For high risk drivers, one of the more important things that help determine the amount you pay for auto insurance is where your car is garaged in Los Angeles. Areas with more people or higher crime rates tend to have more expensive car insurance rates, whereas areas with less people or fewer weather incidents benefit from lower rates.
The next table shows the highest-priced areas in California for high risk drivers to purchase auto insurance in. Los Angeles comes in at #2 costing $2,083 for the average policy, which is approximately $174 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glendale | $2,142 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,711 |
| 4 | Sacramento | $1,703 |
| 5 | Oakland | $1,687 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,628 |
| 7 | Stockton | $1,603 |
| 8 | Santa Clarita | $1,595 |
| 9 | Fontana | $1,566 |
| 10 | Long Beach | $1,562 |
| 11 | Riverside | $1,542 |
| 12 | Moreno Valley | $1,536 |
| 13 | Garden Grove | $1,524 |
| 14 | Fresno | $1,517 |
| 15 | Modesto | $1,487 |
| 16 | Anaheim | $1,474 |
| 17 | Santa Ana | $1,453 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,437 |
| 19 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 20 | Fremont | $1,403 |
| 21 | Bakersfield | $1,394 |
| 22 | San Diego | $1,381 |
| 23 | Irvine | $1,343 |
| 24 | Oxnard | $1,318 |
| 25 | Chula Vista | $1,311 |
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Price information shown is estimated as the vehicle garaging location can impact insurance rates noticeably.
The vehicle that needs insurance is one of the main factors that determines the availability of the cheapest auto insurance for high risk drivers. Vehicles with high performance, poor passenger safety features, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than safer, lower-performance models. The information below features insurance premiums for a selection of the most cost-effective vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $7,824 |
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $8,148 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport 4WD 2-Dr | $8,565 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $8,672 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $8,678 |
| Toyota Prius | $8,695 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $9,270 |
| Toyota RAV4 2WD | $9,279 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $9,270 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $9,357 |
| Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $9,537 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $9,547 |
| Ford F-150 FX4 4WD | $9,644 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 2WD | $9,653 |
| GMC Sierra SLE Extended Cab 4WD | $9,781 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ Crew Cab 4WD | $9,787 |
| Toyota Corolla XRS | $9,781 |
| Ford Fusion SE 4-Dr Sedan | $9,787 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Crew Cab 4WD | $9,781 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 4WD | $9,791 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD LT Crew Cab 2WD | $9,871 |
| Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $9,891 |
| Toyota Camry XLE | $9,988 |
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Prices above based on single male driver age 50, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Rate quotes do not factor in garaging location in Los Angeles, CA which can increase or decrease rates significantly.
Looking at the rates, we can assume that makes and models like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Jeep Wrangler will be the most affordable vehicles to insure for high risk drivers. Rates will tend to be higher because of the fact that there is a higher risk for high risk drivers, but generally speaking those particular models will most likely have the cheapest car insurance rates that you are likely to find.
Locating cheap car insurance is tough enough, and finding out which insurers offer the lowest-priced auto insurance rates for high risk drivers involves more quotes for comparison. Each company has a proprietary formula to set premium rates, so let’s take a look at the auto insurance companies with the overall best prices in California.
It’s important to understand that California auto insurance rates are influenced by many factors that may substantially change the price of your policy. Events like a birthday, having a claim, or getting a few speeding tickets can cause premium changes that may make certain companies cheaper than competitors.
Find the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Risky Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,109 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,146 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,178 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,186 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,226 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,379 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 9 | GEICO | $1,529 |
| 10 | Allstate | $1,543 |
| 11 | Mercury | $1,548 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,603 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,638 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,639 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,682 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,705 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $1,750 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,777 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,806 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,006 |
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USAA normally has some of the best car insurance rates in Los Angeles at around $1,109 annually. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide also qualify as some of the cheapest Los Angeles, CA auto insurance companies.
In this example, if you are insured with Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you might see an annual premium reduction of about $37. Customers with Century National might save as much as $69 a year, and CSAA policyholders might reduce rates by $77 a year.
These premium estimates are averages for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and do not factor in an exact zip code location for high risk drivers. So the car insurance company that is best for you may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That points out the importance of why you need to compare prices as often as possible using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
Auto insurance companies ranked
Ending up with a highly-rated auto insurance company can be difficult considering how many choices drivers have in California. The rank data shown next can help you analyze which car insurance providers you want to consider when buying insurance for high risk drivers. These ratings are only comprised of the largest companies in the United States, so companies that only write business in California or surrounding areas are not taken into consideration for this list.
Top 10 Large Auto Insurers in Los Angeles Ranked by Customer Satisfaction
- Titan Insurance – 95%
- USAA – 94%
- AAA of Southern California – 92%
- AAA Insurance – 91%
- Nationwide – 90%
- State Farm – 90%
- The Hartford – 89%
- GEICO – 89%
- The General – 88%
- 21st Century – 88%
Top 10 Large Auto Insurers in Los Angeles Ranked by Customer Service
- AAA of Southern California
- GEICO
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- Mercury Insurance
- The General
- Progressive
- Allstate
- AAA Insurance
- American Family
Types of discounts on Los Angeles car insurance
Insurance providers that offer cheap quotes for high risk drivers may have price discounts that may potentially lower prices by 30% or more if you meet specific criteria. Companies and their possible discounts include:
- State Farm offers discounts for driver’s education, multiple policy, defensive driving training, student away at school, multiple autos, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
- Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for multi-car, teen driver, bundle discounts, mature driver, alternative fuel, and electronic funds transfer.
- GEICO offers premium reductions for anti-lock brakes, military active duty, anti-theft, five-year accident-free, good student, and daytime running lights.
- American Family may include discounts for defensive driver, air bags, good student, good driver, bundled insurance, TimeAway discount, and early bird.
- Nationwide policyholders can earn discounts including good student, defensive driving, easy pay, anti-theft, accident-free, and Farm Bureau membership.
- Progressive includes discounts for good student, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, homeowner, multi-policy, and online signing.
The information below shows the comparison of insurance prices with and without discounts applied. The premiums assume a female driver, three citations and one at-fault accident, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with paid-in-full, homeowner, vehicle safety, passive restraint, multiple policy, and continuous coverage discounts applied. With discounts applied, theaverage yearly reduction on auto insurance for high risk drivers is 28% or $911.
Cost comparison with and without full coverage
Saving money on auto insurance is the goal of the majority of vehicle owners, and one of the best ways to find cheaper insurance for high risk drivers is to only pay for liability coverage. The diagram below shows the difference between premium costs with and without physical damage coverage. The premium estimates are based on no tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Averaged for all age groups, comp and collision coverage costs an extra $2,075 per year over and above liability only. Many of you may wonder if paying for full coverage is worth it. There is no written rule for dropping physical damage coverage, but there is a general convention. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is 10% or more of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s assume your vehicle’s book value is $10,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company will settle for is $9,000 after the deductible is paid. If it’s costing in excess of $900 annually for your policy with full coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
There are a few situations where only buying liability is not advised. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you have to carry full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should keep full coverage.
If you have coverage questions and would like to have some advice when shopping around for cheaper insurance for high risk drivers, the insurance agencies listed below are willing to help you make a decision which coverages you need. To find an auto insurance agency by location nearest to you, click the link at the bottom.
- Sean M Brown – State Farm Insurance Agent
3130 S Sepulveda Blvd f – Los Angeles, CA 90034 – (310) 479-0080 - JSB Insurance Services, Inc.
1801 S La Cienega Blvd Ste 201 – Los Angeles, CA 90035 – (310) 402-0020 - Bob Little – State Farm Insurance Agent
11654 W Pico Blvd – Los Angeles, CA 90064 – (310) 478-2001
Find a Los Angeles, CA insurance agent near you
How to find economical car insurance for high risk drivers
It’s not impossible to find cheaper rates, and here are many thrifty suggestions that can help California drivers locate more affordable coverage.
- Raise deductibles
- Too many claims can make car insurance unaffordable
- Drivers with good credit often pay less
- Safe vehicles cost less to insure
- Do not pay for comprehensive and collision coverage on older vehicles
- Home or renters coverage can save on auto insurance
- Compare quotes from other companies often
That last idea is very important, as was discussed in the prior information. Prices can change in a short period of time, so drivers shouldn’t be resistant to buy from a different company if a cheaper rate is available. Staying with the same company for years is fine, but is isn’t recommended if that devotion results in you overpaying a small fortune year after year. It only take a few minutes to shop around and find cheaper insurance for high risk drivers in Los Angeles.