Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance for Low Credit Scores in Irvine?

The words “affordable” and “insurance” really should not be used together, in particular when shopping around for the best insurance rates for low credit scores. Because of the high cost, let’s go over a few of the things that have a considerable impact on insurance prices, and come up with some ways to reduce the cost of the next policy you buy.

The make and model of vehicle requiring insurance is probably the biggest factor that determines the availability of the most affordable auto insurance for low credit scores. Vehicles with lower acceleration and performance, good safety features, or low incidents of liability claims will cost much less to insure than high performance models.

The next list illustrates coverage prices for a handful of the most affordable automobiles to buy insurance for.

Cheapest Vehicles to Insure in Irvine, CA
Vehicle Insured Estimated Cost for Full Coverage
Honda CR-V LX 2WD $961
Toyota Prius $973
Ford Escape XLS 4WD $992
Ford Edge SEL AWD $1,020
Toyota RAV4 2WD $1,039
Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon $1,045
Nissan Rogue S 2WD $1,111
Chevrolet Impala LS $1,115
Ford F-150 Lariat Crew Cab Platinum 2WD $1,122
Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan $1,138
Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan $1,146
Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Off-Road Package 4WD $1,159
Hyundai Sonata SE 4-Dr Sedan $1,165
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD $1,172
Chevrolet Malibu LS $1,182
Honda Civic LX-S 4-Dr Sedan $1,178
Toyota Camry Hybrid $1,187
Dodge Ram 2500 Crew Cab ST 2WD $1,196
Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD $1,197
Dodge Grand Caravan Crew $1,207
Toyota Corolla XLE $1,201
Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan $1,211
Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD LT Crew Cab Diesel 2WD $1,210
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Cost estimates assume single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Price information does not factor in specific Irvine, CA garaging location which can change insurance rates substantially.

Looking at the data, you can conclude that models like the Honda CR-V, Toyota Prius, and Ford Escape are most likely to be the more affordable vehicles to insure for bad credit.

Comparing quotes for reasonably-priced auto insurance is not easy, and finding out which companies quote the cheapest insurance rates for low credit scores will require even more work. Every auto insurer has a different formula to set their prices, so first we will examine the insurance companies with the most affordable rates in California.

It’s important that you understand California insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that control the price you pay for coverage. This price variability is why it is crucial to compare lots of rates to get affordable insurance rates for low credit scores. Rates can be determined by many factors and change substantially, so the most economical option three years ago may now be quite expensive.

Find the Cheapest Auto Insurance in California

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Rankings for the cheapest California auto insurance companies
Rank Company Cost Per Year
1 USAA $1,121
2 Wawanesa $1,181
3 CSAA $1,222
4 Nationwide $1,226
5 Century National $1,226
6 21st Century $1,366
7 Grange $1,477
8 Progressive $1,496
9 Mercury $1,503
10 GEICO $1,513
11 Allied $1,541
12 Allstate $1,559
13 MetLife $1,606
14 The Hartford $1,639
15 State Farm $1,699
16 Esurance $1,705
17 Unitrin $1,733
18 Bristol West $1,831
19 Travelers $1,842
20 Farmers $2,006
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USAA may have some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Irvine at around $1,121 per year. This is $530 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Nationwide, and Century National also qualify as some of the cheapest Irvine, CA insurance companies.

As the rates illustrate above, if you are a customer of Nationwide and switched to USAA, you may realize an annual premium reduction of upwards of $105. California drivers with Century National may save as much as $105 a year, and 21st Century insureds might cut rates by $245 a year.

These premium estimates are averages for all drivers and vehicles and and are not figured with a vehicle location for low credit scores. So the auto insurance company that fits you best may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That underscores the importance of why you need to quote rates from as many companies as possible using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.

For bad credit, one of the largest components that are looked at to determine the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you live in Irvine. Areas with high crime rates or more dense population tend to have more expensive car insurance rates, whereas areas with less congestion have the benefit of cheaper car insurance.

The illustration below ranks the highest-priced places in California for low credit scores in which to purchase auto insurance. Irvine shows up at #24 costing $1,330 on average, which is approximately $111 monthly.

How much does car insurance cost in Irvine, CA?
Rank City Average Per Year
1 Los Angeles $2,168
2 Glendale $2,058
3 Oakland $1,738
4 San Francisco $1,693
5 Sacramento $1,652
6 San Bernardino $1,644
7 Long Beach $1,626
8 Santa Clarita $1,595
9 Stockton $1,588
10 Fontana $1,535
11 Garden Grove $1,524
12 Moreno Valley $1,506
13 Fresno $1,502
14 Modesto $1,502
15 Anaheim $1,488
16 Santa Ana $1,483
17 Riverside $1,482
18 Fremont $1,389
19 San Diego $1,381
20 San Jose $1,381
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Rate information is comparative as the specific garaging location can alter premiums considerably.

Choosing the right insurance company can be rather challenging considering how many different insurance companies sell coverage in California. The ranking information shown next may help you analyze which insurers to look at purchasing a policy from.

These ratings are only comprised of the largest companies in the United States, so companies that focus mainly on California business are not factored into these rankings. To get rate quotes from these top insurers and more, just click here.

Irvine, CA Insurance Company Rankings
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
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies

Irresponsible driving raises your rates

The best way to obtain cheap insurance prices in California for bad credit is to drive cautiously and avoid accidents and traffic citations. The chart below illustrates how violations and accidents can increase car insurance rates for different age groups. Data assumes a single male driver, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

In the previous chart, the average cost of a car insurance policy per year with no violations or accidents is $2,467. Factor in one speeding ticket and the average cost increases to $2,787, an increase of $320 each year. Now get two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the yearly cost of insurance for low credit scores increases to an average of $5,801. That’s an increase of $3,334, or $278 per month, just for not being attentive to the road!

Why you should be shopping around

Irvine, CA insurance rates are impacted by many things which can substantially decrease or increase the price of your policy. Simply having a birthday, becoming a homeowner, or getting a speeding ticket can produce rate changes that can make some companies more affordable than competitors. Not only may things change on your end, but auto insurance companies file new California car insurance rates as needed to help ensure profitability. Higher than normal claims can cause more expensive premiums, while better underwriting may result in cheaper Irvine car insurance rates.

For instance, the data below compares the cheapest car insurance in Irvine, CA for a 40-year-old male driver with no prior accidents, a clean driving record, and good financial standing. If we estimate prices based on his personal profile, USAA might offer the lowest car insurance rates in Irvine at $1,219 a year. This is $432 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, Wawanesa, CSAA, and Nationwide also make the list of the best Irvine, CA auto insurance companies.

In the next rate comparison, we’ll give the driver from the first set of rates an accident claim, a lower credit rating, and a stop sign violation. Because every insurance company has a different formula for setting rates, getting updated rate quotes may now result in a significantly different list of affordable companies as shown below.

Grange now has the best price on car insurance in Irvine, CA with GEICO, Mercury, Allstate, and Progressive now rounding out the top five. This demonstrates why it is so important to shop around with many companies to get the lowest auto insurance rates for low credit scores.

Insurance rates are made up of many things and change frequently, so the best option a year ago may now be one of the more expensive options.