Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for a Learners Permit in California?

Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for a Learners Permit in California?

For new drivers, one of the big considerations that is looked at to determine the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you keep your vehicle. Larger areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento tend to have higher rates, whereas areas that are not as densely populated profit from lower rates.

The table below sorts the more expensive cities in California for a learners permit to buy an auto insurance policy in.

Where does California rank for car insurance cost?
Rank City Annual Premium
1 Los Angeles $2,146
2 Glendale $2,079
3 San Francisco $1,763
4 Oakland $1,738
5 Sacramento $1,652
6 San Bernardino $1,644
7 Santa Clarita $1,595
8 Fontana $1,581
9 Long Beach $1,578
10 Stockton $1,556
11 Riverside $1,542
12 Moreno Valley $1,536
13 Garden Grove $1,524
14 Modesto $1,502
15 Santa Ana $1,497
16 Fresno $1,472
17 Anaheim $1,444
18 Huntington Beach $1,402
19 Fremont $1,389
20 Bakersfield $1,381
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Prices are approximated as the garaging address in California can alter premiums substantially.

The make and model of vehicle requiring coverage is probably the biggest factor when comparing cheap auto insurance for a learners permit in California. Vehicles with lower acceleration and performance, a plethora of safety features, or a positive history of liability claims will cost significantly less to insure than adrenaline junky models.

The next list illustrates coverage costs for the cheapest automobiles to insure in California.

Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates for a Learners Permit in California
Make, Model, and Trim Level Estimated Cost for Full Coverage
Honda CR-V LX 2WD $5,010
Ford Escape Limited 2WD $5,058
Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan $5,375
Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon $5,382
Toyota Prius $5,425
Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 2WD $5,433
Subaru Forester X AWD $5,425
Dodge Grand Caravan CV $5,629
Hyundai Tucson GLS 4WD $5,639
Honda Civic DX 4-Dr Sedan $5,899
Ford Edge SEL 2WD $5,906
Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment $5,899
Ford Fusion S 4-Dr Sedan $5,946
Hyundai Santa Fe SE 2WD $5,951
Toyota RAV4 2WD $5,946
Volkswagen Jetta S 4-Dr Sedan $5,954
Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD $5,997
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Prices based on single female driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, and claim-free. Table data does not factor in vehicle garaging location which can alter premium rates greatly.

By looking at the data, cars like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Honda Accord, Hyundai Elantra, and Toyota Prius are going to be a few of the cheapest vehicles to insure for new drivers. The cost of a car insurance policy will be higher anyway just because there is more exposure for a learners permit, but in general those particular models will have the lowest insurance prices that you’ll find.

Figuring out which companies quote the most affordable car insurance rates for a learners permit may require more work in order to find the best policy. Every auto insurer has a proprietary method for setting prices, so let’s take a look at the most affordable car insurance companies in California.

Find the Best Cheap Insurance in California

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Who has the cheapest car insurance in California?
Rank Company Cost Per Year
1 USAA $1,109
2 Wawanesa $1,192
3 CSAA $1,198
4 Nationwide $1,213
5 Century National $1,226
6 21st Century $1,366
7 Grange $1,491
8 Mercury $1,503
9 Allstate $1,513
10 GEICO $1,513
11 Progressive $1,542
12 The Hartford $1,575
13 Allied $1,588
14 MetLife $1,654
15 State Farm $1,733
16 Esurance $1,739
17 Unitrin $1,750
18 Travelers $1,842
19 Bristol West $1,849
20 Farmers $1,966
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USAA normally has some of the lowest car insurance rates in California at around $1,109 annually. Wawanesa, CSAA, Nationwide, and Century National would also be considered some of the cheaper California insurance companies.

As illustrated above, if you currently have a policy with Nationwide and switched to USAA, you could earn a yearly price reduction of in the neighborhood of $104. Policyholders with Century National might save as much as $117 a year, and 21st Century insureds might reduce prices by as much as $257 a year.

To discover how much you can save, click here to start your custom quote or visit any of the companies below.

Understand that those estimates are averages across all types of insureds and vehicles and and are not figured with a rate surcharge for a learners permit. So the insurer that has the cheapest rates for you may not even be shown in the company chart above. That point stresses why you need to compare rates from as many companies as possible using your own specific driver information and vehicle.

Car insurance rates are higher with tickets and accidents

The obvious way to obtain cheap car insurance prices in California for new drivers is to drive carefully and have a clean driving record. The illustration below illustrates how violations and accidents impact insurance costs for each age group. The rates are based on a single female driver, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.

google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawVioqcibChart);function drawVioqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘No Violations or Accidents’, ‘Two Speeding Tickets and No Accidents’, ‘Two Speeding Tickets and One Accident’],[‘Age 20’, 4355,5365,6395],[‘Age 30’, 2979,3989,5019],[‘Age 40’, 2771,3779,4811],[‘Age 50’, 2421,3427,4461],[‘Age 60’, 2341,3351,4381],[‘Age 70’, 2745,3755,4785]]);var options = {title: ‘Impact of Tickets and Accidents on California Car Insurance Rates’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’, fontSize: 17, bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 600,’chartArea’: {left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’,textStyle: {fontSize: 12}},colors:[‘#b2da64′,’#eed355′,’#e39e71’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle in California’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},vAxis: {title: ‘Age of Insured’}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);formatter.format(data,3);var chart = new google.visualization.BarChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibvio’));chart.draw(data, options);}

In the previous chart, the average cost of a car insurance policy per year with no violations or accidents is $2,935. Get two speeding tickets and the average cost hikes up to $3,944, an increase of $1,009 each year. Now include one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the 12-month cost of car insurance for a learners permit goes up to an average of $4,975. That’s an increase of $2,040, or $170 per month, just for a couple of infractions!

Discount California auto insurance

Car insurance for new drivers in CaliforniaInsurance companies that offer cheap auto insurance for a learners permit in California may also offer policy discounts that can lower rates by as much as 35% or more if you are eligible. Larger car insurance companies and their possible discounts are outlined below.

  • GEICO offers premium reductions for defensive driver, multi-policy, five-year accident-free, emergency military deployment, anti-theft, and anti-lock brakes.
  • Mercury Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including age of vehicle, accident-free, professional/association, good driver, good student, multi-car, and anti-theft.
  • Farmers Insurance offers discounts including alternative fuel, homeowner, business and professional, teen driver, multi-car, early shopping, and pay in full.
  • Auto-Owners Insurance may have discounts that include anti-theft, student away at school, anti-lock brakes, good student, company car, and safe vehicle.
  • Liberty Mutual may offer discounts for multi-car, safety features, preferred payment discount, teen driver discount, new move discount, good student, and new vehicle discount.
  • SAFECO offers discounts for anti-lock brakes, homeowner, accident prevention training, safe driver, multi-car, and teen safety rewards.
  • Progressive discounts include multi-vehicle, homeowner, good student, multi-policy, and continuous coverage.
  • USAA includes discounts for safe driver, driver training, annual mileage, vehicle storage, and family discount.

The chart below shows the difference between auto insurance rates with and without some available policy discounts. The premium estimates are based on a female driver, no claims or violations, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with paperless filing, vehicle safety, paid-in-full, good student, anti-theft, and passive restraint discounts applied. When these discounts are applied, the the average yearly reduction on car insurance for a learners permit is 28% or $831.

google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawDiscqcibChart);function drawDiscqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘Female Driver No Discounts’, ‘Female Driver with Discounts’],[‘Age 17’, 5773,4135],[‘Age 30’, 2445,1777],[‘Age 40’, 2267,1643],[‘Age 50’, 1983,1441],[‘Age 60’, 1917,1391]]);var options = {title: ‘Comparison of Insurance Rates for a Learners Permit’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 500,’chartArea’:{left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’},colors: [‘#c096ca’, ‘#e1b7ec’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle in California’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},vAxis: {title: ‘Age of Insured’}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);var chart = new google.visualization.BarChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibdisc’));chart.draw(data, options);}

Progressive, State Farm, Geico, or Allstate: Which is best?

When shopping for auto insurance for new drivers in California, the four most popular companies are Progressive, State Farm, Geico, and Allstate. When added together, they insure over 48% of all policies written in the United States. The next table breaks down price and claims rank as well as some different options offered by each company.

Progressive, State Farm, Geico, and Allstate Compared
Progressive State Farm Geico Allstate
Overall Satisfaction 3rd 4th 1st 2nd
Policy Cost 3rd 2nd 1st 4th
Claims Service 4th 2nd 3rd 1st
Number of Discounts 4th 3rd 2nd 1st
Percent of U.S. market 8.8% 18.3% 11.4% 10%
Percent of customers who recommend 88% 88% 87% 86%
Mechnical breakdown Yes No Yes No
Accident forgiveness coverage Yes No Yes Yes
New car replacement insurance No No No Yes
Roadside service Yes Yes Yes Yes
Usage-based insurance Yes Yes No Yes
Uber and Lyft insurance Yes Yes Yes Yes
Insure in California Yes Yes Yes Yes
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