Finding dependable, cheap auto insurance is easier said than done, and determining which company quotes the lowest-priced insurance rates for inexperienced drivers will involve even more diligence. Every insurance provider has a different formula for filing rates in each state, so let’s rank the insurance companies with the overall cheapest rates in San Francisco.
It’s important that you understand San Francisco insurance rates are based on many factors that may substantially change your annual premium. Getting older, buying a safer car, or getting caught speeding may generate price changes that can now make some companies way too expensive in comparison to the competition.
Compare Cheap Insurance Quotes for Newbies
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,109 |
| 2 | Century National | $1,190 |
| 3 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,222 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,226 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,379 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,447 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,488 |
| 9 | Progressive | $1,512 |
| 10 | Allstate | $1,513 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,559 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,603 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,623 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,638 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,682 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,705 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $1,733 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
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USAA generally has some of the cheapest car insurance rates in San Francisco at around $1,109 each year. This is $542 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, Wawanesa, CSAA, and Nationwide would also make the list of some of the lowest-priced San Francisco, CA auto insurance companies.
In the rate table above, if you currently have coverage with Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you may realize yearly savings of roughly $83. California drivers with CSAA may save as much as $113 a year, and Nationwide insureds might realize rate reductions of up to $117 a year.
To get a quick, customized rate comparison, click here to get a free quote or click through to the companies below.
These policy rates are averaged across all drivers and vehicles and and are not calculated with a vehicle location for inexperienced drivers. So the company that is best suited for you may not even be in the list above. That point stresses why you need to get rate quotes from many companies using your own specific driver information and vehicle.
For new drivers, one of the more important criteria that are looked at to help calculate the amount you pay for auto insurance is where your car is garaged in San Francisco. Areas with high crime rates or more dense population likely pay more, whereas areas with less crime or weather claims benefit from lower coverage costs.
The next table lists the priciest cities in California for inexperienced drivers in which to purchase auto insurance. San Francisco makes the list at #4 having an annual price of $1,745 for the average insured, which is about $145 per month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glendale | $2,121 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
| 3 | Oakland | $1,755 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,720 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,628 |
| 7 | Santa Clarita | $1,595 |
| 8 | Garden Grove | $1,570 |
| 9 | Fontana | $1,566 |
| 10 | Long Beach | $1,562 |
| 11 | Stockton | $1,541 |
| 12 | Santa Ana | $1,497 |
| 13 | Moreno Valley | $1,491 |
| 14 | Modesto | $1,487 |
| 15 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 16 | Anaheim | $1,474 |
| 17 | Fresno | $1,472 |
| 18 | Huntington Beach | $1,402 |
| 19 | Bakersfield | $1,394 |
| 20 | San Jose | $1,381 |
| 21 | Oxnard | $1,358 |
| 22 | Fremont | $1,348 |
| 23 | Irvine | $1,343 |
| 24 | San Diego | $1,327 |
| 25 | Chula Vista | $1,298 |
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Information shown are comparative as the vehicle garaging location can impact coverage prices significantly.
The vehicle model to be insured is one of the primary factors when trying to find low-priced auto insurance for inexperienced drivers. Vehicles with lower performance, modern passenger safety features, or a low likelihood of liability claims will cost much less to insure than high performance models.
The next list estimates insurance rates for a selection of the most budget-friendly vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $1,370 |
| Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,467 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $1,477 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4WD 2-Dr | $1,504 |
| Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $1,556 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $1,590 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $1,595 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $1,645 |
| Honda Civic LX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,655 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $1,645 |
| Ford Edge Limited AWD | $1,676 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Super Cab 4WD | $1,678 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,683 |
| Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,702 |
| Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $1,705 |
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Data based on single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, and multi-policy. Information does not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can modify auto insurance rates significantly.
Looking at the rates, you can conclude that makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, Hyundai Elantra, and Jeep Wrangler should be some of the more affordable vehicles to insure for new drivers.
The chart below highlights how deductible choice can change insurance prices when getting quotes for cheap insurance for inexperienced drivers. Data assumes a married female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no policy discounts are applied.
In the chart above, a 40-year-old driver could reduce rates by $408 a year by increasing from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $614 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Youthful drivers, like the Age 20 chart data, could drop their prices $1,008 annually just by choosing higher deductibles.
If you do decide to increase your deductibles, it is essential to have spare funds to enable you to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense. That is the one drawback of using higher deductibles.
Get discounts on San Francisco auto insurance
Insurance companies that offer coverage for inexperienced drivers may have policy discounts that could potentially reduce rates by as much as 25% or more if you meet specific eligibility requirements. A few popular companies and a partial list of their discounts are:
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts for homeowner, business and professional, good student, switch companies, youthful driver, and electronic funds transfer.
- State Farm discounts include passive restraint, accident-free, multiple policy, Drive Safe & Save, anti-theft, good driver, and multiple autos.
- Liberty Mutual may have discounts that include safety features, new vehicle discount, newly married, multi-policy, and preferred payment discount.
- MetLife offers discounts including accident-free, claim-free, good driver, good student, multi-policy, and defensive driver.
- Progressive has savings for multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, online signing, good student, and continuous coverage.
The diagram below compares auto insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The rates are based on a female driver, no claims, a clean driving record, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $500 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with passive restraint, vehicle safety, defensive driving course, homeowner, multiple vehicle, and claim-free discounts applied. When discounts are factored in, theaverage amount saved on insurance for inexperienced drivers is 28% or $599.
Drive responsibly or pay higher rates
The easiest method to obtain low insurance prices for new drivers is to be a safe driver and avoid tickets and accidents. The illustration below demonstrates how citations and at-fault accidents impact insurance costs for different age groups of insureds. The data assumes a married female driver, full coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.
The chart shows that the average cost of an auto insurance policy in San Francisco per year with no accidents and a clean driving record is $1,598. Receive one speeding ticket and the average cost rises to $1,862, an increase of $264 each year. Now throw in two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the yearly cost of insurance for inexperienced drivers increases to an average of $4,245. That’s an increase of $2,647, or $221 per month, just for not being attentive to the road!