What is the Best Cheap Car Insurance in Irvine, CA?

One of the more important factors that help determine the annual cost of car insurance is your zip code in Irvine. Cities with larger populations will most likely have higher rates, whereas areas with lower crime rates and fewer weather claims have the benefit of cheaper car insurance.

The following table shows the highest-priced areas in California to buy an auto insurance policy in. Irvine is listed at #23 with the yearly price of $1,330 for the average insured, which is about $111 monthly.

How much does car insurance cost in Irvine, CA?
Rank City Annual Rate
1 Glendale $2,142
2 Los Angeles $2,104
3 San Francisco $1,763
4 Oakland $1,755
5 Sacramento $1,720
6 Long Beach $1,626
7 Stockton $1,603
8 San Bernardino $1,596
9 Santa Clarita $1,595
10 Fontana $1,581
11 Moreno Valley $1,551
12 Modesto $1,547
13 Riverside $1,542
14 Garden Grove $1,524
15 Santa Ana $1,497
16 Fresno $1,472
17 Anaheim $1,444
18 Fremont $1,403
19 San Jose $1,381
20 Huntington Beach $1,374
Quote Best Rates Go

Price information shown is estimated as the garaging address in Irvine can revise auto insurance rates noticeably.

Knowing where Irvine ranks compared to other areas, trying to find budget car insurance is tough enough, and figuring out which company offers the cheapest insurance rates in Irvine calls for even more rate comparisons. Every insurance provider has their own unique process to set policy rates, so let’s rank the most budget-friendly insurance companies in Irvine, CA.

Find the Cheapest Car Insurance in Irvine

Compare Rates Today

California auto insurance company rankings
Rank Company Cost Per Year
1 Wawanesa $1,146
2 USAA $1,155
3 Century National $1,214
4 CSAA $1,234
5 Nationwide $1,250
6 21st Century $1,338
7 Grange $1,477
8 Allstate $1,513
9 GEICO $1,513
10 Mercury $1,548
11 Progressive $1,558
12 Allied $1,588
13 The Hartford $1,623
14 MetLife $1,654
15 State Farm $1,682
16 Unitrin $1,699
17 Esurance $1,756
18 Travelers $1,806
19 Bristol West $1,849
20 Farmers $2,006
Quote Your Rates Go

Wawanesa may offer some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Irvine at around $1,146 each year. This is $505 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. USAA, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide also rank well as some of the lowest-priced Irvine, CA car insurance companies.

As shown above, if you currently have coverage with CSAA and switched to USAA, you might achieve annual savings of about $79. Customers with Nationwide could save as much as $95 a year, and 21st Century customers might see rate reductions of $183 a year.

Be aware that those prices are averages for all drivers and vehicles in California and do not take into consideration an exact zip code location in Irvine. So the car insurance company that fits your situation best may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That points out the importance of why you need to quote rates from as many companies as possible using your own personal information and vehicle type.

Your low-price policy may be costing you money

Irvine insurance rates are influenced by many factors that control the cost of coverage. Simply improving your credit, getting divorced, or getting into an accident can produce rate changes that can make some companies affordable when they were higher priced. In addition, companies modify pricing as often as every three months to help ensure profitability. Heavy losses may cause rate increases, while a better loss history may produce lower-priced Irvine car insurance rates.

For example, the chart below compares the cheapest car insurance in Irvine, CA for a 40-year-old male driver with no accidents or violations, and a decent credit rating. When comparing rates based on his current rating profile, USAA might offer the cheapest car insurance rates in Irvine at $1,166 each year. This is $485 less than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Nationwide, Century National, and CSAA round out the rest of the top five cheapest Irvine, CA auto insurance companies.

In this next rate comparison, we will give the driver in the first example an accident surcharge, poor credit, and an imperfect driving record. Since each insurance company has a proprietary method to set premium rates, comparing rates may now present a different ranking of the cheapest companies as shown below.

Grange now has the best price on car insurance in Irvine, CA with Mercury, Allstate, GEICO, and Allied now being in the top five. This example proves why Irvine drivers need to shop around when trying to get the best insurance quotes in Irvine.

Insurance rates are determined by many factors and change substantially, so the lowest-price company the last time you checked may now be an over-priced policy.

The vehicle model requiring insurance is one of the biggest factors in finding affordable insurance in Irvine. Vehicles with average performance, a plethora of safety features, or a track record of few liability claims will cost significantly less to insure than higher performance models. The table below outlines coverage premiums for a selection of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure in California.

Cheapest Vehicles to Insure in Irvine, CA
Insured Vehicle Estimated Cost for Full Coverage
Ford Escape XLT 2WD $955
Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD $976
Jeep Wrangler Sport 4WD 2-Dr $986
Toyota Tacoma 2WD $1,011
Chevrolet Impala LS $1,018
Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan $1,039
Dodge Grand Caravan Crew $1,049
Ford Focus SES 4-Dr Sedan $1,068
Ford Edge SE 2WD $1,081
Toyota Prius $1,091
Nissan Rogue S 2WD $1,102
Ford Explorer XLT AWD $1,108
Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD $1,131
Compare Rates Now Go

Prices above based on single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Rate quotes do not factor in specific zip code location which can alter insurance rates significantly.

Looking at the data, makes and models like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Jeep Wrangler are likely to be a few of the more affordable vehicles to insure for drivers in Irvine.

How accidents and tickets impact rates

The ideal way to snag the best insurance premiums for drivers in Irvine is to drive carefully and avoid accidents and keep your driving record clean. The information below shows how traffic citations and accidents can affect yearly insurance costs for different age categories. The costs are based on a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

In the prior example, the average cost of a car insurance policy per year with no accidents or violations is $2,426. Receive two speeding tickets and the average cost increases to $3,265, an increase of $839 each year. Now add one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the yearly cost of insurance in Irvine jumps again to an average of $4,104. That’s an increase of $1,678, or $140 per month, just for being a careless driver!