Cheapest and Best Car Insurance Companies in Costa Mesa, CA
Compare Rates and Save on Car Insurance
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, Content DirectorYour ideal service provider will vary based on your requirements. For instance, Progressive provides comprehensive insurance at the lowest price. Our research shows that following an accident, Capital Insurance Group is the cheapest, while National General is the most budget-friendly for those with speeding tickets or DUIs. Farmers has the lowest rates for teens, while USAA offers the lowest rates for those in the military. Chubb is the best car insurer for customer service.
Cheapest and Best Car Insurance in Costa Mesa, CA








Cheapest Minimum Liability Car Insurance in Costa Mesa
The following companies offer the cheapest minimum auto insurance policies for drivers in Costa Mesa:
- GEICO: $424 per year
- Progressive: $488 per year
National General is the most expensive insurer for minimum coverage policies in Costa Mesa, charging $949 per year, on average.
California law states that all drivers are required to have a minimum coverage policy with the following limits:
- $15,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $5,000 property damage liability per accident
This means that your insurer will cover up to $15,000 in medical expenses per individual injured in an accident, up to $30,000 per accident. You will be responsible for any costs exceeding this amount.
Cheapest Full Coverage Car Insurance in Costa Mesa
The following insurers offer the cheapest full coverage car insurance policies in Costa Mesa:
- Progressive: $1,070 per year
- GEICO: $1,118 per year
In Costa Mesa, Chubb is the most expensive provider of full coverage car insurance, with policies costing $1,808 per year.
Full coverage car insurance policies include comprehensive and collision insurance:
- Collision Insurance: Pays for repairs after an accident involving a collision with another vehicle or object (tree, mailbox, stop sign, etc.).
- Comprehensive Insurance: Pays for damages related to theft, flooding or vandalism.
Typically, new car owners opt for full coverage car insurance to safeguard their investment. However, the added cost may not be with it for owners of older vehicles.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Costa Mesa After a Driving Offense
In Costa Mesa, we found that these insurers offer the cheapest rates for drivers with the following violations:
- Speeding ticket: National General ($1,411 per year)
- At-fault accident: Capital Insurance Group ($1,687 per year)
- DUI: National General ($1,411 per year)
The most expensive annual rate for a driver with a speeding ticket, $2,429, is from Nationwide, while Kemper charges the most to those with at-fault accidents at $3,007. Hartford has the most expensive rates for drivers with DUI offenses at $5,598 per year.
It's important to remember that drivers with poor records may still pay more for car insurance than safe drivers, even with the cheapest provider.
Your car insurance rate will increase in proportion to the severity of the driving violation. Compared to a driver with no offenses, a driver with a speeding ticket or DUI would pay approximately $546 and $1,896 more, respectively, for car insurance. MoneyGeek also identified the top providers for cheap auto insurance for drivers with a bad record.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Costa Mesa for Teens and Their Families
In Costa Mesa, the cheapest car insurance companies for a 16-year-old teen on a family policy are:
- Farmers: $2,908 per year for female and male teens
- State Farm: $3,001 per year for female and male teens
With an average annual premium of $5,091, Nationwide is the most expensive insurer for teens joining a family policy. While the rates are the same for male and female teens in Costa Mesa, male teens may be charged more for car insurance as they’re considered riskier to insure. However, this cost discrepancy drops off in early adulthood.
Teens can save a significant amount of money by joining their family’s policy as opposed to purchasing an individual policy. A 16-year-old male teen in Costa Mesa, CA would save an average of $673 per year by joining a family plan compared to purchasing an individual plan. While rates for younger drivers can be expensive, researching cheap auto insurance coverage for teenagers can help families to save money.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Costa Mesa for Military Drivers
Military members and their families will find the cheapest rates with the following providers:
- USAA: $920 per year
- Progressive: $1,070 per year
For a minimum coverage policy, military-affiliated drivers will get the cheapest rates from USAA for $410 per year, followed by GEICO at $424. Although Progressive is cheaper for full coverage, GEICO is more affordable for drivers after minimum coverage. MoneyGeek also ranked the most affordable auto insurance for military drivers to help you find other options.
How to Compare Cheap Costa Mesa Car Insurance Quotes Online
Because insurers require you to provide a significant amount of personal information, it can take up to 15 minutes to get a single auto insurance quote. When obtaining quotes for multiple insurers, this time can quickly add up.
MoneyGeek's auto insurance calculator estimates your car insurance rate from multiple carriers to save you time and effort, using only your age, vehicle details, driving history and desired level of coverage.
Auto Insurance Calculator
See how the Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates vary with the options chosen.
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Best Car Insurance in Costa Mesa: Summary
The best insurer for you will vary based on what you value (affordability, customer service, coverage options or service quality). Our research indicates that the following are the best car insurance companies for their respective categories:
- Best overall: Progressive (MoneyGeek score of 74 out of 100)
- Best for service: Chubb (MoneyGeek score of 76 out of 100)
- Best cheap: GEICO (MoneyGeek score of 78 out of 100)
A company’s total MoneyGeek score may be different across categories based on the factors weighted for that category. With a MoneyGeek score of 85 out of 100, USAA auto insurance is another cheap and top-performing option for those affiliated with the military.
Best Overall Car Insurance in Costa Mesa
The best overall car insurance companies in Costa Mesa are:
- Progressive: MoneyGeek score of 74 out of 100 ($1,070 per year)
- GEICO: MoneyGeek score of 73 out of 100 ($1,118 per year)
Compared to the 14 providers that we ranked, Progressive has the most affordable rates and offers a fair amount of coverage options. This allows policyholders to choose from a variety of coverages for an affordable cost.
If you're in the military, USAA auto insurance is another excellent option. The insurer earned a total MoneyGeek score of 85 out of 100, partially due to its affordable annual premium of $920.
How was this MoneyGeek score calculated?

pros
Offers the cheapest rates
Has a fair amount of add-on coverages
Offers gap insurance and custom parts and equipment (CPE) coverage
cons
Has a poor claims management rating
Doesn’t offer new or better car replacement
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Progressive is our top choice due to its affordability and coverage options. Drivers can choose from unique add-on coverage options, including gap insurance and custom parts coverage.
With custom parts and equipment coverage, it’s possible to get aftermarket additions to your vehicle, such as custom paint, navigation system or custom wheels, covered by your insurance policy. CPE insurance typically has a maximum benefit of $5,000. This type of coverage is a good investment for drivers who have upgraded or customized their cars.
With Progressive, new customers who bundle home and auto policies save over 20%, on average. The multi-policy discount applies to any combination of two or more policies, including motorcycle and boat, boat and RV, and motorcycle and boat, for instance.
Best Car Insurance in Costa Mesa for Customer Service
The following car insurance companies offer the best customer service in Costa Mesa, irrespective of cost:
- Chubb: MoneyGeek score of 76 out of 100 ($1,808 per year)
- Capital Insurance Group: MoneyGeek score of 68 out of 100 ($1,435 per year)
Chubb has one of the highest scores in both claims management and customer satisfaction. However, the insurer is significantly more expensive than its competitors. Compared to our runner-up pick, its policies cost $373 more.
How was this MoneyGeek score calculated?

pros
Has the highest rating for claims management
Has the second-highest rating for customer satisfaction
Offers diminished value coverage and classic car insurance
cons
Does not offer gap insurance
Has fewer coverage options
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Chubb, while expensive, has the best track record for claims management and the second-highest rating for customer satisfaction. Compared to the other 14 providers we evaluated, this insurer is the best for customer service.
Although Chubb doesn’t have that many coverage options, it offers a few rare coverages including diminished value coverage and classic car insurance. With diminished value coverage, you can get back the difference between your car's pre-accident value and its post-accident value by submitting a valid claim.
Chubb's classic car insurance also does not limit annual mileage for recreational driving of your vintage vehicle. If your car has been declared a total loss, you can choose whether or not to keep the wreckage — Chubb will cover the remaining amount of the car's agreed-upon value minus its salvage value.
Best Cheap Car Insurance in Costa Mesa
The following insurers offer the best minimum coverage car insurance policies in Costa Mesa based on cost and customer satisfaction:
- GEICO: MoneyGeek score of 78 out of 100 ($424 per year)
- Progressive: MoneyGeek score of 73 out of 100 ($488 per year)
Minimum coverage insurance policies are less expensive than comprehensive policies, but they don’t provide nearly as much coverage. Liability costs and damages to your own vehicle aren’t covered.
How was this MoneyGeek score calculated?

pros
Offers affordable policies at $424 per year
Offers discounts for multiple cars, defensive driving and those who have a new vehicle
Has high customer satisfaction rates and offers a variety of key coverages
cons
Has few unique coverage add-on options
Does not offer discounts for going paperless
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Customers in Costa Mesa will get the best minimum coverage car insurance policies from GEICO with the insurer’s affordable rates and quality customer satisfaction. It offers additional savings if you practice safe driving, have a new car or want to insure multiple cars.
GEICO offers a discount to drivers that complete a defensive driving course, although availability varies by state. The insurer also rewards safe drivers by allowing you to save up to 22% on most coverages if you’ve been accident-free for five years.
When you insure multiple vehicles with GEICO, you may qualify for savings of up to 25% on your policies. In addition, GEICO offers discounts of up to 15% for drivers who have vehicles that are three model years old or less for certain types of coverage.
Average Cost of Car Insurance in Costa Mesa
The average cost of auto insurance in Costa Mesa, $1,342, is less than the average cost of car insurance in California as of October 2022, $1,387. Car insurance costs more in Costa Mesa and across the state of California than it does on a national level —- the national average cost of car insurance is $1,265.
These rates reflect a full coverage policy with comprehensive protection, including medical payments coverage of $100,000 per injured person, bodily injury liability coverage of $300,000 per accident and property damage coverage of $100,000.
Factors like traffic, crime rates and population density can all impact the cost of car insurance in your area.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
