A study showed that the vast majority of auto insurance customers have bought auto insurance from the same company for at least the last four years, and nearly half have never compared rates with other companies. Many drivers in Sacramento could pocket up to 35% a year just by comparing rates, but they just don’t understand the actual amount they would save if they switched to a more affordable policy.
The most effective way to find cheaper auto insurance rates is to annually compare prices from providers who sell auto insurance in Sacramento.
- First, take a few minutes and learn about policy coverages and the things you can change to prevent high rates. Many things that are responsible for high rates such as accidents, traffic tickets, and a negative credit history can be improved by making minor changes in your lifestyle.
- Second, request rate estimates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give prices from one company like GEICO or Allstate, while agents who are independent can quote prices for many different companies.
- Third, compare the new rate quotes to the price on your current policy and see if there is a cheaper rate in Sacramento. If you find a better price, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
- Fourth, tell your current company to cancel your current car insurance policy. Submit a completed policy application and payment for the new policy. As soon as you receive it, safely store the proof of insurance certificate in your vehicle’s glove compartment or console.
The critical component of shopping around is to try to use the same level of coverage on each price quote and and to get prices from as many car insurance companies as possible. Doing this enables a level playing field and a thorough price selection.
This article’s intent is to instruct you on the most effective ways to compare rates and also save some money in the process If you’re already insured, you will be able to save money using the techniques covered below. But California drivers should learn how insurance companies determine how much to charge.
Cheaper rates with these seven discounts on Acura ZDX insurance in Sacramento
Some insurers don’t necessarily list every policy discount in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of a few of the more well known and the more hidden credits available to you.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Factory options such as air bags or automatic seat belts may qualify for discounts of 20 to 30 percent.
- Student Driver Training – Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver’s ed class in school.
- Responsible Driver Discount – Safe drivers can save up to 40% or more on their Sacramento auto insurance quote as compared to drivers with claims.
- Paperwork-free – Certain larger companies will give a small break for buying a policy and signing up on the internet.
- Home Ownership Discount – Simply owning a home can save a few bucks because it is proof of financial responsibility.
- Senior Citizen Rates – Seniors can get a slight reduction on a Sacramento auto insurance quote.
- Good Grades Discount – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. You can use this discount normally until age 25.
Remember that some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Despite the fact that it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you aren’t that lucky.
The diagram below compares Acura ZDX insurance costs with and without discounts applied. Data assumes a male driver, no claims or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, marriage, and multi-car discounts applied.
The best insurance companies and some of their more popular discounts can be found below.
- Mercury Insurance discounts include accident-free, type of vehicle, annual mileage, low natural disaster claims, and multi-policy.
- Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for switch companies, distant student, mature driver, early shopping, alternative fuel, and homeowner.
- Farm Bureau includes discounts for multi-vehicle, safe driver, good student, 55 and retired, multi-policy, youthful driver, and driver training.
- State Farm has savings for safe vehicle, student away at school, Drive Safe & Save, multiple autos, good driver, accident-free, and good student.
- Allstate has discounts for premier plus, eSmart discount, safe driver, defensive driver, senior citizen, and early signing.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including seat belt use, military active duty, driver training, multi-policy, and emergency military deployment.
If you need lower rates, check with all companies you are considering how many discounts you can get. Discounts may not apply in Sacramento. If you would like to see a list of providers that offer multiple discounts in Sacramento, click this link.
To find more affordable quotes, there are a couple of ways of comparing rates from companies that offer car insurance in California. By far the easiest way to find affordable Acura ZDX insurance rates is to jump online and get quotes.
Online shopping is fast and free, and it makes it a waste of time to drive around to insurance agencies in your area. The ability to buy insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you prefer the advice and guidance that you can only get from talking to an agent. Although you can find lower rates online but have your policy serviced through an agent.
Just keep in mind that obtaining a wide range of quotes will improve the odds of getting the best rates. Not every company provides online price quotes, so you also need to get rates on coverage from those companies, too.
The companies shown below have been selected to offer price quotes in California. To get cheap auto insurance in California, we suggest you visit several of them to get the best price comparison.
Coverage analysis
The data table shown below covers different rate quotes for Acura ZDX models. Having insight into how rates are figured can help customers make smart policy decisions.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ZDX Technology Package AWD | $438 | $630 | $578 | $34 | $174 | $1,854 | $155 |
ZDX AWD | $438 | $630 | $578 | $34 | $174 | $1,854 | $155 |
ZDX Advance Package AWD | $438 | $712 | $578 | $34 | $174 | $1,936 | $161 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data variables include single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, safe-driver, multi-policy, and claim-free. Rate information does not factor in vehicle location which can decrease or increase price quotes noticeably.
The example below demonstrates how deductibles and can raise or lower Acura ZDX insurance costs for different ages of insureds. The data assumes a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, and no discounts are applied.
Do I need special coverages?
When it comes to choosing your policy for your personal vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different.
For instance, these questions might point out whether or not you might need professional guidance.
- Which is better, split liability limits or combined limits?
- Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
- Is water damage covered by my policy?
- Should I rate my vehicle as business use?
- Are rock chip repairs covered?
- Where can I find DUI or SR-22 insurance?
- Does my policy cover me when driving someone else’s vehicle?
- Should I get collision insurance on every vehicle?
- Should I have a commercial auto policy?
- Where can I get insurance after a DUI in California?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.
Local neighborhood agents and insurance
A small number of people still prefer to talk to a local agent. The biggest benefit of comparing insurance online is the fact that you can find cheaper rates and still buy from a local agent. And providing support for small agencies is important especially in Sacramento.
Once you complete this simple form, your insurance data is submitted to local insurance agents that provide free Sacramento auto insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. There is no need to contact any agents due to the fact that quote results will go directly to your email. You can most likely find cheaper rates and an insurance agent to talk to. If you need to get a rate quote from one company in particular, you just need to navigate to their website and submit a quote form there.
If you are wanting to find a reliable insurance agency, you must know there are a couple different types of agents and how they work. Insurance agents in Sacramento can be classified as either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for.
Independent Agents
Independent agents do not sell for just one brand so they can quote policies amongst many companies depending on which coverage is best. If they find a cheaper price, your agent can switch companies and you don’t have to do anything. If you are trying to find cheaper rates, you need to get rate quotes from independent agents in order to have the best price comparison.
Featured below is a short list of independent agents in Sacramento who may provide free insurance quotes.
Nationwide Insurance: Ham Insurance Agency Inc
2210 Del Paso Rd e – Sacramento, CA 95834 – (916) 419-8228 – View Map
Thrive Insurance Agency
1353 Fulton Ave – Sacramento, CA 95825 – (916) 339-6490 – View Map
Bertolino Insurance Agency
9719 Lincoln Village Dr #409 – Sacramento, CA 95827 – (916) 384-9621 – View Map
Exclusive Agencies
Agents in the exclusive channel have only one company to place business with such as American Family, State Farm, and AAA. They usually cannot provide prices from multiple companies so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Exclusive agents are well schooled on the products they sell which helps offset the inability to provide other markets.
Below is a short list of exclusive agents in Sacramento who can help you get comparison quotes.
Allstate Insurance: John Chandler
900 Jefferson Blvd #110 – West Sacramento, CA 95691 – (916) 374-1600 – View Map
State Farm Insurance: Max Lam
2840 Del Paso Rd #300 – Sacramento, CA 95834 – (916) 575-7600 – View Map
Ron Andre – State Farm Insurance Agent
394 Florin Rd – Sacramento, CA 95831 – (916) 428-2918 – View Map
Choosing an insurance agent requires more thought than just a cheap price quote. Some important questions to ask are:
- Will one accident increase rates?
- Is the quote a firm price?
- Are they able to provide referrals?
- Which companies do they recommend if they are an independent agency?
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
Ratings for Sacramento car insurance companies
Picking a good quality auto insurance provider is hard considering how many companies are available to choose from in Sacramento. The information shown next could help you analyze which providers you want to consider when shopping your coverage around.
Top 10 Sacramento Car Insurance Companies Overall
- USAA
- American Family
- AAA of Southern California
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- AAA Insurance
- GEICO
- The General
- Titan Insurance
- Progressive
Coverage specifics
Learning about specific coverages of your policy can be of help when determining which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.
Medical expense insurance – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for bills for things like dental work, EMT expenses, rehabilitation expenses and funeral costs. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Liability auto insurance – Liability insurance will cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property that is your fault. This insurance protects YOU from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see limits of 15/30/5 that translate to a $15,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $5,000. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which provides one coverage limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability can pay for things such as court costs, emergency aid, loss of income, bail bonds and repair costs for stationary objects. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but consider buying as large an amount as possible. California requires minimum liability limits of 15/30/5 but it’s recommended drivers buy more coverage.
The illustration below shows why buying minimum limits may not be adequate coverage.
Collision coverage – This will pay to fix damage to your ZDX resulting from colliding with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers things like damaging your car on a curb, crashing into a building and backing into a parked car. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible on your ZDX to save money on collision insurance.
Comprehensive (Other than Collision) – This coverage covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive can pay for things such as a broken windshield, rock chips in glass and hitting a deer. The highest amount your car insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your Acura ZDX.
Since many California drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (California limits are 15/30/5), their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Cover all your bases
Low-cost Acura ZDX insurance in Sacramento can be found from both online companies as well as from insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies do not offer rate quotes online and these regional carriers sell through independent agents.
People leave their current company for any number of reasons including delays in responding to claim requests, lack of trust in their agent, not issuing a premium refund or even extreme rates for teen drivers. Whatever your reason, finding a new company can be pretty painless.
While you’re price shopping online, you should never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice uninsured motorist or liability limits and discovered at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at the best cost while not skimping on critical coverages.
More information
- Airbag FAQ (iihs.org)
- Who Has Affordable Sacramento Auto Insurance for Uninsured Drivers? (FAQ)
- How Much is Sacramento Auto Insurance for Unemployed Drivers? (FAQ)
- Distracted Driving (Insurance Information Institute)
- Speed and Speed Limit FAQ (iihs.org)