It's safe to assume that insurance companies want to keep your business as long as possible. Drivers who shop rates annually will presumably move their business because there is a good probability of finding more affordable rates. A recent insurance study discovered that consumers who regularly compared price quotes saved $865 annually compared to other drivers who didn't regularly shop around.
If finding the cheapest rates on auto insurance in Santa Ana is your target objective, then having some insight into how to choose a company and compare insurance can help you be more efficient.
The preferred way to get budget Toyota Matrix insurance in Santa Ana is to annually compare prices from insurance carriers who provide car insurance in California. You can compare rates by following these steps.
- Get an understanding of policy coverages and the modifications you can make to keep rates in check. Many risk factors that cause rate increases such as accidents, careless driving, and a substandard credit score can be improved by paying attention to minor details. This article provides tips to get affordable coverage and find overlooked discounts.
- Get rate quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can give quotes from a single company like Progressive or State Farm, while independent agencies can provide prices from multiple companies. Find a Santa Ana insurance agent
- Compare the new rates to your current policy premium to see if you can save by switching companies. If you can save money and make a switch, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
The most important part of this process is to try to compare the same liability limits and deductibles on every price quote and and to analyze every insurance company. This provides a fair rate comparison and a complete selection of prices.
Affordable companies for Toyota Matrix insurance
The following companies offer free quotes in California. If the list has multiple companies, we suggest you compare several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Toyota Matrix insurance coverage information
The rate information shown below outlines a range of insurance policy prices for Toyota Matrix models. Understanding how insurance quotes are calculated is important for you to make decisions when shopping your coverage around.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matrix 2WD | $220 | $426 | $456 | $26 | $136 | $1,264 | $105 |
| Matrix S 2WD | $252 | $502 | $456 | $26 | $136 | $1,372 | $114 |
| Matrix S AWD | $252 | $502 | $456 | $26 | $136 | $1,372 | $114 |
| Matrix XRS 2WD | $252 | $502 | $456 | $26 | $136 | $1,372 | $114 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Cost estimates assume married male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and claim-free. Premium costs do not factor in your specific Santa Ana location which can revise rates considerably.
Physical damage deductibles
A question often asked by Santa Ana drivers is where to set your physical damage deductibles. The premium rates below can help you visualize the costs and benefits between high and low policy deductibles. The first price estimate table uses a $250 physical damage deductible and the second pricing table uses a $1,000 deductible.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matrix 2WD | $298 | $576 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,499 | $125 |
| Matrix S 2WD | $342 | $678 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,645 | $137 |
| Matrix S AWD | $342 | $678 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,645 | $137 |
| Matrix XRS 2WD | $342 | $678 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,645 | $137 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matrix 2WD | $184 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,146 | $96 |
| Matrix S 2WD | $210 | $426 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,236 | $103 |
| Matrix S AWD | $210 | $426 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,236 | $103 |
| Matrix XRS 2WD | $210 | $426 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,236 | $103 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Table data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and safe-driver. Price estimates do not factor in specific garaging location which can raise or lower coverage prices significantly.
Based on this data, we can arrive at the conclusion that using a $250 deductible could cost the average driver approximately $33 more each month or $396 every year than opting for the higher $1,000 deductible. Because you would pay $750 more if you turn in a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you usually have at a minimum 23 months between claims, you would come out ahead by selecting a higher deductible.
How to determine when to raise deductibles
| Average monthly premium for $250 deductibles: | $134 |
| Average monthly premium for $1,000 deductibles (subtract): | - $101 |
| Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $33 |
| Difference between deductibles ($1,000 - $250): | $750 |
| Divide difference by monthly savings: | $750 / $33 |
| Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 23 months |
Do you need full coverage?
The diagram below visualizes the comparison of Toyota Matrix insurance costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying the minimum liability limits required in California. The rate quotes are based on a clean driving record, no claims, $100 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Are you wasting money on full coverage?
There is no definitive rule for excluding full coverage, but there is a broad guideline. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than around 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
For example, let's say your Toyota Matrix replacement cost is $8,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company would pay you is $7,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If premium cost is more than $700 annually for your policy with full coverage, then you might consider buying liability only.
There are some situations where buying only liability insurance is not a good idea. If you haven't paid off your loan, you have to keep full coverage in order to satisfy the requirements of the loan. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should not remove full coverage.
Don't neglect these discounts
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but there's a good chance there are discounts that you may not even be aware of. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at quote time, but lesser-known reductions have to be requested specifically in order for you to get them.
- Multi-Vehicle Discounts - Buying a policy with multiple vehicles with the same company qualifies for this discount.
- Discounts for Good Drivers - Drivers without accidents can pay as much as 50% less compared to accident prone drivers.
- Anti-lock Brakes - Cars with ABS braking systems or traction control can stop better under adverse conditions and will save you 10% or more on Matrix insurance in Santa Ana.
- Sign Early and Save - A few larger companies give discounts for buying a new policy prior to your current Matrix insurance policy expiring. Ten percent is about the average savings.
- College Student - Kids who are enrolled in higher education away from home and do not take a car to college may be insured at a cheaper rate.
- Save over 55 - If you're over the age of 55, you could receive a slight reduction on a Santa Ana auto insurance quote.
- Telematics Data Discounts - Insureds that choose to allow their insurance company to monitor when and where they use their vehicle by installing a telematics device such as Progressive's Snapshot could see a rate decrease if they exhibit good driving behavior.
- Payment Method - If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
- Low Mileage Discounts - Maintaining low annual mileage could earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Don't be shocked that many deductions do not apply to the whole policy. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. If you do the math and it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, company stockholders wouldn't be very happy.
The chart below visualizes the comparison of Toyota Matrix yearly insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the rates. The premium estimates are based on a male driver, no violations or claims, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-car, multi-policy, claim-free, marriage, homeowner, and safe-driver discounts applied.
A list of companies and some of their more popular discounts can be found below.
- State Farm offers discounts for good student, Steer Clear safe driver discount, Drive Safe & Save, driver's education, and accident-free.
- Liberty Mutual discounts include exclusive group savings, safety features, good student, multi-policy, and newly married.
- American Family includes discounts for Steer into Savings, air bags, TimeAway discount, mySafetyValet, and early bird.
- Progressive may offer discounts for online signing, good student, continuous coverage, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and multi-policy.
- Farmers Insurance may include discounts for switch companies, business and professional, homeowner, mature driver, multi-car, pay in full, and distant student.
- Auto-Owners Insurance has discounts for anti-theft, safe driver, safe vehicle, paperless, teen driver, and anti-lock brakes.
- SAFECO has savings for anti-theft, homeowner, multi-car, anti-lock brakes, bundle discounts, safe driver, and drive less.
If you need affordable Toyota Matrix insurance quotes, ask all the companies to give you their best rates. All car insurance discounts may not apply to policyholders in Santa Ana. To see a list of insurers with the best discounts in Santa Ana, click this link.
Santa Ana Insurance Prices are Influenced by These Factors
A large part of saving on car insurance is knowing the different types of things that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. If you know what determines base rates, this allows you to make educated decisions that could result in much lower annual insurance costs. Lots of things are used when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are obvious such as your driving history, although some other factors are more obscure like where you live or how financially stable you are.
- Marriage discount - Walking down the aisle can actually save you money on your car insurance policy. Having a spouse usually means you are more mature than a single person and it's statistically proven that married couples file fewer claims.
- High coverage deductibles lower prices - Your deductibles represent how much money you are required to pay before a claim is paid by your company. Insurance for physical damage to your car, aka comp and collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered could be colliding with a stationary object, hail damage, and having a roll-over accident. The more expense you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
- Lower rates for vehicles with better crash test results - Safe vehicles can get you lower premiums. The safest vehicles help reduce the chance of injuries in an accident and lower injury rates means your insurance company pays less and thus lower rates. If your Toyota Matrix scored better than an "acceptable" rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website you are probably receiving a discount.
- Eliminate unneeded extra coverages - There are quite a few extra add-on coverages that you can buy but may not be useful. Insurance for roadside assistance, better glass coverage, and membership fees may be costing you every month. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but if you have no use for them think about removing them and cutting costs.
- Big cities have higher costs - Choosing to live in less populated areas of the country has definite advantages if you are looking for the lowest rates. Residents of big cities regularly have traffic congestion and longer commute times. Fewer drivers translates into fewer accident claims in addition to fewer liability claims.
- Never have policy lapses - Allowing your car insurance policy to lapse can be a fast way to drive up your policy premiums. Not only will you pay higher rates, not being able to provide proof of insurance could result in fines and jail time. You may have to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the California department of motor vehicles.
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Responsible drivers pay less - Having just one moving violation can bump up the cost forty percent or more. Good drivers get better rates compared to bad drivers. Drivers who have received license-revoking violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state's licensing department in order to legally drive a vehicle.
The example below illustrates how violations and fender-benders drive up Toyota Matrix auto insurance rates for different age categories. The costs are based on a single male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
- Deter vehicle theft - Selecting a car model that has an advanced theft prevention system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack help track and prevent car theft and help bring rates down.
Compare rates but work with a local Santa Ana insurance agent
A lot of people prefer to buy from a local agent and doing so can bring peace of mind Most agents can make sure you are properly covered and will help you if you have claims. A nice benefit of getting free rate quotes online is the fact that you can find cheap auto insurance quotes and also buy local. Supporting neighborhood insurance agencies is still important in Santa Ana.
To find an agent, once you fill out this quick form, your insurance coverage information is emailed to companies in Santa Ana that can provide free Santa Ana auto insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. There is no need to contact any insurance agencies because prices are sent instantly to you. If you have a need to compare rates from a specific auto insurance provider, you would need to search and find their rate quote page and submit a quote form there.
If you are searching for a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are a couple of types of agencies that you can choose from. Agents in Santa Ana can be classified as either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments. Either can insure your vehicles properly, but we need to point out the subtle differences since it could factor into the kind of agent you use.
Independent Auto Insurance Agents
Agents of this type can quote rates with many companies so they have the ability to put coverage with lots of companies and potentially find a lower price. If prices rise, they simply move the coverage in-house and you can keep the same agent.
When comparison shopping, you need to get quotes from at least one independent agent to maximize your price options. Most can insure with smaller mutual companies that may have much lower rates than larger companies.
The following is a short list of independent insurance agencies in Santa Ana that can possibly get you free auto insurance rate quotes.
- Velece Insurance
830 N Ross St - Santa Ana, CA 92701 - (714) 558-1034 - View Map - Roberti's Insurance Agency
2128 N Tustin Ave #B - Santa Ana, CA 92705 - (714) 543-2788 - View Map - Santa Ana Insurance
1331 W 1st St #101 - Santa Ana, CA 92703 - (714) 953-9341 - View Map
Exclusive Auto Insurance Agencies
Exclusive agents write business for a single company such as AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance, and Allstate. Exclusive agents cannot compare rates from other companies so they have no alternatives for high prices. Exclusive agencies are well schooled on their products and sales techniques and that allows them to sell at a higher price point. Some people will only use the same agent primarily because of the prominence of the brand rather than having the cheapest rates.
Shown below is a list of exclusive insurance agents in Santa Ana willing to provide rate quotes.
- Farmers Insurance: Sandy Hocking-Cline
1801 Park Ct Pl - Santa Ana, CA 92701 - (714) 973-9100 - View Map - Peggy Bates - State Farm® Insurance Agent
2723 N Bristol St #1 - Santa Ana, CA 92706 - (714) 543-0422 - View Map - Allstate Insurance: Jorge Bendeck
3929 S Bristol St Ste 201 - Santa Ana, CA 92704 - (714) 832-3900 - View Map
Picking the best insurance agent requires you to look at more than just a cheap price quote. These are some questions your agent should answer.
- Will your rates increase after a single accident?
- Does the agent help file claims?
- By raising physical damage deductibles, how much would you save?
- What are their preferred companies if they are an independent agency?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
- Does the agency have a positive business rating?
Cover all your bases
In this article, we presented a lot of information how to find lower-cost Toyota Matrix insurance in Santa Ana. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the better likelihood of getting affordable Santa Ana auto insurance quotes. You may even be surprised to find that the lowest priced auto insurance comes from some of the smallest insurance companies.
More affordable auto insurance in Santa Ana can be found both online and also from your neighborhood Santa Ana agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who do not provide rates over the internet and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent agencies.
While you're price shopping online, don't be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
Additional auto insurance information can be read at these links:
- Airbag FAQ (iihs.org)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Drivers Under 25 in Santa Ana? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Drivers Over Age 50 in Santa Ana? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for a Ford Explorer in Santa Ana? (FAQ)
- How do I File a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Child Safety Seats (Insurance Information Institute)
- Prom Night Tips for Teen Drivers (State Farm)
- If I File a Claim will My Insurance Go Up? (Insurance Information Institute)