The make and model of vehicle requiring coverage is one of the largest factors in finding the most affordable coverage for inexperienced drivers. Vehicles with higher performance, a lack of advanced safety features, or a track record of large liability claims will cost substantially more to insure than more modest models.
The information below ranks coverage premiums for some of the most economical vehicles to buy insurance for.
| Insured Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $1,085 |
| Ford Edge SE 2WD | $1,167 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,176 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LT Extended Cab 4WD | $1,256 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,266 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS AWD | $1,256 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $1,281 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $1,321 |
| Honda Odyssey EX-L | $1,326 |
| Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $1,333 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4WD 4-Dr | $1,391 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $1,412 |
| Toyota Camry Hybrid | $1,438 |
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Table data assumes single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Premium amounts do not factor in specific location which can raise or lower prices considerably.
Based on these rates, you can see that cars like the Honda CR-V, Ford Edge, Toyota Prius, Chevrolet Silverado, and Volkswagen Jetta are likely to be some of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for new drivers.
For new drivers, one of the big factors that help determine the annual cost of car insurance is where you live in San Antonio. Cities with more crime and/or more people tend to have more expensive car insurance rates, whereas areas with lower vehicle theft rates and fewer weather claims benefit from having to pay less for coverage.
The following table sorts the most expensive places in Texas for inexperienced drivers in which to purchase auto insurance. San Antonio makes the list at #11 with an annual premium of $1,739 for car insurance, which is around $145 per month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McAllen | $1,996 |
| 2 | Brownsville | $1,927 |
| 3 | Dallas | $1,893 |
| 4 | Houston | $1,853 |
| 5 | Laredo | $1,851 |
| 6 | Garland | $1,850 |
| 7 | Amarillo | $1,840 |
| 8 | Mesquite | $1,807 |
| 9 | Grand Prairie | $1,793 |
| 10 | Pasadena | $1,758 |
| 11 | San Antonio | $1,739 |
| 12 | Irving | $1,736 |
| 13 | Beaumont | $1,720 |
| 14 | Arlington | $1,709 |
| 15 | Lubbock | $1,682 |
| 16 | Austin | $1,676 |
| 17 | Fort Worth | $1,621 |
| 18 | McKinney | $1,609 |
| 19 | Carrollton | $1,598 |
| 20 | Corpus Christi | $1,572 |
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Premium amounts are approximated as the specific area where the vehicle is garaged can affect insurance rates considerably.
How to get discounts on San Antonio auto insurance rates
Insurers that offer cheap quotes for inexperienced drivers may also provide special discounts that may potentially lower prices by 35% or more if you qualify. Larger insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts include:
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including membership and employees, defensive driver, federal employee, five-year accident-free, air bags, and military active duty.
- Auto-Owners Insurance discounts include good student, mature driver, multiple vehicles, paperless, and teen driver.
- American Family may offer discounts for defensive driver, bundled insurance, air bags, early bird, and mySafetyValet.
- Esurance includes discounts for paid-in-full, online shopper, anti-lock brakes, emergency road assistance, multi-car, and good student.
- Progressive offers discounts including good student, homeowner, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, and continuous coverage.
- State Farm has discounts for multiple autos, accident-free, student away at school, multiple policy, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
- AAA may have discounts that include education and occupation, good driver, multi-car, good student, and AAA membership discount.
The diagram below compares insurance prices with and without discounts applied to the premium. The premiums assume a female driver, no accidents or driving violations, Texas state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with multiple policy, passive restraint, accident-free, multiple vehicle, vehicle safety, and marriage discounts applied. With discounts applied, theaverage yearly reduction on insurance for inexperienced drivers is 28% or $645.
Rate comparison of full coverage and liability-only
Finding the cheapest insurance is the goal of most people, and one common way to lower the cost of insurance for inexperienced drivers is to not buy comprehensive and collision coverage. The illustration below illustrates the comparison of insurance rates with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The information is based on a clean driving record, no claims, $500 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are factored in.
If we average the cost for all age groups, full coverage costs $1,793 per year over and above liability only. That raises the question if physical damage coverage is worth the money. There is no set guideline of when to exclude physical damage coverage, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the yearly cost of full coverage is 10% or more of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s assume your vehicle’s replacement cost is $11,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most you would get paid by your company is $10,000 after you pay the deductible. If you are currently paying more than $1,000 annually for physical damage coverage, then you might consider buying liability only.
There are some cases where buying only liability insurance is not a good plan. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you have to carry full coverage in order to satisfy the requirements of the loan. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not eliminate full coverage.
Compare quotes and save
San Antonio, TX insurance rates are calculated based on many things that control the price of coverage. Simply getting older, adding a teenager to your policy, or getting a ticket for careless driving may generate price changes resulting in some companies being affordable when they were higher priced.
Not only may your risk profile change, but car insurance companies change prices as often as every three months in order to offset underwriting gains or losses. Heavy losses may result in increased policy costs, while lower claim levels may produce lower-priced San Antonio car insurance rates.
For instance, the chart below shows which company has the cheapest car insurance in San Antonio, TX for a 45-year-old female driver with a clean driving record, no accidents, and a good credit history. When comparing rates based on her personal risk profile, Travelers has the lowest car insurance rates in San Antonio at $1,229 each year. This is $675 less than the average price paid by Texas drivers of $1,904. USAA, Germania Mutual, Texas Farm Bureau, and Esurance round out the rest of the cheapest San Antonio, TX auto insurance companies.
Let’s now give the driver from above a chargeable accident, a little lower credit rating, and a few blemishes on her driving record. Since each auto insurer has a proprietary method to set policy rates, analyzing rates could now result in a significantly different list of affordable San Antonio car insurance companies as shown below.
Mercury now has the best insurance rate in San Antonio, TX with State Farm, USAA, Safe Auto, and Nationwide now being in the top five. This illustrates why San Antonio drivers need to compare rates to get the most economical car insurance rates for inexperienced drivers.
Insurance prices are influenced by many things and can change substantially, so the most affordable company the last time you compared rates may now be one of the higher cost companies.
If you like to have a consultation when shopping for the best coverage for inexperienced drivers, the agents below can most likely help you determine which coverages are best.
To locate a San Antonio auto insurance agent using an interactive map, click the link at the bottom.
- Robert Tijerina – State Farm Insurance Agent
8802 Potranco Rd Ste 105 – San Antonio, TX 78251 – (210) 684-3800 - A.R.M. Insurance Agency
1534 W Contour Dr #101 – San Antonio, TX 78212 – (210) 828-7873 - Bapodra Insurance Agency, Inc
8607 Wurzbach Rd #101 – San Antonio, TX 78240 – (210) 696-1133