Trying to find low-priced auto insurance is easier said than done, and determining which insurers offer the lowest-priced auto insurance rates for drivers requiring a SR22 calls for even more perseverance.
Each auto insurance company uses a slightly different approach to set policy rates, so we’ll go over the lowest cost auto insurance companies in Oakland.
Best Insurance Companies for SR22 Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,143 |
| 2 | Century National | $1,178 |
| 3 | Wawanesa | $1,181 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $1,213 |
| 5 | CSAA | $1,234 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,433 |
| 8 | Allstate | $1,513 |
| 9 | Progressive | $1,542 |
| 10 | Mercury | $1,548 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,575 |
| 12 | The Hartford | $1,591 |
| 13 | Allied | $1,603 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,654 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,733 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,733 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,756 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,831 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,860 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
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USAA offers some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Oakland at around $1,143 a year. This is $508 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, Wawanesa, Nationwide, and CSAA would also be considered some of the cheaper Oakland, CA insurance companies.
As the rates illustrate above, if you are a customer of Century National and switched to USAA, you might achieve a yearly savings of in the neighborhood of $35. California drivers with Wawanesa might save as much as $38 a year, and Nationwide policyholders might see rate reductions of $70 a year.
To get a fast rate comparison, click here to start your free quote or quote rates from the companies below.
Remember that these policy prices are averages across all types of insureds and vehicles and and are not figured with a specific location for drivers requiring a SR22. So the auto insurance company that has the lowest price for you may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That emphasizes why you need to get quotes using your own personal information and vehicle type.
For high risk drivers, one of the big things that determine the amount you pay each year for auto insurance is where you call home. Areas with high crime rates or more dense population tend to have higher auto insurance costs, whereas areas with lower vehicle theft rates and fewer weather claims tend to receive cheaper rates.
The next table shows the highest-priced areas in California for drivers requiring a SR22 in which to buy car insurance. Oakland is ranked #4 costing $1,755 for the average insured, which is about $146 each month.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glendale | $2,142 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | $2,104 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,763 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,755 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,720 |
| 6 | Long Beach | $1,610 |
| 7 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
| 8 | Stockton | $1,556 |
| 9 | Moreno Valley | $1,551 |
| 10 | Santa Clarita | $1,533 |
| 11 | Riverside | $1,527 |
| 12 | Garden Grove | $1,524 |
| 13 | Fontana | $1,519 |
| 14 | Fresno | $1,517 |
| 15 | Modesto | $1,487 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,483 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,423 |
| 19 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 20 | Bakersfield | $1,381 |
| 21 | Fremont | $1,348 |
| 22 | Oxnard | $1,344 |
| 23 | Chula Vista | $1,337 |
| 24 | Irvine | $1,330 |
| 25 | San Diego | $1,327 |
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Rates are estimated as the specific zip code location can decrease or increase coverage rates substantially.
The vehicle you are insuring is one of the primary factors when looking for low-priced coverage for drivers requiring a SR22. Vehicles with higher performance, poor safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost much more to insure than more modest models.
The next list ranks coverage premiums for a selection of the most budget-friendly vehicles to buy insurance for.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $4,745 |
| Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $4,895 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport 4WD 2-Dr | $5,144 |
| Toyota Prius | $5,268 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $5,304 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.5 Station Wagon | $5,483 |
| Ford F-150 FX2 Super Cab 2WD | $5,534 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $5,674 |
| Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $5,683 |
| Ford Edge Limited 2WD | $5,721 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $5,731 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS 2WD | $5,738 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $5,731 |
| Toyota RAV4 4WD | $5,740 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $5,785 |
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Cost estimates assume single male driver age 30, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and homeowner. Rate quotes do not factor in specific location which can influence premiums noticeably.
Looking at the rates, you can see that makes and models like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Prius, and Toyota Tacoma are most likely to be some of the cheapest vehicles to insure for high risk drivers. The cost of auto insurance will be higher anyway because of the fact that there is more inherent risk for drivers requiring a SR22, but in general those specific models will probably have the cheapest rates compared to other vehicles.
Full coverage versus liability-only
Paying a lower price for auto insurance is probably important to the majority of vehicle owners, and one of the easiest ways to save on the cost of insurance for drivers requiring a SR22 is to only buy liability insurance. The example below compares insurance rates with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The premiums assume no violations or claims, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no additional discounts are factored in.
If we average the cost for ages 20 through 70, physical damage insurance costs an additional $2,314 per year more than buying just liability insurance. That is a large expense which might make you wonder if it’s worth it to buy full coverage. There is no definitive rule to stop paying for comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a general school of thought. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
Get discount Oakland insurance rates
Auto insurance companies that offer coverage for drivers requiring a SR22 may have rate discounts that could potentially reduce rates by 35% or more if you meet specific eligibility requirements. A list of companies and some of the discounts are shown below.
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including good student, defensive driving training, Drive Safe & Save, student away at school, accident-free, and passive restraint.
- Liberty Mutual offers discounts including safety features, exclusive group savings, teen driver discount, new graduate, and good student.
- American Family includes discounts for Steer into Savings, good driver, TimeAway discount, air bags, good student, and bundled insurance.
- Progressive may include discounts for online signing, homeowner, continuous coverage, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, good student, and online quote discount.
- Farmers Insurance has savings for teen driver, good student, switch companies, business and professional, homeowner, electronic funds transfer, and youthful driver.
- Auto-Owners Insurance offers premium reductions for company car, safe vehicle, anti-lock brakes, multi-policy, and group or association.
- SAFECO discounts include multi-car, bundle discounts, teen safe driver, anti-theft, and safe driver.
The diagram below visualizes the comparison of yearly insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the premium. The rates are based on a female driver, two accidents and two citations, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $1,000 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with paperless filing, passive restraint, marriage, continuous coverage, multiple policy, and anti-theft discounts applied. When taking advantage of discounts, theaverage yearly reduction on auto insurance for drivers requiring a SR22 is 29% or $1,385.
Impact of violations and accidents on rates in Oakland
The best way to find affordable auto insurance premiums in California for high risk drivers is to be an attentive driver and avoid accidents and violations. The example below highlights how traffic violations and accident claims increase annual premium costs for each age group. The rates are based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
In the previous example, the average cost of auto insurance in California per year with no accidents and a clean driving record is $1,537. Receive two speeding tickets and the average cost jumps to $2,176, an increase of $639 each year. Now throw in two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of auto insurance for drivers requiring a SR22 increases to an average of $4,742. That’s an increase of $3,205, or $267 per month, just for not keeping your driving record clean!
Can you find cheaper Oakland car insurance?
California auto insurance rates are based on many factors that may substantially change the price you pay. Improving your credit rating, becoming a homeowner, or getting a ticket for running a stop sign can produce rate changes that can now make some companies cheaper than competitors. Additionally, car insurance companies modify rates every year or even multiple times each year to adjust for unexpected claims or profits. Heavy losses may cause additional premium costs, while a profitable period may result in lower-cost Oakland car insurance rates.
As an example, the graph below analyzes the cheapest car insurance in Oakland, CA for a 35-year-old male driver with no prior accidents, a clean driving record, and great credit. When comparing rates based on his personal risk profile, USAA may have the cheapest car insurance rates in Oakland at $1,494 per year. This is $157 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. CSAA, Wawanesa, Century National, and Nationwide are also included in the cheapest Oakland, CA auto insurance companies.
Now we will pretend the driver from the first rate comparison a chargeable accident, slightly worse credit, and a few blemishes on his driving record. Since each auto insurance company uses their own calculation for determining rates, analyzing rates will most likely result in a substantially altered list of the cheapest companies as shown below.
Grange now has the best auto insurance rate in Oakland with Progressive, Mercury, Allstate, and GEICO also having competitive pricing. This demonstrates why drivers need to compare as many rates as possible when trying to get the most affordable insurance quotes for drivers requiring a SR22.
Car insurance prices are influenced by many different factors and can change without notice, so the best option six months ago may now be quite expensive.