Cheap Car Insurance for Inexperienced Drivers in California

Cheap Car Insurance for Inexperienced Drivers in California

Buying affordable insurance is not the easiest thing to do, and determining which companies offer the most affordable insurance rates for inexperienced drivers may require even more diligence. Every car insurance company has their own guidelines to set premium rates, so let’s begin by taking a look at the most affordable insurance companies in California.

It’s important that readers know that California insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that can increase the price you pay for coverage. Simply having another birthday, moving to a new city, or having an accident may cause policy rate changes that may make certain companies higher when they were quite affordable.

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USAA normally has some of the cheapest car insurance rates in California at around $1,121 annually. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide also rank well as some of the cheaper California auto insurance companies.

As illustrated above, if you currently have a policy with Century National and switched to USAA, you might realize a yearly savings of about $93. Insureds with CSAA may save as much as $113 a year, and Nationwide policyholders might see rate reductions of $129 a year.

It’s important to note that these policy rates are averages for all types of insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in a rate decrease for inexperienced drivers. So the auto insurance company that can offer you the lowest price may not even be included in the list above. That point stresses why you need to compare prices as often as possible using your own specific driver and vehicle information.

The vehicle you are buying coverage for is probably the biggest factor when quoting cheap car insurance for inexperienced drivers in California. Vehicles with lots of horsepower, poor safety features, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost much more to insure than safer models. The next tables presents auto insurance premiums for a selection of the cheaper automobiles to insure in California.

Auto Insurance Rates for Popular Cars in California
Make, Model, and Trim Level Annual Cost Semi-Annual Cost Monthly Cost
Chevrolet Malibu LS $1,390 $695 $116
Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan $1,364 $682 $114
Ford Fusion SE 4-Dr Sedan $1,490 $745 $124
Hyundai Elantra GLS 4-Dr Sedan $1,464 $732 $122
Hyundai Sonata SE 4-Dr Sedan $1,566 $783 $131
Kia Optima LX $1,492 $746 $124
Nissan Altima 2.5 S 4-Dr Sedan $1,464 $732 $122
Toyota Camry SE $1,464 $732 $122
Toyota Corolla XLE $1,464 $732 $122
Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.5 Station Wagon $1,372 $686 $114
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Prices based on single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Prices do not factor in your specific California location which can influence auto insurance rates noticeably.

Car Insurance Rates for Popular SUVs and Crossovers in California
Make, Model, and Trim Level Annual Cost Semi-Annual Cost Monthly Cost
Acura RDX 2WD $1,272 $636 $106
Chevrolet Suburban LTZ 2WD $1,490 $745 $124
Chevrolet Traverse LS AWD $1,226 $613 $102
Ford Escape Limited 4WD $1,272 $636 $106
Ford Explorer Limited AWD $1,416 $708 $118
GMC Acadia SLT 2WD $1,390 $695 $116
GMC Terrain SLT 2WD $1,372 $686 $114
Honda CR-V LX 2WD $1,174 $587 $98
Honda Pilot Touring 4WD $1,416 $708 $118
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 2WD $1,490 $745 $124
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 2WD 4-Dr $1,440 $720 $120
Nissan Pathfinder SE 4WD $1,318 $659 $110
Subaru Forester X Limited Edition W/Navigation AWD $1,398 $699 $117
Toyota Highlander Sport 4WD $1,416 $708 $118
Toyota RAV4 2WD $1,390 $695 $116
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Price data assumes single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Table data does not factor in specific zip code location which can lower or raise auto insurance rates greatly.

Insurance Rates for Popular Pickup Trucks in California
Make, Model, and Trim Level Annual Cost Semi-Annual Cost Monthly Cost
Chevrolet Colorado LT 4WD $1,174 $587 $98
Chevrolet Silverado LS Crew Cab 4WD $1,490 $745 $124
Dodge Ram 2500 Mega Cab Laramie 2WD $1,664 $832 $139
Dodge Ram 3500 Mega Cab Laramie 2WD $1,614 $807 $135
Dodge Ram Crew Cab TRX 2WD $1,518 $759 $127
Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Super Cab 4WD $1,416 $708 $118
Ford F-350 XL Crew Cab Turbo Diesel 4WD $1,978 $989 $165
GMC Sierra 3500HD SLT Extended Cab 4WD $1,782 $891 $149
GMC Sierra SLE Crew Cab 2WD $1,490 $745 $124
Toyota Tundra SR/5 Double Cab 2WD $1,492 $746 $124
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Above prices assume single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Rate quotes do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can impact rates significantly.

The information below highlights how deductible selection can influence premium costs when getting quotes for cheap insurance for inexperienced drivers. The premiums are based on a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no additional discounts are factored in.

The chart above illustrates that a 50-year-old driver could cut expenses by $476 a year by increasing from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $712 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger insureds, like the age 20 example, have the ability to save $1,216 or even more by choosing larger deductibles on their policy. If you do raise deductibles, it will now be necessary to have emergency funds available to offset the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the one shortcoming of high deductibles.

Which car insurance company is best?

When comparing auto insurance, the companies that insure more vehicles than anyone else are Allstate, State Farm, Geico, and Progressive. All four can cover your vehicle for liability and physical damage, but each one has different options that buyers can choose from. The table below compares price and claims rank as well as some different options you can buy with each company.

Comparison of Top U.S. Auto Insurance Companies
Allstate State Farm Geico Progressive
Overall Cost 4th 2nd 1st 3rd
Client Satisfaction 2nd 4th 1st 3rd
Claims Rank 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Discounts Offered 1st 3rd 2nd 4th
Recommend by customers 86% 88% 87% 88%
A.M. Best financial rating A+ A++ A++ A+
New car replacement insurance Yes No No No
Emergency roadside service Yes Yes Yes Yes
Accident forgiveness Yes No Yes Yes
Mechanical breakdown insurance No No Yes Yes
Rate for vehicle usage Yes Yes No Yes
Coverage for Uber and Lyft drivers Yes Yes Yes Yes
Available in California Yes Yes Yes Yes
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