Who Has Cheap Santa Ana Auto Insurance for 18 Year Olds?

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Determining which companies have the best insurance rates for 18 year olds involves a little more work than just comparing a company or two.

Every insurance provider used slightly different criteria to determine premium rates, so we'll go over the most budget-friendly insurance companies in Santa Ana.

Best Insurance Companies for Teens

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California car insurance ranked by cost per year
Rank Company Cost Per Year
1 USAA $1,143
2 Century National $1,178
3 Wawanesa $1,192
4 CSAA $1,198
5 Nationwide $1,263
6 21st Century $1,366
7 Grange $1,433
8 Mercury $1,488
9 Progressive $1,496
10 Allstate $1,497
11 GEICO $1,529
12 Allied $1,588
13 MetLife $1,606
14 The Hartford $1,623
15 State Farm $1,682
16 Esurance $1,705
17 Unitrin $1,750
18 Travelers $1,806
19 Bristol West $1,849
20 Farmers $2,026
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USAA may offer some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Santa Ana at around $1,143 each year. This is $508 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, Wawanesa, CSAA, and Nationwide also make the cut as some of the cheaper Santa Ana, CA insurance companies.

In the above rates, if you buy coverage from Nationwide and switched to Century National, you could realize annual savings of upwards of $85. Drivers with 21st Century might save as much as $188 a year, and Grange customers might realize rate reductions of up to $255 a year.

Remember that these policy rates are averaged across all drivers and vehicles and and are not figured with a specific vehicle garaging location for 18 year olds. So the auto insurance company that can offer you the lowest price may not even be in the list above. That point stresses why you need to compare rates from as many companies as possible using your own personal information and vehicle type.

The type of vehicle needing coverage is a large consideration that determines the availability of the cheapest auto insurance for 18 year olds. Vehicles with limited speed and performance, excellent safety ratings, or a positive history of liability claims will cost much less to insure than high performance models.

The list below outlines auto insurance prices for the most budget-friendly automobiles to buy insurance for.

Cheapest Vehicles to Insure in Santa Ana, CA
Vehicle Insured Estimated Cost for Full Coverage
Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan $3,026
Honda CR-V EX 2WD $3,036
Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon $3,026
Ford Escape XLT 2WD $3,031
Toyota Prius $3,297
Ford Edge Limited 2WD $3,559
Chevrolet Impala LT $3,594
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD $3,602
GMC Sierra SLE Regular Cab 2WD $3,594
Toyota RAV4 2WD $3,600
Dodge Grand Caravan Hero $3,594
Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD $3,602
Ford F-150 FX2 2WD $3,627
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Cost estimates assume single female driver age 18, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Estimates do not factor in specific location which can increase or decrease coverage rates noticeably.

By looking at the data, we can tell that models like the Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Elantra, and Ford Escape are most likely to be some of the cheaper vehicles to insure for teen drivers. Car insurance rates will tend to be higher just due to the fact that there is more claim risk for 18 year olds, but overall those vehicles will most likely have the lowest insurance prices that you are likely to find.

The information below illustrates how your deductible choice can change insurance rates when searching for cheap insurance for 18 year olds. The data assumes a married female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are applied.

As shown above, a 40-year-old driver could lower their policy premium by $360 a year by switching from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $544 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Young drivers, such as the Age 20 example, could reduce their rates $896 every year by selecting a higher deductible. When raising deductibles, it will be important to have additional savings on hand to satisfy the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the main disadvantage of using high deductibles.

Liability rates compared to full coverage

Paying less for insurance is probably important to most vehicle owners, and one common way to pay lower rates for insurance for 18 year olds is to only buy liability insurance. The information below visualizes the comparison of annual premium costs with and without physical damage coverage. The data is based on no claims, a clean driving record, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied.

Averaged out for all age groups, physical damage coverage costs an additional $3,147 per year over liability only. A very common question is if buying full coverage is a waste of money. There is no clear-cut rule of when to eliminate comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than about 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then you might consider buying liability only.

Why it's important to shop around

Santa Ana, CA insurance rates are influenced by many factors which can substantially change the price you have to pay for coverage. Simply turning a year older, becoming a homeowner, or getting a DUI may prompt premium changes that can cause some rates to be cheaper than competitors.

Not only may your risk profile change, but companies amend premium rates without warning to adjust for gains or losses. A period of higher than normal claims can result in additional premium costs, while lower claims can cause lower-priced Santa Ana car insurance rates.

To help illustrate this point, the data below demonstrates which company has the cheapest car insurance in Santa Ana, CA for a 40-year-old male driver with no prior accidents, a clean driving record, and excellent credit. If we look at prices based on his current rating profile, USAA has the lowest car insurance rates in Santa Ana at $1,224 per year. This is $427 less than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, Wawanesa, CSAA, and Nationwide are the rest of the best Santa Ana, CA auto insurance companies.

Let's now give the driver in the first example a claim, a little lower credit rating, and a few traffic violations. Due to the fact that every auto insurer has a unique approach for filing rates in each state, comparing insurance quotes most likely will result in a completely different list of companies as shown below.

Grange now has the cheapest price in Santa Ana, CA with Mercury, Allstate, Progressive, and GEICO now rounding out the top five. This demonstrates why California drivers need to compare many different companies when trying to get the most budget-friendly car insurance quotes for 18 year olds. Prices are influenced by many things and can change substantially, so the cheapest rate a year ago may now be quite expensive.

How to find low-cost auto insurance for 18 year olds

Here are some penny-pinching suggestions that can help drivers get cheaper coverage.

The last tip in the list is especially critical, as we emphasized in the prior article. Coverage prices in Santa Ana change frequently, so don't be tentative to buy from a different company if a cheaper rate is available. Brand loyalty is great, but we do not recommend it if it's costing you potentially thousands of dollars a year. If you have a few minutes, now is a great time to compare prices to find cheaper car insurance for 18 year olds.

The insurance agencies listed below can help you determine which insurance coverage will be best for you, since many people would rather have a consultation when shopping for the best coverage for 18 year olds. It can be hard to find the best policy on your own, and using a licensed agent can provide peace of mind knowing your coverage gives you adequate coverage when you need it most.

To find an agent by location nearest to you, click the button at the bottom of the list or click here to compare price quotes.

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