Cheapest Rates for Mazda 3 Insurance in Fresno

To save the most money, the best way to get budget car insurance rates is to regularly compare quotes from companies who sell auto insurance in Fresno. You can compare prices by following these guidelines.

1. Try to learn a little about coverages and the steps you can take to lower rates. Many risk factors that cause rate increases like accidents, careless driving, and an imperfect credit history can be improved by paying attention to minor details.
2. Compare prices from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give prices from one company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agencies can provide prices from multiple companies.
3. Compare the price quotes to the price on your current policy to see if a cheaper rate is available in Fresno. If you find a lower rate and switch companies, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
4. Give notification to your current company of your decision to cancel your existing policy and submit payment along with a signed and completed policy application for the new coverage. Make sure you put the proof of insurance certificate in your glove compartment.

A tip to remember is to use similar coverage information on each quote and and to look at as many companies as feasibly possible. Doing this provides an apples-to-apples comparison and the best price selection.

Unthinkable but true, nearly 70% of customers kept buying from the same company for over three years, and about 40% of consumers have never shopped around. U.S. insurance shoppers could save an average of approximately 47% each year by just comparing rate quotes, but they mistakenly think it’s difficult to compare rates.

If you have auto insurance now, you will surely be able to get lower rates using this information. This article will help educate you on how to effectively get price quotes and some money-saving tips. Nevertheless, California drivers should learn how the larger insurance companies price insurance differently and use it to find better rates.

Insurance Rate Influencing Factors

Many things are considered when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are pretty understandable such as traffic violations, but others are less obvious such as your marital status or how financially stable you are.

• Fewer miles means better costs – The higher the miles on your Mazda every year the higher your rates will be. A lot of companies charge rates based on how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks not used for work or commuting receive better premium rates than those that get driven frequently. Verify your vehicle rating properly reflects the correct driver usage, because it can save money. Having the wrong rating on your 3 may be costing you.
• Keep insurance claims to a minimum – If you’re an insured who likes to file claims you can look forward to either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance companies in California provide cheaper rates to policyholders who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Your insurance policy is designed for more catastrophic claims.

• Careless drivers pay higher costs – How you drive impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Even a single speeding ticket can increase the cost of insurance forty percent or more. Attentive drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. People who have multiple violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may find that they have to to maintain a SR-22 with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.

  The example below illustrates how traffic citations and accident claims can impact Mazda 3 premium costs for different age groups of insureds. The data is based on a single male driver, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.

• Cut premiums and deter theft – Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can help bring down rates. Advanced theft deterrents like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all aid in stopping your vehicle from being stolen.

• Costs go up with performance – The make and model of the car or truck you drive makes a significant difference in your rates. Small economy passenger cars usually are quite affordable to insure, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.

  The next chart assumes a married female driver age 20, full coverage with $100 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. It illustrates Mazda 3 insurance premiums compared to other makes and models that have a range of performances.

• Loss probability for a Mazda 3 – Companies use claims history to help set a rate to offset losses. Vehicles that statistically have a trend towards higher claims will cost more for coverage. The next table shows the loss history for Mazda 3 vehicles.

  For each coverage type, the claim probability for all vehicles averaged together is represented as 100. Numbers below 100 are indicative of better than average losses, while values that are above 100 indicate frequent claims or statistically larger losses.

  
  

  Insurance Loss Ratings for Mazda 3 Vehicles

  Vehicle Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Mazda 3	99	104	96	106	110	103
  Mazda 3 Hatchback	91	80	96	81	73	86

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Data Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years

Insurance statistics and figures

The premium information displayed below covers detailed analysis of insurance costs for Mazda 3 models. Having knowledge of how policy rates are determined is important for you to make smart choices when comparing insurance quotes.

Data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Price estimates do not factor in specific garaging location which can lower or raise premiums considerably.

Policy deductible comparison

A question often asked by Fresno drivers is which deductibles should you choose. The data tables below lay out how much more rates are when you buy lower versus higher physical damage coverage deductibles. The first data table uses a $250 physical damage coverage deductible and the second data table uses a $500 deductible.

Data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, and safe-driver. Table data does not factor in specific garaging location which can impact insurance rates greatly.

We can estimate from the data above that using a $250 deductible costs an average of $18 more each month or $216 for a full year than selecting the higher $500 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $250 more if you turn in a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you normally go at least 14 months between claim filings, you would save money if you choose a higher deductible.

One thing to be aware of is that increasing deductibles to lower your rates means you will have to cover more of the damage yourself if you have a claim. It will be required that you have some savings in the event you have to pay more for the deductible.

Male drivers compared to female drivers in Fresno

The example below illustrates the difference between Mazda 3 insurance costs for male and female drivers. The price estimates are based on no claims or driving citations, comp and collision included, $500 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

Comparison of full coverage and liability-only policies

The illustration below illustrates the difference between Mazda 3 insurance costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying the minimum liability limits required in California. The price estimates are based on no tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are applied.

When to drop full coverage

There is no definitive guideline of when to stop paying for full coverage, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is about 10% or more of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you might consider buying liability only.

For example, let’s say your Mazda 3 replacement value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most you would get paid by your company is $7,000 after the deductible is paid. If you are paying over $700 a year for full coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.

There are a few situations where only buying liability is not a good idea. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you must maintain physical damage coverage in order to keep the loan. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should keep full coverage.

Get cheap Mazda 3 insurance in Fresno with discounts

Some insurers do not list all their discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the next list breaks down both well-publicized and also the more inconspicuous discounts that may be available.

• Air Bag Discount – Factory options such as air bags can receive discounts of more than 20%.
• Homeowners Savings – Just owning your own home can get you a discount because maintaining a house means you have a higher level of financial diligence.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars that have anti-lock braking systems have fewer accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Good Students Pay Less – Performing well in school could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. This discount can apply up to age 25.
• Online Discount – A few insurance companies will give a small break shop Fresno car insurance on the web.
• Discounts for Responsible Drivers – Accident-free drivers can save as much as half off their rates than their less cautious counterparts.
• New Car Discount – Insuring a new 3 can be considerably cheaper due to better safety requirements for newer models.
• Federal Employees – Having worked for a branch of the government can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
• Student Discount for Driver Training – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them take driver’s ed class in high school.
• Include Life Insurance and Save – Not all insurance companies offer life insurance, but some may give you better rates if you take out some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.

Don’t be surprised that some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, that’s just not realistic.

The chart below illustrates the comparison of Mazda 3 insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the rates. The data assumes a female driver, no tickets, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, multi-car, homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, and safe-driver discounts applied.

Companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are outlined below.

• Farmers Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including multi-car, teen driver, early shopping, business and professional, and switch companies.
• State Farm discounts include Drive Safe & Save, accident-free, safe vehicle, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and good student.
• Liberty Mutual offers discounts for new move discount, multi-car, new graduate, safety features, hybrid vehicle, and preferred payment discount.
• MetLife includes discounts for multi-policy, good student, claim-free, defensive driver, good driver, accident-free
• Progressive may include discounts for continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, online quote discount, homeowner, online signing, and good student.

When getting a coverage quote, ask all the companies which discounts you qualify for. Some discounts might not be offered in your area. To locate insurers with discount auto insurance rates in Fresno, click here.

More effort can pay off

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, don’t be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. In many instances, an insured dropped liability coverage limits and learned later that the savings was not a smart move. The goal is to get the best coverage possible at the best cost.

In this article, we covered quite a bit of information on how to reduce Mazda 3 insurance prices online in Fresno. It’s most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the lowest prices are with a small local company. Regional companies often have lower rates on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive and GEICO.

Additional information can be read at these links:

• Car Insurance FAQ (Trusted Choice)
• Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance with Multiple Speeding Tickets in Fresno? (FAQ)
• Property Damage Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
• Understanding Limits and Deductibles (Allstate)