How to Save on San Diego Honda Fit Insurance

Honda Fit insurance image courtesy of QuoteInspector.com

Are you doing reasearch to find the cheapest car insurance rates in San Diego, CA? San Diego consumers have many options when looking for affordable Honda Fit insurance. They can either waste time contacting agents to compare prices or utilize the internet to compare rates.

There is a right way and a wrong way to compare car insurance rates so you're going to learn the quickest way to get price quotes on a Honda and obtain the best price possible.

It's hard to believe, but most consumers in California have stayed with the same insurance company for at least the last four years, and nearly half have never quoted car insurance rates at all. With the average car insurance premium being $1,847, American drivers can cut their rates by $859 a year, but they just assume it takes a lot of time to go online and compare rates.

Cheap car insurance in San Diego, CA

The companies shown below can provide comparison quotes in San Diego, CA. If multiple companies are listed, it's a good idea that you click on several of them to find the most affordable car insurance rates.

Data assumes single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, multi-policy, homeowner, and claim-free. Estimates do not factor in San Diego location which can alter coverage prices considerably.

Insurance rate increases from tickets or accidents

The diagram below shows how violations and fender-benders can impact Honda Fit auto insurance costs for each age group. The price estimates are based on a married male driver, full physical damage coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.

Full coverage rates vs. liability-only

The example below shows the comparison of Honda Fit yearly insurance costs when comparing full coverage to liability only. The costs are based on no accidents or driving violations, $100 deductibles, married female driver, and no policy discounts are applied.

Guidelines for dropping full coverage

There is no clear-cut rule to exclude comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a broad guideline. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than around 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.

For example, let's say your Honda Fit replacement value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company would pay you is $7,000 after you pay the deductible. If it's costing you more than $700 a year to have full coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.

There are some conditions where eliminating full coverage is not in your best interest. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you are required to maintain full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should not consider dropping full coverage.

Higher deductibles save money

The diagram below highlights how deductible choice and can increase or decrease Honda Fit premium costs for each different age category. The premiums assume a single female driver, comp and collision included, and no other discounts are factored in.

These discounts can lower Honda Fit insurance rates

Companies offering auto insurance don't necessarily list every available discount in a way that's easy to find, so the next list breaks down some of the best known and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using when you buy San Diego car insurance online. If you don't get every credit you deserve, you could be saving more on your car insurance.

• Telematics Devices - Drivers that enable their insurance company to scrutinize vehicle usage by installing a telematics device like Drivewise from Allstate or In-Drive from State Farm could possibly reduce rates if their driving habits are good.
• New Vehicle Savings - Putting insurance coverage on a new Fit is cheaper due to better safety requirements for new model year vehicles.
• Discounts for Seat Belt Usage - Requiring all passengers to fasten their seat belts could cut 10% or more off the PIP or medical payment premium.
• Driver's Education for Students - Teen drivers should participate in a local driver's education class as it can save substantially.
• Government Employee Discount - Active or retired federal employment could provide a small rate reduction with some car insurance companies.
• Theft Prevention System - Cars and trucks equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and will save you 10% or more on Fit insurance in San Diego.
• Full Payment Discount - By paying your entire bill at once rather than spreading payments over time you could save up to 5%.
• Discount for Home Ownership - Just being a homeowner can earn you a little savings due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
• Low Mileage Discounts - Low annual miles can qualify you for discounted premium rates on garaged vehicles.

Consumers should know that some credits don't apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. Even though it may seem like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, car insurance companies aren't that generous.

Popular car insurance companies and some of their more popular discounts include:

• GEICO offers discounts including seat belt use, federal employee, anti-lock brakes, five-year accident-free, daytime running lights, and multi-policy.
• Travelers offers premium reductions for payment discounts, good student, driver training, new car, multi-policy, and student away at school.
• Farm Bureau may include discounts for 55 and retired, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, renewal discount, driver training, and youthful driver.
• Liberty Mutual has savings for preferred payment discount, multi-policy, newly retired, newly married, and multi-car.
• American Family offers discounts for TimeAway discount, multi-vehicle, Steer into Savings, early bird, bundled insurance, and good driver.
• Progressive has discounts for homeowner, continuous coverage, online quote discount, online signing, multi-vehicle, and good student.

If you need the cheapest Honda Fit rate quotes, ask every company which discounts they offer. A few discounts might not be available to policyholders in San Diego.

Choices You Make Can Impact Your Insurance Rates

A large part of saving on auto insurance is knowing the factors that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. When consumers understand what controls the rates you pay, this enables you to make decisions that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices.

• Gals tend to cost less - Statistics demonstrate that women are safer drivers than men. Now that doesn't mean males are worse at driving than females. Men and women cause accidents at about the same rate, but guys cause more damage. Not only are claims higher, but men get higher numbers of serious violations like reckless driving and DUI.
• Your age impacts your prices - Older, more experienced drivers have been proven to be more responsible, cause fewer claims and accidents, and are generally more financially stable.Inexperience drivers are statistically shown to be less responsible when behind the wheel so auto insurance rates are higher.
• Auto insurance policy lapses increase rates - Having an insurance coverage lapse can be a fast way to trigger a rate increase. In addition to paying higher premiums, being ticketed for driving with no insurance may earn you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.
• Get better rates if married - Walking down the aisle can get you a discount on your auto insurance policy. Having a spouse is viewed as being more financially stable and insurance companies like that drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
• Amount of liability coverage - Your auto insurance policy's liability coverage is the protection when a jury decides you are liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Your policy's liability insurance provides you with a defense in court to defend your case. Liability is cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
• See if your company offers a multi-policy discount - Lots of insurance companies afford lower prices to clients who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can amount to as much as ten percent or more Even with this discount applied, you still need to compare other company rates to help guarantee you have the best rates. You may still find better rates even if you insure with multiple companies
• High deductibles equal low rates - Deductibles for physical damage define how much you are willing to pay if the claim is covered. Insurance for physical damage to your car, aka comp and collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Examples of covered claims could be collision with another vehicle, hail damage, and having a roll-over accident. The more of the claim you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
• Employer impacts rates - Did you know your career choice can influence rates? Jobs such as military generals, police officers, and financial analysts are shown to have the highest rates in part from intense work requirements and long work days. Conversely, jobs like farmers, athletes and retirees receive lower rates.
• Insurance losses for a Honda Fit - Car insurance companies analyze historical claim data as a way to help calculate a profitable premium rate. Vehicles that have higher prevalence or dollar amount of losses will have increased rates. The next table illustrates the compiled insurance loss statistics for Honda Fit vehicles.
  
  For each policy coverage, the claim amount for all vehicles, regardless of manufacturer or model, is a value of 100. Values that are 100 or less indicate a favorable loss history, while values over 100 indicate higher probability of having a loss or tendency to have higher losses.

  Honda Fit Insurance Loss Statistics

  Make and Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Honda Fit	89	78	90	99	97	92

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years

Insurance is available from agents near you

Some people still like to get advice from a local agent and that can be a smart move Insurance agents can answer important questions and will help you if you have claims. The best thing about comparing insurance online is that you can obtain the lowest rates and still have a local agent. Buying from neighborhood agents is important especially in San Diego.

After filling out this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents that provide free San Diego car insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. It's much easier because you don't need to find an agent since rate quotes are delivered to you instantly. If you need to compare prices for a specific company, don't hesitate to jump over to their website and submit a quote form there.

When searching for a good insurance agency, there are a couple of different agency structures from which to choose. Insurance agents in San Diego are categorized either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive). Either can write insurance policies, but it's worth mentioning how they differ since it may influence which type of agent you select.

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agents often have affiliation with several companies so as a result can place your coverage with many different companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If they find a lower price, they simply move the coverage in-house and you can keep the same agent. When comparison shopping, you will definitely want to get several quotes from independent agents in order to compare the most rates. Most independent agents also contract with smaller mutual companies that many times have cheaper rates.

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

• Nationwide Insurance: Keith Jackson Insurance Agency Inc
  1081 Camino del Rio S Ste 210 - San Diego, CA 92108 - (916) 742-6995 - View Map
• Oversea Insurance Agency, Inc
  1274 Scott St - San Diego, CA 92106 - (800) 266-2662 - View Map
• Stanley Wong Insurance
  4619 Convoy St # C - San Diego, CA 92111 - (858) 569-0383 - View Map

More insurance agents

Exclusive Insurance Agencies

Agents that choose to be exclusive normally can only provide a single company's rates and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. Exclusive agencies are unable to give you multiple price quotes so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. These agents receive extensive training on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers sometimes buy insurance from these agents mainly due to the prominence of the brand rather than low price.

Listed below are exclusive agents in San Diego who can help you get rate quotes.

• Kevin Kane - State Farm Insurance Agent
  3914 Murphy Canyon Rd a252 - San Diego, CA 92123 - (858) 514-0385 - View Map
• State Farm: Tom Latsko
  8680 Navajo Rd #214 - San Diego, CA 92119 - (619) 462-5701 - View Map
• Mike Foley - State Farm Insurance Agent
  5210 Balboa Ave, Ste A1 - San Diego, CA 92117 - (858) 277-1400 - View Map

More insurance agents

Choosing the best insurance agent should include more criteria than just a cheap quote. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

• Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
• If you raise deductibles, how much can you save?
• Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
• Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
• Do they make recommendations based only on price?
• Will one accident increase rates?

But the ad said I'd save 15% in 15 minutes!

Consumers in California get pounded daily by advertisements that claim the lowest premium rates from companies such as State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. All the companies make the same claim about savings if you move your coverage.

How does each company charge you less for auto insurance? It's all in the wording.

Many companies have strict underwriting profiles for the type of driver that makes them money. An example of a driver they prefer should be between 25 and 40, owns their home, and has a short commute. Anyone who fits those characteristics may get the lowest prices in San Diego and most likely will save if they switch.

Potential insureds who do not fit this stringent profile may receive higher premiums and this results in the customer buying from a different company. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say "customers who switch" not "everyone who quotes" can get the lowest rates when switching. That's the way companies can make claims that they all have the best auto insurance rates.

Each company has different criteria, so you need to compare as many free San Diego car insurance quotes as you can. It is impossible to predict the company that will give you lower rates than your current company.

Keep this in mind when shopping around

As you shop your coverage around, you should never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time they didn't purchase enough coverage. Your objective should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost but still have enough coverage for asset protection.

You just learned a lot of techniques to shop for Honda Fit insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more you quote San Diego car insurance, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the lowest prices come from some of the smallest insurance companies.

Cost effective Honda Fit insurance is available online as well as from insurance agents, so you need to shop San Diego car insurance with both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies do not provide internet price quotes and many times these smaller providers only sell coverage through independent agencies.

Even more information can be read by following these links:

• Protecting Teens from Drunk Driving (Insurance Information Institute)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Inexperienced Drivers in San Diego? (FAQ)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest in San Diego, California? (FAQ)
• How Much Auto Coverage do I Need? (Insurance Information Institute)
• Understanding Your Insurance Deductible (Insurance Information Institute)
• Automakers compete to add autobraking (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)