It’s hard to avoid all the catchy commercials from car insurance companies like Progressive and GEICO that make claims of huge savings. So drivers should just choose the one with the most memorable commercial, right?
Regrettably, it’s not quite that easy, as there are many unknowns such as the likelihood of vehicle theft where you live, if you own your own home, and your date of birth, that all have an effect on the price. In this article, we will cover some of these topics and will hopefully give the reader a good beginning to your search for cheaper coverage.
The vehicle model you are insuring is probably the biggest factor when comparing quotes for the most affordable insurance for active military. Vehicles with lots of speed or power, poor crash test ratings, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than safer models.
The next table showcases car insurance costs for a number of the cheapest automobiles to insure.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $788 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $884 |
| Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $888 |
| Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $912 |
| GMC Sierra SLE Regular Cab 2WD | $934 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $941 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 2WD | $934 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Crew Cab 4WD | $950 |
| Toyota Prius | $956 |
| Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $966 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $984 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 4WD | $1,000 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $1,006 |
| Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4WD 2-Dr | $1,002 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $1,020 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $1,026 |
| Ford Edge SE AWD | $1,028 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer AWD | $1,040 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $1,050 |
| Volkswagen Jetta LE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,052 |
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Above prices assume single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, safe-driver, claim-free, and multi-policy. Price information does not factor in specific garaging location which can increase or decrease auto insurance rates considerably.
Based upon these rates, you can figure that cars like the Ford Escape, Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, and GMC Sierra will definitely be the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for military personnel.
Finding cheap auto insurance is difficult, and finding out which company has the best auto insurance rates for active military will take a little more work. Every insurance company has a different process for determining rates, so first let’s look at the rankings for the most affordable auto insurance companies in California.
It’s a good idea to know that Irvine auto insurance rates are influenced by many factors which can significantly increase or decrease your annual premium. Simply having another birthday, having a teenage driver, or getting a ticket for careless driving may prompt premium changes that can cause some rates to be cheaper than before.
Best Car Insurance Prices for Military
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,143 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,157 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,178 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,186 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,263 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,366 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,488 |
| 9 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 10 | Allied | $1,541 |
| 11 | Allstate | $1,543 |
| 12 | GEICO | $1,559 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,606 |
| 15 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,750 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,750 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,806 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,849 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,966 |
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USAA offers some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Irvine at around $1,143 a year. This is $508 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide also rank well as some of the most economical Irvine, CA insurance companies.
In the above rates, if you are a policyholder with CSAA and switched to USAA, you could see savings of around $43. Customers with Nationwide might save as much as $120 a year, and 21st Century customers might reduce prices by as much as $223 a year.
Be aware that those premiums are averages for all drivers and vehicles in California and do not factor in a vehicle location for active military. So the car insurance company that can offer the best rates for your situation may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That points out the importance of why you need to get car insurance quotes using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
Discount Irvine car insurance
Car insurance companies that offer quotes for active military could also offer discounts that can lower rates by as much as 35% or more if you are eligible. Larger auto insurance companies and the discounts they provide are:
- Farm Bureau offers discounts for multi-policy, good student, 55 and retired, youthful driver, multi-vehicle, and renewal discount.
- Liberty Mutual may include discounts for safety features, good student, newly married, new vehicle discount, hybrid vehicle, and newly retired.
- State Farm has discounts for good student, Steer Clear safe driver discount, defensive driving training, good driver, driver’s education, accident-free, and multiple autos.
- Auto-Owners Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including paid in full, anti-lock brakes, company car, multiple vehicles, and multi-policy.
- GEICO has savings for multi-policy, daytime running lights, emergency military deployment, military active duty, anti-theft, five-year accident-free, and defensive driver.
- SAFECO offers premium reductions for teen safety rewards, homeowner, safe driver, anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, drive less, and multi-car.
The diagram below illustrates the difference between car insurance rates with and without policy discounts. The data assumes a female driver, no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with multiple policy, defensive driving course, vehicle safety, multiple vehicle, claim-free, and passive restraint discounts applied. When taking advantage of discounts, theamount saved on auto insurance for active military is 28% or $662.
Impact of careless driving on Irvine auto insurance rates
In a perfect world, the best way to obtain affordable auto insurance rates in Irvine for military personnel is to be a safe driver and have a clean driving record. The example below demonstrates how traffic citations and accidents impact insurance prices for different age groups. The rate quotes are based on a single female driver, full coverage, $100 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.
In the previous example, the average cost of car insurance in California per year with no violations or accidents is $2,661. Get written up for one speeding ticket and the average cost swells to $3,013, an increase of $353 each year. Now add in one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the 12-month cost of auto insurance for active military jumps again to an average of $4,019. That’s an increase of $1,358, or $113 per month, just for not being attentive to the road!
Ending up with a good quality company can be rather challenging considering how many different companies insure vehicles in Irvine. The ranking data in the lists below could help you pick which car insurance providers to look at comparing prices from. The rankings below include companies with a national presence, so smaller companies will not be included in this list.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 98 | 100 | 100 | 94% | A++ | 98.6 |
| American Family | 98 | 89 | 100 | 86% | A | 95.4 |
| AAA of Southern California | 91 | 94 | 97 | 92% | A+ | 94.1 |
| State Farm | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90% | A++ | 92.4 |
| The Hartford | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89% | A+ | 91.7 |
| AAA Insurance | 88 | 89 | 95 | 91% | A | 91.2 |
| GEICO | 84 | 93 | 93 | 89% | A++ | 90.3 |
| The General | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88% | A- | 90 |
| Titan Insurance | 90 | 87 | 91 | 95% | A+ | 89.6 |
| Progressive | 84 | 91 | 93 | 87% | A+ | 89.5 |
| Mercury Insurance | 88 | 91 | 90 | 85% | A+ | 89.4 |
| Allstate | 85 | 90 | 92 | 88% | A+ | 89.3 |
| Nationwide | 87 | 88 | 84 | 90% | A+ | 88.7 |
| Liberty Mutual | 84 | 87 | 93 | 88% | A | 88.5 |
| 21st Century | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88% | A | 86.7 |
| Esurance | 85 | 80 | 95 | 87% | A+ | 85.9 |
| Safeco | 85 | 85 | 85 | 86% | A | 85.8 |
| Travelers | 80 | 87 | 87 | 83% | A++ | 85.2 |
| Farmers Insurance | 78 | 87 | 88 | 79% | A | 84.3 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Why are you paying too much for car insurance?
California auto insurance rates are impacted by many factors that may substantially change the cost of having a policy. Getting older, marrying your spouse, or getting a reckless driving citation can cause premium changes resulting in some companies being cheaper than before. In addition to those changes, insurers change rates every year in order to maintain liquidity for claims. Heavier than normal losses can result in increased policy costs, while a profitable period can result in cheaper Irvine car insurance rates.
The bar chart below shows the cheapest car insurance in Irvine, CA for a 35-year-old male driver with a good driving record, no prior claims, and solid credit. Based on his current situation, USAA might offer the best car insurance rates in Irvine at $1,143 a year. This is $508 less than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide are the rest of the cheapest Irvine, CA auto insurance companies.
Now let’s give the driver from the first rate comparison a claim or two, less-than-perfect credit, and a traffic citation. Due to the fact that every insurance company uses their own formula for determining rates, comparing prices may result in a different ranking of the cheapest companies as shown below.
Grange now has the lowest price on auto insurance in Irvine, CA with Mercury, Progressive, Allstate, and Allied completing the list. This example proves why California drivers need to shop around with many companies to get the cheapest auto insurance quotes for active military. Insurance rates are made up of many factors and change substantially, so the lowest-price company the last time you compared rates may now be costing you a lot of money.