Regrettably, most insurance customers have been with the same company for more than four years, and 38% of drivers have never compared rate quotes at all. With the average insurance premium being $1,387, Oakland drivers could save $470 each year by just shopping around, but they don’t want to spend time to shop their coverage around.
If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to find discount Subaru Forester insurance is to start doing a yearly price comparison from insurance carriers who provide auto insurance in Oakland. Rates can be compared by following these steps.
- Step 1: Take a little time to learn about car insurance and the things you can change to keep rates in check. Many rating criteria that drive up the price such as speeding tickets, accidents and poor credit can be eliminated by making minor changes to your lifestyle.
- Step 2: Request rate estimates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only provide price estimates from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agencies can quote prices from multiple sources.
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to the price on your current policy to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you can save some money and switch companies, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Step 4: Provide proper notification to your current company of your decision to cancel your current coverage. Submit the completed application along with a down payment to your new company or agent. As soon as you have the new policy, safely store the proof of insurance paperwork in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
An essential thing to point out is that you’ll want to compare the same level of coverage on each quote request and and to get price quotes from as many companies as you can. Doing this guarantees a fair rate comparison and a complete price analysis.
If you are insured now or are just looking to switch companies, you can use these tips to find the best rates while maximizing coverage. Quoting and comparing more affordable auto insurance coverage in Oakland is not as confusing as people think. Drivers just have to understand the most efficient way to buy auto insurance on the web.
Best companies for Subaru Forester insurance
The companies in the list below can provide comparison quotes in Oakland, CA. If you wish to find cheaper auto insurance in Oakland, CA, we suggest you visit two to three different companies to find the cheapest auto insurance rates.
Facts and figures for Subaru Forester insurance
The coverage information shown next covers detailed analysis of insurance policy prices for Subaru Forester models. Understanding how car insurance prices are figured can help customers make smart choices when buying a policy.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forester X AWD | $332 | $564 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,474 | $123 |
| Forester X Premium AWD | $332 | $564 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,474 | $123 |
| Forester X Premium AWP AWD | $332 | $564 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,474 | $123 |
| Forester X Limited Edition AWD | $370 | $564 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,512 | $126 |
| Forester X Limited Edition W/Navigation AWD | $370 | $664 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,612 | $134 |
| Forester XT AWD | $370 | $664 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,612 | $134 |
| Forester XT Limited Edition AWD | $370 | $664 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,612 | $134 |
| Forester XT Limited Edition W/Navigation AWD | $370 | $664 | $424 | $26 | $128 | $1,612 | $134 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Data variables include single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, and safe-driver. Information does not factor in specific zip code location which can increase or decrease rates considerably.
How careless driving impacts Oakland car insurance rates
The diagram below illustrates how speeding tickets and accidents impact Subaru Forester insurance rates for different age groups of insureds. The prices are based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, $500 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Difference between full coverage and liability only rates
The example below illustrates the comparison of Subaru Forester premium costs with and without physical damage coverage. The price estimates are based on no accidents, no driving violations, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
When to stop buying comprehensive and collision coverage
There is no definitive guideline to delete comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is about 10% or more of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s say your Subaru Forester claim settlement value is $9,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, you would only receive $8,000 after the deductible is paid. If you are paying more than $800 annually to have full coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
There are a few situations where eliminating full coverage is not advised. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you have to maintain full coverage in order to satisfy the requirements of the loan. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should not drop full coverage.
Educated Choices Result in Lower Insurance Prices
A large part of saving on insurance is knowing the different types of things that are used to determine the rates you pay for insurance. If you have a feel for what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this helps enable you to make changes that may result in lower rates.
Listed below are some of the factors used by companies to determine your rate level.
Discounts for alarms and GPS tracking – Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all help stop auto theft.
Gender is a factor – Statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are better drivers. They both get in auto accidents at a similar rate, but the male of the species tend to have more serious accidents. Not only are claims higher, but men get ticketed for serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Youthful male drivers tend to get in the most accidents and thus pay the highest rates.
The chart below visualizes the comparison of Subaru Forester car insurance costs for male and female drivers. The price estimates are based on no claims, a clean driving record, comprehensive and collision coverage, $1,000 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Insurance premiums are higher for high performance vehicles – The performance of the car, truck or SUV you need insurance for makes a big difference in your car insurance bill. The cheapest insurance rates are usually found on smaller low performance passenger cars, but that’s not the only thing that factors into the final price.
The following data uses these variables: single female driver age 40, full coverage with $1000 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. The data compares Subaru Forester rates compared to other vehicles that have a range of risk factors.
Liability protection limits are a factor – Your policy’s liability coverage kicks in if you are responsible for physical damage or personal injury to other. Liability insurance provides legal defense which can cost a lot. Liability is cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.
Subaru Forester insurance loss data – Insurers take into consideration insurance loss statistics for every vehicle as a tool for profitable underwriting. Models that the statistics show to have a trend towards higher claims will have higher premium rates.
The data below shows the compiled insurance loss statistics for Subaru Forester vehicles. For each coverage type, the loss probability for all vehicles combined as an average equals 100. Percentage values below 100 suggest a better than average loss history, while numbers shown that are more than 100 indicate higher probability of having a loss or a tendency for claims to be larger.
| Vehicle Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subaru Forester 4dr 4WD | 71 | 80 | 108 | 72 | 76 | 68 |
| Subaru Forester 4dr 4WD with Eyesight | 74 | 66 | 118 | 77 | 78 | 53 |
Data Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
Car insurance discounts are available to cut your rates
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you might find some hidden discounts that you may not even be aware of. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time of purchase, but some may not be applied and must be inquired about before you will receive the discount.
- ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Cars and trucks with ABS and/or traction control are safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Use Seat Belts – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle up before driving can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) on medical payment and PIP coverage.
- Discount for Home Ownership – Owning a home in Oakland can save a few bucks because owning a home shows financial diligence.
- Accident Free – Oakland drivers who stay claim-free can earn big discounts as opposed to drivers with a long claim history.
- Government Employee Discount – Having worked for a branch of the government could qualify for a slight premium decrease depending on your car insurance provider.
- Onboard Data Collection – Drivers who elect to allow their car insurance company to analyze vehicle usage remotely like Drivewise from Allstate or In-Drive from State Farm may see discounts as long as the data is positive.
- Pay Upfront and Save – By making one initial payment instead of paying each month you can avoid monthly service charges.
A little disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts should definitely cut your policy premiums.
The diagram below shows the difference between Subaru Forester insurance prices with and without discounts applied. The premium estimates are based on a female 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 marriage, safe-driver, multi-car, multi-policy, homeowner, and claim-free discounts applied.
Companies that may include these benefits include:
When getting free Oakland car insurance quotes, it’s a good idea to every prospective company how you can save money. A few discounts may not apply to policyholders in your state.
Insurance agencies near you
Some people would rather go talk to an agent and often times that is recommended Good insurance agents can help you choose the best coverages and help in the event of a claim. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find lower auto insurance rates but also keep your business local.
By using this short form, the coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents who will return price quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to contact any insurance agencies because prices are sent immediately to you. If you want to get a rate quote from a specific car insurance provider, don’t hesitate to visit that company’s website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Finding the right insurer should depend on more than just a cheap price. Here are some questions you should ask.
- When do they do a full risk review?
- Will one accident increase rates?
- If independent agents, which companies do they recommend?
- How many years of experience in personal auto insurance do they have?
- How are they compensated?
Choose an insurance agent wisely
When researching local Oakland agents, it’s important to understand the different types of agents and how they differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agencies in Oakland can either be exclusive or independent. Either one can sell car insurance policies, but it’s important to point out the difference between them since it may influence the type of agent you choose.
Exclusive Car Insurance Agencies
Agents that elect to be exclusive can only place business with one company such as Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. They usually cannot give you multiple price quotes so always compare other rates. Exclusive agents are usually well trained on sales techniques which helps them compete with independent agents. Many people buy from the same agent for years partially due to the prominence of the brand and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Shown below is a list of exclusive agencies in Oakland who may provide you with price quote information.
- Maria Wong – State Farm Insurance Agent
1000 Broadway #270 – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 834-3634 – View Map - Jain Williams – State Farm Insurance Agent
4222 MacArthur Blvd – Oakland, CA 94619 – (510) 530-3222 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Mahir Abdul-Haqq
4267 Masterson St – Oakland, CA 94619 – (510) 530-8502 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
These agents are not locked into one company so as a result can place your coverage with any number of different companies and find the cheapest car insurance rates. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply switch companies in-house and you won’t have to switch agencies.
When comparing rates, you should always get several quotes from multiple independent agents in order to have the best price comparison. Most have the option of insuring with lesser-known insurance companies which may provide better rates.
Below are Oakland independent agencies that can give you price quotes.
- Western-Southern Life Insurance Co
80 Swan Way # 102 – Oakland, CA 94621 – (510) 877-4119 – View Map - Susan Bernosky – Strahan Ins Services Inc
5940 College Ave a – Oakland, CA 94618 – (510) 450-9051 – View Map - Fred Loya Insurance
1620 High St STE B – Oakland, CA 94601 – (510) 434-1801 – View Map
Car insurance company ratings
Picking the top auto insurance provider can be challenging considering how many companies sell insurance in Oakland. The company rank data displayed below can help you pick which car insurance providers to look at shopping prices with.
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+
Persistence will pay off
We’ve covered a lot of information how to get a better price on Subaru Forester insurance in Oakland. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the lowest priced insurance comes from a smaller regional carrier.
Lower-priced insurance in Oakland can be found online in addition to many Oakland insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies don’t offer online rate quotes and these smaller providers sell through local independent agents.
When buying insurance coverage, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. In many cases, someone dropped liability coverage limits only to discover later that it was a big mistake. The goal is to get the best coverage possible at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Additional insurance information can be read at the links below
- Should I Buy a New or Used Car? (Allstate)
- How Much is Oakland Car Insurance for 18 Year Olds? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates for Nurses in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Which Company has the Cheapest Auto Insurance in Oakland, CA? (FAQ)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for 4×4 Vehicles in Oakland? (FAQ)
- How to Avoid Common Accidents (State Farm)
- Insurance losses by make and model (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Collision Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)