The car, truck, or SUV needing coverage is one of the biggest factors when shopping around for low-cost car insurance for drivers with bad credit. Vehicles with average performance, excellent safety ratings, or low incidents of liability claims will cost substantially less to insure than adrenaline junky models.
The next list ranks auto insurance prices for some of the most economical vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $1,357 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport Islander Package 4WD 2-Dr | $1,377 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,384 |
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $1,435 |
| Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,453 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $1,481 |
| Honda Odyssey EX-L W/Rear Entertainment | $1,560 |
| Ford F-150 XL Super Cab 2WD | $1,578 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4WD | $1,588 |
| Nissan Rogue S AWD | $1,598 |
| Ford Fusion SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,588 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $1,608 |
| Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $1,669 |
| Kia Optima EX | $1,694 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LT Extended Cab 4WD | $1,697 |
| Volkswagen Jetta LE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,706 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $1,722 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $1,730 |
| Nissan Altima 3.5 SR 2-Dr Coupe | $1,771 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 2WD | $1,819 |
| GMC Sierra SLE Crew Cab 2WD | $1,828 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $1,819 |
| Ford Fusion Hybrid 4-Dr Sedan | $1,872 |
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Data rating is based on single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Arizona minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and homeowner. Premium amounts do not factor in your specific Tucson, AZ location which can alter rates significantly.
Looking at the data, makes and models like the Honda Accord, Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Prius, Honda CR-V, and Ford Focus should be some of the cheaper vehicles to insure for people with poor credit. The cost of a car insurance policy will be more costly because there is more claim risk for drivers with bad credit, but in general those vehicles will have the best insurance prices compared to other types of vehicles.
One of the many criteria that aid in calculating insurance cost is where you keep your vehicle in Tucson. Cities with more crime and/or more people likely pay more, whereas areas with less congestion have the benefit of cheaper car insurance.
The next table ranks the highest-priced areas in Arizona for drivers with bad credit to purchase car insurance in. Tucson shows up at #12 with the annual price of $1,094 for car insurance, which is around $91 monthly.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix | $1,255 |
| 2 | Avondale | $1,222 |
| 3 | Glendale | $1,190 |
| 4 | San Tan Valley | $1,185 |
| 5 | Scottsdale | $1,163 |
| 6 | Tempe | $1,152 |
| 7 | Gilbert | $1,142 |
| 8 | Peoria | $1,126 |
| 9 | Mesa | $1,113 |
| 10 | Buckeye | $1,110 |
| 11 | Maricopa | $1,107 |
| 12 | Tucson | $1,094 |
| 13 | Surprise | $1,090 |
| 14 | Casa Grande | $1,089 |
| 15 | Goodyear | $1,087 |
| 16 | Chandler | $1,082 |
| 17 | Casas Adobes | $1,072 |
| 18 | Catalina Foothills | $1,050 |
| 19 | Oro Valley | $1,031 |
| 20 | Yuma | $983 |
| 21 | Flagstaff | $931 |
| 22 | Prescott | $924 |
| 23 | Bullhead City | $905 |
| 24 | Sierra Vista | $863 |
| 25 | Lake Havasu City | $852 |
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Rate quotes are estimated as the specific geographic location can lower or raise coverage rates greatly.
Finding out which companies have the most affordable car insurance rates for drivers with bad credit may require a little more effort than just comparing rates from one or two companies.
Every insurance provider has their own process for filing rates in each state, so let’s take a look at the car insurance companies with the most affordable rates in Tucson, AZ. We do need to point out that Arizona car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that can increase the cost of a policy. Getting older, having a teen driver, or getting a reckless driving citation can produce rate changes that can make some companies more affordable than competitors.
Cheapest Insurance Rates with Bad Credit
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hartford | $836 |
| 2 | Auto-Owners | $897 |
| 3 | Safeco | $923 |
| 4 | Travelers | $1,108 |
| 5 | USAA | $1,124 |
| 6 | GEICO | $1,142 |
| 7 | Progressive | $1,152 |
| 8 | CSAA | $1,189 |
| 9 | Allied | $1,209 |
| 10 | Ameriprise Group | $1,220 |
| 11 | Farm Bureau Mutual | $1,259 |
| 12 | Safe Auto | $1,297 |
| 13 | Unitrin | $1,303 |
| 14 | State Farm | $1,323 |
| 15 | Farmers | $1,378 |
| 16 | Titan | $1,476 |
| 17 | American Family | $1,478 |
| 18 | Amica | $1,487 |
| 19 | MetLife | $1,521 |
| 20 | California Casualty | $1,522 |
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The Hartford offers some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Tucson at around $836 per year. This is $592 less than the average policy premium paid by Arizona drivers of $1,428. Auto-Owners, Safeco, Travelers, and USAA also are some of the cheapest Tucson, AZ insurance companies.
In this example, if you are insured with USAA and switched to Auto-Owners, you could see a yearly price reduction of around $227. Customers with GEICO might save as much as $245 a year, and Progressive policyholders might see rate reductions of $255 a year.
To see how much you can save, click here to start your custom quote or visit several of the following companies.
Bear in mind that those premiums are averaged for all types of insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in an exact zip code location for drivers with bad credit. So the insurer that can offer the best rates for your situation may not even be in the list above. That emphasizes why you need to compare rates from as many companies as possible using your own personal information and vehicle type.
Does full coverage make sense?
Paying less for car insurance is probably important to the majority of people, and a good way to lower the cost of insurance for drivers with bad credit is to not buy comprehensive and collision coverage. The chart below compares car insurance rates with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The data assumes no violations or claims, $100 deductibles, single status, and no other discounts are factored in.
If we average all the age groups together, physical damage coverage on your policy costs an additional $1,722 per year more than carrying just liability coverage. That is a big expense that brings up the question if it’s worth it to buy full coverage. There is no specific rule of when to phase out full coverage, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of full coverage is 10% or more of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
The illustration below shows how choosing a deductible can raise or lower insurance prices when getting quotes for cheap insurance for drivers with bad credit. The premium estimates are based on a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
The chart above illustrates that a 40-year-old driver could cut expenses by $322 a year by increasing from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $484 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Youthful drivers, like the age 20 example, could shave up to $824 each year by using a higher deductible. When choosing a higher deductible, it will be necessary to have enough savings to be able to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the main disadvantage of using high deductibles.
How violations and accidents impact rates
A great way to snag cheap car insurance prices in Tucson for people with poor credit is to pay attention while driving and avoid accidents and keep your driving record clean. The example below shows how traffic citations and fender-benders can impact yearly insurance costs for different age groups. The data assumes a single female driver, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
The data above shows the average cost of an auto insurance policy per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,500. Receive one speeding ticket and the average cost jumps to $1,700, an increase of $199 each year. Now include one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the annual cost of car insurance for drivers with bad credit goes up to an average of $2,255. That’s an increase of $755, or $63 per month, just for being a less-than-perfect driver!
How to find budget-friendly car insurance for drivers with bad credit
The list below summarizes many penny-pinching suggestions that can help you buy cheap car insurance.
- Improve your credit
- Higher deductibles save money
- Avoid having at-fault accidents
- Do not insure for full coverage
- Do not get traffic tickets
- Lower rates by purchasing a safer vehicle
- Compare rate quotes frequently
That last idea is especially important, as we noted in the prior information. Coverage prices in Tucson go up and down frequently, so don’t be unwilling to change insurance companies if you find a cheaper price. Many drivers prefer to stick with one company, but it’s not a good idea if it’s costing you major coinage every year. In less than five minutes you could compare prices to find cheaper car insurance for drivers with bad credit.
The auto insurance agents in Tucson shown below can aid you in deciding which auto insurance policy fits you best, as some drivers aren’t sure which coverage they need and prefer to get some help when shopping around for cheaper insurance for people with poor credit. It’s not always easy to do it yourself, and a professional agent can bring peace of mind knowing your coverage gives you suitable coverage if you have an accident.
To locate a Tucson insurance agent using an interactive map, click the button at the bottom of the list.
- American Family Insurance – Kristi Frank Agency Inc.
4319 E Broadway Blvd – Tucson, AZ 85711 – (520) 323-0017 - American Family Insurance – Marla Avina Agency Inc.
1101 S Sherwood Village Dr – Tucson, AZ 85710 – (520) 546-8877 - Rebecca Sanford – State Farm Insurance Agent
5605 E River Rd #211 – Tucson, AZ 85750 – (520) 615-0800