BestCar InsuranceSan JoseThe Best Car Insurance in San Jose, CA, for 2023
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Ensure you're getting the best rate. Review quotes from a top insurance company.
MoneyGeek's research indicates that Esurance is the best auto insurance company in San Jose. However, the ideal auto insurance company for you depends on your age and specific situation. MoneyGeek has outlined the best insurers for young and senior drivers, individuals with a military background and people with driving violations. MoneyGeek also assessed the cheapest car insurance in San Jose for those looking for savings.
BestCar InsuranceSan JoseThe Best Car Insurance in San Jose
Overall - Esurance
Minimum Coverage - AAA
Young Drivers - State Farm
Senior Drivers - State Farm
Driving Violations - AAA
Military - USAA
Best Car Insurance Companies in San Jose: Overall
MoneyGeek analyzed the average rates, claims ratings and customer satisfaction of San Jose's top vehicle insurers in order to rank them. Listed below are the best car insurance companies in San Jose based on our scoring methodology:
- Esurance: 90 out of 100
- AAA: 89 out of 100
Based on MoneyGeek’s comprehensive analysis, Esurance and AAA are the two best insurance companies in the city. While there is only a minor disparity between their overall rankings, Esurance's affordability and financial stability propelled it to the top spot.
In addition, it is important to note that USAA received a MoneyGeek score of 88 out of 100, ranking it third in San Jose. However, we did not include it on the list because it is only accessible to military personnel.
The Top Car Insurance Companies in San Jose
1
EsuranceOverall
Score:90
Esurance received excellent scores for affordability, customer satisfaction, financial stability and user claims. The insurance company also offers unique coverages, including custom parts and rideshare insurance coverage. A full-coverage policy from Esurance costs $972 per year on average.
More About Esurance
You can get custom parts at a more affordable rate than the standard dealer with Esurance's coverage. Custom parts and equipment insurance covers your vehicle's aftermarket modifications. Esurance’s rideshare insurance ensures that there are no coverage gaps between your personal and rideshare insurance policies, which allows you to pay the lowest comprehensive premium.
Read MoneyGeek's Esurance auto Insurance Review2
AAA
Score:89
AAA performs well in terms of customer satisfaction, affordability and financial stability, with the highest score coming in the category of user claims. It also provides coverage for identity theft. The average cost of a full coverage policy with AAA is $1,281 per year.
More About AAA
AAA provides coverage for identity theft, which is not widely offered among other providers. Identity theft coverage ensures that no one is misusing your name or identity. This coverage is included in your AAA membership.
Read MoneyGeek's AAA auto Insurance ReviewRESOURCES ON CAR INSURANCE IN SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
MoneyGeek also analyzed the cheapest car insurance companies in San Jose to assist drivers who wish to optimize their savings. If you are interested in learning more about auto insurance in California, MoneyGeek has assembled the following resources for you:
Best Cheap Car Insurance for Minimum Coverage in San Jose
All drivers in San Jose are required to carry insurance that fulfills California's minimum car insurance requirements. According to MoneyGeek's analysis, the best auto insurance for minimum coverage in San Jose are:
- AAA: 93 out of 100
- GEICO: 89 out of 100
MoneyGeek determined this result by evaluating insurance coverage for drivers with various backgrounds, including those with traffic violations, senior drivers and young drivers.
MoneyGeek’s Pick: AAA
pros
A minimum coverage policy costs $483 per year
MoneyGeek claims rating of 5 out of 5
MoneyGeek user satisfaction rating of 4.5 out of 5
Offers affinity organization, early signing, bundling and anti-theft system discounts
cons
No discounts for safe driving, defensive driving, when you pay in full or go paperless
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
AAA is a highly-rated insurance firm for minimum coverage policies in San Jose. The firm offers both standard and special discounts for car owners. AAA offers common discounts like bundling and multiple car discounts.
AAA also offers unique discounts. For example, you can save with AAA's affinity organization discount if you belong to a qualifying partner organization or professional group. Additionally, AAA offers early signing discounts on its minimum coverage policy, allowing you to save if you purchase a policy in advance. AAA also partners with several medical organizations, so nurses in some areas may be eligible for a discount.
Best Car Insurance for Young Drivers in San Jose
MoneyGeek analyzed scores for numerous coverages and driving records for 18-year-old drivers in order to discover the best insurance companies for young drivers in San Jose. According to our research, the top auto insurance providers for young drivers are:
- State Farm: 87 out of 100
- Progressive: 76 out of 100
MoneyGeek obtained these results by analyzing the coverage levels and driving histories of 18-year-old San Jose drivers. Due to their lack of driving experience, car insurance for young drivers as well as car insurance coverage for students are considerably more expensive than the typical average.
MoneyGeek’s Pick: State Farm
pros
An annual full coverage policy for a young driver with a clean driving record costs $2,639
MoneyGeek claims rating of 4 out of 5
MoneyGeek user satisfaction rating of 4.5 out of 5
Offers good student, distant student and driver’s education discounts
cons
Not offering accident forgiveness, which would be particularly beneficial for young drivers
There are no discounts when you pay in full or go paperless
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Adding a young driver policy to your insurance can be costly, but State Farm offers one of the lowest prices in San Jose along with optimal service. Choosing a provider with dependable service is particularly reassuring for new drivers and their parents.
Young drivers and their families are eligible for savings from State Farm. For example, students under the age of 25 who reside close to their school and only drive when returning home are eligible for the remote student discount. Students with strong academic records are eligible for a good student discount. State Farm also offers a discount for drivers under the age of 21 who have completed an approved driver's education course.
Best Car Insurance for Senior Drivers in San Jose
To determine the best auto insurance for senior drivers in San Jose, MoneyGeek scored the best companies based only on senior driver profiles. MoneyGeek scores are based on different coverage policies and driving histories of 70-year-old California drivers. According to our ranking system, the top firms for senior drivers are:
- State Farm: 94 out of 100
- Esurance: 87 out of 100
Senior drivers' car insurance premiums tend to be higher than those of middle-aged car owners, but it is still possible to get the ideal price-to-quality ratio by shopping around.
MoneyGeek’s Pick: State Farm
pros
An annual full coverage policy for responsible senior drivers costs approximately $1,113 per year
MoneyGeek claims rating of 4 out of 5
MoneyGeek user satisfaction rating of 4.5 out of 5
Offers discounts for safe driving and defensive driving
cons
No unique coverages
No discounts for senior drivers
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Despite the fact that car insurance plans for senior drivers are comparable to those for drivers of all ages, some car insurance companies increase their costs. However, State Farm offers the most inexpensive rates and additional benefits for senior drivers in San Jose.
For instance, seniors who complete a defensive driving course are eligible for a discount. Additionally, State Farm covers rental automobiles and trip reimbursement, covering the policyholder's selected limits for vehicle rental, dining and lodging.
Best Car Insurance With a Driving Violation in San Jose
After committing a traffic violation, you may find it hard to find an affordable policy with quality service. To make it easy for you, MoneyGeek evaluated the top car insurance companies in San Jose for drivers with a history of at-fault accidents:
- AAA: 85 out of 100
- Esurance: 84 out of 100
MoneyGeek established these ratings using various driver ages and types of insurance in California. It is important to consider that drivers with a bad driving record pay more for auto insurance since they are deemed to be high-risk drivers.
MoneyGeek’s Pick: AAA
pros
An affordable full coverage policy for a 40-year-old driver with an accident on their record costs $1,612 per year
MoneyGeek claims rating of 5 out of 5
MoneyGeek user satisfaction rating of 4.50 out of 5
Offers many common discounts as a way to save additional money
cons
No discount for accident forgiveness coverage
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Drivers with an accident or violation on their record can benefit from companies that allow them to save while offering great service and appropriate coverages. AAA can help drivers save money with four of the nine most common discounts: bundling, anti-theft system, good student and insuring multiple cars. AAA offers roadside assistance, which accident-prone drivers may find to be beneficial. They also offer unique identity theft coverage.
Best Car Insurance With a Military Background in San Jose
MoneyGeek found that in San Jose, USAA usually offers the best blend of affordability and customer satisfaction for military members looking for car insurance. MoneyGeek awarded USAA a score of 88 out of 100 based on our rating system. MoneyGeek determined this score after analyzing various insurance levels and driver profiles, considering plans for old and young drivers and those with driving convictions.
Meanwhile, it is essential to understand that USAA only provides auto insurance to military members, veterans and their families.
MoneyGeek’s Pick: USAA
pros
A full-coverage policy costs $1,097 per year for a 40-year-old driver
Offers five of the most common discounts, including bundling, good student, multiple cars, defensive driving and safe driving discounts
Perfect MoneyGeek scores of 5 out of 5 in user claims and satisfaction
cons
Only offers three of the seven common coverages, excluding new car replacement
Limited to military personnel, veterans and their families
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
USAA is a reliable insurance company with low premiums for military-affiliated individuals in San Jose, earning perfect MoneyGeek scores in user satisfaction and claims. The coverages offered by USAA include roadside assistance, rental car and/or travel reimbursement.
In addition, USAA provides five of the nine most common insurance discounts. The firm offers discounts for the military, new vehicles and vehicle storage. For example, drivers who store an insured vehicle can save up to 60% on their premiums. One disadvantage of USAA is that it does not offer a wide variety of additional coverages.
Methodology
MoneyGeek analyzed prices and data from multiple San Jose, California, insurance firms in order to analyze and identify the best insurance companies in the city. Our analysis was based on ratings from industry leaders like AM Best, J.D. Power and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
Each category is weighted with five points, and the aggregate ranking is weighted with 100 points to produce our cumulative MoneyGeek score. For San Jose as well as all other cities where we ranked the best automobile insurance, we updated the weighting factors for each of the following categories:
- Affordability (70%): MoneyGeek evaluated quotations from San Jose insurance companies in order to rank them by the pricing of their plans. A provider received a perfect score of five if it provided the lowest price in the city.
- Customer satisfaction and claims satisfaction (20%): MoneyGeek analyzed J.D. Power survey results to quantify user satisfaction with service and claims for every insurance carrier. Each category was assigned a 10% weighting.
- Financial stability (10%): MoneyGeek utilized AM Best ratings, which measure the ability of an insurance firm to meet its financial commitments.
MoneyGeek assessed numerous driver profiles, including age, driving history and insurance types, in order to determine the overall affordability score of each insurance provider. We sorted results based on each driver's profile and outlined insurance providers that meet their demands. As an example, MoneyGeek used a sample profile of an 18-year-old male driver with a clean driving record to determine the best insurance company for young drivers.
According to MoneyGeek's methodology, car insurance premiums reflect the cost of a full policy with the following insurance requirements:
- $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $100,000 property damage liability
- Comprehensive and collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
MoneyGeek's auto insurance methodology describes in greater detail how and where we collect data for our evaluations and ratings.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
