Shocking but true, a large majority of auto insurance policyholders in California have stayed with the same insurance company for a minimum of four years, and about 40% of consumers have never compared rates with other companies. With the average auto insurance premium being $1,847, American drivers could save themselves about $860 a year, but they just assume it’s a time-consuming process to save money by comparing rate quotes.
It takes a little time, but the best way to get low-cost auto insurance rates is to do a yearly price comparison from insurers in Bakersfield. You can shop around by following these steps.
- Gain an understanding of how insurance companies determine prices and the things you can control to keep rates low. Many factors that increase rates like traffic citations and an imperfect credit score can be eliminated by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes.
- Request price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive and direct companies can provide rates from a single company like Progressive or State Farm, while agents who are independent can provide prices for a wide range of insurance providers.
- Compare the price quotes to your current policy and see if there is a cheaper rate in Bakersfield. If you find a lower rate quote and make a switch, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Give notification to your current company of your intention to cancel your current coverage and submit payment and a completed application for your new coverage. Once the paperwork is finalized, place your new certificate of insurance in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
A good tip to remember is that you’ll want to make sure you compare identical limits and deductibles on every quote and and to analyze as many different companies as possible. Doing this helps ensure an accurate price comparison and plenty of rates choose from.
If you already have coverage, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce premiums using the techniques covered below. Finding the cheapest auto insurance coverage in Bakersfield is actually not that difficult if you follow our advice. But California drivers do need to know how insurance companies price insurance differently and use this information to your advantage.
How Your PT Cruiser Insurance Rates are Determined
The best way to find cheaper auto insurance is to take a look at some of the factors that play a part in calculating your policy premiums. When consumers understand what controls the rates you pay, this enables you to make decisions that can earn you lower auto insurance prices. Many different elements are taken into consideration when you quote your car insurance policy. Some factors are common sense like your driving record, but some are more transparent like where you live or how financially stable you are.
- More than one policy can earn a discount – Most companies give a discount for people who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. The amount of the discounts can be 10 percent or more. Even with this discount, consumers should still shop around to guarantee you are still saving the most.
- The more you drive the more you pay – Driving a lot of miles every year the higher your rate. The majority of insurers price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Vehicles that are left in the garage can get a lower rate than those used for commuting. A policy that improperly rates your PT Cruiser is throwing money out the window. It’s always a good idea to double check that your policy properly reflects annual mileage.
- Your liability limits – Liability coverage will protect you when a court rules you are at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is pretty cheap when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.
- Avoid policy lapses – Driving any period of time without insurance is not a good idea and auto insurance companies will penalize you for letting your insurance lapse. In addition to paying higher premiums, not being able to provide proof of insurance might get you a fine, jail time, or a revoked license.
- Lower rates for safer cars – Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have better insurance rates. Vehicles built for safety protect occupants better and lower rates of occupant injuries translates directly to fewer claims and more competitive rates for policyholders. If your Chrysler PT Cruiser is rated at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website you may qualify for a discount.
- Is your vehicle theft-ready? – Purchasing a vehicle with an alarm system can save you a little every year. Theft prevention features such as OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms can help prevent vehicle theft.
Coverage statistics and figures
The coverage table displayed next covers detailed analysis of rate quotes for Chrysler PT Cruiser models. Learning how insurance premiums are established can aid in making decisions when choosing a new policy provider.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PT Cruiser 2WD 4-Dr | $208 | $374 | $394 | $24 | $118 | $1,118 | $93 |
| PT Cruiser 2WD 4-Dr | $208 | $374 | $394 | $24 | $118 | $1,118 | $93 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Cost estimates assume married female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Premium amounts do not factor in garaging location in Bakersfield which can decrease or increase price quotes greatly.
The information below shows how different deductible levels and can increase or decrease Chrysler PT Cruiser insurance costs for each different age group. The rate quotes are based on a single male driver, full physical damage coverage, and no discounts are applied.
Tickets and at-fault accidents raise rates
The illustration below demonstrates how speeding tickets and accidents can influence Chrysler PT Cruiser premium costs for different ages of insureds. Data assumes a single female driver, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Auto insurance cost for men versus women
The diagram below shows the difference between Chrysler PT Cruiser insurance rates for male and female drivers. The prices are based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, comp and collision included, $500 deductibles, drivers are single, and no policy discounts are applied.
Companies offer many discounts on Chrysler PT Cruiser insurance in Bakersfield
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not even know about. Certain reductions will be credited when you purchase, but once in a while a discount must be manually applied before you will receive the discount.
- Renewal Discounts – A few larger companies allow discounts for switching companies before your current coverage expires. Ten percent is about the average savings.
- Defensive Driving Course – Successfully completing a safe driver class could possibly earn you a 5% discount and also improve your driving technique.
- Discount for Life Insurance – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
- Senior Citizen Discount – Drivers over the age of 55 may be able to get a small discount on rates.
- Professional Memberships – Belonging to a civic or occupational organization in Bakersfield is a simple method to lower premiums on your policy.
- Safety Restraint Discount – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to buckle up can save 10% or more on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
You should keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply to the whole policy. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
The illustration below shows the difference between Chrysler PT Cruiser insurance costs with and without some available policy discounts. The premiums assume a male driver, no claims or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, multi-policy, multi-car, marriage, safe-driver, and claim-free discounts applied.
Companies that may include these discounts possibly include:
Before you buy a policy, ask all the companies what discounts are available to you. Some credits may not apply to policyholders in your state. For a list of providers that offer discounts in California, click this link.
A conclusion for your car insurance search
When searching for the cheapest Chrysler PT Cruiser rate quotes, it’s a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. Too many times, an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage only to find out that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
Cheap Chrysler PT Cruiser insurance in Bakersfield is definitely available both online in addition to many Bakersfield insurance agents, so you need to shop Bakersfield car insurance with both to have the best rate selection. Some car insurance companies do not offer online quoting and usually these smaller providers only sell through local independent agencies.
Helpful resources
- New head restraint design cuts injuries (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Who Has Cheap Bakersfield Auto Insurance Quotes for a Toyota Highlander? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes for Uber Drivers in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Bakersfield Auto Insurance Rates for Government Employees? (FAQ)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Inexperienced Drivers in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for Drivers Under 25 in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Cellphones, Texting and Driving (iihs.org)
- Keeping Children Safe in Crashes Video (iihs.org)
- Air Bags: Potential Dangers to Your Children (Insurance Information Institute)