Trying to find low-cost car insurance is not most people’s favorite thing to do, and figuring out which companies quote the lowest-priced auto insurance rates for 17 year olds takes a little more work. Every insurance provider uses different criteria to determine premium rates, so first let’s look at the rankings for the overall cheapest auto insurance companies in Sacramento, CA.
We do need to point out that Sacramento, CA auto insurance rates are influenced by many factors which can substantially change the cost of coverage. This price variability is why it is critical to take the time to shop around to find the cheapest car insurance quotes for 17 year olds. Rates are calculated by many things and change frequently, so the lowest-price company the last time you shopped around may now be one of the higher cost companies.
Best Car Insurance Prices for Teens
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,143 |
| 2 | Century National | $1,178 |
| 3 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,198 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,263 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,379 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,447 |
| 8 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 9 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 10 | Mercury | $1,533 |
| 11 | Allstate | $1,543 |
| 12 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,590 |
| 14 | Allied | $1,603 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,699 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,739 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,831 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,966 |
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USAA normally has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Sacramento at around $1,143 annually. This is $508 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, Wawanesa, CSAA, and Nationwide also are some of the cheapest Sacramento, CA insurance companies.
In this example, if you have coverage with Century National and switched to USAA, you might achieve annual savings of around $35. Policyholders with Wawanesa might save as much as $49 a year, and CSAA insureds might reduce prices by as much as $55 a year.
Remember that these rates are averages for all insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in a specific vehicle garaging location for 17 year olds. So the car insurance company that is most affordable for your situation may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That point stresses why you need to quote rates from as many companies as possible using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.
The vehicle that is being insured is a large factor when comparing quotes for the best cheap auto insurance for 17 year olds. Vehicles with reasonable performance levels, a plethora of safety features, or a positive history of liability claims will cost significantly less to insure than high performance models.
The next table outlines coverage prices for a handful of the most cost-effective automobiles to insure.
| Make, Model, and Trim Level | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $5,144 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $5,200 |
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $5,536 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $5,544 |
| Toyota Prius | $5,590 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $5,768 |
| Ford Edge SEL AWD | $6,048 |
| Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $6,057 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 2WD | $6,104 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $6,109 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $6,104 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Off-Road Package 4WD | $6,157 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $6,163 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 2WD 4-Dr | $6,328 |
| Toyota Corolla S | $6,440 |
| Nissan Altima 3.5 SR 4-Dr Sedan | $6,493 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 2WD | $6,498 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $6,493 |
| GMC Sierra SLE Regular Cab 4WD | $6,502 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SE 4-Dr Sedan | $6,493 |
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Prices above 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 claim-free, and safe-driver. Estimates do not factor in specific location information which can impact prices significantly.
Looking at the numbers, you can conclude that makes and models like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, Hyundai Elantra, and Toyota Prius will definitely be the cheapest vehicles to insure for teen drivers. The cost of auto insurance will trend higher just because there is more inherent risk for 17 year olds, but generally speaking those makes and models will have the best insurance prices compared to all other vehicles.
The chart below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles can increase or decrease insurance prices when trying to find cheap insurance for 17 year olds. The data assumes a married male driver, full physical damage coverage, and no policy discounts are applied.
A 30-year-old driver could lower their car insurance rates by $342 a year by increasing from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $516 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Younger drivers, like the 20-year-old category, have the ability to save as much as $1,026 annually just by choosing larger deductibles. If you do make the decision to raise your deductibles, it is important to have additional funds in a savings account to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the main drawback of higher deductibles.
Get discount Sacramento car insurance
Insurers that provide coverage for 17 year olds could also offer policy discounts that could potentially reduce rates by 25% or more if you meet eligibility requirements. A few popular companies and some of the discounts can be found below.
- Mercury Insurance offers discounts including professional/association, multi-car, age of vehicle, annual mileage, type of vehicle, and good student.
- Farmers Insurance offers premium reductions for good student, pay in full, business and professional, teen driver, and youthful driver.
- Farm Bureau includes discounts for multi-policy, renewal discount, multi-vehicle, driver training, 55 and retired, and good student.
- State Farm has savings for good driver, anti-theft, multiple autos, multiple policy, and Drive Safe & Save.
- Allstate offers discounts for anti-theft, passive restraint, good student, resident student, auto/life discount, and premier plus.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including defensive driver, daytime running lights, good student, seat belt use, emergency military deployment, five-year accident-free, and air bags.
The information below illustrates the difference between insurance prices with and without discounts applied to the premium. The rates are based on a male driver, no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the price with no discounts. The second shows the rates with passive restraint, anti-theft, vehicle safety, paperless filing, good student, and paid-in-full discounts applied. When discounts are factored in, theaverage amount saved on auto insurance for 17 year olds is 28% or $741.
Full coverage or liability only
Lowering the price of auto insurance is the goal of the majority of people, and one easy way to pay less for insurance for 17 year olds is to not buy full coverage. The illustration below compares insurance premiums with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The rates are based on no claims or violations, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
If we average the cost for all age groups, physical damage coverage on your policy costs an additional $2,075 per year over and above liability only. That is a large expense and it proposes the question if buying full coverage is a good investment. There is no clear-cut rule that is best for determining when to drop physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is 10% or more of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it could be time to drop full coverage.