The words “low-cost” and “insurance” probably shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, in particular when trying to find the best coverage prices for safe drivers. To save some money, let’s take a look at some of the things that determine insurance prices, and figure out some ways to take the sting out of your next policy.
Finding reliable, cost effective insurance is tough enough, and deciding which companies quote the best car insurance rates for safe drivers will involve even more rate comparisons. Every insurance provider has their own guidelines for determining rates in each state, so we’ll take a look at the most competitive car insurance companies in Los Angeles, CA.
It’s a good idea to be aware that Los Angeles car insurance rates are based on many factors that will increase or decrease the policy price. Events such as a birthday, buying a different vehicle, or having an accident can trigger rate changes that may make certain companies higher-priced than before.
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| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,155 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,157 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,190 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,198 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,263 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,338 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,491 |
| 8 | Allstate | $1,497 |
| 9 | Progressive | $1,512 |
| 10 | Mercury | $1,533 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,559 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,591 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,654 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,682 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $1,733 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,831 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,026 |
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USAA generally has some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Los Angeles at around $1,155 per year. This is $496 less than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide would also make the list of some of the best Los Angeles, CA insurance companies.
As the rates illustrate above, if you are a policyholder with CSAA and switched to Wawanesa, you could see savings of in the neighborhood of $41. California drivers with Nationwide may save as much as $106 a year, and 21st Century insureds might see rate reductions of $181 a year.
Bear in mind that those premiums are averages for all types of insureds and vehicles and and are not figured with an exact vehicle garaging location for safe drivers. So the car insurance company that can offer the best rates for your situation may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That affirms the importance of why you need to get rate quotes using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
The vehicle model you are trying to insure is one of the main factors when comparison shopping for the lowest-priced car insurance for safe drivers. Vehicles with high performance features, a lack of safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than more economical and safe models. The list below outlines auto insurance costs for a number of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure in California.
| Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $1,982 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $2,169 |
| Honda Odyssey LX | $2,175 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $2,302 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $2,362 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 2WD | $2,391 |
| Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $2,413 |
| Toyota Prius | $2,422 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $2,426 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Super Cab 4WD | $2,477 |
| Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $2,511 |
| Ford Edge SEL 2WD | $2,518 |
| GMC Sierra 3500HD SLE Regular Cab 2WD | $2,559 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 4WD | $2,569 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $2,584 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Off-Road Package 4WD | $2,619 |
| Honda Accord LX-S 2-Dr Coupe | $2,635 |
| Honda Civic LX-S 4-Dr Sedan | $2,657 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $2,702 |
| Toyota Camry SE | $2,708 |
| Nissan Rogue S 2WD | $2,743 |
| Toyota Corolla XRS | $2,759 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $2,767 |
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Data assumes single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, homeowner, safe-driver, and claim-free. Rates do not factor in specific location which can revise price quotes greatly.
Looking at the numbers, we can presume that cars like the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Elantra, Honda Odyssey, Chevrolet Impala, and Volkswagen Jetta are most likely to be the most economical vehicles to insure for good drivers.
One of the many things that determine car insurance rates is where you keep your vehicle in Los Angeles. Cities with larger populations likely pay more, whereas areas with less people or fewer weather incidents profit from lower rates.
The following table sorts the most expensive areas in California for safe drivers to purchase auto insurance in. Los Angeles ranks #1 with a yearly premium of $2,168 for car insurance, which is around $181 each month.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,168 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,142 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,704 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,703 |
| 6 | Long Beach | $1,610 |
| 7 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
| 8 | Fontana | $1,581 |
| 9 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
| 10 | Stockton | $1,556 |
| 11 | Moreno Valley | $1,536 |
| 12 | Garden Grove | $1,508 |
| 13 | Fresno | $1,502 |
| 14 | Modesto | $1,487 |
| 15 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,453 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,395 |
| 19 | San Diego | $1,381 |
| 20 | Huntington Beach | $1,374 |
| 21 | Fremont | $1,361 |
| 22 | Bakersfield | $1,353 |
| 23 | Oxnard | $1,344 |
| 24 | Irvine | $1,343 |
| 25 | Chula Vista | $1,337 |
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Prices are estimated as the specific zip code location can alter rates substantially.
Impact of citations and accidents on Los Angeles insurance rates
The ideal way to find affordable car insurance rates in Los Angeles for good drivers is to be a good driver and avoid accidents and keep your driving record clean. The chart below demonstrates how speeding tickets and at-fault accidents increase car insurance rates for different insured age categories. The rates are based on a married male driver, full coverage, $100 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
In the chart above, the average cost of an auto insurance policy per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $2,882. Get two speeding tickets and the average cost jumps to $3,996, an increase of $1,114 each year. Next add one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of car insurance for safe drivers goes up to an average of $5,138. That’s an increase of $2,256, or $188 per month, just for not driving responsibly!
Discounts on Los Angeles auto insurance
Insurers that sell policies for safe drivers may provide premium discounts that can lower rates by as much as 35% or more if you are eligible. Companies and the discounts they provide include:
- Farmers Insurance may include discounts for mature driver, early shopping, switch companies, good student, youthful driver, alternative fuel, and electronic funds transfer.
- State Farm includes discounts for defensive driving training, driver’s education, good driver, multiple autos, student away at school, and safe vehicle.
- Liberty Mutual policyholders can earn discounts including hybrid vehicle, newly retired, new vehicle discount, multi-policy, new move discount, safety features, and new graduate.
- MetLife discounts include accident-free, multi-policy, good driver, good student, claim-free, and defensive driver.
- Progressive may have discounts that include online signing, good student, multi-policy, online quote discount, continuous coverage, homeowner, and multi-vehicle.
The chart below shows the difference between car insurance rates with and without some available policy discounts. The data assumes a male driver, no claims or driving citations, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $100 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with multiple policy, marriage, safe-driver, homeowner, vehicle safety, and anti-theft discounts applied. When these discounts are applied to the policy premium, the average savings per year on car insurance for safe drivers is 28% or $698.
Shop around and save
California car insurance rates are calculated based on many things which can substantially decrease or increase the price of your policy. Improving your credit rating, having a claim, or getting a couple of tickets may cause policy rate changes that can cause some rates to be cheaper than competitors. In addition, insurance companies file new rates as often as every three months to reflect underwriting profits or losses. Higher than normal claims may cause rate increases, while profitable underwriting may result in lower-priced Los Angeles car insurance rates.
For example, the bar chart below shows the companies that have the cheapest car insurance in Los Angeles, CA for a 40-year-old female driver with no prior claims, no tickets, and solid credit. If we compare prices based on her current rating profile, USAA may offer the best car insurance rates in Los Angeles at $1,777 a year. This is $126 more than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Nationwide, and Century National are also included in the cheapest Los Angeles, CA auto insurance companies.
The next chart shows rates after we give the driver from the first example a chargeable claim, a lower credit rating, and a few traffic violations. Since every insurance provider uses their own method for determining rates, comparing quotes will most likely result in a different ranking of the cheapest car insurance companies in Los Angeles as shown below.
Grange now has the cheapest price in Los Angeles, CA with Mercury, Progressive, Allied, and Allstate now being in the top five. This demonstrates why drivers need to compare as many rates as possible when trying to get the lowest car insurance quotes for safe drivers.
Insurance rates can be altered by many different factors and can change substantially, so the best company six months ago may now be priced much higher than other options.
Ideas for finding low-cost auto insurance for safe drivers
It’s not impossible to find cheaper rates, and here are some of the better penny-pinching ideas that can help you buy low-cost coverage.
- Do not pay for full coverage on older vehicles
- Buy vehicles with good safety ratings
- Pay lower rates with good credit
- Accidents can significantly increase rates
- Buying car and homeowners insurance together can save money
- Ensure you have the best deal by shopping around regularly
That final tip is particularly significant, as we emphasized in the prior article. Car insurance rates can change in a short period of time, so drivers shouldn’t be resistant to buy from a new company if a more affordable price is available.
We understand brand loyalty, but it’s not a great idea if that faithfulness ends up costing you several hundred dollars every year. It only takes a couple minutes to compare prices to find cheaper auto insurance for safe drivers in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles car insurance agencies listed below are willing to help you determine which auto insurance policy fits you best, since many consumers aren’t sure which coverage to buy and prefer to have the advice of a professional agent when comparing insurance rates for safe drivers. It can be hard to find the cheapest rates, so a professional agent can give peace of mind knowing you have adequate asset protection.
To locate a Los Angeles insurance agent in your neighborhood, click the link after the list.
- Shomer Insurance Agency
4221 Wilshire Blvd #222 – Los Angeles, CA 90010 – (323) 934-8160 - Ted Hope – State Farm Insurance Agent
2049 W Manchester Ave – Los Angeles, CA 90047 – (323) 752-4885 - Young Pyo – State Farm Insurance Agent
3700 Wilshire Blvd #567 – Los Angeles, CA 90010 – (213) 365-1600