You have probably seen the commercials from car insurance companies like The General, GEICO, and Progressive that make claims of dirt cheap rates, so you should just choose the one with the best commercial, right?
It’s not quite that easy, unfortunately, as there are a whole bunch of unknown aspects like if you are married, if you own a home, what coverage limits you need, and how well you maintain your credit. This article should teach you a little about the types of things that cause high car insurance rates and will hopefully give the reader a jump start in finding the best auto insurance in California.
Comparing rates for cost effective car insurance is not easy, and deciding which company offers the best auto insurance rates for hybrid vehicles will require even more rate comparisons. Each insurance company has a proprietary method to set premium rates, so let’s take a look at the most budget-friendly auto insurance companies in Stockton.
It’s important to know that Stockton auto insurance rates are calculated based on many things that can increase the cost of having a policy. Simply getting older, increasing liability limits, or getting a few speeding tickets can trigger rate changes resulting in some companies being more expensive than competitors.
Find the Cheapest Car Insurance for Hybrids
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,109 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,146 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,178 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $1,213 |
| 5 | CSAA | $1,234 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,379 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,433 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,488 |
| 9 | Progressive | $1,542 |
| 10 | Allstate | $1,559 |
| 11 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
| 12 | GEICO | $1,575 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,590 |
| 14 | Allied | $1,603 |
| 15 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
| 16 | State Farm | $1,699 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,756 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,777 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,806 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,006 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | ||
USAA may offer some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Stockton at around $1,109 per year. This is $542 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, Nationwide, and CSAA also make the cut as some of the cheaper Stockton, CA car insurance companies.
As the example above demonstrates, if you are currently insured with Century National and switched to USAA, you may realize a yearly savings of about $69. California drivers with Nationwide could save as much as $104 a year, and CSAA policyholders might reduce rates by $125 a year.
Remember that these premiums are averages for all drivers and vehicles and and are not figured with a specific location for hybrid vehicles. So the company that has the lowest price for you may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That underscores the importance of why you need to get car insurance quotes using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
The make and model of vehicle to be insured is one of the largest considerations that determines the availability of the most affordable coverage for hybrid vehicles. Vehicles with average performance, advanced safety features, or a low likelihood of having liability claims will cost less to insure than fast, unsafe models. The next table presents auto insurance premiums for a handful of the cheaper vehicles to insure.
| Insured Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $1,275 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $1,282 |
| Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $1,275 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer AWD | $1,345 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 4WD 4-Dr | $1,367 |
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $1,383 |
| Ford Edge Limited AWD | $1,386 |
| Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $1,394 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,412 |
| Toyota Corolla XRS | $1,417 |
| Honda Odyssey Touring | $1,412 |
| Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,417 |
| Ford F-350 XL Crew Cab 2WD | $1,436 |
| Ford F-150 STX Regular Cab 2WD | $1,498 |
| Volkswagen Jetta LE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,510 |
| GMC Sierra SL Extended Cab 2WD | $1,518 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $1,510 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | |
Table data represents single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Premium amounts do not factor in vehicle location which can raise or lower coverage rates substantially.
Looking at the numbers, makes and models like the Ford Escape, Hyundai Elantra, Honda CR-V, and Ford Explorer will be some of the most affordable vehicles to insure for hybrids.
One of the many components that aid in calculating the annual cost of car insurance is the neighborhood you call home. Areas with more people or even just a higher incidence of claims tend to have higher rates, whereas areas with less people or fewer weather incidents benefit from lower coverage costs.
The following table shows the most expensive places in California for hybrid vehicles in which to buy car insurance. Stockton ranks #8 having an annual price of $1,541 for car insurance, which is about $128 monthly.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glendale | $2,142 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
| 3 | Oakland | $1,755 |
| 4 | Sacramento | $1,720 |
| 5 | San Francisco | $1,693 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,628 |
| 7 | Long Beach | $1,578 |
| 8 | Stockton | $1,541 |
| 9 | Fontana | $1,535 |
| 10 | Santa Clarita | $1,533 |
| 11 | Garden Grove | $1,524 |
| 12 | Fresno | $1,517 |
| 13 | Santa Ana | $1,497 |
| 14 | Riverside | $1,497 |
| 15 | Moreno Valley | $1,491 |
| 16 | Modesto | $1,487 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 18 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 19 | Fremont | $1,403 |
| 20 | San Jose | $1,381 |
| 21 | San Diego | $1,381 |
| 22 | Bakersfield | $1,353 |
| 23 | Irvine | $1,343 |
| 24 | Chula Vista | $1,337 |
| 25 | Oxnard | $1,304 |
| Find the Best Rates Go | ||
Annual rates are estimated as the vehicle garaging location can revise auto insurance rates noticeably.
Best auto insurance company in Stockton
Finding the top insurer can be a challenge considering how many companies provide coverage in California. The company rank data shown next can help you analyze which providers to look at purchasing a policy from.
These rankings are for the largest companies in America, so companies without a large exposure will not be included in this list. If you wish to compare rates from these companies and more, click this link.
| 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
Should you buy full coverage?
Saving money when shopping for auto insurance is probably important to the majority of vehicle owners, and an easy way to pay lower rates for insurance for hybrid vehicles is to not buy comprehensive and collision coverage. The chart below illustrates the comparison of insurance premiums with full coverage and liability only. The prices are based on no claims or violations, $250 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Averaged out for all age groups, full coverage on your policy costs $3,093 per year more than just buying liability insurance. Many drivers will wonder if paying for full coverage is worth it. There is no exact rule of when to phase out full coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than about 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
How to find low-cost car insurance for hybrid vehicles
It is possible to find better rates, and here are a few money-saving ideas that can help California drivers locate low-cost auto insurance.
- Do not pay for full coverage on older vehicles
- Try to not file small claims
- Higher deductibles mean lower rates
- Choose a safer vehicle and pay lower rates
- Buying home and auto insurance together can earn discounts
- Drivers with good credit often pay less
- Comparison shop at least every other year
The last tip in the list is highly necessary, as was stressed in the prior information. Auto insurance rates in Stockton go up and down frequently, so don’t hesitate to buy from a new company if a lower-cost policy is available. Brand loyalty is great, but it isn’t a good idea if that loyalty results in overpaying big bucks every year. Take a few minutes and compare prices to find cheaper car insurance for hybrid vehicles.