Save Money on Nissan Xterra Insurance in Irvine

It’s hard to fathom, but almost 70% of drivers kept their policy with the same company for more than four years, and almost 40% of drivers have never even shopped around for cheaper coverage. Consumers in California could pocket about 35% a year by just comparing rate quotes, but they just don’t understand how easy it is to do a rate comparison.

Truthfully, the best way to save money on car insurance rates in Irvine is to start doing an annual price comparison from different companies in California.

1. Read and learn about how companies price auto insurance and the factors you can control to keep rates in check. Many factors that drive up the price like traffic tickets, fender benders, and bad credit can be remedied by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes.
2. Compare prices from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like GEICO or Allstate, while agents who are independent can provide prices from many different companies.
3. Compare the new rates to your current policy premium to see if cheaper Xterra coverage is available in Irvine. If you can save some money, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
4. Provide proper notification to your current company of your intention to cancel the current policy and submit a completed policy application and payment for your new coverage. Immediately upon receiving it, safely store the proof of insurance paperwork along with the vehicle’s registration papers.

One bit of advice is that you’ll want to compare identical limits and deductibles on each quote request and and to get price quotes from as many companies as possible. This enables a fair price comparison and the most accurate and complete price analysis.

Just remember that comparing a wide range of rates helps increase your odds of locating the best rates.

The companies in the list below are ready to provide quotes in California. To buy cheaper auto insurance in Irvine, CA, we recommend you click on several of them to get the most competitive price.

Three main reasons to buy car insurance

Even though it can be expensive, insuring your vehicle may be mandatory for several reasons.

First, most states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means state laws require a specific minimum amount of liability insurance coverage in order to drive the car. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.

Second, if you have a lien on your Nissan Xterra, most lenders will force you to have insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If you let the policy lapse, the bank may insure your Nissan for a lot more money and require you to fork over the higher price.

Third, insurance protects your Nissan and your assets. Insurance will also pay for hospital and medical expenses for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. As part of your policy, liability insurance also covers legal expenses if you are sued as the result of your driving. If you have damage to your Nissan as the result of the weather or an accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to have it repaired.

The benefits of carrying enough insurance definitely exceed the cost, especially when you need to use it. On average, a vehicle owner in Irvine is overpaying over $750 every year so compare rates every year to make sure the price is not too high.

Insurance rate breakdown

The price information displayed below highlights estimates of insurance costs for Nissan Xterra models. Having insight into how insurance premiums are figured is important for drivers to make decisions when choosing a new policy provider.

Table data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-vehicle, claim-free, multi-policy, and safe-driver. Price estimates do not factor in vehicle location which can modify coverage rates substantially.

Can higher deductibles save money?

One of the more difficult decisions when buying car insurance is how high should the physical damage deductibles be. The tables below can help you visualize the cost difference when you buy lower versus higher deductibles. The first data table uses a $100 deductible for comp and collision and the second data table uses a $1,000 deductible.

Cost estimates assume married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, claim-free, homeowner, and safe-driver. Rates do not factor in your specific Irvine location which can increase or decrease coverage prices greatly.

We can estimate from the data above that using a $100 deductible costs approximately $35 more each month or $420 every year across all Nissan Xterra models than choosing the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would pay $900 more if you turn in a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you tend to go at least 26 months between claim filings, you would probably be better off if you opt for a higher deductible. The illustration below shows an example of how you can make your own decision.

An important sidenote is that raising deductibles to save money means you will have to pay more of your own money at claim time. That will force you to have some available funds in the event you need to pay the higher deductible in order to repair your vehicle.

The example below demonstrates how deductibles and can change Nissan Xterra insurance costs for different categories of driver ages. The premiums assume a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.

Comparison of car insurance rates by age and gender

The information below shows the difference between Nissan Xterra annual premium costs for male and female drivers. Data assumes no violations or accidents, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, single status, and no policy discounts are applied.

Nissan Xterra full coverage rates compared to liability only

The chart below illustrates the difference between Nissan Xterra annual premium costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The data assumes no tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, marital status is single, and no policy discounts are applied.

When to buy liability coverage only

There isn’t a steadfast formula for phasing out physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a broad guideline. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is about 10% or more of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s pretend your Nissan Xterra claim settlement value is $3,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, you would only receive $2,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If premium cost is more than $200 annually for physical damage coverage, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.

There are a few cases where dropping full coverage is not a good idea. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you have to maintain full coverage as part of the loan requirements. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should not opt for liability only.

Discount Irvine car insurance quotes

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you may be missing some discounts to help bring down the price. Many of these discounts will be applied automatically when you complete an application, but a few must be asked for before being credited.

• Early Renewal Discounts – Some larger companies provide a discount for switching to them prior to your current Xterra insurance policy expiration. You may see this discount when you get Irvine car insurance quotes online.
• Multiple Policy Discount – If you can bundle your auto and home insurance with one company they may give you a discount of nearly 15% which can help you find inexpensive Nissan Xterra insurance in Irvine.
• Discounts for New Vehicles – Buying insurance coverage on a new vehicle can cost up to 25% less because new model year vehicles are generally safer.
• Theft Deterrent – Cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and will qualify for a discount on a Irvine car insurance quote.
• Seat Belt Discounts – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to fasten their seat belts can save 10% or more off the PIP or medical payment premium.

Discounts lower rates, but some credits don’t apply to the whole policy. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

The example below illustrates the comparison of Nissan Xterra car insurance costs with and without discounts applied. The premiums are based on a female driver, no claims or violations, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, marriage, and multi-car discounts applied.

Companies and their offered discounts can be read below.

• Farm Bureau may offer discounts for 55 and retired, multi-vehicle, good student, multi-policy, and youthful driver.
• State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including safe vehicle, Steer Clear safe driver discount, driver’s education, good student, and defensive driving training.
• Progressive offers premium reductions for homeowner, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, online quote discount, online signing, and good student.
• Allstate offers discounts for passive restraint, eSmart discount, FullPay discount, defensive driver, and EZ pay plan discount.
• Nationwide offers discounts including good student, accident-free, defensive driving, anti-theft, multi-policy, and business or organization.
• MetLife has savings for claim-free, multi-policy, good student, defensive driver, good driver, and accident-free.

It’s a good idea to ask each company or agent to give you their best rates. All car insurance discounts may not apply to policies everywhere. For a list of car insurance companies who offer car insurance discounts in Irvine, click this link.

You may need help from an insurance agent

A small number of people prefer to buy from a local agent and that is just fine! An additional benefit of getting free rate quotes online is you can get lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.

For easy comparison, once you complete this quick form, the coverage information is emailed to agents in your area who want to provide quotes to get your business. You don’t have to search for an agent because quoted prices will be sent to you. You’ll get the best rates AND a local agent. If for some reason you want to get a rate quote from a specific insurance provider, you can always search and find their rate quote page and submit a quote form there.

Deciding on an company needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Get answers to these questions too.

• If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
• Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
• Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
• What is the financial rating for the quoted company?
• Do you qualify for any additional discounts?
• What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
• How much experience to they have in personal lines coverages?
• Does the company have a local claim office in Irvine?

Exclusive or Independent: There is a difference

When searching for local Irvine agents, there are two different agency structures and how they can write your policy. Insurance policy providers may be either exclusive or independent.

Exclusive Agencies

These type of agents are contracted to one company and some examples include State Farm, Allstate, and Farm Bureau. These agents are unable to compare rates from other companies so they really need to provide good service. They are highly trained in insurance sales and that can be a competitive advantage.

Listed below are Irvine exclusive insurance agencies who can help you get comparison quotes.

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Independent Agents

Agents that elect to be independent do not have single company limitations so they can write business with multiple insurance companies and find the cheapest rate. If premiums increase, your policy is moved internally which is easy for the insured. When shopping rates, you should always contact independent agents so that you can do a thorough price comparison.

Shown below is a list of independent agents in Irvine that can give you price quotes.

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Will just any policy work for me?

Always remember that when buying the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no cookie cutter policy. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.

These are some specific questions may help highlight whether you may require specific advice.

• Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
• Is my Nissan Xterra covered for flood damage?
• Is a blown tire covered by insurance?
• Do I need an umbrella policy?
• Am I covered when driving a rental car?
• Are my company tools covered if they get stolen?
• What are the liability requirements in my state?
• Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?

If you can’t answer these questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form.

Cheaper coverage is out there

We just presented a lot of techniques to shop for Nissan Xterra insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the better your comparison will be. You may even find the biggest savings come from an unexpected company.

Insureds who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as unfair underwriting practices, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, poor customer service and even policy cancellation. Whatever your reason, finding a new company can be pretty painless.

Cheap Nissan Xterra insurance in Irvine is definitely available both online as well as from independent agents in Irvine, so you need to shop Irvine car insurance with both to have the best rate selection. A few companies may not offer online rate quotes and usually these smaller companies sell through independent insurance agents.

Helpful learning opportunities

• Parking Tips to Reduce Door Dings (State Farm)
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• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers with Bad Credit in Irvine? (FAQ)
• What is the Best Cheap Car Insurance in Irvine, CA? (FAQ)
• Teen Driving and Texting (State Farm)
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• How to shop for a safer car (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
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