You have seen the captivating ads from auto insurance companies like Progressive, State Farm, and Farmers that make promises of enormous savings, so drivers just need to select the one with the best jingle, right?
Unfortunately, it’s just not that easy, as there are a ton of unknown elements such as if you have ever let your policy lapse, what coverage limits you need, the annual mileage you drive, and whether or not you own a home. This article will detail the best ways to save money and will hopefully give you a good start to your coverage search.
Shopping around for reasonably-priced car insurance is not the easiest thing to accomplish, and figuring out which company offers the most affordable auto insurance rates for drivers under 25 takes even more rate comparisons. Every car insurance company uses slightly different criteria for setting rates, so we need to take a look at the overall cheapest auto insurance companies in Oakland.
It’s important to understand that Oakland auto insurance rates are impacted by many factors that control the cost of a policy. Simply turning a year older, increasing deductibles, or getting a couple of tickets may generate price changes that can now make some companies less affordable than competitors.
Lowest Insurance Price Quotes for Young Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wawanesa | $1,146 |
| 2 | USAA | $1,155 |
| 3 | CSAA | $1,198 |
| 4 | Century National | $1,214 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,263 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,491 |
| 8 | Progressive | $1,512 |
| 9 | Mercury | $1,548 |
| 10 | Allstate | $1,559 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,575 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,590 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,623 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,733 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,739 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $1,750 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,860 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,006 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | ||
Wawanesa has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Oakland at around $1,146 a year. This is $505 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. USAA, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide also make the cut as some of the cheapest Oakland, CA car insurance companies.
As shown above, if you currently have a policy with Century National and switched to USAA, you could realize an annual premium reduction of upwards of $59. Customers with Nationwide might save as much as $108 a year, and 21st Century insureds might lower prices by $170 a year.
Bear in mind that those estimates are averaged across all drivers and vehicles in California and and are not figured with an exact location for drivers under 25. So the auto insurance company that can offer you the best price may not even be in the list above. That’s why you need to get auto insurance quotes using your own driver data and vehicle information.
The type of vehicle driven is probably the most important factor in finding low-priced car insurance for drivers under 25. Vehicles with limited top-end speed, good crash test ratings, or a low likelihood of liability claims will cost quite a bit less to insure than higher performance models. The list below illustrates insurance prices for the cheaper automobiles to insure in California.
| Make, Model, and Trim Level | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $2,917 |
| Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $2,923 |
| Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $3,149 |
| Toyota Prius | $3,194 |
| Ford F-150 XL Super Cab 4WD | $3,272 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $3,278 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $3,379 |
| Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $3,416 |
| Honda Civic DX 4-Dr Sedan | $3,423 |
| Ford Edge SEL 2WD | $3,416 |
| Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $3,426 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $3,460 |
| Toyota RAV4 2WD | $3,468 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $3,505 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport Islander Package 4WD 4-Dr | $3,604 |
| Start Your Quote Go | |
Prices above based on single female driver age 20, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Rate information does not factor in vehicle location which can affect price quotes substantially.
Looking at the rates, we can assume that cars like the Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, Ford Escape, Toyota Prius, and Ford F-150 are most likely to be some of the cheapest vehicles to insure for drivers age 25 and younger. Auto insurance rates will tend to be more expensive because there is more claim risk for drivers under 25, but overall those makes and models will have the lowest prices compared to other vehicles.
Finding the right auto insurance company is difficult considering how many companies sell insurance in California. The rank data in the lists below can help you choose which companies to look at comparing price quotes from. These ratings include companies with a national presence, so companies that focus mainly on California business are not included in these 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 |
| Esurance | 85 | 80 | 95 | 87% | A+ | 85.9 |
| Safeco | 85 | 85 | 85 | 86% | A | 85.8 |
| Travelers | 80 | 87 | 87 | 83% | A++ | 85.2 |
| Farmers Insurance | 78 | 87 | 88 | 79% | A | 84.3 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Cost comparison with and without full coverage
Finding the cheapest auto insurance should be important to most people, and one good way to buy cheaper insurance for drivers under 25 is to only buy liability coverage. The example below compares auto insurance rates with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The premiums assume no claims or driving citations, $500 deductibles, single status, and no policy discounts are applied.
On average, comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy costs an extra $2,075 per year more than just buying liability insurance. At some point, almost every driver questions if paying for full coverage is a waste of money. There is no definitive guideline to eliminate physical damage insurance, but there is a broad guideline. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is 10% or more of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
For example, let’s say your vehicle’s book value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most you would receive is $7,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are currently paying more than $700 annually for physical damage coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
Discount Oakland car insurance rates
Insurance companies that provide policies for drivers under 25 may also give you discounts that could reduce prices by as much as 40% or more if you meet specific eligibility requirements. A list of companies and a selection of discounts can be found below.
- State Farm may include discounts for driver’s education, passive restraint, Drive Safe & Save, multiple autos, and good driver.
- GEICO offers discounts for seat belt use, five-year accident-free, good student, federal employee, and membership and employees.
- Progressive offers discounts including multi-policy, homeowner, online signing, good student, and multi-vehicle.
- 21st Century has savings for anti-lock brakes, student driver, automatic seat belts, early bird, defensive driver, and theft prevention.
- American Family policyholders can earn discounts including good student, multi-vehicle, air bags, bundled insurance, Steer into Savings, mySafetyValet, and TimeAway discount.
- The Hartford offers premium reductions for air bag, good student, vehicle fuel type, bundle, and anti-theft.
- AAA has discounts for education and occupation, anti-theft, multi-car, multi-policy, AAA membership discount, and pay-in-full.
The diagram below illustrates the difference between insurance prices with and without discounts applied. The premiums are based on a female driver, no claims or driving citations, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $250 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with good student, passive restraint, continuous coverage, anti-theft, paperless filing, and vehicle safety discounts applied. When discounts are factored in, theamount saved on auto insurance for drivers under 25 is 21% or $513.
How to find economical car insurance for drivers under 25
Below you’ll find some of the recommended thrifty suggestions that can help drivers get lower-cost auto insurance.
- Maintaining good credit helps earn cheaper rates
- Avoid having at-fault accidents
- Lower rates by purchasing a safer vehicle
- Drop full coverage on older vehicles
- Raise your deductibles
- Save money by observing traffic laws and speed limits
- Shop your coverage around for the best deal
The last suggestion is highly valuable, as we hit on in the prior information. Prices can change considerably in a year, so don’t be unwilling to switch companies if a more affordable price is available. Many drivers have brand loyalty and that’s fine, but it’s not recommended if that devotion results in you overpaying thousands of dollars over the life of your policy. If you have a few minutes, compare rates and find cheaper insurance for drivers under 25 in Oakland.
If you prefer to have some professional guidance when comparing insurance rates for drivers age 25 and younger, the professional agents shown below can help you make a decision which coverage meets your needs best.
To find an Oakland insurance agent in your neighborhood, click the button following the list.
Greater Metrowest Insurance Agency
Oakland, CA 94612 – Oakland, CA 94612 – (510) 444-1404
Farmers Insurance – Lorraine Yip Yung
1168 Franklin St – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 832-5113
Farmers Insurance – Mahir Abdul-Haqq
4267 Masterson St – Oakland, CA 94619 – (510) 530-8502