current Sonata insurance policy expires. This discount can save up to 10%.
• Membership in Organizations – Being in a qualifying organization is a simple method to lower premiums on your policy.
• Telematics Data – Drivers that enable companies to analyze their driving habits remotely such as In-Drive from State Farm or Allstate’s Drivewise system could possibly reduce rates if they are good drivers.
• Anti-lock Brakes – Cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with ABS or steering control have fewer accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.

Consumers should know that some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don’t profit that way.

The illustration below shows the difference between Hyundai Sonata annual premium costs with and without some available policy discounts. The price estimates are based on a male driver, no violations or claims, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-policy, safe-driver, marriage, homeowner, claim-free, and multi-car discounts applied.

Auto insurance companies that may include most of these discounts are:

• State Farm
• Farmers Insurance
• GEICO
• American Family
• Nationwide
• Progressive

When getting a coverage quote, ask each company which discounts you may be entitled to. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts might not be offered on policies everywhere. To find car insurance companies who offer free Hyundai Sonata insurance quotes in California, click this link.

Which is the best car insurance?

Always remember that when buying coverage online or from an agent for your vehicles, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Everyone’s needs are different.

For instance, these questions may help you determine whether you might need professional guidance.

• I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
• Am I better off with higher deductibles on my Hyundai Sonata?
• How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in California?
• Is there a penalty for late payment?
• Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
• What is an adequate liability insurance limit?
• Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can provide invaluable advice.

Insurance agencies can find coverage gaps

A lot of people still like to have an agent’s advice and there is nothing wrong with that. Licensed agents are highly skilled in risk management and help submit paperwork. One of the great benefits of getting free rate quotes online is you may find the lowest rates and still buy from a local agent.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, the quote information is emailed to agents in your area who will return price quotes to get your business. It’s much easier because you don’t need to contact any agents because prices are sent straight to your inbox. In the event you want to get a price quote for a specific company, feel free to search and find their rate quote page and fill out their quote form.

Picking an company needs to be determined by more than just the quoted price. Agents should be asked these questions:

• Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
• If independent agents, which companies do they recommend?
• What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
• Are they actively involved in the community?
• Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?

After you get positive feedback to any questions you have as well as offering an affordable quote, you may have just found a company that is a good match to service your policy.

You can lower your car insurance rates

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are many occasions where an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at the best possible price, not the least amount of coverage.

Some insurance companies don’t offer the ability to get quotes online and usually these regional carriers only sell through independent agents. The cheapest Hyundai Sonata insurance in Bakersfield can be sourced from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Bakersfield, so compare prices from both to get a complete price analysis.

We covered a lot of tips how to save on Hyundai Sonata insurance in Bakersfield. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of getting the cheapest Hyundai Sonata rate quotes. Consumers may even find the lowest priced car insurance comes from a lesser-known regional company.

Even more information can be found in the articles below:

• What are my Rights when Filing a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes with Multiple Speeding Tickets in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
• How Much are Bakersfield Car Insurance Quotes for 18 Year Olds? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes for Uber Drivers in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for Business Use in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
• How Much are Car Insurance Rates for Seniors in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Bakersfield Car Insurance for College Graduates? (FAQ)
• Understanding Rental Car Insurance (Insurance Information Institute)
• Five Steps to Filing an Auto Insurance Claim (Insurance Information Institute)
• Coverage Information (Progressive Insurance)