We don't have to tell you that car insurance companies don't want you shop around. People who shop around for cheaper prices will probably switch companies because the odds are good of finding a lower-cost company. A study discovered that drivers who compared prices regularly saved on average $70 a month as compared to drivers who never shopped around for better prices.
If finding the lowest price for auto insurance in Santa Ana is why you're reading this, then having some knowledge of how to quote prices and compare insurance premiums can help simplify the process.
The best way we recommend to get more affordable auto insurance rates in Santa Ana is to annually compare prices from companies who can sell car insurance in California.
First, try to comprehend how your policy works and the things you can change to keep rates in check. Many rating factors that result in higher rates such as at-fault accidents and poor credit history can be eliminated by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.
Second, compare rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like GEICO or Allstate, while independent agencies can provide rate quotes from multiple sources.
Third, compare the quotes to your existing policy to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you can save some money, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
Fourth, give notification to your current company to cancel your current car insurance policy. Submit payment and a completed application for the new policy. Once the application is submitted, keep your new certificate of insurance in an accessible location in your vehicle.
The critical component of shopping around is to try to use the same physical damage deductibles and liability limits on every quote and and to get rates from every company you can. This provides an accurate price comparison and a complete rate analysis.
Get Cheap Car Insurance with These Tips
Many things are considered when you get a price on insurance. Some are pretty understandable like a motor vehicle report, but some are less apparent like your vehicle usage or how safe your car is. When buying car insurance it's important to understand the rating factors that go into determining your car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates, this allows you to make educated decisions that can earn you better car insurance rates.
Listed below are some of the factors utilized by car insurance companies to help set your premiums.
- Prices are affected by your address - Being located in a small town can save you money if you are looking for the lowest rates. Less people living in that area means fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Urban drivers tend to have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Spending more time driving means higher likelihood of an accident.
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Car insurance rates and age - Teenage drivers in California have been known to be careless and easily distracted when at the wheel of a vehicle therefore car insurance rates are much higher. Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents, and get fewer tickets.
The following data uses these variables: single driver, full coverage with $100 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.
- Optional features can affect premiums - Choosing to buy a car with advanced anti-theft systems can help lower your rates. Theft prevention devices such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart car theft and help bring rates down.
- Employer can influence rates - Occupational choices like military personnel, police officers, and financial analysts are shown to have the highest average rates due to job stress and lots of time spent at work. Other jobs such as actors, athletes and retirees receive lower rates.
Rates and detailed analysis
The information displayed next covers estimates of insurance premium costs for Buick Lucerne models. Having a good grasp of how auto insurance premiums are established is important for drivers to make smart choices when buying a car insurance policy.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
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Lucerne CX | $490 | $810 | $578 | $34 | $174 | $2,086 | $174 |
Lucerne CXL | $490 | $810 | $578 | $34 | $174 | $2,086 | $174 |
Lucerne CXL Special Edition | $490 | $932 | $578 | $34 | $174 | $2,208 | $184 |
Lucerne Super | $546 | $932 | $578 | $34 | $174 | $2,264 | $189 |
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Data rating is based on single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, homeowner, multi-policy, and safe-driver. Estimates do not factor in specific location information which can revise premiums noticeably.
Should you raise deductibles?
When comparing car insurance rates, the most common question is where should you set your physical damage deductibles. The figures shown below can help show how much more rates are when you buy lower versus higher policy deductibles. The first data table uses a $100 deductible for comp and collision and the second set of prices uses a $500 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lucerne CX | $430 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,865 | $155 |
Lucerne CXL | $430 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,865 | $155 |
Lucerne CXL Special Edition | $430 | $932 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,987 | $166 |
Lucerne Super | $478 | $932 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $2,035 | $170 |
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Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lucerne CX | $314 | $546 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,460 | $122 |
Lucerne CXL | $314 | $546 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,460 | $122 |
Lucerne CXL Special Edition | $314 | $630 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,544 | $129 |
Lucerne Super | $348 | $630 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,578 | $132 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Premium data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-vehicle, claim-free, multi-policy, and safe-driver. Rate information does not factor in Santa Ana location which can alter premiums substantially.
Using the data above, we can ascertain that using a $100 deductible could cost the average driver approximately $36 more each month or $432 for a full year than choosing the higher $500 deductible. Since you would pay $400 more if you file a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally average at least 11 months between claim filings, you would probably save some money if you elect the higher deductible. The numbers below show the way we made this calculation.
Average monthly premium for $100 deductibles: | $162 |
Average monthly premium for $500 deductibles (subtract): | - $126 |
Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $36 |
Difference between deductibles ($500 - $100): | $400 |
Divide difference by monthly savings: | $400 / $36 |
Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 11 months |
An important thing to remember is that raising deductibles means you will have to pay more of your own money when you have a comprehensive or collision claim. It will be required that you have some extra savings in the event you have to pay the deductible.
Safe drivers Santa Ana pay cheaper rates
The information below shows how traffic citations and at-fault claims can increase Buick Lucerne car insurance rates for different ages of insureds. The rates are based on a married female driver, full coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Car insurance premiums based on gender
The chart below illustrates the comparison of Buick Lucerne premium costs for male and female drivers. The premiums are based on no accidents, no driving violations, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are applied.
Should you buy full coverage?
The example below shows the difference between Buick Lucerne insurance premiums with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The rates are based on no accidents, no driving violations, $1,000 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are factored in.
When to drop comprehensive and collision coverage
There is no written rule for excluding full coverage, but there is a broad guideline. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than about 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
For example, let's say your Buick Lucerne book value is $7,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most your company would pay you is $6,000 after paying your deductible. If you are paying in excess of $600 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it's probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
There are some circumstances where buying only liability insurance is not in your best interest. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you have to keep full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should not buy liability only.
Score discounts on Santa Ana insurance
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but there may be some discounts that you may not know about. A few discounts will automatically apply when you complete an application, but some discounts are required to be requested specifically before you will receive the discount.
- Driver Safety - Taking time to complete a driver safety course is a good idea and can lower rates if your company offers it.
- 55 and Retired - Seniors are able to get a discount up to 10%.
- Professional Organizations - Participating in certain professional organizations could earn you a nice discount when getting a Santa Ana auto insurance quote.
- Resident Student - Children who are attending college without a vehicle on campus could get you a discount.
- Military Deployment Discount - Being on active duty in the military could trigger a small discount.
- Online Discount - Some larger companies may give you up to $50 just for signing your application on their website.
- Buy New and Save - Buying a new car model can save up to 30% due to better safety requirements for new model year vehicles.
Keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies wouldn't make money that way.
The illustration below shows the comparison of Buick Lucerne yearly insurance costs with and without some available policy discounts. The rate quotes are based on a male driver, no claims or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-car, marriage, claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, and multi-policy discounts applied.
To find insurance companies offering insurance discounts in Santa Ana, click this link.
Which auto insurance company is best in California?
Picking the best car insurance provider can be challenging considering how many choices drivers have in Santa Ana. The company information below could help you analyze which companies you want to consider when shopping around.
Top 10 Santa Ana Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Service
- AAA of Southern California
- GEICO
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- Mercury Insurance
- The General
- Progressive
- Allstate
- AAA Insurance
- American Family
Top 10 Santa Ana Car Insurance Companies by A.M. Best Rank
- USAA - A++
- Travelers - A++
- State Farm - A++
- GEICO - A++
- Esurance - A+
- Nationwide - A+
- Allstate - A+
- Mercury Insurance - A+
- Progressive - A+
- Titan Insurance - A+
Quote more and you will save more
The cheapest Buick Lucerne insurance in Santa Ana can be sourced online and with local Santa Ana insurance agents, so get free Santa Ana auto insurance quotes from both of them to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies do not offer rate quotes online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agencies.
You just learned many ideas to lower your Buick Lucerne insurance rates in Santa Ana. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get auto insurance rates for, the better your chances of lowering your auto insurance rates. Drivers may even discover the biggest savings come from an unexpected company. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give better rates than their larger competitors like GEICO and State Farm.
Other resources
- How to Avoid Staged Accidents (State Farm)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Drivers Over Age 50 in Santa Ana? (FAQ)
- How Much are Car Insurance Quotes with Multiple Speeding Tickets in Santa Ana? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Santa Ana Car Insurance Quotes for a Toyota Camry? (FAQ)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers with Good Credit in Santa Ana? (FAQ)
- Senior Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)
- Choosing an Insurance Company (Insurance Information Institute)