What Insurance is Cheapest for Teenagers in Irvine?

Shopping around for low-priced car insurance is tough enough, and finding out which company offers the cheapest car insurance rates for teenagers requires even more work.

Every insurance company has their own process to establish rates, so let’s take a look at the car insurance companies with the most affordable rates in Irvine, CA. It’s important to know that Irvine car insurance rates are impacted by many factors which can substantially change the price you pay. That is why it is critical to perform an extensive rate comparison to find the lowest auto insurance quotes for teenagers. Rates are determined by many things and can decrease or increase without notice, so the most affordable company the last time you checked may now be an over-priced policy.

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California auto insurance company rankings
Rank Company Cost Per Year
1 USAA $1,121
2 Wawanesa $1,192
3 CSAA $1,198
4 Nationwide $1,226
5 Century National $1,226
6 21st Century $1,338
7 Grange $1,433
8 Progressive $1,496
9 GEICO $1,513
10 Mercury $1,533
11 Allied $1,556
12 Allstate $1,559
13 The Hartford $1,591
14 MetLife $1,638
15 State Farm $1,682
16 Esurance $1,705
17 Unitrin $1,750
18 Travelers $1,806
19 Bristol West $1,831
20 Farmers $2,006
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USAA may offer some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Irvine at around $1,121 per year. This is $530 less than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Nationwide, and Century National would also make the list of some of the best Irvine, CA car insurance companies.

In the above rates, if you are insured with CSAA and switched to USAA, you could see a yearly price reduction of about $77. California drivers with Nationwide might save as much as $105 a year, and Century National insureds might see rate reductions of $105 a year.

Bear in mind that those policy prices are averaged across all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and do not take into consideration an exact location for teenagers. So the insurer that is best for you may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That emphasizes why you need to get rate quotes using your own individual information.

The make and model of vehicle requiring insurance is a large consideration when looking for cheap coverage for teenagers. Vehicles with limited top-end speed, modern passenger safety features, or a positive history of liability claims will cost less to insure than higher performance models.

The next list shows auto insurance premiums for a handful of the most economical automobiles to buy insurance for.

Cheapest Vehicles to Insure in Irvine, CA
Vehicle Estimated Cost for Full Coverage
Honda CR-V EX 2WD $3,856
Ford Escape XLS 2WD $3,861
Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan $4,130
Toyota Prius $4,166
Ford F-150 XL Super Cab 2WD $4,300
Honda Odyssey LX $4,307
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4WD 2-Dr $4,338
Dodge Grand Caravan CV $4,346
Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon $4,401
Chevrolet Impala LS $4,536
Ford Edge Limited 2WD $4,541
GMC Sierra SL Extended Cab 2WD $4,574
Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD $4,584
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Data assumes single male driver age 16, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Information does not factor in Irvine, CA location which can change premiums noticeably.

Based upon the rates shown, we can infer that cars like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Honda Accord are most likely going to be some of the cheaper vehicles to insure for teen drivers. The price for an auto insurance policy will tend to be more expensive because of the fact that there is more risk for teenagers, but in general those specific models will tend to have the best rates available.

Does it make sense to buy full coverage?

Paying less for car insurance is important to the majority of drivers, and one common way to reduce the cost of insurance for teenagers is to not insure for full coverage. The information below illustrates the comparison of insurance premiums with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The rates are based on no claims or driving violations, $500 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are factored in.

As an overall average, physical damage coverage costs an additional $2,816 per year more than carrying just liability coverage. That amount may make you wonder if buying full coverage is a good investment. There isn’t a steadfast formula to exclude comp and collision coverage, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.

There are a few situations where buying only liability insurance is not a good plan. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you have to carry full coverage in order to keep the loan. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not opt for liability only.

Reckless driving habits raise Irvine car insurance rates

One of the best ways to earn cheap car insurance premiums for teen drivers is to be a safe driver and avoid traffic citations and accidents. The diagram below demonstrates how traffic citations and at-fault claims can increase premium costs for different age categories. The data is based on a single female driver, full coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.

The data charted above shows the average cost of auto insurance in Irvine per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,978. Add in one speeding ticket and the average cost surges to $2,243, an increase of $265 each year. Now add in two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the annual cost of car insurance for teenagers jumps again to an average of $4,627. That’s an increase of $2,649, or $221 per month, just for not driving responsibly!

The information below illustrates how choosing a deductible can increase or decrease premium costs when quoting cheap insurance for teenagers. The data is based on a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are factored in.

A 30-year-old driver could lower their policy premium by $544 a year by switching the physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $816 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Younger drivers, such as the Age 20 example, can cut as much as $1,216 each year just by choosing higher deductibles when buying full coverage. If you do decide to increase your deductibles, it’s a good idea to have additional savings on hand to enable you to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense. That is the one disadvantage of using higher deductibles.

How to find budget-friendly car insurance for teenagers

The list below details many thrifty ideas that can help California drivers buy cheap coverage.

The last item on the list is certainly significant, as we discussed in the prior article. Coverage rates in Irvine can be changed at any time, so you should be ready to change to a new company if you can save money. Staying with the same company for years is fine, but it’s not recommended if that loyalty results in overpaying money that could be used for better things. It takes less than five minutes to compare rates and find cheaper car insurance for teenagers.

The insurance agencies listed below can most likely aid you in deciding which insurance coverage you need, since lots of people like to get help from a professional when shopping around for cheaper insurance for teenagers. It’s not always simple to find coverage yourself, and insurance agents licensed in the state of California can give comfort knowing your coverage gives you decent coverage if you have a claim. To locate an Irvine insurance agent nearest to you, click the link after the list.

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