Really, the only way to find low-cost prices for Scion tC insurance in Santa Ana is to do an annual price comparison from providers who provide auto insurance in California. You can shop around by completing these steps.
Step 1: Get an understanding of what coverages are included in your policy and the measures you can take to prevent rate increases. Many rating criteria that increase rates like speeding tickets, careless driving and an unacceptable credit score can be improved by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes. This article gives tips to help find cheaper rates and find discounts that may have been missed.
Step 2: Obtain price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide prices from multiple sources.
Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your existing coverage to see if a cheaper rate is available. If you find a lower rate quote, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
An essential thing to point out is to try to use the same deductibles and limits on each price quote and and to look at as many different insurance providers as possible. Doing this guarantees an apples-to-apples comparison and a better comparison of the market.
Unbelievable but true, almost 70% of drivers in California kept buying from the same company for at least the last four years, and nearly the majority have never compared rates with other companies. The average driver in the U.S. can save hundreds of dollars each year, but they don't believe the big savings they would realize if they replace their high priced policy.
When comparison shopping, there are several ways to compare quotes from many different California insurance companies. The best way to do a complete rate comparison consists of shopping online.
Just remember that obtaining a wide range of quotes helps locate lower pricing.
The companies shown below are our best choices to provide quotes in California. If multiple companies are shown, we recommend you visit two to three different companies in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Scion tC insurance coverage information
The premium information shown below outlines estimates of insurance coverage prices for Scion tC models. Learning as much as possible about how insurance prices are formulated can help customers make decisions when shopping around.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TC 2-Dr Hatchback | $292 | $774 | $520 | $30 | $156 | $1,772 | $148 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Prices above based on married female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and claim-free. Table data does not factor in specific location which can alter premiums considerably.
Choosing deductibles
One frequently asked question is how high should the deductibles for physical damage be. The comparison tables below lay out the differences in premium rates when you choose different deductibles. The first rate estimation uses a $100 deductible for comp and collision and the second price chart uses a $1,000 deductible.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TC 2-Dr Hatchback | $380 | $932 | $552 | $32 | $166 | $2,087 | $174 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TC 2-Dr Hatchback | $210 | $490 | $552 | $32 | $166 | $1,450 | $121 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Prices based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Premium costs do not factor in specific zip code location which can affect premium rates noticeably.
Based on these figures, using a $100 deductible costs approximately $53 more each month or $636 each year than choosing the higher $1,000 deductible. Because you would pay $900 more if you turn in a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally go at a minimum 17 months between claims, you would save more money if you choose a higher deductible.
Full coverage versus liability only rates
The information below illustrates the comparison of Scion tC premium costs with full coverage and liability only. The costs are based on no accidents or driving violations, $100 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied.
When to switch to liability coverage only
There is no exact formula for eliminating physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is 10% or more of the vehicle's replacement cost less your deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
For example, let's assume your Scion tC claim settlement value is $5,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most your company will settle for is $4,000 after you pay the deductible. If it's costing you more than $400 a year for your policy with full coverage, then it might be time to buy liability only.
There are some situations where dropping full coverage is not financially feasible. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to keep full coverage in order to prevent your loan from defaulting. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should keep full coverage on your policy.
Determine discounts on Santa Ana auto insurance
Some insurance providers don't always advertise the entire discount list very well, so the following is a list of a few of the more common and also the more inconspicuous credits available to you.
- No Charge for an Accident - This isn't a discount exactly, but companies like Liberty Mutual and GEICO allow you one accident without getting socked with a rate hike if you are claim-free for a set time period.
- Payment Discounts - If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
- Bundle and Save - If you can bundle your home and auto insurance with one company you could save at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
- Paperwork-free - A few auto insurance companies provide a small discount shop Santa Ana car insurance online.
- Service Members Pay Less - Being deployed in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
- Claim Free - Good drivers with no accidents have much lower rates as compared to bad drivers.
- Good Driver Discount - Accident-free drivers can save up to 40% or more on their Santa Ana car insurance quote than their less cautious counterparts.
Remember that some credits don't apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, you're out of luck. Any amount of discount will definitely reduce your overall bill.
The example below shows the difference between Scion tC auto insurance costs with and without policy discounts. The rates are based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no claims, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, marriage, safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, and multi-car discounts applied.
Companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are shown below.
- GEICO may include discounts for seat belt use, membership and employees, multi-vehicle, anti-lock brakes, emergency military deployment, multi-policy, and defensive driver.
- MetLife offers discounts including claim-free, multi-policy, good driver, good student, and defensive driver.
- State Farm has discounts for Steer Clear safe driver discount, multiple policy, good driver, anti-theft, defensive driving training, and good student.
- Progressive includes discounts for multi-policy, multi-vehicle, good student, online signing, and online quote discount.
- Mercury Insurance offers premium reductions for anti-theft, multi-policy, age of vehicle, ease of repair, good driver, and type of vehicle.
- 21st Century has savings for anti-lock brakes, early bird, theft prevention, air bags, defensive driver, and homeowners.
- Allstate discounts include resident student, teenSMART discount, 55 and retired, early signing, anti-theft, utility vehicle, and anti-lock brakes.
Before purchasing a policy, check with each company the best way to save money. Some discounts might not be offered on policies in your area. If you would like to view companies with discount rates in Santa Ana, follow this link.
Buying the right vehicle insurance in California is an important decision
Despite the high insurance cost for a Scion tC in Santa Ana, insuring your vehicle may be required and benefits you in several ways.
- Just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means the state requires specific limits of liability insurance if you don't want to risk a ticket. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
- If your tC has a loan, more than likely the lender will have a requirement that you buy full coverage to guarantee loan repayment. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the bank may buy a policy for your Scion for a much higher rate and force you to reimburse them for the much more expensive policy.
- Insurance protects both your assets and your vehicle. It will also cover hospital and medical expenses for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you cause an accident and are sued. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, your policy will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of having insurance are definitely more than the cost, especially if you ever need it. Despite what companies tell you, the average driver overpays as much as $830 a year so shop around every year to ensure rates are inline.
Which policy gives me the best coverage?
When it comes to a policy, there isn't really a perfect coverage plan. Everyone's needs are different.
These are some specific questions could help you determine whether or not you would benefit from an agent's advice.
- Are my friends covered when driving my car?
- Should I get collision insurance on every vehicle?
- How can I get the company to pay a claim?
- What is roadside assistance coverage?
- Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in California?
- Is there a penalty for late payment?
- Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
- Does my insurance cover damage caused when ticketed for reckless driving?
- Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
- Does every company file a SR-22 automatically?
If you're not sure about those questions, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.
Auto insurance agents can help
Certain consumers still prefer to have an agent's advice and often times that is recommended A good thing about getting free rate quotes online is that you can find better rates and still have a local agent. And buying from local agents is important especially in Santa Ana.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents in Santa Ana who will give you quotes for your coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to even leave your home as quotes are delivered directly to you. You'll get the best rates and a licensed agent to work with. In the event you want to get a price quote from a specific auto insurance provider, you would need to jump over to their website and complete a quote there.
When searching for local Santa Ana agents, there are two different agency structures and how they operate. Auto insurance agents are considered either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.
Independent Agents
Agents that choose to be independent do not work for one specific company and that enables them to quote your coverage with multiple insurance companies depending on which coverage is best. To transfer your coverage to a different company, they can switch companies in-house and you can keep the same agent.
If you are comparing auto insurance prices, it's a good idea to compare quotes from independent agents to ensure the widest selection of prices. Many can place coverage with lesser-known insurance companies that may have much lower rates than larger companies.
The following is a partial list of independent insurance agencies in Santa Ana that may be able to give you price quotes.
- Mary Juarez Insurance
1227 W 1st St c - Santa Ana, CA 92703 - (714) 542-5914 - View Map - Sureguard Insurance Agency Inc
555 Park Center Dr #118 - Santa Ana, CA 92705 - (714) 464-8010 - View Map - Leavitt Group - Leavitt Insurance Services of Southern California
1820 E First St #500 - Santa Ana, CA 92705 - (714) 569-2700 - View Map
Exclusive Auto Insurance Agencies
These type of agents can only provide one company's prices and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Exclusive agencies are unable to provide rate quotes from other companies so it's a take it or leave it situation. These agents receive a lot of sales training on sales techniques which helps them compete with independent agents. A lot of people buy from exclusive agents primarily because of the brand legacy and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.
Below is a list of exclusive agents in Santa Ana that can give you comparison quotes.
- Kelly Davis - State Farm Insurance Agent
2677 N Main St #150 - Santa Ana, CA 92705 - (714) 647-6303 - View Map - Farmers Insurance - Eduardo Machado
1701 N Main St Ste 180 - Santa Ana, CA 92706 - (714) 352-0700 - View Map - Farmers Insurance - Maria Guerrero
1647 E First St a - Santa Ana, CA 92701 - (714) 285-0303 - View Map
Selecting a insurance agency requires more thought than just a cheap price quote. These are some questions you should get answers to.
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- Are they involved in claim handling?
- Will a damage claim use OEM or aftermarket replacement parts?
- Do the coverages you're quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- Will they give you a referral list?
If you receive acceptable answers for all questions you ask and an acceptable price quote, most likely you have located a car insurance agent that is a good match to service your policy. Keep in mind policyholders can cancel your coverage when you choose so never assume you're contractually obligated to a specific company for the entire policy term.