Car insurance sure has a lot of benefits. In San Diego, Car insurance can really save the driver a lot of trouble when unwanted car incidents creep up. Car repairs, car replacement, third party liabilities, no claim bonus, peace of mind, personal accident cover, and so on are some of the things on the car insurance benefit list. There is also the cover for the side of keeping up with the resident state car insurance law so that legal and fine issues can be well avoided in case car driving matters turn out the way they aren’t wanted.
With the upsurge in crazy driver behavior leading to higher car incident and accident rates, plus the trouble of the sword of the California states car insurance law dangling over the driver’s head, a San Diego driver without car insurance is actually treading on thin ice.
In most US states, car insurance is required by law, and San Diego CA is not an exception to this. Individual states laws set up auto liability coverage limit that are required of drivers to buy. The minimum auto insurance coverages California laws require drivers to carry are;
- Bodily injury liability coverage
- Property damage liability coverage
- insured motorist bodily injury coverage
- Uninsured motorist property damage coverage
Having car insurance is one thing, but having a good one, the best of the rest is another thing, and the ideal one at that. Some car insurance companies are limited and lagging behind in services rendered, customer satisfaction, discount giving, and cost effects. Some have weak financial capabilities, thereby creating a difficulty in their claim payment abilities. Therefore, it is important to dig well into the profile of the car insurance companies in San Diego and their offers to avoid all these pitfalls. There are four most important coverages that good car insurance must have, and they are bodily injury coverage, property damage coverage, collision coverage and comprehensive coverage. Good car insurance is one that offers great covers at inexpensive costs.
If you are a San Diego driver planning on obtaining the best car insurance in San Diego or you are planning on moving there in the nearest future and going to need one, then you’ve come to the right place.
Here are the best car insurance in San Diego, State Farm
- Farmers
- Geico
- Mercury
| Average minimum coverage | $713 |
| Average Full coverage | 2,172 |
Farmers was started by John C. Tyler and Thomas E. Leavey in 1928 and today remains one of the best car insurance companies in San Diego and outside of San Diego, going door to door to market insurance policies to rural farmers believed to be at lower risks than other customers. If there is a car insurance company that should top the list among the best of the available ones in San Diego, Farmers is it. Farmer’s prices aren’t actually the cheapest, but it’s sure among the list. However, Farmer’s customer satisfaction rating is through the roof. In other words, the customers are paying, but they are getting more than worth their money from Farmers.
The amazing discounts offered by Farmer include;
Multiline
Farmers auto policy plus at least one other qualifying Farmers policy such as Home, Life, Umbrella, Small Business, Specialty
Multicar
Earn a 5% initial discount when you start. And get up to 15% off when your policy renews, based on your safe driving habits.
Affinity
- Member, employee or retiree of certain businesses, occupational groups or professional associations
- Military – customers who are active duty, active reserves, retired, and honorably discharged military veterans
ePolicy
- Insured enrolls in ePolicy and accepts the Go Paperless terms and conditions
Good Payer (not available in CA)
- Customer has no Billing Late Fees assessed within the previous 12 months prior to the renewal processing date with Farmers®. This discount applies at new business and is re‐evaluated at renewal.
Safe Driver
- Applies to any rated driver who has zero BI Points.
Distant Student
- Child on policy goes to school at least 100 miles away and doesn’t have regular access to covered cars
Youthful Driver
- Driver in household under 25 who is a child or grandchild of the PNI on an FSPA policy that has been in force for at least 12 months
Good Student
- 3.0 or better GPA, Dean’s List, Honor Roll, top 20% of class, or top 20% on standardized testing
Shared Family Car (not available in CA)
- Applied to all vehicles on the policy when there is a single driver up to age 20 in the household and there are more active drivers than vehicles in the household. Vehicles defined as Storage use are excluded from the vehicle count in the application of this discount.
On Your Own
- PNI must be split from their existing household into a new household, a driver under the age of 29 and an active driver on a Farmers Insurance Group® policy in their prior household for at least 12 months
Mature Driver / Defensive Driver / Senior Driver (name of discount varies by state, not all states have this discount)
- Over 55 and completed state-approved safe driver training in last 3 years
Homeowner
- Policyholder owns residence, regardless of who insures it
Alternative Fuel (CA only)
- Vehicles powered by anything other than gasoline only: hybrid, electric, natural gas, propane, etc.
EFT
- Monthly automatic payments set up on Farmers.com
Pay In Full
- Pay premium in full at start of policy term using any method
Antilock Brakes (not offered in all states)
- Must be factory installed, not aftermarket
Anti-Theft (not offered in all states)
- Alarms and protective devices
Daytime Running Lights (not offered in all states)
- These are basically headlights that stay on all the time
Passive Restraint (not offered in all states)
- Means airbags or automatic seatbelts
Homing Device
- Can track and locate car if stolen; system must be Farmers-approved
VIN Etching (not offered in all states)
- VIN etched on glass and other areas required by Farmers; assists in recovery if stolen
Pathways to Farmers’ amazing discounts are;
- Research before buying your car
- Drive safely
- Keep your current car for a few extra years
- Purchase multiple policies
- Consider your deductibles
Following are the amazing coverages offered by Farmers;
Liability
Required by law in all states, California inclusive, it covers injury and damage to others when you are at fault.
Collision
Covering payment for repair or replacement of your vehicle, collision with other vehicles, animals, and objects, when you are at fault.
Comprehensive
Covers damages caused by Covers damage to your car caused by other factors apart from collision such as vandalism, theft, fire, animal, wind, and so on.
Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist
Covers payment for damage to your car and bodily injury to you and your passengers, also losses caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver
Medical Payments
Helps with the cost of medical care resulting from injuries in an accident for you and your passengers, no matter the one at fault.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Covers for rehabilitation cost and lost wages resulting from an accident, no matter who is at fault.
Towing and roadside service
This provides 24/7 roadside assistance if your car is disabled while also helping with payment for tire changing, towing, locksmith service and jumpstarts.
Rental Car Reimbursement
Covers 30 days car rent cost while your car is undergoing repairs. Farmers do handle billings and arrangements.
Rideshare
Helps in protecting drivers for rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft with coverage during period not covered by personal or company insurance.
Loss of Use
Provides a flat sum for transportation which can be used for public transit, rentals, taxis and rideshare services while your car is repaired
Guaranteed Value™
It’s an option that’s quite popular with owners of classic and collector cars. It pays you a defined, agreed-upon value if your car is a total loss
Customized Equipment
Covers the cost to repair or replace aftermarket equipment like infotainment systems and custom wheels. It’s available on any vehicle with collision and comprehensive coverage
Personal Umbrella
One of the offers that make Farmers stand out. It provides additional liability coverage above the limits on your auto policy, protects assets and lawsuits.
Glass Deductible Buyback
Covers windshield and glass repair and replacement
Full Windshield and Glass Coverage
- Offers $0 deductible on glass repair and replacement
- Pay nothing out of pocket
Spare Parts Coverage
Another popular one with owners of classic and collector cars covers the cost to replace spare parts you keep on hand, up to $750.
Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)
It’s available on cars up to 10 years old, and it covers the cost of using factory-original parts in covered repairs
New Car Replacement Coverage
Covers the cost to replace your car with a new one of the same make and model, available when your car is totaled within the first two model years and 24,000 miles
Accident Forgiveness
Farmers will forgive one at-fault accident for every three years you drive without one and keeps your premium from going up because of just one accident
You might also hear the term Gap Insurance. This isn’t a coverage offered by Farmers — in fact, it’s most frequently sold by car dealers during the purchase process. What gap insurance covers is the difference between the amounts you owe on your car and its value in the event of a total loss. It’s worth your consideration when you borrow more than a car is worth.
Farmers’ coverages are good for drivers of any age grade and any car incident type. Its is a insurance that gets the customer covered perfectly in all areas. Apart from the great coverage plans and features, Farmers offer Amazing discounts, making it one of the cheapest car insurance in San Diego.
Two great factors that also set Farmers apart from others are its highly positive customer reviews and insurance policy customization. Farmers’ agents and employees (numbering over 48,000 and 21,000 respectively) are described as most friendly with high technical expertise. Its complaint rating of 0.2 puts it well below the national 1.0 complaint rate average. Lots of customer’s review paints Farmer’s positively, with commendation to its agents for helping customers locate discounts they might have qualified for unknowingly. Study shows that 70% of customers who have filed a claim with Farmers are willing and ready to recommend the company to others. Furthermore, you need not lose a bit of sleep over Farmer’s financial health as they are well able to pay claims.
| Average minimum coverage | $716 |
| Average Full coverage | $1,966 |
State Farm has varieties of good insurance policy options that represents one of the best car insurance options in San Diego. Though not extraordinarily excellent in any aspect and can be tagged one of the really expensive car insurances in San Diego, State Farm is a very safe insurance choice for your car insurance need. A.M. Best gave State Farm an A++ rating in the area of financial strength, thereby erasing any fear about inability to pay insurance claims.
State Farm offers standard auto insurance coverages such as;
- Liability car insurance
- Physical damage car insurance
- Rental insurance
- No-fault or personal injury protection
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
A few other unique policies that State Farm provides in addition to the standard coverages are;
Rideshare insurance: It’s a coverage offered by State Farm that covers your personal car while you are working if you are an Uber or Lyft driver.
Rental car and travel expenses coverage: Once your car is undriveable due to an incident that falls under your list of comprehensive or collision coverage, you can enjoy this from State Farm.
Here are the discounts offered by State Farm and how to receive it;
Safe Driver Discounts: These are; Accident-Free Discount, Defensive Driving Course Discount, Good student discount, Good driving Discount, and Driver Training Discount student Stay Away at School Discount.
Safe Vehicle Discounts; include Vehicle Safety Discount, Passive Restraint Discount, Anti-Theft Discount.
Discounts for Loyal Customers: Multiple auto discount, Multiply line account
State Farm isn’t really the best of choices for those seeking to be economical with car insurance cost in San Diego. The prices are not so much on the low side. However, State Farm tries to minimize the effects of the high prices by offering various discounts.
Despite the fact that State Farm’s services are just better than average States Farm possesses better reviews than its competitors and complaints it has received so far are quite few.
Geico
| Average minimum coverage | $363 |
| Average Full coverage | $1,325 |
There is no way America’s acknowledged one of the cheapest insurance company, San Diego, will be missing from this list, especially since San Diego is one of its coverage areas. Acknowledged as the second largest and third best auto insurance in the US with 35.s billion written premium Geico boasts of 13.8% market share. Geico offers the cheapest quote for insurance after accidents and 30-40 year old drivers. It also features on the list of cheap car insurance for other driver age grades even though it’s not at the top of those. Geico’s average annual rate for minimum coverage stands at $363 annually, while the average price for full coverage is currently at $1,325.
- Coverage types by Geico car insurance are:
Liability coverage:
- Bodily injury liability
- Property liability
Medical Coverages:
Vehicle Coverages :
- Collision Coverage
- Comprehensive Coverages
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
- Uninsured Motorist coverage
- Underinsured Motorist coverage
Additional Auto Insurance Coverages
- Emergency Road Service
- Rental Reimbursement
- Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
With Geico, you get to save over 15% of your insurance car policy. Some discounts offered by Geico are:
Discount Potential Savings Categories
| Good Student | 15% | Driver’s Education |
| New Vehicle Discount | 15% | Vehicle Equipment |
| Good Driver | 22% (Five Years Accident-Free) | Driving History & Habits |
| Anti-Theft System | 23% | Vehicle Equipment |
| Daytime Running Lights | 3% | Vehicle Equipment |
| Driver’s Educational Course | Varies | Driver’s Education |
| Seat Belt Use | Varies | Driving History & Habits |
| Defensive Driving | Varies | Driver’s Education |
| Federal Employee (Eagle) | 12% | Driver Affiliation |
| Emergency Deployment | 25% | Driver Affiliation |
| Membership & Employee | Varies | Driver Affiliation |
| Military | 15% | Driver Affiliation |
Why Geico also stands out
Even though Geico’s complaint index lies at 0.92, and is shown to be more expensive for higher-risk drivers who have accidents on their records, it still remains one of the cheapest. Geico offer goodies which includes good customer interaction and satisfaction, superb financial strength and great discounts. To cap it all Geico offers rates that are generally acknowledged to be on the low side while also giving great premium reductions (discounts). Also, the online solutions provided by Geico to handle its customer’s insurance policies is actually one of the best and most effective. Very easy and convenient to use.
Mercury
| Average minimum coverage | $539 |
| Average Full coverage | 1,446 |
Mercury in all the states where it is available in the US has one of the cheapest and most affordable car insurance rates. It may not necessarily be a good choice for someone looking for an insurance company with a good service, no thanks to its mixed reputation. But for those looking for a low-cost auto insurance company and mechanical breakdown insurance, Mercury is one of the smartest choices.
Mercury’s average minimum coverage price is $539, putting it at number 5 on the average San Diego car insurance minimum policy list, but Mercury’s average full coverage policy price is number 2 at $1,446, beaten only by Geico. Overall for both minimum and full coverage cost, Mercury comes third.
Pathway to Mercury car Insurance Discounts
Premiums in Mercury car insurance policies can be lowered by the following;
- Owning a home, even if not insured with Mercury
- High grade point average Maintenance
- Auto policy with a digital signature finalizing with signature
- Multiple types of coverage with Mercury
- Insuring multiple vehicles with Mercury Insurance
- Equipping the insured vehicle with an anti-theft device
- Signing up for Mercury realdrive program
Compared to others, Mercury’s coverage list (, especially the additional ones) isn’t that long. Its coverage list is;
Mercury mechanical protection:
- 24-hour roadside assistance
- Rental vehicle assistance
- Road hazard tire protection
- Trip interruption coverage
Rental car coverage: The lower end of this coverage begins at $30 per day and can go as high as $100
Roadside assistance
ConclusionSo here you have it, the four best auto insurance companies available for you in San Diego. Care has been taken to select price friendly and service friendly options. Any choice made from this list sure put you in good hands, however, Farmers may actually be the best for anyone. Just a suggestion here, which it’s sure you will be glad you follow though.
