It would sure make life easier if we could tell you the one company in Oakland that has the cheapest rates in California. It’s not that easy, however, as there are many unknowns such as your credit score, if you have any driving citations, and the crash test ratings of your vehicle, that all go into determining the rate you pay. If you keep reading, we will teach you about the best ways to avoid paying too much and will hopefully give you a good beginning to your quest for cheaper car insurance in California.
The vehicle model requiring insurance is probably the largest consideration when comparing quotes for low-priced coverage for low income drivers. Vehicles with high performance, poor passenger safety features, or an increased likelihood of liability claims will cost much more to insure than safer, lower-performance models. The information below showcases auto insurance premiums for a number of the most economical vehicles to insure.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $1,393 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,543 |
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $1,631 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 4WD | $1,650 |
| Ford Focus SES 4-Dr Sedan | $1,703 |
| Toyota Corolla XLE | $1,735 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Crew Cab 2WD | $1,789 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4WD 4-Dr | $1,826 |
| Honda Accord LX-S 2-Dr Coupe | $1,856 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $1,866 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $1,888 |
| Volkswagen Jetta LE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,895 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 2WD | $1,912 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $1,917 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LT Crew Cab 2WD | $1,974 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $1,976 |
| Honda Odyssey EX-L W/Navigation | $1,987 |
| Toyota Camry SE | $1,997 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $2,019 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $2,029 |
| Ford Fusion Sport 4-Dr Sedan | $2,022 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LT Regular Cab | $2,025 |
| Kia Optima LX | $2,031 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | |
Above prices assume single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, claim-free, safe-driver, and multi-policy. Information does not factor in zip code location which can lower or raise insurance rates considerably.
By looking at the data, we can assume that models like the Honda CR-V, Toyota Prius, and Ford Escape should be the cheaper vehicles to insure for poor drivers.
Finding dependable, cheap car insurance is difficult, and finding out which company offers the best insurance rates for low income drivers may require additional perseverance. Each company has a proprietary formula to set premium rates, so we need to take a look at the insurance companies that tend to have lower prices in Oakland, CA.
It’s important that readers know that Oakland, CA insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can significantly increase or decrease the cost of coverage. Taking a driver safety course, increasing deductibles, or getting a few speeding tickets may prompt premium changes that can cause some rates to be affordable when they were higher priced.
Find Cheaper Car Insurance in California
USAA normally has some of the lowest car insurance rates in Oakland at around $1,143 annually. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide would also make the list of some of the more affordable Oakland, CA car insurance companies.
As shown in the rates above, if you are a policyholder with Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you could see annual savings of about $3. Drivers with Century National could save as much as $35 a year, and CSAA insureds might lower prices by up to $79 a year.
Remember that these prices are averages for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and and are not calculated with an exact zip code location for low income drivers. So the insurer that has the lowest price for you may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That illustrates why you need to get rate quotes using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
Get discount Oakland auto insurance rates
Auto insurance companies that provide coverage for low income drivers may also offer special discounts that could lower prices by 40% or more if you meet eligibility requirements. Large insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer can be read below.
- GEICO includes discounts for defensive driver, multi-vehicle, emergency military deployment, anti-lock brakes, multi-policy, air bags, and good student.
- Travelers discounts include payment discounts, early quote, good student, new car, hybrid/electric vehicle, home ownership, and multi-policy.
- Farm Bureau offers premium reductions for 55 and retired, renewal discount, multi-policy, driver training, multi-vehicle, good student, and safe driver.
- Liberty Mutual may have discounts that include new move discount, exclusive group savings, good student, hybrid vehicle, and multi-policy.
- American Family offers discounts for mySafetyValet, accident-free, good student, multi-vehicle, and Steer into Savings.
- Progressive may include discounts for online quote discount, online signing, homeowner, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, multi-policy, and good student.
The diagram below illustrates the comparison of annual premium costs with and without some available policy discounts. The price estimates are based on a female driver, a clean driving record, no claims, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The second shows the rates with accident-free, vehicle safety, anti-theft, claim-free, homeowner, and multiple policy discounts applied. In this example, the average amount saved each year on insurance for low income drivers is 28% or $549.
Impact of citations and accidents on Oakland insurance rates
The easiest way to maintain low insurance premiums for poor drivers is to be a safe driver and avoid accidents and traffic citations. The diagram below shows how speeding tickets and at-fault claims drive up insurance prices for each different age group. The data is based on a married female driver, full coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.
The data above shows the average cost of car insurance in Oakland per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,537. Receive two speeding tickets and the average cost jumps to $2,176, an increase of $639 each year. Then throw in two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of insurance for low income drivers jumps again to an average of $4,742. That’s an increase of $3,205, or $267 per month, just for not driving attentively!
The diagram below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles can increase or decrease insurance costs when searching for cheap insurance for low income drivers. The price estimates are based on a single female driver, full coverage, and no discounts are applied.
A 50-year-old driver could lower their policy premium by $420 a year by switching from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $632 by choosing a $1,000 deductible. Even younger insureds, such as the 20-year-old chart data, could shave up to $1,068 every year just by choosing larger deductibles. If you do make the decision to raise your deductibles, it will now be necessary to have enough in a savings account to be able to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense associated with higher deductibles.
If you prefer to get help from a professional when shopping for cheaper insurance for low income drivers, the agents listed below can most likely answer your questions and help you decide which car insurance policy is best.
To locate an Oakland insurance agent closest to you, click the button below the list.
- JCB Insurance Services
6427 Westover Dr – Oakland, CA 94611 – (510) 336-3490 - Allstate Insurance: Liz Drennan
4170 Piedmont Ave c – Oakland, CA 94611 – (510) 594-2090 - Ruth Stroup Insurance Agency
3560 Grand Ave – Oakland, CA 94610 – (510) 874-5700 - On My Way Insurance
320 10th St – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 893-3298