Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for Used Cars in Oakland?

You have probably watched the catchy advertisements from car insurance companies like Liberty Mutual and Nationwide that promise the cheapest rates. So drivers just need to pick the company with the best ad, right?

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple as there are a whole bunch of unknown elements such as your financial responsibility, whether or not you own a home, and if you need full coverage or just liability, that all have an effect on the price. We will touch on the best ways to maintain low rates and also should give you a solid foundation to find cheaper car insurance.

For pre-owned vehicles, one of the more important things that are looked at to help calculate the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you live in Oakland. Areas with more people or more claims tend to have higher auto insurance costs, whereas less populated areas receive better rates.

The next table rates the highest-priced places in California for used cars in which to purchase auto insurance. Oakland is ranked at #3 with an annual cost of $1,704 for coverage, which is approximately $142 each month.

Rates are estimated as the specific area where the vehicle is garaged can alter rates substantially.

Comparing quotes for reasonably-priced insurance is not the easiest thing to do, and determining which companies quote the lowest-priced auto insurance rates for used cars will involve even more shopping around. Every car insurance company uses a little different formula to determine rates, so let’s rank the auto insurance companies with the overall best prices in California.

It’s important to know that California auto insurance rates are impacted by many things that will increase or decrease the cost of your policy. This price variation is why California drivers need to compare as many rates as possible to get the best car insurance rates for used cars. Auto insurance prices are calculated by many factors and change dramatically, so the lowest-price company the last time you shopped your coverage around may now be priced much higher than other options.

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USAA normally has some of the best car insurance rates in Oakland at around $1,121 annually. This is $530 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Nationwide, and Century National also qualify as some of the more affordable Oakland, CA insurance companies.

In the above example, if you currently have coverage with Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you could see an annual premium reduction of in the vicinity of $71. Drivers with CSAA might save as much as $77 a year, and Nationwide customers might reduce rates by $92 a year.

Bear in mind that those rates are averaged across all insureds and vehicles and do not take into consideration an exact vehicle garaging location for used cars. So the car insurance company that has the cheapest price for you may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That point stresses why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own driver and vehicle profiles.

The make and model of vehicle that is being insured is probably the largest consideration when comparing quotes for cheaper coverage for used cars. Vehicles with lots of horsepower, a lack of advanced safety features, or an increased likelihood of liability claims will cost substantially more to insure than safer models.

The table below features auto insurance rates for a selection of the most economical vehicles to insure.

Premium data assumes single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Rate information does not factor in vehicle garaging location which can lower or raise coverage prices significantly.

Based upon these rates, we can presume that makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Toyota Prius, Honda Accord, Honda Civic, and Volkswagen Jetta will definitely be a few of the less-costly vehicles to insure for pre-owned vehicles.

Violations and accidents raise rates

The easiest method to obtain affordable auto insurance prices in Oakland for pre-owned vehicles is to drive safely and avoid getting tickets or having accidents. The information below shows how speeding tickets and at-fault claims increase insurance costs for different age groups. Data assumes a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.

The data in the chart shows the average cost of an auto insurance policy per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $2,091. Add in one speeding ticket and the average cost increases to $2,410, an increase of $319 each year. Then include one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the 12-month cost of auto insurance for used cars increases to an average of $3,300. That’s an increase of $1,210, or $101 per month, just for not being attentive to the road!

How to get discounts on Oakland car insurance

Insurance providers that sell policies for used cars may provide discounts that may potentially lower prices by 30% or more if you meet specific criteria. A few of the larger companies and some of the premium reductions they offer can be found below.

• American Family has savings for mySafetyValet, multi-vehicle, Steer into Savings, good student, accident-free, and TimeAway discount.
• Farm Bureau discounts include 55 and retired, renewal discount, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and good student.
• State Farm offers discounts including multiple policy, safe vehicle, driver’s education, multiple autos, and defensive driving training.
• Travelers may include discounts for IntelliDrive, multi-car, early quote, hybrid/electric vehicle, good student, student away at school, and continuous insurance.
• The Hartford offers premium reductions for driver training, vehicle fuel type, good student, bundle, defensive driver, and air bag.
• GEICO may offer discounts for seat belt use, air bags, anti-lock brakes, defensive driver, federal employee, and driver training.
• Progressive has discounts for multi-policy, homeowner, online signing, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, good student, and continuous coverage.

The example below shows the difference between insurance premiums with and without policy discounts. The premiums assume a male driver, no accidents, no driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $250 deductibles.

The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with marriage, accident-free, homeowner, claim-free, multiple vehicle, and vehicle safety discounts applied. When these discounts are applied, the average amount saved each year on auto insurance for used cars is 28% or $640.

Choosing a good quality car insurance provider can be challenging considering how many companies sell coverage in Oakland. The company ratings in the lists below can help you select which car insurance providers to look at when trying to find cheaper insurance for used cars.

The ratings below are only made up of the largest companies in America, so companies with more of a regional focus will not be included in this list. If you’d like to compare prices from these and other competitive companies, follow this link.

Top 10 Major Car Insurance Companies in Oakland Ranked by Customer Service

1. AAA of Southern California
2. GEICO
3. State Farm
4. The Hartford
5. Mercury Insurance
6. The General
7. Progressive
8. Allstate
9. AAA Insurance
10. American Family

Top 10 Major Car Insurance Companies Overall in Oakland

1. USAA
2. American Family
3. AAA of Southern California
4. State Farm
5. The Hartford
6. AAA Insurance
7. GEICO
8. The General
9. Titan Insurance
10. Progressive

Ideas to find more affordable auto insurance for used cars

The list below details many money-saving solutions that can help California drivers locate low-cost coverage.

• Save money by obeying traffic laws and keeping a clean driving record
• Buy vehicles with five-star safety ratings
• Maintain a safe distance and avoid accidents
• Good credit scores may lower your rates
• Higher deductibles mean lower rates
• Drop full coverage on older vehicles
• Comparison shop at least once a year

The last tip is extremely critical, as was stressed in the prior article. Prices charged by car insurance companies can be adjusted at any time, so drivers shouldn’t be reluctant to buy a policy from a new company if a more affordable price is available.

Many drivers tend to have loyalty to a certain company, but is isn’t recommended if that stubbornness costs you big bucks every year. Take a few minutes and compare prices and find cheaper insurance for used cars in Oakland.

If you wish to have the advice of a professional agent when shopping around for cheaper insurance for pre-owned vehicles, the insurance agencies below can help you determine which car insurance policy is best. To find an Oakland insurance agent nearest to you, click the link at the bottom.

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