The car, truck, or SUV you are insuring is a significant factor when shopping around for economical car insurance for college graduates. Vehicles with higher performance characteristics, poor safety features, or a track record of large liability claims will cost substantially more to insure than more economical and safe models. The list below outlines coverage rates for a selection of the most affordable automobiles to insure.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $1,298 |
| Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan | $1,462 |
| Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $1,501 |
| Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $1,506 |
| Toyota RAV4 2WD | $1,534 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $1,542 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Off-Road Package 4WD | $1,563 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,575 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $1,645 |
| Ford F-150 Lariat Crew Cab Platinum 2WD | $1,653 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 2WD | $1,650 |
| Dodge Ram Crew Cab ST 2WD | $1,673 |
| GMC Sierra 3500HD SLT Extended Cab 2WD | $1,675 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $1,678 |
| GMC Sierra SLE Crew Cab 2WD | $1,684 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $1,678 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.5 Station Wagon | $1,701 |
| Nissan Rogue SL AWD | $1,727 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $1,732 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Extended Cab 4WD | $1,741 |
| Ford Focus SES 4-Dr Sedan | $1,737 |
| Hyundai Sonata Limited 4-Dr Sedan | $1,755 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,770 |
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Cost estimates assume single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Arizona minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, and claim-free. Information does not factor in specific garaging location which can raise or lower insurance rates substantially.
By looking at the data, you can assume that models like the Ford Escape, Honda Accord, and Honda CR-V are some of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for college grads.
Deciding which companies offer the cheapest car insurance rates for college graduates takes more time than just comparing a company or two. Each insurer uses a little different formula to establish rates, so let’s look at the rankings for the car insurance companies with the overall best prices in Chandler, AZ.
Find the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Grads
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hartford | $820 |
| 2 | Auto-Owners | $915 |
| 3 | Safeco | $932 |
| 4 | Travelers | $1,086 |
| 5 | USAA | $1,124 |
| 6 | Progressive | $1,130 |
| 7 | GEICO | $1,131 |
| 8 | Ameriprise Group | $1,184 |
| 9 | CSAA | $1,213 |
| 10 | Allied | $1,233 |
| 11 | Farm Bureau Mutual | $1,247 |
| 12 | Unitrin | $1,303 |
| 13 | Safe Auto | $1,336 |
| 14 | State Farm | $1,364 |
| 15 | Farmers | $1,378 |
| 16 | Titan | $1,418 |
| 17 | American Family | $1,420 |
| 18 | Amica | $1,473 |
| 19 | MetLife | $1,505 |
| 20 | California Casualty | $1,552 |
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The Hartford quotes some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Chandler at around $820 each year. This is $608 less than the average rate paid by Arizona drivers of $1,428. Auto-Owners, Safeco, Travelers, and USAA also make the cut as some of the cheaper Chandler, AZ auto insurance companies.
As shown in the rates above, if you are currently insured with USAA and switched to Auto-Owners, you could see yearly savings of upwards of $209. Arizona drivers with Progressive may save as much as $215 a year, and GEICO insureds might reduce prices by as much as $216 a year.
Understand that those policy prices are averages for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and and are not calculated with an exact location for college graduates. So the car insurance company that has the cheapest rates for you may not even be in the list above. That underscores the importance of why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
The example below shows how different deductible levels can impact annual premium costs when quoting cheap insurance for college graduates. The rates are based on a single female driver, full coverage, and no discounts are factored in.
A 50-year-old driver could pocket $236 a year by changing from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $358 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Young drivers, such as the Age 20 example, could possibly save $602 or more by using a higher deductible.
If you make the decision to raise deductibles, it is important to have spare funds to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense. This is the primary disadvantage of choosing high deductibles.
Best car insurance in Arizona
Choosing a highly-rated auto insurance provider can be rather challenging considering how many different companies there are to choose from in Arizona. The information shown next could help you decide which insurers to look at when comparing rate quotes.
The ratings below are for insurance companies that insure vehicles in the majority of U.S. states, so companies without a large exposure are not included in these rankings. To check prices from these and other competitive companies, click this link.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 98 | 100 | 100 | 94% | A++ | 98.6 |
| American Family | 98 | 89 | 100 | 86% | A | 95.4 |
| State Farm | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90% | A++ | 92.4 |
| The Hartford | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89% | A+ | 91.7 |
| AAA Insurance | 88 | 89 | 95 | 91% | A | 91.2 |
| GEICO | 84 | 93 | 93 | 89% | A++ | 90.3 |
| The General | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88% | A- | 90 |
| Titan Insurance | 90 | 87 | 91 | 95% | A+ | 89.6 |
| Progressive | 84 | 91 | 93 | 87% | A+ | 89.5 |
| Mercury Insurance | 88 | 91 | 90 | 85% | A+ | 89.4 |
| Allstate | 85 | 90 | 92 | 88% | A+ | 89.3 |
| Nationwide | 87 | 88 | 84 | 90% | A+ | 88.7 |
| Liberty Mutual | 84 | 87 | 93 | 88% | A | 88.5 |
| 21st Century | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88% | A | 86.7 |
| Esurance | 85 | 80 | 95 | 87% | A+ | 85.9 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Should you buy full coverage?
Saving money on car insurance should be important to most vehicle owners, and one of the easiest ways to buy cheaper insurance for college graduates is to buy liability only. The example below shows the comparison of insurance rates when comparing full coverage to liability only. The information is based on no violations or accidents, $250 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
If all age groups are averaged, full coverage costs $1,579 per year more than insuring for liability only. That is a significant amount which raises the question if paying for full coverage is worth it. There is no specific rule to exclude physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than around 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your vehicle’s claim settlement value is $10,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, you would only receive $9,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If it’s costing in excess of $900 a year for your policy with full coverage, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
Here’s why you should compare rates often
Chandler car insurance rates are based on many factors that will increase or decrease the policy premium. Simply turning a year older, buying another vehicle, or getting a reckless driving citation may prompt premium changes that can make some companies cheaper than competitors.
And not only may your rating factors change, but auto insurance companies amend premium rates multiple times each year in order to be able to pay unexpected claims. Heavier than normal losses can cause additional price hikes, while lower claims may result in lower-cost Chandler car insurance rates.
As an example, the bar chart below compares the cheapest car insurance in Chandler, AZ for a 35-year-old male driver with no accidents or violations, and a high credit rating. If we compare prices based on his current rating profile, The Hartford offers the cheapest car insurance rates in Chandler at $1,052 a year. This is $376 less than the average rate paid by Arizona drivers of $1,428. Auto-Owners, Safeco, USAA, and Travelers are the remaining best Chandler, AZ auto insurance companies.
Let’s now give the driver from the first set of rates an accident claim, bad credit, and a couple of points charged on his driving record. Due to the fact that each insurance company uses their own calculation to set premium rates, analyzing rate quotes may result in a completely different list of the cheapest Chandler car insurance companies as shown below.
GEICO now has the cheapest car insurance in Chandler, AZ with CSAA, Ameriprise Group, Allied, and Auto-Owners also having competitive pricing. This example demonstrates why consumers need to take the time to do a thorough rate comparison when trying to find the most affordable car insurance rates for college graduates. Prices are impacted by many different factors and change substantially, so the best option when you last compared rates may now be one of the more expensive options.