The words "low-cost" and "auto insurance" probably shouldn't be used in the same sentence, specifically when shopping around for the lowest insurance rates for high mileage drivers. Because it's so expensive, let's teach you some situations that have an effect on car insurance premiums, and find a way to reduce the price of the next policy you buy.
Deciding which company has the cheapest car insurance rates for high mileage drivers requires a bit more effort than just getting one or two price quotes. Every insurance provider has their own guidelines for determining rates in each state, so we will examine the car insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in Santa Ana, CA.
Best Auto Insurance Prices in California
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,121 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,157 |
| 3 | CSAA | $1,198 |
| 4 | Century National | $1,214 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,263 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,503 |
| 9 | Allstate | $1,513 |
| 10 | Progressive | $1,542 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,559 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,590 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,639 |
| 15 | Esurance | $1,739 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,750 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,750 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,849 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,026 |
| Get Personalized Rates Go | ||
USAA normally has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Santa Ana at around $1,121 a year. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide are also some of the more affordable Santa Ana, CA car insurance companies.
As the example above demonstrates, if you currently buy coverage from Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you may realize an annual premium reduction of approximately $36. Insureds with CSAA could save as much as $77 a year, and Century National customers might lower prices by $93 a year.
Remember that these rates are averaged across all drivers and vehicles in California and do not factor in a specific vehicle garaging location for high mileage drivers. So the car insurance company that fits you best may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That emphasizes why you need to quote rates from as many companies as possible using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
The make and model of vehicle that needs insurance is one of the main factors when looking for affordable coverage for high mileage drivers. Vehicles with high performance, poor passenger safety features, or a track record of large liability claims will cost substantially more to insure than more economical and safe models.
The list below shows insurance rates for the most economical vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $1,137 |
| Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,173 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $1,231 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport Islander Package 4WD 2-Dr | $1,244 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,263 |
| Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $1,267 |
| Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $1,318 |
| Ford Fusion SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,320 |
| Honda Civic Hybrid 4-Dr Sedan | $1,326 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $1,320 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.5 Station Wagon | $1,336 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $1,345 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,352 |
| Ford Edge Limited 2WD | $1,361 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $1,371 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $1,382 |
| Kia Optima SX | $1,405 |
| Ford Explorer Limited AWD | $1,414 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $1,423 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,419 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,427 |
| Toyota Corolla XLE | $1,419 |
| Dodge Ram Crew Cab SLT 4WD | $1,428 |
| Get a Custom Quote Go | |
Data rating is based on single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and homeowner. Prices do not factor in garaging location in Santa Ana, CA which can lower or raise prices considerably.
Looking at the rates, cars like the Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, Chevrolet Malibu, Jeep Wrangler, and Toyota Prius are going to be the more affordable vehicles to insure for high mileage drivers.
How accidents and tickets impact rates in Santa Ana
The recommended way to enjoy good car insurance rates in Santa Ana for high mileage drivers is to drive cautiously and avoid accidents and keep your driving record clean. The information below shows how traffic citations and at-fault fender-benders increase insurance costs for different categories of driver ages. The costs are based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.
The chart shows that the average cost of an auto insurance policy per year with no violations or accidents is $1,598. Factor in two speeding tickets and the average cost increases to $2,264, an increase of $666 each year. Then add in two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the yearly cost of car insurance for high mileage drivers goes up to an average of $4,870. That's an increase of $3,272, or $273 per month, just for being a little careless behind the wheel!
The information below highlights how deductible choice can raise or lower annual premium costs when researching cheap insurance for high mileage drivers. The rate quotes are based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
The chart above illustrates that a 40-year-old driver could lower their car insurance rates by $416 a year by changing from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $626 by choosing a $1,000 deductible. Young drivers, such as the 20-year-old example, could shave $1,398 every year by selecting a higher deductible. If you make the decision to raise deductibles, it's a good idea to have additional savings on hand to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense associated with higher deductibles.
Get discounts on Santa Ana car insurance rates
Car insurance companies that offer coverage for high mileage drivers may also provide special discounts that can lower rates by as much as 35% or more if you meet the requirements. A few popular companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be read below.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including good student, membership and employees, federal employee, emergency military deployment, air bags, and multi-policy.
- USAA discounts include loyalty savings, new vehicle, multi-policy, family discount, multi-vehicle, and driver training.
- Progressive has discounts for good student, online signing, multi-vehicle, online quote discount, homeowner, multi-policy, and continuous coverage.
- American Family offers premium reductions for defensive driver, mySafetyValet, accident-free, Steer into Savings, early bird, and good student.
- Esurance may have discounts that include DriveSense, emergency road assistance, multi-policy, online shopper, and defensive driver.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts for youthful driver, business and professional, distant student, bundle discounts, multi-car, alternative fuel, and switch companies.
- State Farm has savings for defensive driving training, anti-theft, multiple autos, accident-free, driver's education, and good student.
The diagram below visualizes the comparison of car insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The rate quotes are based on a male driver, no accidents, no driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the average annual price with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with passive restraint, claim-free, accident-free, multiple vehicle, homeowner, and defensive driving course discounts applied. When discounts are factored in, theaverage yearly reduction on car insurance for high mileage drivers is 28% or $698.
Why are you paying too much for car insurance?
California car insurance rates are calculated based on many things that will increase or decrease your annual premium. Getting older, buying higher coverage limits, or getting into an accident can produce rate changes that can cause some rates to be more affordable than others. Not only that, but car insurance companies change rates multiple times each year to ensure their profitability. A period of increased losses may result in rate hikes, while profitable underwriting can produce lower-priced Santa Ana car insurance rates.
For example, the data below shows rates for the cheapest car insurance in Santa Ana, CA for a 30-year-old female driver with a clear driving record, no claims, and good credit. If we look at prices based on her current situation, USAA has the cheapest car insurance rates in Santa Ana at $1,274 each year. This is $377 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide are the remainder of the cheapest Santa Ana, CA auto insurance companies.
Now let's give the driver from the first rate comparison a chargeable accident, a lower credit rating, and a couple of points charged on her driving record. Since each auto insurance company has a proprietary method for determining prices, comparing prices could result in a different ranking of the cheapest Santa Ana car insurance companies as shown below.
Grange now has the cheapest insurance rate in Santa Ana with Allstate, Mercury, Allied, and Progressive also having competitive pricing. This example demonstrates why it is critical to do a thorough rate comparison when trying to get the cheapest insurance quotes for high mileage drivers.
Insurance rates are calculated by many things and change frequently, so the cheapest company when you bought your policy may now be wasting a lot of money.