Buying the best cheap car insurance for a Ford Explorer is pretty simple, but it hinges on lots of different factors such as the age of the Explorer, your profession, and violations on your driving record. Drivers will pay around $1,036 a year for Explorer insurance, but that is a projection based upon a 40-year-old married female driver with full comprehensive and collision coverage and $1,000 deductibles.
When projecting a rate like this, the problem is that you’re not a 40-year-old female, you might be single instead of married, or maybe you prefer higher deductibles. Different coverage needs are the reason why the best method for finding cheap insurance prices for your Ford is to just take the time to compare rates yourself. Quotes are free and you can get prices from some of the best companies that insure Ford vehicles in California.
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The specific trim level will influence the insurance rate, so the rate you pay to insure a Explorer XLT 2WD model will be $84 cheaper than the cost to insure the fancier Explorer Limited AWD version, as shown by the rates below.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer XLT 2WD | $182 | $292 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,104 | $92 |
| Explorer Eddie Bauer 2WD | $182 | $292 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,104 | $92 |
| Explorer XLT 4WD | $182 | $292 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,104 | $92 |
| Explorer XLT AWD | $182 | $292 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,104 | $92 |
| Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD | $204 | $354 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,188 | $99 |
| Explorer Eddie Bauer AWD | $204 | $354 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,188 | $99 |
| Explorer Limited 2WD | $204 | $354 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,188 | $99 |
| Explorer Limited 4WD | $204 | $354 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,188 | $99 |
| Explorer Limited AWD | $204 | $354 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,188 | $99 |
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Premium data assumes married female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Prices do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can alter coverage prices greatly.
Oakland auto insurance companies ranked
Buying coverage from a good quality car insurance provider can be rather challenging considering how many choices you have in California. The ranking information in the lists below could help you select which companies you want to consider when insurance shopping for a Ford Explorer.
These ratings only include companies who write in the majority of U.S. states, so companies that have a smaller presence are not taken into consideration for this list. To view rates from these top insurers and more, click here.
| 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 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Accidents and violations increase rates
The ideal way to score the cheapest auto insurance rates for an Explorer is to drive cautiously and not have accidents or get tickets. The information below demonstrates how citations and accident claims can influence car insurance costs for different age categories. The premiums are based on a married female driver, full coverage, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.
In the previous chart, the average cost of car insurance in California per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $2,140. Get two speeding tickets and the average cost increases to $3,044, an increase of $905 each year. Now get one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the 12-month cost of auto insurance for a Ford Explorer goes up to an average of $3,937. That’s an increase of $1,797, or $150 per month, just for not being a responsible driver!
Full coverage versus liability only rates
Reducing premiums for auto insurance is important to most vehicle owners, and an easy way to save on the cost of insurance for a Ford Explorer is to not pay for full coverage. The chart below shows the comparison of annual premium costs with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The data is based on no violations or accidents, $100 deductibles, single status, and no policy discounts are applied.
Averaged for all age groups, full coverage on your policy costs an extra $2,771 per year more than just insuring for liability. That is a large expense and it proposes the question if buying full coverage is worth the expense. There is no definitive formula to stop buying full coverage, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of having full coverage is 10% or more of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
There are a few cases where buying only liability insurance is not recommended. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you must maintain physical damage coverage in order to satisfy the requirements of the loan. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not consider dropping full coverage.
Discounts on Oakland auto insurance
Insurance companies that offer quotes for a Ford Explorer could also offer price discounts that can reduce rates by as much as 40% or more if you qualify. Companies and the discounts they provide are included below.
- American Family policyholders can earn discounts including air bags, mySafetyValet, early bird, TimeAway discount, accident-free, and Steer into Savings.
- Nationwide may include discounts for multi-policy, easy pay, Farm Bureau membership, family plan, accident-free, and anti-theft.
- MetLife has savings for good driver, multi-policy, accident-free, claim-free, and good student.
- 21st Century may have discounts that include early bird, good student, theft prevention, 55 and older, anti-lock brakes, driver training, and teen driver.
- Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for bundle discounts, youthful driver, homeowner, multi-car, good student, business and professional, and mature driver.
- Allstate offers discounts for 55 and retired, early signing, utility vehicle, premier plus, anti-theft, FullPay discount, and economy car.
The example below compares yearly insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the rates. The premium estimates are based on a male driver, no claims, a clean driving record, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with vehicle safety, anti-theft, multiple vehicle, safe-driver, defensive driving course, and accident-free discounts applied. In this example, theaverage yearly reduction on auto insurance for a Ford Explorer is 28% or $768.