You have surely seen all the captivating commercials from insurers like Progressive, Nationwide, and GEICO that guarantee big savings, so drivers should just pick the company with the catchiest ad, right?
It’s not quite that easy, unfortunately, as there are a whole bunch of unknown factors such as how many years you have been driving, your credit score, the safety ratings of your vehicle, and the amount of coverage you want, that all help calculate your car insurance rates. The content below will cover the best ways to save money and also should give you a solid foundation to find cheaper car insurance in Arizona.
The make and model of vehicle requiring coverage is one of the largest factors that determines the availability of cheaper coverage for drivers requiring a SR22. Vehicles with lots of horsepower, a lack of modern safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost much more to insure than safer, lower-performance models. The table below illustrates insurance premiums for a number of the most cost-effective vehicles to insure.
| Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $4,961 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $5,017 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $5,281 |
| Toyota Prius | $5,337 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $5,817 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $5,873 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $5,929 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer AWD | $5,934 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $6,009 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $6,016 |
| Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $6,084 |
| Ford Edge Sport AWD | $6,140 |
| Honda Odyssey EX-L | $6,147 |
| Compare Cheap Rates Go | |
Prices based on single female driver age 50, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Arizona minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Rate quotes do not factor in specific zip code location which can modify rates significantly.
Based upon the rates shown, we can presume that cars like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Elantra, and Toyota Prius are likely to be some of the more affordable vehicles to insure for high risk drivers. The price for car insurance will tend to be more expensive just because there is more risk for drivers requiring a SR22, but in general those specific models will most likely have the best insurance prices that you are likely to find.
For high risk drivers, one of the largest considerations that are used to help calculate the cost of insurance is the neighborhood you call home. Cities with more crime and/or more people will most likely pay more, whereas less populated areas have the enjoyment of a little cheaper coverage.
The next table ranks the priciest cities in Arizona for drivers requiring a SR22 in which to buy car insurance. Mesa comes in at #12 with an annual premium of $1,113 for the average policy, which is approximately $93 monthly.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix | $1,231 |
| 2 | Glendale | $1,226 |
| 3 | Avondale | $1,186 |
| 4 | Gilbert | $1,154 |
| 5 | Tempe | $1,152 |
| 6 | San Tan Valley | $1,150 |
| 7 | Buckeye | $1,144 |
| 8 | Peoria | $1,137 |
| 9 | Scottsdale | $1,129 |
| 10 | Goodyear | $1,120 |
| 11 | Chandler | $1,115 |
| 12 | Mesa | $1,113 |
| 13 | Maricopa | $1,107 |
| 14 | Catalina Foothills | $1,082 |
| 15 | Casas Adobes | $1,072 |
| 16 | Tucson | $1,072 |
| 17 | Surprise | $1,058 |
| 18 | Casa Grande | $1,057 |
| 19 | Oro Valley | $1,020 |
| 20 | Yuma | $983 |
| 21 | Flagstaff | $960 |
| 22 | Prescott | $914 |
| 23 | Bullhead City | $869 |
| 24 | Sierra Vista | $863 |
| 25 | Lake Havasu City | $852 |
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Rate information is approximated as the specific Mesa residence address can lower or raise insurance rates substantially.
Comparing quotes for low-cost insurance is easier said than done, and figuring out which company offers the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers requiring a SR22 will take even more shopping around.
Every insurance provider uses their own method to set premium rates, so let’s take a look at the most competitive car insurance companies in Arizona.
Compare Cheap Insurance Quotes for SR22 Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hartford | $820 |
| 2 | Auto-Owners | $924 |
| 3 | Safeco | $932 |
| 4 | Travelers | $1,075 |
| 5 | USAA | $1,113 |
| 6 | Progressive | $1,118 |
| 7 | GEICO | $1,131 |
| 8 | CSAA | $1,177 |
| 9 | Ameriprise Group | $1,220 |
| 10 | Allied | $1,245 |
| 11 | Farm Bureau Mutual | $1,285 |
| 12 | Safe Auto | $1,297 |
| 13 | Unitrin | $1,317 |
| 14 | State Farm | $1,337 |
| 15 | Farmers | $1,391 |
| 16 | Titan | $1,461 |
| 17 | American Family | $1,463 |
| 18 | Amica | $1,473 |
| 19 | MetLife | $1,505 |
| 20 | California Casualty | $1,552 |
| Quote Your Rates Go | ||
The Hartford may have some of the best car insurance rates in Mesa at around $820 annually. This is $608 less than the average policy premium paid by Arizona drivers of $1,428. Auto-Owners, Safeco, Travelers, and USAA would also be considered some of the most economical Mesa, AZ auto insurance companies.
In the above example, if you buy coverage from Travelers and switched to The Hartford, you might realize an annual savings of roughly $255. Customers with USAA could save as much as $293 a year, and Progressive insureds might cut rates by $298 a year.
These rates are averages across all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and and are not calculated with a specific zip code for drivers requiring a SR22. So the car insurance company that fits your situation best may not even be in the top 28 companies shown above. That underscores the importance of why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.
How much more does full coverage cost?
Reducing the cost of car insurance is probably important to the majority of people, and one of the quickest ways to pay less for insurance for drivers requiring a SR22 is to not buy comprehensive and collision coverage. The example below shows the difference between insurance rates with full coverage compared to only the Arizona minimum liability coverage. Data assumes no accidents, no driving violations, $500 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
On average, physical damage coverage on your policy costs an extra $1,889 per year more than buying just liability insurance. Lot’s of drivers question if full coverage is worth the money. There is no definitive guideline to drop comp and collision coverage, but there is a general convention. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is about 10% or more of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
For example, let’s say your vehicle’s replacement value is $8,500 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company will settle for is $7,500 after paying your policy deductible. If premium cost is more than $750 a year for your policy with full coverage, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
Get discounts on Mesa car insurance
Insurance companies that sell policies for drivers requiring a SR22 may have premium discounts that could potentially reduce rates by 30% or more if you meet specific eligibility requirements. A list of companies and some of the discounts are included below.
- GEICO includes discounts for multi-policy, military active duty, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, driver training, multi-vehicle, and defensive driver.
- Travelers offers discounts including multi-car, new car, save driver, hybrid/electric vehicle, driver training, student away at school, and continuous insurance.
- Nationwide policyholders can earn discounts including defensive driving, Farm Bureau membership, family plan, multi-policy, and easy pay.
- Farmers Insurance offers premium reductions for electronic funds transfer, alternative fuel, pay in full, youthful driver, early shopping, and switch companies.
- Esurance discounts include DriveSense, claim free, renters, emergency road assistance, safety device, Switch & Save, and online shopper.
- State Farm may offer discounts for driver’s education, passive restraint, multiple autos, anti-theft, good student, Drive Safe & Save, and defensive driving training.
- Progressive has savings for multi-vehicle, online quote discount, multi-policy, continuous coverage, homeowner, and online signing.
- Mercury Insurance may have discounts that include good student, good driver, ease of repair, location of vehicle, accident-free, multi-car, and anti-theft.
The chart below shows the difference between insurance prices with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. Data assumes a female driver, three traffic citations and two accidents, Arizona state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $250 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with anti-theft, marriage, continuous coverage, homeowner, vehicle safety, and multiple policy discounts applied. When these discounts are applied, theamount saved on car insurance for drivers requiring a SR22 is 29% or $1,741.
How careless driving impacts Mesa car insurance rates
The easiest way to enjoy good car insurance premiums for high risk drivers is to drive carefully and not have accidents or get tickets. The example below highlights how traffic violations and at-fault fender-benders increase auto insurance costs for each age group. The prices are based on a single male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $250 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
The chart shows that the average cost of an auto insurance policy per year with no accidents or violations is $1,745. Get written up for two speeding tickets and the average cost increases to $2,314, an increase of $569 each year. Next add two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of car insurance for drivers requiring a SR22 jumps again to an average of $4,321. That’s an increase of $2,576, or $215 per month, just for not paying attention while driving!
Your low-price policy may be costing you money
Mesa car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that may substantially change the cost of a policy. Improving your credit rating, getting divorced, or getting caught speeding can trigger rate changes that can make some companies cheaper than before.
Not only may your situation change, but insurers file new Arizona car insurance rates every year as an adjustment for underwriting gains or losses. Significantly higher losses can cause increased policy costs, while profitable underwriting may cause more affordable Mesa car insurance rates.
To illustrate this point, the graph below analyzes the cheapest car insurance in Mesa, AZ for a 45-year-old female driver with no accidents, a clean driving record, and good financial standing. If we compare prices based on her current risk factors, The Hartford quotes the best car insurance rates in Mesa at $1,126 each year. This is $302 less than the average price paid by Arizona drivers of $1,428. Safeco, Auto-Owners, Travelers, and USAA are the rest of the best Mesa, AZ auto insurance companies.
The next chart shows rates after we give the driver from the above example an accident surcharge, a lower credit rating, and a few blemishes on her driving record. Since each auto insurer uses a different method for filing rates in each state, analyzing rates may now result in a completely different list of cheap Mesa auto insurance companies as shown below.
GEICO now has the lowest price on auto insurance in Mesa, AZ with CSAA, Allied, Ameriprise Group, and Farm Bureau Mutual also having competitive pricing. This example demonstrates why consumers need to perform a complete rate comparison when trying to get the best auto insurance rates for drivers requiring a SR22. Insurance prices are made up of many risk factors and can change without notice, so the lowest-price company six months ago may now not even be in the top five.
If you have coverage questions and would like to have a little guidance when shopping for cheaper insurance for drivers requiring a SR22, the insurance agencies below can answer your questions and help you decide which coverages and limits you need. To find a Mesa insurance agency in your neighborhood, click the button after the list.
- Marge Black-Graziano – State Farm Insurance Agent
1155 S Power Rd #106 – Mesa, AZ 85206 – (480) 832-5355 - Jarosch Insurance
2815 S Alma School Rd #111 – Mesa, AZ 85210 – (480) 839-8488 - Allstate Insurance: Michael Grizzle
1119 E University Dr – Mesa, AZ 85203 – (480) 834-1233 - State Farm : Mike Wilson
1046 E McKellips Rd – Mesa, AZ 85203 – (480) 926-0388