Cheap Rates for Mazda 3 Insurance in San Diego

Mazda 3 insurance rates image courtesy of QuoteInspector.com

Did you come to the realization that you have high-priced Mazda 3 insurance in San Diego? Believe me, many San Diego drivers have buyer's remorse.

A recent auto insurance study discovered that a large majority of drivers renewed their policy with the same company for a minimum of four years, and nearly 40% of drivers have never shopped around. Drivers in San Diego could save an average of $470 each year just by comparing rates, but they don't know the amount of savings they would get if they replace their high priced policy.

There is such a variety of insurance companies to insure vehicles with, and even though it's nice to have a choice, it makes it harder to find the lowest rates for Mazda 3 insurance in San Diego.

Consumers should take time to do rate comparisons yearly because prices change regularly. Just because you found the lowest rates on Mazda 3 insurance in San Diego last year there may be better deals available now. You can find a lot of information about 3 insurance on the web, but I'm going to show you a lot of great tips on how to put money back in your pocket.

These techniques will introduce you to the best way to buy inexpensive auto insurance and also save some money in the process If you already have coverage, you will most likely be able to find the best rates using these techniques. Nevertheless, California consumers benefit from understanding how companies calculate your policy premium because it varies considerably.

Most major insurance companies give pricing from their websites. This process doesn't take much effort because you just enter your personal and coverage information as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, the system automatically retrieves your credit score and driving record and returns pricing information based on the data you entered. Quoting online for Mazda 3 insurance in San Diego makes comparing rates easy, and it is important to get many rate quotes if you want to get the most affordable premium on car insurance.

To compare rates now, compare rates now from the companies shown below. If you have a policy now, it's recommended you replicate the limits and deductibles just like they are on your policy. This ensures you will get a rate comparison based on identical coverages.

The providers in the list below have been selected to offer quotes in California. If the list has multiple companies, it's a good idea that you visit several of them in order to find the lowest rates.

Table data represents married male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Rates do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can influence insurance rates noticeably.

Mazda 3 full coverage rates compared to liability only

The example below visualizes the comparison of Mazda 3 car insurance rates with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The premium estimates are based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, married female driver, and no policy discounts are applied.

Guidelines for eliminating full coverage

There isn't a written rule for dropping full coverage, but there is a general guideline. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is about 10% or more of the vehicle's replacement cost less your deductible, then it might be time to buy liability only.

For example, let's say your Mazda 3 book value is $5,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, you would only receive $4,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If it's costing in excess of $400 a year for full coverage, then it's probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.

There are some scenarios where only buying liability is not recommended. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you have to maintain full coverage in order to keep the loan. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should keep full coverage.

Best reasons to buy auto insurance in California

Despite the potentially high cost of Mazda 3 insurance, insurance is a good idea for several reasons.

• Just about all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means the state requires a minimum amount of liability insurance if you drive a vehicle. 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 bought your vehicle with a loan, it's most likely the lender will make it mandatory that you buy insurance to guarantee payment of the loan. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the bank may insure your Mazda for a lot more money and force you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
• Auto insurance preserves both your assets and your vehicle. It will also cover most medical and hospital costs for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, also pays expenses related to your legal defense in the event you are sued. If your car is damaged in a storm or accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will cover the repair costs.

The benefits of carrying enough insurance greatly outweigh the cost, especially when you need to use it. According to a recent study, the average American driver overpays as much as $865 each year so you should quote and compare rates every year to ensure rates are inline.

Discounts for lower-cost car insurance rates

Companies that sell car insurance don't always advertise every discount available very clearly, so the next list breaks down both the well known and the more hidden car insurance savings.

• Discounts for Seat Belt Usage - Forcing all vehicle occupants to buckle up before driving could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
• Driver Safety - Successfully completing a course that instructs on driving safety could save 5% or more and make you a better driver.
• San Diego Homeowners Discount - Owning a home in San Diego can help you save on car insurance since owning and maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
• Life Insurance - Larger car insurance companies have a small discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
• Discounts for Government Workers - Having worked for a branch of the government could cut as much as 10% off with some car insurance companies.
• Accident Free - Insureds who avoid accidents and claims pay much less when compared with frequent claim filers.
• Pay Upfront and Save - By paying your entire bill at once rather than paying monthly you may have a lower total premium amount.

Discounts reduce rates, but you should keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies don't profit that way.

If you would like to choose from a list of insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in San Diego, click this link.

Local neighborhood San Diego car insurance agents

Some people just want to buy from a licensed agent and that can be a great decision A nice benefit of comparing insurance online is that you can obtain lower premium rates and still buy from a local agent. And providing support for neighborhood insurance agencies is definitely important in San Diego.

Upon completion of this simple form, your insurance coverage information is submitted to local insurance agents in San Diego who will give competitive quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. You won't need to drive around because quoted prices will be sent directly to you. You can find lower rates without having to waste a lot of time. If for some reason you want to compare rates for a specific company, you just need to jump over to their website and submit a quote form there.

If you need to find local San Diego agents, there are two different types of agents that you can choose from. Agents are considered either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive).

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

These type of agents are appointed with more than one company and that enables them to quote your coverage through many different insurance companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If they find a lower price, they simply switch companies in-house and you don't have to do anything. If you are comparing rate quotes, you absolutely need to include rate quotes from a couple of independent agencies to get the best comparison.

Shown below is a partial list of independent insurance agents in San Diego who may be able to give you price quotes.

More insurance agents

Exclusive Agents

Exclusive agencies can usually just insure with one company and examples are AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance, and Allstate. Exclusive agents cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so keep that in mind. Exclusive agents are well schooled on what they offer which can be an advantage.

Below is a short list of exclusive agencies in San Diego that are able to give price quote information.

More insurance agents

Choosing the best insurance agency is decision based upon more than just a low price. Any agent in San Diego should be willing to answer these questions.

• Will a damage claim use OEM or aftermarket replacement parts?
• Can you get a list of referrals?
• Which companies do they recommend if they are an independent agency?
• Do they regularly work with personal auto policies in San Diego?
• Are there any discounts for paying up front?
• Will your rates increase after a single accident?
• Are claims handled at the agent's location?
• Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?

Compare auto insurance prices regularly to save

Some companies may not have rate quotes online and many times these small insurance companies only sell coverage through local independent agencies. Cheaper Mazda 3 insurance in San Diego can be purchased from both online companies and from local agencies, so you need to compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where someone dropped full coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate, but don't skip important coverages to save money.

We've covered many tips how you can find cheap Mazda 3 insurance in San Diego. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of getting low cost San Diego car insurance quotes. You may even find the most savings is with a lesser-known regional company. These companies may have significantly lower prices on certain market segments than their larger competitors like GEICO and State Farm.

For more information, feel free to visit the articles below:

• Understanding Your Insurance Deductible (Insurance Information Institute)
• Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for Drivers Requiring a SR22 in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for Drivers with Accidents in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record in San Diego? (FAQ)
• How Much are Car Insurance Quotes for a Honda Accord in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for a Toyota Corolla in San Diego? (FAQ)
• A Tree Fell on Your Car: Now What? (Allstate)
• What is Full Coverage? (Allstate)
• Teen Driving Statistics (iihs.org)