You have most likely watched the captivating commercials from auto insurance companies like Progressive, Nationwide, and State Farm that make promises of huge savings. So drivers should just pick the company with the cutest commercial, right?
Unfortunately, it’s just not that easy, as there are a ton of unknown factors like any tickets or violations, if you have ever let your coverage lapse, if you have a spouse, and the likelihood of vehicle theft where you live, that all factor into the price you pay. We will try to cover the best ways to find cheap car insurance and will hopefully give you a good beginning to your search for cheaper coverage.
The type of vehicle that needs insurance is probably the biggest factor that determines whether or not you can buy the lowest-priced auto insurance for a school permit. Vehicles with limited top-end speed, a plethora of safety features, or a track record of few liability claims will cost less to insure than fast, unsafe models. The table below estimates auto insurance costs for a selection of the most affordable vehicles to insure in Arizona.
Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $4,625 |
Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan | $4,634 |
Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $4,625 |
Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $4,671 |
Toyota Prius | $5,009 |
Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4WD 2-Dr | $5,192 |
Ford Explorer XLT 4WD | $5,197 |
Ford F-150 STX Super Cab 4WD | $5,237 |
Ford Edge SEL AWD | $5,438 |
Chevrolet Impala LS | $5,448 |
Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $5,438 |
Toyota RAV4 Sport 4WD | $5,484 |
Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $5,493 |
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $5,484 |
GMC Sierra SLE Crew Cab 2WD | $5,494 |
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Price data assumes single female driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Arizona minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Rates do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can raise or lower price quotes significantly.
Looking at the numbers, you can assume that makes and models like the Hyundai Elantra, Honda Accord, and Honda CR-V are likely to be a few of the cheaper vehicles to insure for a learners permit. Car insurance rates will be more expensive because there is more claim risk for a school permit, but generally speaking those vehicles will probably have the lowest insurance rates that you are likely to find.
One of the many considerations that determine the price you pay for insurance is where you live in Chandler. Areas with more people or more claims are more likely to have higher rates, whereas more rural areas tend to receive cheaper rates.
The table below shows the most expensive cities in Arizona for a school permit to buy car insurance in. Chandler makes the list at #9 with a yearly cost of $1,126 for coverage, which is approximately $94 per month.
Rank | City | Average Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Avondale | $1,222 |
2 | Phoenix | $1,218 |
3 | San Tan Valley | $1,185 |
4 | Glendale | $1,178 |
5 | Mesa | $1,159 |
6 | Gilbert | $1,142 |
7 | Tempe | $1,140 |
8 | Peoria | $1,137 |
9 | Chandler | $1,126 |
10 | Scottsdale | $1,117 |
11 | Buckeye | $1,110 |
12 | Goodyear | $1,098 |
13 | Surprise | $1,090 |
14 | Maricopa | $1,085 |
15 | Casas Adobes | $1,082 |
16 | Catalina Foothills | $1,072 |
17 | Tucson | $1,072 |
18 | Oro Valley | $1,051 |
19 | Casa Grande | $1,047 |
20 | Yuma | $983 |
21 | Flagstaff | $941 |
22 | Prescott | $924 |
23 | Bullhead City | $905 |
24 | Sierra Vista | $890 |
25 | Lake Havasu City | $844 |
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Premium costs are comparative as the specific zip code location can affect auto insurance rates greatly.
Buying affordable auto insurance is not the easiest thing to do, and determining which company quotes the most affordable insurance rates for a school permit involves a little more work. Each auto insurance company has a unique approach to establish rates, so to begin we’ll rank the most budget-friendly insurance companies in Chandler.
Best Auto Insurance Prices for Students
Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | The Hartford | $820 |
2 | Auto-Owners | $897 |
3 | Safeco | $923 |
4 | Travelers | $1,075 |
5 | USAA | $1,091 |
6 | GEICO | $1,142 |
7 | Progressive | $1,152 |
8 | CSAA | $1,189 |
9 | Ameriprise Group | $1,208 |
10 | Allied | $1,233 |
11 | Farm Bureau Mutual | $1,259 |
12 | Unitrin | $1,303 |
13 | Safe Auto | $1,336 |
14 | State Farm | $1,337 |
15 | Farmers | $1,350 |
16 | American Family | $1,435 |
17 | Amica | $1,473 |
18 | Titan | $1,476 |
19 | MetLife | $1,567 |
20 | California Casualty | $1,568 |
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The Hartford has some of the lowest car insurance rates in Chandler at around $820 a year. This is $608 less than the average price paid by Arizona drivers of $1,428. Auto-Owners, Safeco, Travelers, and USAA would also make the list of some of the most economical Chandler, AZ car insurance companies.
In the above example, if you are a policyholder with Safeco and switched to The Hartford, you might achieve annual savings of around $103. Customers with Travelers may save as much as $255 a year, and USAA customers might reduce prices by as much as $271 a year.
Understand that those rates are averaged for all drivers and vehicles in Arizona and do not take into consideration an exact zip code location for a school permit. So the auto insurance company that is most affordable for your situation may not even be in the top 28 companies shown above. That helps illustrate why you need to get car insurance quotes using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
Accidents and violations increase rates
The best way to enjoy the most affordable insurance rates in Arizona for a learners permit is to drive safely and avoid traffic citations and accidents. The illustration below demonstrates how speeding tickets and fender-benders increase insurance costs for different categories of driver ages. Data assumes a married male driver, full coverage, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
In the previous chart, the average cost of car insurance in Chandler per year with no accidents or violations is $1,640. Receive one speeding ticket and the average cost rises to $1,879, an increase of $238 each year. Then include one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the annual cost of insurance for a school permit jumps again to an average of $2,562. That’s an increase of $921, or $77 per month, just for a couple of infractions!
Full coverage rates compared to liability-only
Lowering the price of insurance should be important to most vehicle owners, and one of the best ways to buy cheaper insurance for a school permit is to not pay for full coverage. The chart below compares auto insurance rates with and without physical damage coverage. The price estimates are based on no claims or violations, $500 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied.
If averaged for all ages, full coverage on your policy costs $1,417 per year over having just liability coverage. A very common question is if buying full coverage is worth the expense. There is no set rule that is best for determining when to drop physical damage insurance, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of coverage is more than 10% 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 $9,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company would pay you is $8,000 after you pay the deductible. If premium cost is more than $800 annually for your policy with full coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
Types of discounts on Chandler insurance
Insurance providers that provide coverage for a school permit may also give you price discounts that may potentially lower prices by as much as 25% or more if you can meet the requirements. A few of the larger companies and a selection of discounts are outlined below.
- Farm Bureau offers premium reductions for youthful driver, good student, safe driver, renewal discount, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy.
- MetLife has discounts for accident-free, claim-free, good driver, defensive driver, good student, multi-policy
- Progressive offers discounts for good student, homeowner, multi-policy, online signing, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, and online quote discount.
- AAA may have discounts that include pay-in-full, AAA membership discount, anti-theft, multi-policy, good driver, and education and occupation.
- American Family has savings for multi-vehicle, good student, bundled insurance, air bags, mySafetyValet, early bird, and good driver.
- GEICO includes discounts for multi-policy, federal employee, five-year accident-free, air bags, anti-theft, and seat belt use.
- State Farm may offer discounts for good student, passive restraint, student away at school, accident-free, Drive Safe & Save, good driver, and multiple policy.
The example below illustrates the difference between car insurance costs with and without discounts applied. The costs are based on a female driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, Arizona state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $250 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with paid-in-full, anti-theft, good student, vehicle safety, continuous coverage, and paperless filing discounts applied. With discounts applied, theaverage amount saved on insurance for a school permit is 28% or $520.
Here’s why price comparisons are so important
Chandler, AZ insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that control the price you pay for coverage. Improving your credit rating, increasing deductibles, or having an accident can trigger rate changes that can cause some rates to be more affordable than before. And not only may your rating factors change, but insurers file new rates without warning to ensure their profitability. Higher than normal claims can cause higher prices, while lower claims may produce more affordable Chandler car insurance rates.
For instance, the graph below shows which companies have the cheapest car insurance in Chandler, AZ for a 30-year-old male driver with a clean driving record, no accidents, and a decent credit rating. If we estimate prices based on his current risk profile, The Hartford has the most affordable car insurance rates in Chandler at $1,030 per year. This is $398 less than the average premium paid by Arizona drivers of $1,428. Auto-Owners, Safeco, USAA, and Progressive round out the rest of the most affordable Chandler, AZ auto insurance companies.
Let’s now give the driver from the first example a couple of claims, poor credit, and a speeding ticket. Since each company has a different formula to determine rates, analyzing rate quotes may now present a different set of the cheapest car insurance companies in Chandler as shown below.
GEICO now has the best car insurance rate in Chandler with CSAA, Allied, Ameriprise Group, and Farm Bureau Mutual completing the list. This example shows why it is critical to compare many different companies when trying to find cheap auto insurance rates for a school permit. Prices are influenced by many risk factors and can increase or decrease at any time, so the best price the last time you shopped your coverage around may now be an over-priced policy.