Wouldn't it be great if we could tell you the one perfect auto insurance company that has the most affordable coverage for a school permit? It's not quite that easy, unfortunately, as there are a whole slew of unknown factors like if you are married, if you are a man or woman, and how much you actually drive in a year, that all have an effect on the price of a policy. The content below covers the different ways to avoid overpaying and will hopefully give the reader a good start to your coverage search.
Deciding which companies have the lowest-priced car insurance rates for a school permit takes a bit more effort in order to find the most economical policy. Each insurance company has a unique approach to determine rates, so we'll take a look at the overall cheapest car insurance companies in Santa Ana, CA.
It's important that you understand Santa Ana car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that control the price you pay. Simply turning a year older, buying higher coverage limits, or getting a ticket for careless driving may cause policy rate changes resulting in some rates now being more affordable than others.
Best Cheap Insurance Rates for Students
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,155 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,157 |
| 3 | Nationwide | $1,213 |
| 4 | Century National | $1,214 |
| 5 | CSAA | $1,222 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,338 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,491 |
| 8 | Allstate | $1,497 |
| 9 | Progressive | $1,512 |
| 10 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 11 | Mercury | $1,548 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,603 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,639 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,654 |
| 15 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
| 16 | State Farm | $1,750 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,756 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
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USAA quotes some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Santa Ana at around $1,155 annually. This is $496 less than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Nationwide, Century National, and CSAA also rank well as some of the lowest-priced Santa Ana, CA auto insurance companies.
In this example, if you have coverage with Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you could earn savings of in the neighborhood of $2. Insureds with Nationwide may save as much as $58 a year, and Century National customers might cut rates by $59 a year.
Understand that those premium estimates are averaged across all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and and are not figured with a specific zip code for a school permit. So the car insurance company that fits your age and vehicle best may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That affirms the importance of why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.
The vehicle to be insured is a large factor that determines whether or not you can buy the cheapest car insurance for a school permit. Vehicles with lower performance, advanced safety features, or a low likelihood of having liability claims will cost much less to insure than high performance models. The data below features car insurance prices for a selection of the more affordable vehicles to buy insurance for.
| Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $3,903 |
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $3,943 |
| Toyota Prius | $4,240 |
| Ford Edge SE 2WD | $4,336 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 4WD | $4,376 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $4,382 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $4,591 |
| GMC Sierra SLE Regular Cab 2WD | $4,631 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 2WD | $4,641 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $4,631 |
| Ford F-150 Lariat Crew Cab 2WD | $4,673 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $4,683 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 2WD 4-Dr | $4,799 |
| Honda Civic EX 4-Dr Sedan | $4,846 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $4,885 |
| Toyota Corolla XLE | $4,895 |
| Honda Odyssey EX-L W/Navigation | $4,885 |
| Toyota Tacoma X-Runner 2WD | $4,891 |
| Nissan Altima Hybrid 4-Dr Sedan | $4,928 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $4,935 |
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Premium data assumes single male driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Prices do not factor in your specific Santa Ana, CA location which can revise premiums noticeably.
Based on these rates, we can presume that cars like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Toyota Prius, Ford Edge, and Ford Explorer will be some of the cheaper vehicles to insure for a learners permit. Car insurance rates will tend to be more expensive because there is more claim exposure for a school permit, but generally speaking those vehicles will most likely have the cheapest auto insurance rates that you are likely to find.
The illustration below highlights how deductible choice can increase or decrease insurance premiums when searching for cheap insurance for a school permit. The data is based on a single male driver, full coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.
The chart above illustrates that a 50-year-old driver could pocket $492 a year by switching from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $738 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Youthful drivers, like the 20-year-old category, could shave $1,640 or more just by choosing higher deductibles.
When increasing deductibles, it is important to have enough savings set aside to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense that deters many people from opting for higher deductibles.
Should you buy full coverage?
Paying less for car insurance should be important to most people, and an easy way to reduce the cost of insurance for a school permit is to not insure for full coverage. The diagram below shows the comparison of car insurance rates with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. Data assumes no violations or accidents, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are applied.
Averaged out for all age groups, physical damage coverage costs an extra $2,075 per year more than carrying just liability coverage. Many drivers may wonder if buying full coverage is a waste of money. There is no clear-cut formula that is best for determining when to drop comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.
Don't make the mistake of not shopping around
Santa Ana car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that control the cost of your policy. Improving your credit score, buying another vehicle, or getting a speeding ticket can cause premium changes that may make certain companies more affordable than others.
Not only may your situation change, but insurance companies file new California auto insurance rates as often as every three months to adjust for unexpected claims or profits. A period of increased losses may cause additional premium costs, while a lower level of claims can cause lower-priced Santa Ana car insurance rates.
As an example, the graph below demonstrates which company has the cheapest car insurance in Santa Ana, CA for a 30-year-old male driver with a clean driving record, no accidents, and a high credit rating. If we estimate rates based on his personal risk profile, USAA quotes the cheapest car insurance rates in Santa Ana at $1,230 a year. This is $421 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide are also on the list of the cheapest Santa Ana, CA auto insurance companies.
Let's now give the driver from the first example a claim, bad credit, and a stop sign violation. Due to the fact that every insurance company uses their own calculation for setting rates, comparing prices could now result in a significantly different list of cheap Santa Ana auto insurance companies as shown below.
Grange now has the cheapest price in Santa Ana, CA with Mercury, GEICO, Allied, and Allstate completing the list. This example shows why it is critical to compare as many rates as possible when trying to get the lowest auto insurance rates for a school permit. Insurance prices are determined by many different factors and change dramatically, so the best price when you bought your policy may now be priced much higher than other options.
How to find budget-friendly auto insurance for a school permit
The list below shows a few thrifty ideas that can help drivers locate lower-cost car insurance.
- Bundle home and auto and earn a discount
- Full coverage may not be needed on older vehicles
- Vehicles with good safety ratings have lower liability rates
- Avoid at-fault accidents and claims
- Good credit scores may lower your rates
- Shop around for lower rates once a year
The last suggestion is certainly significant, as was pointed out in the article above. Coverage prices adjust frequently, so drivers shouldn't be reluctant to buy a policy from a new company if a more affordable rate is found.
Having a favorite company is great, but it's not recommended if your bullheadedness ends up costing you lots of money. In less than five minutes you could compare rates to find cheaper insurance for a school permit in Santa Ana.
The agents listed below can probably provide answers to your questions and help you determine which coverages you need, since some drivers aren't sure which coverage they need and prefer to get help from a professional when shopping around for cheaper insurance for a school permit. It can be challenging to find the cheapest car insurance policy, so getting professional guidance from a licensed agent can give you comfort knowing your policy gives you sufficient protection if you have a claim.
To find a Santa Ana insurance agency close to where you live, click the link at the bottom or click here to get price quotes now.
- First American Property and Casualty Insurance Group
4 First American Way - Santa Ana, CA 92701 - (714) 560-7850 - Farmers Insurance - Samuel Friar
2961 W MacArthur Blvd #123 - Santa Ana, CA 92704 - (714) 662-3830 - Farmers Insurance: Sandy Hocking-Cline
1801 Park Ct Pl - Santa Ana, CA 92701 - (714) 973-9100