Buying insurance online is challenging if you’ve never received online rate quotes. But don’t just give up because using the internet to shop for Audi S8 insurance in Oakland is actually quite easy.
Steps to finding lower priced Audi S8 insurance in Oakland
The most effective way to get budget car insurance rates is to make a habit of regularly comparing prices from different companies that insure vehicles in Oakland. Prices can be compared by following these steps.
- Step 1: Try to comprehend coverages and the measures you can take to keep rates down. Many factors that increase rates like distracted driving and poor credit history can be eliminated by being financially responsible and driving safely. Continue reading for the details to get better rates and find more discounts that you may not know about.
- Step 2: Obtain price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only provide price estimates from a single company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agents can provide prices for many different companies. View companies
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your existing rates and determine if cheaper S8 coverage is available in Oakland. If you find a lower rate and switch companies, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
- Step 4: Give proper notification to your current agent or company to cancel your current car insurance policy and submit any necessary down payment along with the completed application to the newly selected company. Once the paperwork is finalized, place your new proof of insurance certificate along with your vehicle registration.
One thing to point out is that you’ll want to make sure you compare identical coverages on every quote and and to get price estimates from as many different companies as possible. This enables a fair price comparison and and a good selection of different prices.
Unbelievably, a large majority of insurance policyholders have been with the same company for well over three years, and approximately 38% of consumers have never compared rates with other companies. Most drivers in California could save themselves approximately $470 a year just by getting comparison quotes, but most tend to underestimate the benefits if they switched to a cheaper policy.
The Audi S8 Insurance Price Equation
A large part of saving on insurance is knowing some of the things that aid in calculating your insurance rates. If you have a feel for what determines base rates, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get big savings. Lots of factors are considered when quoting car insurance. Some factors are common sense like an MVR report, but other factors are less apparent like where you live or how safe your car is.
Safeguard your assets with liability insurance – The liability section of your policy provides coverage if you are found liable for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Your liability coverage provides legal defense coverage to defend your case. It is affordable coverage compared to comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
Reduce prices by driving cars with good safety ratings – Safer cars are cheaper to insure. Highly rated vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders. If your Audi S8 has at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website you are probably receiving a discount.
City dwellers may pay more – Having an address in a small town may provide you with better prices when shopping for auto insurance. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accident claims in addition to lower liability claims. City drivers tend to have more auto accidents and higher rates of accident claims. More time commuting means more chance of being in an accident.
Get a ticket, pay higher costs – How you drive impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Careful drivers get better prices as compared to those with violations. Even a single speeding ticket or other violation may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who get careless violations such as DUI or reckless driving may find that they have to to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to legally drive a vehicle.
Raising physical damage deductibles saves money – Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend if a covered claim is submitted. Physical damage protection, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. Examples of covered claims are rear-ending another vehicle, hail damage, and having a roll-over accident. The more the insured has to pay upfront, the bigger discount you will receive.
With age comes responsibility – Older drivers have been proven to be more responsible, tend to file fewer claims, and get fewer tickets. Beginning drivers are statistically shown to be inattentive behind the wheel and because of this, their insurance rates are much higher.
If you don’t need it don’t buy it – There are a ton of additional coverages that you can buy but may not be useful. Coverages like rental car coverage, better glass coverage, and term life insurance are some examples. They may seem good when you first buy your policy, but your money might be better spent on other coverage so remove them and pocket the money.
Influences performance influences auto insurance rates – The type of vehicle you are trying to find cheaper insurance for makes a big difference in your car insurance bill. The lowest rates tend to be for smaller low performance passenger models, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
Audi S8 claim statistics – Companies take into consideration insurance loss statistics for every vehicle to help determine the price you pay. Models that the data determines to have higher loss trends will have a higher cost to insure. The table below outlines the actual insurance loss data for Audi S8 vehicles.
For each coverage type, the loss probability for all vehicles, as a total average, is represented as 100. Values that are 100 or less are indicative of better than average losses, while numbers above 100 show a trend for more claims or tendency to have larger claims.
| Vehicle Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audi S8 4dr 4WD | 288 | 266 |
Empty fields indicate not enough data collected
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
The easiest way to compare car insurance rates for Audi S8 insurance in Oakland is to realize most insurance companies participate in a system to give free rates quotes. All consumers are required to do is provide details such as your credit rating estimate, whether you are single or married, the type of vehicles you drive, and if the car is leased. Those rating factors is then submitted to many highly-rated insurers and they return quotes very quickly.
If you would like to start a quote now, click here and enter your zip code.
The companies shown below are our best choices to provide quotes in California. If multiple companies are listed, it’s a good idea that you visit as many as you can in order to find the cheapest rates.
Why car insurance is not optional
Despite the high insurance cost for a Audi S8 in Oakland, buying car insurance is required in California but it also protects you in many ways.
- Most states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means the state requires specific limits of liability insurance 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.
- If you took out a loan on your Audi S8, most banks will have a requirement that you have physical damage coverage to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the lender will be forced to insure your Audi at a much higher rate and force you to pay the higher premium.
- Insurance safeguards not only your Audi S8 but also your financial assets. Insurance will pay for medical bills for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, will also pay attorney fees if you are sued as the result of an accident. If your car is damaged in a storm or accident, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.
The benefits of having insurance definitely exceed the price paid, particularly when you have a large claim. Unknowingly, the average driver is overpaying over $830 a year so compare rate quotes at every policy renewal to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Affordable rates on Audi S8 insurance in Oakland with these insurance discounts
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but there could be available discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Certain credits will be shown at the time of purchase, but less common discounts must be specially asked for prior to getting the savings.
- Driver Training Discounts – Taking time to complete a course teaching defensive driving skills could save 5% or more and make you a better driver.
- Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Requiring all passengers to buckle up before driving can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off the PIP or medical payment premium.
- Life Insurance Discount – Not all insurance companies offer life insurance, but some may give you lower premium rates if you buy some life insurance too.
- Onboard Data Collection – Insureds that choose to allow driving data collection to spy on driving patterns by installing a telematics device such as Drivewise from Allstate or Snapshot from Progressive could see a rate decrease if they have good driving habits.
- Resident Student – Any of your kids who live away from home at college and won’t have access to an insured vehicle may be insured at a cheaper rate.
- No Charge for an Accident – Not a discount per se, but some insurance companies will turn a blind eye to one accident without the usual rate increase so long as you haven’t had any claims for a certain period of time.
A quick disclaimer, most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. Despite the appearance that all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck.
Large insurance companies and their offered discounts can be read below.
- American Family discounts include good driver, good student, defensive driver, TimeAway discount, air bags, and early bird.
- State Farm may include discounts for safe vehicle, driver’s education, anti-theft, defensive driving training, and accident-free.
- 21st Century includes discounts for homeowners, student driver, good student, air bags, theft prevention, automatic seat belts, and teen driver.
- Travelers policyholders can earn discounts including continuous insurance, IntelliDrive, good student, save driver, home ownership, hybrid/electric vehicle, and early quote.
- GEICO may have discounts that include multi-vehicle, daytime running lights, emergency military deployment, anti-lock brakes, and federal employee.
When quoting, ask all the companies which discounts you qualify for. A few discounts may not apply to policies everywhere. To choose companies with the best Audi S8 insurance discounts in Oakland, click this link.
Exclusive versus independent insurance agencies
Many drivers would prefer to have an agent’s advice and often times that is recommended One of the benefits of comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find cheap insurance rates and still choose a local agent.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, the coverage information is sent to insurance agents in Oakland who will return price quotes to get your business. You won’t even need to contact an agency since rate quotes are delivered instantly to you. You can most likely find cheaper rates and a licensed agent to talk to. In the event you want to get a comparison quote from a specific insurance provider, you would need to jump over to their website to submit a rate quote request.
Finding a good provider should include more criteria than just a cheap price quote. Before buying a policy in Oakland, get answers to these questions.
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
- What kind of financial rating does the company have?
- Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- Do they write coverage based solely on cost?
- Will one accident increase rates?
If you are searching for a local Oakland insurance agency, it’s helpful to know the types of agencies and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Insurance agencies are considered either exclusive agents or independent agents.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
These agents can usually just insure with one company and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. These agents are unable to compare other company’s rates so they have no alternatives for high prices. These agents are very knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them sell on service rather than price. Consumers frequently use the same agent partially due to the brand name and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Listed below is a list of exclusive agencies in Oakland who may provide you with rate quotes.
- Rich Kirchner – State Farm Insurance Agent
5736 Thornhill Dr Ste 101 – Oakland, CA 94611 – (510) 339-9340 – View Map - Fernando Valenzuela – State Farm Insurance
1236 30th Ave – Oakland, CA 94601 – (510) 533-9712 – View Map - Stephanie Canessa – State Farm Insurance Agent
6228 Merced Ave – Oakland, CA 94611 – (510) 339-4444 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents of this type are not required to write business for one company so they can write business through many different insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. If prices rise, your policy is moved internally and you won’t have to switch agencies. If you need cheaper insurance rates, you will want to include a few independent agents to get the best comparison. A lot of them also have access to small regional insurance companies that many times have cheaper rates.
Listed below are independent insurance agencies in Oakland willing to provide comparison quotes.
- Thandi Insurance Brokerage
2859 Mandela Pkwy – Oakland, CA 94608 – (510) 452-1566 – View Map - Ruth Stroup Insurance Agency
3560 Grand Ave – Oakland, CA 94610 – (510) 874-5700 – View Map - Greater Metrowest Insurance Agency
Oakland, CA 94612 – Oakland, CA 94612 – (510) 444-1404 – View Map
After receiving good answers for all questions you ask as well as an affordable premium quote, most likely you have located an auto insurance agent that can adequately provide insurance. But remember, you can always terminate coverage any time you want so don’t feel you are locked into any specific company for the full term.
How to find a good California car insurance company
Insuring your vehicle with the highest-rated car insurance company can be a challenge considering how many companies sell insurance in California. The rank data listed below can help you select which providers to look at comparing prices from.
Top 10 Oakland Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Value
- USAA
- American Family
- The Hartford
- AAA of Southern California
- Titan Insurance
- The General
- AAA Insurance
- State Farm
- Mercury Insurance
- Nationwide
Top 10 Oakland Car Insurance Companies by A.M. Best Rank
- USAA – A++
- Travelers – A++
- State Farm – A++
- GEICO – A++
- Esurance – A+
- Nationwide – A+
- Allstate – A+
- Mercury Insurance – A+
- Progressive – A+
- Titan Insurance – A+
Shop smart and save
While you’re price shopping online, it’s not a good idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are many occasions where an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage and discovered at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your strategy should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the lowest possible cost, not the least amount of coverage.
Some insurance companies do not offer online quoting and most of the time these regional carriers work with independent agents. Lower-priced insurance in Oakland can be sourced on the web and with local Oakland insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both to have the best rate selection.
Insureds leave their current company for many reasons like not issuing a premium refund, being labeled a high risk driver, lack of trust in their agent and high rates after DUI convictions. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding a new company is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.
Steps to buying low-cost Audi S8 insurance in Oakland
To save the most money, the best way to find the cheapest price for Audi S8 insurance is to do a yearly price comparison from providers who provide auto insurance in Oakland. Price quotes can be compared by following these guidelines.
- Take a few minutes and learn about policy coverages and the measures you can take to prevent expensive coverage. Many factors that cause high rates like speeding tickets, careless driving and an unacceptable credit score can be controlled by being financially responsible and driving safely.
- Compare price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only provide price estimates from a single company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agents can quote prices for a wide range of companies. Click to view companies
- Compare the price quotes to your existing rates to see if a cheaper price is available in Oakland. If you find better rates, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
- Notify your current company to cancel your current car insurance policy. Submit a completed policy application and payment for your new coverage. Once the application is submitted, place your new certificate verifying proof of insurance in an accessible location in your vehicle.
One tip to remember is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same deductibles and limits on each quote request and and to get price quotes from as many different insurance providers as possible. Doing this enables a fair rate comparison and plenty of rates choose from.
Much more information about insurance in California can be found below:
- Insurance Losses by Make and Model (iihs.org)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for a Company Car in Oakland? (FAQ)
- How Much is Car Insurance for a Learners Permit in Oakland? (FAQ)
- How Can I Save Money on Auto Insurance? (Insurance Information Institute)
- What to do at the Scene of an Accident (Insurance Information Institute)
- Safe Vehicles for Teens (iihs.org)
- Help Your Teen Be a Better Driver (State Farm)