Statistics show that a large majority of drivers in California have remained with the same auto insurance company for at least four years, and just under half have never compared rate quotes at all. With the average premium in the United States being $1,847, drivers can save hundreds of dollars each year just by getting comparison quotes, but most tend to underestimate the benefits if they switched to a more affordable policy.
It takes a few minutes, but the best way to get budget Dodge Journey insurance is to regularly compare quotes from providers who sell auto insurance in Oakland.
- First, try to comprehend how insurance companies determine prices and the changes you can make to keep rates in check. Many things that drive up the price like at-fault accidents, careless driving, and a substandard credit history can be amended by paying attention to minor details. This article gives additional ideas to get cheaper coverage and find overlooked discounts.
- Second, compare price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only quote rates from a single company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agencies can provide price quotes for a wide range of companies. Compare rates
- Third, compare the new quotes to your existing policy to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you find a lower rate quote and decide to switch, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
- Fourth, tell your current company of your intent to cancel your current auto insurance policy. Submit a down payment along with a completed application for the new policy. As soon as you can, place the new certificate verifying coverage with the vehicle registration.
The critical component of shopping around is to make sure you’re comparing the same deductibles and limits on each quote request and and to look at as many different companies as possible. Doing this ensures the most accurate price comparison and a complete selection of prices.
This article’s goal is to help you learn the best way to buy inexpensive insurance. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will surely be able to get lower rates using these techniques. You just have to know the tricks to get comparison rates instantly.
The most recommended method to compare rate quotes for Dodge Journey insurance in Oakland is to know all the major auto insurance companies allow for online access to give free rates quotes. To begin a comparison, all you need to do is provide details such as if a SR-22 is required, how you use your vehicles, which vehicles you own, and how much education you have. Your information is sent automatically to many different companies and they return cost estimate almost instantly.
To check rates for your Dodge Journey now, click here and enter your coverage details.
The companies shown below are ready to provide comparison quotes in California. If multiple companies are listed, it’s a good idea that you visit as many as you can to get a more complete price comparison.
Detailed insurance information
The premium information displayed next showcases detailed analysis of insurance premium costs for Dodge Journey models. Being more informed about how car insurance prices are determined helps drivers make smart choices when comparing insurance quotes.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Journey SE 2WD | $294 | $488 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,462 | $122 |
Journey SXT 2WD | $294 | $592 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,566 | $131 |
Journey R/T 2WD | $332 | $592 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,604 | $134 |
Journey SXT Crew 2WD | $332 | $592 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,604 | $134 |
Journey SXT AWD | $332 | $592 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,604 | $134 |
Journey R/T AWD | $332 | $698 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,710 | $143 |
Journey SXT Crew AWD | $332 | $698 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,710 | $143 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Prices above based on single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Information does not factor in specific location information which can alter prices significantly.
An analysis of deductible level
One frequently asked question is which comprehensive and collision deductibles to buy. The premium rates below can help you understand the differences in premium rates when you choose different physical damage coverage deductibles. The first price estimate table uses a $100 deductible and the second price table uses a $1,000 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Journey SE 2WD | $380 | $564 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,569 | $131 |
Journey SXT 2WD | $380 | $686 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,691 | $141 |
Journey R/T 2WD | $430 | $686 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,741 | $145 |
Journey SXT Crew 2WD | $430 | $686 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,741 | $145 |
Journey SXT AWD | $430 | $686 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,741 | $145 |
Journey R/T AWD | $430 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,865 | $155 |
Journey SXT Crew AWD | $430 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,865 | $155 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Journey SE 2WD | $210 | $298 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,108 | $92 |
Journey SXT 2WD | $210 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,172 | $98 |
Journey R/T 2WD | $238 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,200 | $100 |
Journey SXT Crew 2WD | $238 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,200 | $100 |
Journey SXT AWD | $238 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,200 | $100 |
Journey R/T AWD | $238 | $426 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,264 | $105 |
Journey SXT Crew AWD | $238 | $426 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,264 | $105 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, safe-driver, and claim-free. Estimates do not factor in Oakland location which can influence insurance rates significantly.
Based on this data, we can arrive at the conclusion that using a $100 deductible will cost you roughly $45 more each month or $540 each year across all Dodge Journey models than selecting the higher $1,000 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $900 more to settle a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally go more than 20 months between claims, you would save more money by selecting a higher deductible.
How to determine when to raise deductibles
Average monthly premium for $100 deductibles: | $145 |
Average monthly premium for $1,000 deductibles (subtract): | – $100 |
Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $45 |
Difference between deductibles ($1,000 – $100): | $900 |
Divide difference by monthly savings: | $900 / $45 |
Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 20 months |
One important caveat is that raising deductibles means you will have to pay more out-of-pocket when you have to file a claim. That will necessitate enough disposable income in order to pay more to get your vehicle repaired.
The information below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles and can raise or lower Dodge Journey insurance prices for different age groups. The costs are based on a married male driver, full physical damage coverage, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Comparison of full coverage and liability-only policies
The information below shows the comparison of Dodge Journey premium costs with and without physical damage coverage. The rates are based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no additional discounts are factored in.
When to stop buying comprehensive and collision coverage
There is no specific rule of when to exclude comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of having full coverage is about 10% or more of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it might be time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s assume your Dodge Journey book value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most you would get paid by your company is $7,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are paying in excess of $700 annually for physical damage coverage, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
There are some scenarios where removing full coverage is not a good idea. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you have to keep full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not consider dropping full coverage.
Car insurance discounts help lower rates for Dodge Journey insurance in Oakland
Buying car insurance is not cheap, but you may be missing some discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Certain credits will be shown when you complete an application, but some discounts are required to be manually applied prior to getting the savings.
- Professional Organizations – Having an affiliation with a civic or occupational organization in Oakland is a good way to get lower rates on your policy.
- Pay Early and Save – If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of making monthly payments you may have a lower total premium amount.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Passing a course that instructs on driving safety is a good idea and can lower rates if your company offers it.
- Braking Control Discount – Cars with ABS and/or traction control are much safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Cars equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are less likely to be stolen and earn discounts up to 10% off your Oakland auto insurance quote.
- Onboard Data Collection – Policyholders that allow their insurance company to track when and where they use their vehicle through the use of a telematics system such as Progressive’s Snapshot could save a few bucks as long as the data is positive.
Please keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So even though you would think you could get a free car insurance policy, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any amount of discount will definitely lower the cost of coverage.
The example below illustrates the comparison of Dodge Journey insurance prices with and without some available policy discounts. The costs are based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, multi-car, safe-driver, and marriage discounts applied.
To locate providers that offer multiple discounts in Oakland, click here.
Best reasons to buy auto insurance in California
Despite the potentially high cost of Dodge Journey insurance, paying for auto insurance is a good idea for several reasons.
- The majority of states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to buy a specific minimum amount of liability insurance coverage in order to be legal. 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 have a lien on your Dodge Journey, it’s most likely the lender will make it a condition of the loan that you have full coverage to protect their interest in the vehicle. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the bank may insure your Dodge at a much higher rate and require you to reimburse them for the much more expensive policy.
- Insurance safeguards both your Dodge Journey and your assets. Insurance will pay for medical bills for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, will also pay to defend you if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If your Dodge gets damaged, your policy will pay to have it repaired.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance definitely exceed the cost, particularly for liability claims. The average driver in California is wasting up to $825 a year so you should quote and compare rates each time the policy renews to help ensure money is not being wasted.
What if I want to buy from local Oakland insurance agents?
Many drivers would prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that is recommended in a lot of cases Most agents are trained risk managers and help submit paperwork. A good thing about price shopping on the web is the fact that drivers can get cheap insurance rates and still have a local agent. Buying from and supporting local agencies is important particularly in Oakland.
After completing this form (opens in new window), your information is immediately sent to companies in Oakland that provide free Oakland auto insurance quotes for your coverage. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to do any legwork because quoted prices will be sent to your email. In the event you want to get a rate quote from a specific insurance provider, you can always jump over to their website to submit a rate quote request.
If you would like to find a reliable insurance agent, there are a couple of different types of agents that you can select. Insurance agencies are classified as either exclusive or independent. Either one can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s good to learn how they are different since it can impact which type of agent you select.
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be independent do not write with just one company so they can quote policies with lots of companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, an independent agent can move your coverage which is easy for the insured.
If you are comparing insurance prices, you will want to include a few independent agents to have the best price comparison. Many write coverage with additional companies that you may not be familiar with which can save you money.
Listed below is a small list of independent insurance agents in Oakland that can give you free price quotes.
- Fred Loya Insurance
1620 High St STE B – Oakland, CA 94601 – (510) 434-1801 – View Map - Nationwide Insurance: Ruby Joyce Barnett
440 Grand Ave #450 – Oakland, CA 94610 – (510) 251-3800 – View Map - Links Insurance Services
1155 3rd St # 220 – Oakland, CA 94607 – (925) 361-5185 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agents
These type of agents can usually just insure with one company and examples are Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. Exclusive agents cannot give you multiple price quotes so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Exclusive agents are very knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Consumers sometimes buy from the same agent for years mainly due to the brand and solid financial strength.
Shown below are Oakland exclusive agencies willing to provide price quote information.
- Judy Chambers – State Farm Insurance Agent
1305 Franklin St #400 – Oakland, CA 94612 – (510) 832-2195 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Lorraine Yip Yung
1168 Franklin St – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 832-5113 – View Map - Farmers Insurance: Patrick Siu
993 Jackson St – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 350-7829 – View Map
Picking the best auto insurance agent should depend on more than just the bottom line cost. Agents should be asked these questions:
- Is the quote a firm price?
- If you raise deductibles, how much can you save?
- Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
- Who are their largest clients?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies in Oakland?
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
- Does the agency have a positive business rating?
- Can glass repairs be made at your home?