Buying affordable coverage for a Nissan Altima in California doesn’t take too much effort, but it hinges on an enormous amount of rating factors such as how far you drive to work, the size of your vehicle, and your choice of deductibles. Drivers pay around $1,292 each year to insure their Altima, but that cost is a valuation based on a 30-year-old single male driver with full comprehensive and collision coverage and $1,000 deductibles.
The problem with using this number is the good chance you are not 30 years old and maybe not even male, you might be married instead of single, or maybe you need higher liability limits than the state minimum. Even a slight difference in rating factors or requested coverage amount can result in a massive change in the coverage rate.
Each driver’s needs are different, and that demonstrates why the best method for finding the cheapest rates for your Nissan is to compare as many rates as possible.
The trim level of your vehicle tends to impact the cost of coverage, so the price you will pay to insure a Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan trim level will be $262 less than the price to insure the more costly Altima 3.5 SR 2-Dr Coupe version, as shown below.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $240 | $362 | $578 | $34 | $174 | $1,388 | $116 |
| Altima 2.5 S 4-Dr Sedan | $240 | $426 | $578 | $34 | $174 | $1,452 | $121 |
| Altima Hybrid 4-Dr Sedan | $272 | $426 | $578 | $34 | $174 | $1,484 | $124 |
| Altima 2.5 S 2-Dr Coupe | $272 | $426 | $654 | $38 | $196 | $1,586 | $132 |
| Altima 3.5 SR 4-Dr Sedan | $272 | $426 | $578 | $34 | $174 | $1,484 | $124 |
| Altima 3.5 SR 2-Dr Coupe | $272 | $490 | $654 | $38 | $196 | $1,650 | $138 |
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Data rating is based on single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Premium amounts do not factor in specific Oakland garaging location which can modify coverage prices greatly.
Trying to find reasonably-priced auto insurance is not the easiest thing to accomplish, and figuring out which company has the most affordable car insurance rates for a Nissan Altima requires even more work. Every car insurance company has their own process for setting rates, so to begin we’ll rank the car insurance companies with the overall cheapest rates in Oakland.
It’s a good idea to know that Oakland, CA car insurance rates are based on many factors that will increase or decrease the price of your policy. Simply improving your credit score, having a teen driver, or getting a driving violation can produce rate changes that can make some companies way too expensive in comparison to the competition.
Find the Best Cheap Insurance for Your Altima
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,109 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,226 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $1,226 |
| 5 | CSAA | $1,234 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,491 |
| 8 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 9 | Allstate | $1,513 |
| 10 | GEICO | $1,529 |
| 11 | Mercury | $1,548 |
| 12 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
| 13 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,638 |
| 15 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,705 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,750 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,806 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,831 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,006 |
| Get a Custom Quote Go | ||
USAA generally has some of the best car insurance rates in Oakland at around $1,109 annually. Wawanesa, Century National, Nationwide, and CSAA would also be considered some of the most economical Oakland, CA car insurance companies.
In this example, if you are a customer of Century National and switched to USAA, you might see savings of around $117. Drivers with Nationwide might save as much as $117 a year, and CSAA insureds might reduce prices by as much as $125 a year.
Bear in mind that those premium estimates are averaged for all types of insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in an exact vehicle garaging location for a Nissan Altima. So the car insurance company that fits your needs best may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That points out the importance of why you need to get rate quotes using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
Illustration showing the impact of accidents and violations
The obvious way to find the cheapest car insurance rates in Oakland for an Altima is to drive carefully and have a clean driving record. The diagram below illustrates how traffic citations and at-fault collisions can impact insurance costs for different age categories. The prices are based on a married male driver, full coverage, $500 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 $2,263. Get one speeding ticket and the average cost surges to $2,601, an increase of $338 each year. Now add one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the annual cost of car insurance for a Nissan Altima goes up to an average of $3,550. That’s an increase of $1,287, or $107 per month, just for not paying attention while driving!
The importance of shopping around for Altima insurance
Oakland, CA car insurance rates are based on many factors which can substantially decrease or increase the price you have to pay for coverage. Turning one year older, buying a home, or getting a DUI may cause policy rate changes resulting in some companies being more affordable than the competition.
In addition, car insurance companies change the rates they charge in California multiple times each year in order to be able to pay unexpected claims. A period of higher than normal claims may cause more expensive premiums, while a better loss history can cause more affordable Altima insurance rates.
To illustrate this example, the bar chart below shows the cheapest car insurance in Oakland, CA for a 30-year-old female driver with no accidents or violations, and good financial standing. If we estimate rates based on her current situation, USAA might offer the cheapest car insurance rates in Oakland at $1,539 a year. This is $112 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Nationwide, and Century National round out the rest of the top five cheapest Oakland, CA auto insurance companies.
In this next rate comparison, we will give the driver from the above example an accident claim, a lower credit rating, and a speeding citation. Due to the fact that every insurance company has a unique approach for determining prices, analyzing rates most likely will result in a significantly different list of the cheapest Oakland car insurance companies as shown below.
Mercury now has the cheapest car insurance in Oakland, CA with Grange, Allstate, GEICO, and Allied now rounding out the top five. This example demonstrates why drivers need to spend some time comparing rates when trying to get the best car insurance rates for a Nissan Altima. Car insurance prices can be altered by many different factors and change dramatically, so the cheapest rate two years ago may now be quite expensive.
How to find more affordable car insurance for a Nissan Altima
Here are a few money-saving solutions that can help Oakland drivers locate cheap auto insurance.
- Avoid having at-fault accidents
- Avoid price increases by not filing claims
- Speeding tickets and other violations increase rates
- Improve your credit score
- Buy a car with high safety ratings
- Shop around and save
The last idea is particularly valuable, as was affirmed in this piece. Car insurance rates change a lot, so don’t hesitate to change to a new company if you find a cheaper price. We understand brand loyalty, but we do not recommend it if that devotion results in you overpaying a considerable chunk of change every month. Take a couple minutes and shop around to find cheaper insurance for a Nissan Altima in Oakland.