Affordable Insurance for an Acura ZDX in Irvine

It’s an obvious assumption that auto insurance companies don’t want you to compare rates. People who shop around once a year will probably buy a new policy because there are good odds of finding a lower-cost company. A recent survey found that drivers who routinely compared quotes saved over $850 each year compared to other drivers who never compared prices.

If finding the lowest rates on auto insurance in Irvine is your objective, then learning about how to find and compare coverage rates can save money and time.

It takes a few minutes, but the best way to find low-cost Acura ZDX insurance in Irvine is to compare quotes once a year from different companies in California. Drivers can shop around by completing these steps.

1. Spend a few minutes and learn about car insurance and the steps you can take to prevent expensive coverage. Many rating factors that cause rate increases like accidents, traffic violations, and a substandard credit history can be eliminated by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
2. Obtain price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only quote rates from a single company like GEICO and State Farm, while agents who are independent can give you price quotes from multiple sources.
3. Compare the quotes to your existing coverage to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you can save money and buy the policy, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
4. Provide adequate notice to your current company to cancel the current policy and submit a down payment along with a completed application for the new coverage. Make sure you store the certificate verifying proof of insurance in an accessible location in your vehicle.

The key thing to know about shopping around is that you’ll want to make sure you compare similar limits and deductibles on each quote request and and to get rates from as many carriers as you can. This ensures the most accurate price comparison and the most accurate and complete price analysis.

The Acura ZDX Insurance Cost Equation

Many factors are part of the equation when pricing auto insurance. Some are obvious like a motor vehicle report, although others are less obvious like where you live or your vehicle rating.

Raising coverage deductibles lowers prices – Your deductibles tell how much you are required to pay if you file a covered claim. Physical damage protection, aka comp and collision, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply would be collision with another vehicle, fire damage, and damage caused by road hazards. The more money the insured is willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.

Deter theft and pay less – Selecting a car model that has a built-in theft deterrent system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system help track and prevent your vehicle from being stolen.

Amount of liability coverage – Liability insurance will provide protection if ever you are ruled to be at fault for physical damage or personal injury to other. Your policy’s liability insurance provides legal defense which can cost a lot. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.

Are women or men drivers cheaper? – Statistics demonstrate that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. It does not mean males are worse at driving than females. Women and men tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the men have costlier accidents. In addition to higher claims, males also receive more major tickets like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving. Male teenagers have the highest risk to insure so it costs more to insure them.

The illustration below illustrates the difference between Acura ZDX insurance premiums for male and female drivers. Data assumes no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

Your address can influence price – Having an address in less populated areas can be a good thing when trying to find low car insurance rates. Less people living in that area means a lower chance of having an accident and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Drivers in populated California areas tend to have more road rage incidents and much longer commute distances. Longer commute distances statistically corresponds to a higher accident and claim rate.

Insurance statistics for an Acura ZDX

The table shown next covers different insurance premium costs for Acura ZDX models. Having knowledge of how insurance premiums are figured helps drivers make decisions when shopping your coverage around.

Prices above based on single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Price information does not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can affect prices significantly.

Can higher deductibles save money?

A question often asked by Irvine drivers is how high should the physical damage coverage deductibles be. The rates shown below may aid in understanding how much more you’ll pay when you buy lower versus higher coverage deductibles. The first table uses a $100 physical damage deductible and the second price chart uses a $500 deductible.

Data variables include married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Rates do not factor in specific location which can influence price quotes considerably.

Using the premium rates above, we can conclude that using a $100 deductible will cost you approximately $40 more each month or $480 annually than quoting the higher $500 deductible. Since you would pay $400 more if you turn in a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you average at least 10 months between claims, you would save money going with the higher deductible.

The example below highlights how deductible choice and can impact Acura ZDX yearly insurance costs for different insured age categories. The information is based on a married male driver, full physical damage coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.

Full coverage rates compared to liability-only

The chart below shows the difference between Acura ZDX annual premium costs with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The prices are based on no tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are factored in.

When to drop comp and collision

There is no exact formula to delete physical damage insurance, but there is a general guideline. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than about 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then you might consider buying liability only.

For example, let’s say your Acura ZDX replacement value is $4,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most you would receive is $3,000 after paying your deductible. If it’s costing in excess of $300 annually for physical damage coverage, then it could be time to drop full coverage.

There are a few cases where only buying liability is not financially feasible. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you are required to maintain full coverage as part of the loan requirements. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should maintain full coverage.

Verify you’re earning every discount

Companies that sell car insurance don’t always publicize the entire discount list very well, so here is a list some of the best known and the more hidden discounts that you may qualify for.

• First Accident Forgiveness – Not really a discount, but certain companies may permit one accident before they charge you more for coverage with the catch being you have to be claim-free for a particular time prior to the accident.
• Government Employees – Employees or retirees of the government could cut as much as 10% off depending on your insurance provider.
• Discount for Low Mileage – Driving less can qualify you for lower insurance rates on the low mileage vehicles.
• Save over 55 – Drivers over the age of 55 are able to get better insurance rates.
• Paperless Signup – Many companies may give you up to $50 shop Irvine auto insurance on the internet.
• Discounts for Responsible Drivers – Accident-free drivers may save up to 50% more as compared to drivers with claims.
• Military Discounts – Being on active duty in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
• Professional Memberships – Belonging to qualifying employment or professional organizations can get you a small discount on insurance.
• More Vehicles More Savings – Buying insurance for multiple vehicles on the same insurance policy can get a discount for every vehicle.
• Homeowners Savings – Simply owning a home can help you save on insurance because of the fact that having a home means you have a higher level of financial diligence.

As a sidenote, some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, that’s just not realistic.

The diagram below visualizes the comparison of Acura ZDX premium costs with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The prices are based on a female driver, no claims, a clean driving record, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, multi-policy, marriage, multi-car, claim-free, and homeowner discounts applied.

Some companies who may offer most of the discounts above possibly include:

• State Farm
• GEICO
• Liberty Mutual
• The Hartford
• MetLife
• Progressive

If you want low cost Irvine auto insurance quotes, ask every insurance company to apply every possible discount. Discounts might not be available to policyholders in every state.

Which car insurance company is best in California?

Selecting a good quality car insurance provider is difficult considering how many choices drivers have in Irvine. The rank data shown below could help you analyze which providers you want to consider when shopping around.

Top 10 Irvine Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Satisfaction

1. Titan Insurance – 95%
2. USAA – 94%
3. AAA of Southern California – 92%
4. AAA Insurance – 91%
5. Nationwide – 90%
6. State Farm – 90%
7. The Hartford – 89%
8. GEICO – 89%
9. The General – 88%
10. 21st Century – 88%

Persistence will pay off

Lower-priced Acura ZDX insurance in Irvine can be sourced both online as well as from insurance agents, so you need to quote Irvine auto insurance with both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who may not have rate quotes online and many times these small insurance companies prefer to sell through local independent agencies.

People who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as unfair underwriting practices, delays in paying claims, questionable increases in premium or policy non-renewal. No matter why you want to switch, finding a new insurance company can be less work than you think.

Throughout this article, we presented quite a bit of information on how to save on Acura ZDX insurance in Irvine. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding inexpensive Irvine auto insurance quotes. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from an unexpected company.

More detailed insurance information can be found at these sites:

• Choosing an Insurance Company (Insurance Information Institute)
• What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Infrequent Drivers in Irvine? (FAQ)
• How Much are Irvine Car Insurance Quotes for a School Permit? (FAQ)
• Safety Tips for Teen Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)
• Neck Injury FAQ (iihs.org)
• New head restraint design cuts injuries (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)