Locating reasonably-priced car insurance is not always easy, and determining which insurers offer the best insurance rates for 17 year olds will require a little more work.
Each company uses different criteria to set policy rates, so let’s rank the most competitive insurance companies in Los Angeles, CA.
Best Car Insurance Prices for Teens
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,155 |
| 2 | CSAA | $1,186 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,190 |
| 4 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,226 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,366 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,491 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,503 |
| 9 | Progressive | $1,512 |
| 10 | Allstate | $1,513 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,529 |
| 12 | The Hartford | $1,591 |
| 13 | Allied | $1,603 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,654 |
| 15 | Unitrin | $1,682 |
| 16 | State Farm | $1,733 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,756 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
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USAA may have some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Los Angeles at around $1,155 per year. This is $496 less than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. CSAA, Century National, Wawanesa, and Nationwide are also some of the cheapest Los Angeles, CA insurance companies.
As shown above, if you currently have a policy with Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you could realize a yearly savings of in the vicinity of $37. Policyholders with Nationwide might save as much as $71 a year, and 21st Century policyholders might realize rate reductions of up to $211 a year.
Understand that those prices are averaged across all drivers and vehicles and and are not figured with a specific location for 17 year olds. So the company that fits your situation best may not even be in the list above. That is why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own driver data and vehicle information.
The vehicle model requiring coverage is probably the most important factor when consumers are trying to find cheaper insurance for 17 year olds. Vehicles with limited top-end speed, an excellent safety record, or low incidents of liability claims will cost less to insure than high performance models.
The table below illustrates coverage premiums for a handful of the most affordable vehicles to buy insurance for.
| Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $8,148 |
| Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $8,767 |
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $8,775 |
| Toyota Prius | $8,853 |
| Ford F-150 STX Super Cab 2WD | $9,048 |
| Ford Edge SE 2WD | $9,053 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $9,135 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 4WD | $9,141 |
| Honda Civic DX 4-Dr Sedan | $9,580 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $9,585 |
| Toyota RAV4 2WD | $9,667 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $9,673 |
| Ford Fusion S 4-Dr Sedan | $9,667 |
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Data based on single male driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, and claim-free. Prices do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can decrease or increase price quotes considerably.
Based on these rates, you can infer that models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Honda Accord, and Toyota Prius are likely to be some of the most economical vehicles to insure for teen drivers. The price for an auto insurance policy will trend higher just because there is more claim risk for 17 year olds, but generally speaking those models will probably have the cheapest rates possible.
The information below shows how choosing a deductible can influence insurance premiums when searching for cheap insurance for 17 year olds. The data is based on a single male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
The data above shows that a 30-year-old driver could lower rates by $488 a year by switching from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $736 by choosing a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, like the 20-year-old example, could potentially save $1,432 or even more just by choosing larger deductibles. If you do decide to increase your deductibles, it will be required to have plenty of discretionary funds to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense that is associated with using high deductibles.
Insurance company ratings
Insuring your vehicle with the highest-rated car insurance company can be a challenge considering how many different companies insure vehicles in California. The information in the lists below can help you select which car insurance companies you want to consider comparing price quotes from. These rankings only include companies that insure vehicles across America, so smaller regional companies are not taken into consideration for the list.
Top 10 Major Auto Insurance Companies in Los Angeles Ranked by Value
- USAA
- American Family
- The Hartford
- AAA of Southern California
- Titan Insurance
- The General
- AAA Insurance
- State Farm
- Mercury Insurance
- Nationwide
Cost comparison with and without full coverage
Finding the cheapest insurance is the goal of most people, and a good way to pay lower rates for insurance for 17 year olds is to buy only liability coverage. The information below illustrates the comparison of premium costs with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The rates are based on no accidents or driving violations, $500 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
If averaged out across all ages, comp and collision coverage costs an additional $2,273 per year more than insuring for liability only. That is a significant amount which raises the question if physical damage coverage is worth the money. There is no written rule to eliminate comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the yearly cost of full coverage is about 10% or more of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s pretend your vehicle’s replacement value is $3,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most you would receive is $2,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If it’s costing in excess of $200 annually for comprehensive and collision coverage, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
Compare rates to save
Los Angeles, CA insurance rates are impacted by many things that control the price you have to pay for coverage. Getting older, moving across town, or getting a ticket for careless driving can cause premium changes that can now make some companies more affordable than others.
Not only may your situation change, but insurance companies modify pricing as needed to adjust for unexpected claims or profits. A period of increased losses can cause higher priced premiums, while a better loss history can cause cheaper Los Angeles car insurance rates.
The graph below compares the cheapest car insurance in Los Angeles, CA for a 45-year-old female driver with a clean driving record, no accidents, and good financial standing. When quoting prices based on her current rating profile, USAA might offer the most affordable car insurance rates in Los Angeles at $1,831 a year. This is $180 more than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide are the rest of the top five cheapest Los Angeles, CA auto insurance companies.
In the next rate comparison, we’ll give the driver in the first example a claim, poor credit, and a speeding ticket. Because every insurance company has a unique approach for determining rates, comparing prices may now show a completely different list of affordable Los Angeles car insurance companies as shown below.
Grange now has the best price in Los Angeles with Progressive, Allstate, Mercury, and Allied also being competitive. This example illustrates why it is crucial to compare lots of rates to get affordable auto insurance rates for 17 year olds.
Car insurance prices are determined by many things and change substantially, so the best option when you bought your policy may now be one of the higher cost companies.