Auto Insurance Rates for a Chevy Equinox in Oakland

If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to find discount Chevy Equinox insurance in Oakland is to compare quotes annually from insurers who provide car insurance in California.

• Step 1: Try to learn about how your policy works and the measures you can control to drop your rates. Many rating criteria that result in higher rates such as accidents, traffic tickets, and a substandard credit score can be amended by being financially responsible and driving safely.
• Step 2: Obtain price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only provide price estimates from a single company like Progressive or State Farm, while independent agencies can quote rates from multiple sources. Compare rates now
• Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your current policy to see if a cheaper price is available in Oakland. If you find a lower rate, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
• Step 4: Provide adequate notice to your current company to cancel your current policy and submit the signed application along with the required initial payment to your new carrier. When you receive it, put the certificate verifying proof of insurance in your glove compartment.

The most important part of shopping around is that you use the same deductibles and limits on every quote request and and to get quotes from as many car insurance companies as possible. Doing this guarantees a fair price comparison and a complete price analysis.

Unthinkable but true, a large majority of drivers have stayed with the same insurance company for at least the last four years, and virtually 40% of consumers have never quoted rates to find cheaper coverage. American consumers could save 47% a year by just comparing rate quotes, but they just assume it takes a lot of time to shop their coverage around.

Lower Insurance Rates with These Tips

Multiple criteria are used in the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. Some of the criteria are obvious such as your driving history, but others are less apparent such as your credit history or your commute time. A large part of saving on auto insurance is knowing some of the elements that go into determining auto insurance rates. When you understand what controls the rates you pay, this enables informed choices that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

Shown below are just a few of the factors used by your company to calculate rates.

• An active policy claims history can cost you – If you file claims often, you shouldn’t be surprised to get higher rates. Auto insurance companies in California award lower rates to people who only file infrequent claims. Insurance coverage is intended for larger claims.
• Occupation impacts prices – Occupational choices like judges, air traffic controllers, and accountants have higher premium rates due to intense work-related stress and incredibly demanding work hours. Conversely, occupations like farmers, athletes and retirees pay the least.

• Performance makes a difference – The make and model of the car or truck you need insurance for makes a huge difference in your car insurance bill. The best insurance prices tend to be for lower performance four cylinder passenger cars, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.

  The following chart uses these assumptions: married female driver age 30, full coverage with $250 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. It compares Chevrolet Equinox policy rates compared to other models of vehicles that have different performance rating factors.

• Rates increase with driving citations – Drivers with clean records get better prices compared to drivers with tickets. Having just one driving citation can increase the cost of insurance twenty percent or more. Drivers who get flagrant violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may be required to maintain a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.

  The diagram below shows how traffic citations and accidents increase Chevy Equinox car insurance rates for each different age group. The data is based on a married male driver, full physical damage coverage, $500 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.

• Chevy Equinox claim statistics – Insurers study historical loss data to help set a rate to offset losses. Models that the data determines to have a higher amount or frequency of claims will have a higher cost to insure. The next table shows the collected loss data for Chevy Equinox vehicles.

  For each policy coverage type, the claim amount for all vehicles combined as an average is set at 100. Percentages below 100 imply a favorable loss record, while values that are above 100 indicate a higher chance of having a claim or an increased chance of a larger loss.

  
  

  Insurance Loss Ratings for Chevrolet Equinox Vehicles

  Vehicle Make and Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Chevrolet Equinox 4dr 2WD	82	86	74	101	104	93
  Chevrolet Equinox 4dr 4WD	84	88	85	89	93	81

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Data Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years

Chevy Equinox insurance charts and tables

The price information shown next showcases a range of insurance coverage prices for Chevy Equinox models. Having a good grasp of how rates are formulated can be useful when making smart choices when comparing insurance rates.

Above prices assume single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, and multi-policy. Prices do not factor in specific Oakland garaging location which can decrease or increase price quotes noticeably.

How high should deductibles be?

The hardest decision when buying coverage is where should you set your physical damage deductibles. The tables below help summarize the differences in premium rates between high and low coverage deductibles. The first set of rates uses a $250 physical damage coverage deductible and the second price table uses a $1,000 deductible.

Prices above based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Rates do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can increase or decrease rates greatly.

Based on the figures above, using a $250 deductible will cost in the ballpark of $33 more each month or $396 for a full year across all Chevrolet Equinox models than buying the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would pay $750 more if you file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you usually have at a minimum 23 months between claim filings, you would probably come out ahead if you elect the higher deductible. The table below illustrates the way you can perform this determination yourself.

The diagram below demonstrates how deductibles and can change Chevy Equinox insurance prices for different ages of insureds. The information is based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, and no policy discounts are applied.

Full coverage versus liability only rates

The information below illustrates the difference between Chevy Equinox insurance rates with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The rate quotes are based on no tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

Should you be buying full coverage?

There is no written rule of when to eliminate physical damage insurance, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of coverage is more than around 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.

For example, let’s assume your Chevy Equinox replacement cost is $3,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most you would get paid by your company is $2,000 after paying your deductible. If it’s costing in excess of $200 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.

There are some circumstances where only buying liability is not a good idea. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you have to maintain full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest in the vehicle. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should not opt for liability only.

Save a ton on Chevy Equinox insurance in Oakland with these discounts

Companies do not advertise all discounts very well, so we took the time to find some of the more common as well as some of the hidden discounts you could be receiving when you buy Oakland auto insurance online. If you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you could be saving more on your car insurance.

• New Car Discount – Putting coverage on a new Equinox can save up to 30% due to better safety requirements for new vehicles.
• Discount for Good Grades – Maintaining excellent grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
• Claim Free – Good drivers with no accidents have much lower rates when compared to frequent claim filers.
• Life Insurance Discount – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a break if you buy a life policy as well.
• Active Service Discounts – Being deployed in the military could be rewarded with lower rates.
• Multiple Vehicles – Having primary and secondary vehicles with the same car insurance company can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
• Telematics Data Discounts – Drivers that enable data collection to spy on driving habits by using a small device installed in their vehicle such as Drivewise from Allstate or Snapshot from Progressive could save a few bucks if they show good driving skills.
• Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts as much as 30%.
• Discount for Low Mileage – Driving fewer miles could earn slightly better car insurance rates than normal.
• Senior Citizens – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you can get a small decrease in premiums.

Drivers should understand that some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.

The information below compares Chevy Equinox insurance costs with and without discounts applied. The price estimates are based on a female driver, a clean driving record, no claims, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with claim-free, marriage, homeowner, multi-policy, safe-driver, and multi-car discounts applied.

A partial list of companies who may offer these discounts include:

• GEICO
• USAA
• Progressive
• American Family
• Esurance
• Farmers Insurance
• State Farm

If you need lower rates, check with all companies you are considering which discounts you qualify for. Savings may not be available in Oakland. If you would like to view providers that offer many of these discounts in Oakland, follow this link.

Persistent drivers can save

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, do not buy poor coverage just to save money. In many instances, an accident victim reduced full coverage only to find out they didn’t have enough coverage. Your focus should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.

Consumers switch companies for a variety of reasons including poor customer service, lack of trust in their agent, high rates after DUI convictions and even unfair underwriting practices. No matter why you want to switch, choosing a new insurance company can be pretty painless.

Budget-friendly car insurance in Oakland can be found on the web and from local insurance agents, so get free Oakland auto insurance quotes from both of them in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who don’t offer the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent insurance agencies.

Additional detailed information is located in these articles:

• Safety Features for Your New Car (State Farm)
• How Much is Oakland Auto Insurance for Postal Workers? (FAQ)
• How Much is Car Insurance for 16 Year Olds in Oakland? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for High Mileage Drivers in Oakland? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for a Subaru Outback in Oakland? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Oakland Auto Insurance Quotes for Homeowners? (FAQ)
• Safe Vehicles for Teens (iihs.org)
• What is Gap Insurance? (Insurance Information Institute)
• Self-driving cars won’t replace humans (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)