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The secret to finding the cheapest rates on car insurance? Comparing car insurance quotes. There are no guarantees with car insurance prices. A company that gave you a reasonable car insurance rate six months ago may no longer have the best deal available for you. That’s why comparing car insurance quotes between multiple companies gives you the best chance at securing the best rate.

To help you start your car insurance comparison journey, we’ll walk you through all the basics: what factors affect your car insurance rates, how to compare quotes, and how to save money.

Auto Insurance Quotes Comparison: Before and After Insurify

How much does car insurance cost?

How much does the average car insurance policy cost? That’s a tricky question to answer. According to Insurify, the national average cost of car insurance is $1,633. But that doesn’t really tell us much. After all, your car insurance rate depends heavily on factors like your location, coverage, and driving history. Drivers in Michigan pay 75% above the national average and drivers with an at-fault accident on record pay 29% above the national average.

The question you should be asking is— how much should I be paying for car insurance? And, of course, the answer is “the lowest possible amount.” Car insurance is a fixed monthly expense that you have to pay for as long as you plan on driving a car. There’s no reason to be paying more than you need to.

The best way to find the cheapest car insurance policy available to you is by comparing quotes from multiple insurers side-by-side and figuring out which company gives you the best deal. A quote comparison website like Insurify makes that incredibly easy by providing you with a tailored car insurance comparison experience complete with discounts and coverage recommendations.

Compare Cheap Car Insurance Quotes

Since no two drivers are the same, auto insurance companies must look deeply into each individual’s personal driving history to assess various risk factors when determining a car insurance quote.

Insurers methodically weigh various elements of your driver profile to determine how likely you are to file a claim. The higher your likelihood to file a claim, the higher the risk the insurer is assuming, and the higher your car insurance quote.

Each insurer has its own way of calculating risk, so while your driving history might be considered “high-risk” to one insurer, it might be considered “medium risk” to another.

After base rate premiums, insurance costs are as unique as you are, which is why auto insurance comparison is so important. When you compare quotes from different companies with Insurify's insurance quote comparison tool, you can be sure you’ve found the cheapest quote for the best coverage.

Compare Car Insurance Quotes by State

Many insurance companies heavily weigh where you live and drive because of geographically relative variables like population density, crime rates, and weather patterns. City dwellers will almost always pay more for insurance than suburban or rural drivers; more people means more cars and traffic, increasing the risk of theft or accident.

In regions frequently exposed to extreme weather– floods, fires, or otherwise–drivers can expect to pay higher premiums. That’s because insurance companies expect higher rates of claim filings in these states since car damage due to weather patterns is expected. Living in a winter wonderland? Those icy roads pose a significant risk for your car, which may be reflected in your insurance quotes.

Michigan is the state with the most expensive car insurance, with residents paying an average $238 a month for car insurance. Safeco and Safe Auto provide Michigan residents the cheapest car insurance policies on average. Meanwhile, Hawaii is the state with the cheapest car insurance, with residents spending an average $69 a month on car insurance. Farmers provides the cheapest car insurance policies in Hawaii.

To see how much the average car insurance policy costs in your state, take a look at the numbers below:

Compare Car Insurance Quotes by Age

Younger drivers can exhibit reckless behavior on the road, like speeding or driving under the influence. This tendency, coupled with the group’s relative inexperience, means teen drivers have the most expensive car insurance premiums of any age in every state.

Luckily, insurance gets cheaper as you age and gain more experience on the road. The best car insurance for drivers under 25 allows young drivers to score savings on premiums with good student discounts, participating in a safe driver course, or bundling their insurance products.

After decades of experience on the road, divers in their fifties and sixties benefit from the cheapest car insurance rates of any age group. On average, a driver in their 60s with a clean record can expect to pay 65% less than an 18-year-old. Once a driver turns 70 or 80, however, rates will increase again, with a driver in their 80s paying about 21% more for their car insurance policy than a driver in their 60s.

Check out how much you can expect to pay for car insurance based on your age:

Best Car Insurance for Drivers Under 25

Compare Car Insurance Quotes by Driving History

Red flags found in your driving history, like previous accidents, speeding tickets, and DUIs, are important to insurers. A minor violation attached to your driver’s license can increase your monthly bills by 20%.

Cheap Insurance for Bad Driving Record

Factors that Affect Car Insurance Rates

You may be wondering how car insurance companies come up with the rates they quote you for your car insurance policy. That quote is not arbitrary – it’s a carefully calculated number that takes numerous factors into account.

Some elements of car insurance quotes seem obvious, like your driving record and the value of your vehicle. Others though, are more nuanced, like the weather patterns and crime rates of where you park your car at night.

1. Accident Rates

   Driving a vehicle with a history of higher accident rates will increase your auto insurance premium rates.

2. Cost of Repairs

   Some vehicles’ parts are expensive to replace, and will most likely make your auto insurance premiums higher. Typically, foreign cars are more expensive to insure than domestic cars for this reason.

3. Theft Rates

   Living in a ZIP code with frequent incidents of vehicle theft and vandalism will cause your auto insurance rates to increase.

4. Annual Mileage

   Your estimated annual mileage shows how much you’re on the road, and therefore how much risk you are at for an accident.

5. Safety Test Results

   Auto insurance companies offer safety discounts for certain features, but they don’t always make your auto insurance cheaper. Extra safety features can be expensive to repair or replace.

6. Primary Use of Car

   Auto insurers also take into account how you use your vehicle. A vehicle used to commute to and from work or school will be more expensive to insure because you most likely drive during peak traffic hours.

7. Amount of Insurance Claims

   Driving a car model with a high number of claims, including fraudulent ones, will affect your premium rates.

How to Get Cheaper Car Insurance

You can easily find cheap car insurance quotes for free and compare prices and policies through an online quote comparison platform like Insurify. With Insurify, all you’ve got to do is answer some basic questions about you, your car, and what kind of coverage you want, and voilà! You’ll be able to view a list of car insurance quotes from top companies tailored to your unique driving profile.

In addition to viewing quotes from top car insurance companies, when you comparison shop on Insurify, you’ll also be able to see if you qualify for different car insurance discounts. Most companies offer policyholders the chance to save with numerous discounts. From good driver discounts to mature driver discounts, you’ll most likely qualify for at least one or two if you know what to look for. Insurify does that hard work for you.

Free car insurance quotes

How to Compare Car Insurance Companies

Finding a reputable car insurance company that not only fits your budget but also provides robust car insurance coverage and customer service that will come through for you if you ever need to file a claim can be difficult and time-consuming. That’s why so many drivers stick with the same car insurance policy for years.

But staying with the same insurance company at every policy renewal without comparing quotes isn’t very financially responsible—you could be missing out on a better deal with an even better company. So the next time your car insurance policy is up for renewal, keep these factors in mind while comparing car insurance companies:

• The insurer’s car insurance quote price
• The insurer’s customer service record
• The insurer’s claims service
• The insurer’s financial strength
• The insurer’s Insurify Composite Score

The Insurify Composite Score is calculated by analyzing multiple factors that reflect the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company. Inputs to the score include Financial Strength Ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch; J.D. Power ratings; Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys and customer complaints; mobile app reviews; and user-generated company reviews.

The Insurify Composite Score isn’t a subjective score Insurify allocates to insurance companies of its own accord—it’s an aggregate grade calculated using multiple third-party ratings from well-respected insurance institutions.

After crunching the numbers, here are the best car insurance companies, according to Insurify:

Best Insurance Companies

Types of Car Insurance Coverage

Car insurance policies aren’t one-size-fits-all; they’re a carefully calculated combination of coverage types to ensure drivers are protected no matter what happens. Most auto insurance policies encompass a mix of six main types of car insurance, plus a few optional additions.

1. Liability Coverage

   Vehicle liability coverage is required by law in almost every state. If a driver is involved in a car accident and found to be at fault, this type of coverage will help pay for damage to the other drivers’ vehicle. If the other vehicles involved in the accident had passengers in the car, their medical bills would also be covered by your liability coverage.

   Liability coverage has some subcategories: bodily injury liability and property damage liability. The first pays for the medical bills of other people injured in an accident, and the latter helps cover the cost of repairing their property - vehicle or otherwise. Liability coverage is a component of a full coverage auto insurance policy.

2. Personal Injury Protection

   Personal injury protection, sometimes abbreviated PIP, will help cover your medical bills or that of your passengers in the case of an accident. Also known as no-fault insurance, PIP will help cover these bills regardless of who is at fault in an accident.

   This type of coverage may also cover lost wages due to missed work after an accident. Just 15 states require this type of coverage, and it is usually not offered in states where it isn’t required.

3. Medical Payments

   For states where personal injury protection is not mandated and thus unavailable, medical payments coverage, also known as MedPay, is usually offered instead. MedPay is a stripped-down version of PIP that will help cover hospital bills for you and your passengers after an accident.

   This type of coverage will also cover your medical expenses if you’re not in a vehicle but are hit by a car.

4. Collision Coverage

   Collision insurance offers drivers coverage if their vehicle collides with another car or object. If you’re driving a car you purchased with a car loan or other financing plan, you’ll probably be required to buy collision coverage.

   If you own your vehicle outright, this type of coverage is optional, with the exception of a handful of states. Collision coverage typically works in conjunction with another type of insurance, comprehensive coverage.

5. Comprehensive Coverage

   Collision coverage will help you cover repairs in the case of a vehicle collision, while comprehensive coverage kicks in when your car is damaged in a non-collision incident. This includes incidents of vandalism, theft, weather-related damage, and other Acts of God.

   Comprehensive coverage is typically optional but usually required by your lender if you don’t own your car outright. If you drive a high-value luxury vehicle, comprehensive coverage is worthwhile protection to add to your insurance policy, even if it’s not required. For older, less valuable cars, comprehensive coverage is a place to cut costs.

   A car insurance policy with both comprehensive and collision coverage in addition to liability coverage is considered a “full coverage” insurance policy. Take a look below to see how much a full coverage policy costs compared to a liability-only policy, based on your insurance company:

6. Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Coverage

   As a law-abiding citizen with a perfect driving record and a robust car insurance policy, you may think you’re protected from any hazard that may be thrown your way. But what happens if you’re involved in an accident with an uninsured motorist? You may be out of luck. Unless that is, you’ve secured uninsured motorist coverage.

   Uninsured or Underinsured motorist coverage will help you cover medical expenses and vehicle repairs, even if the at-fault driver is uninsured or doesn’t have enough insurance to pay for your damages. Twenty-two states currently require some form of uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.

7. Deductibles

   Regardless of which components you choose to pair together for your auto insurance policy, be careful when selecting your deductible amount. Keep in mind, your deductible is the amount of money you’ll be responsible for shelling out after filing a car insurance claim.

   For example, if you’ve selected a $500 deductible, that is the amount you’ll have to pay for a claim before your insurance kicks in. Generally, the higher your deductible, the lower your monthly premium will be. It can be tempting to select the option with the lowest premium, but be sure your deductible is something you can afford to pay in the event of a claim.

What is the best car insurance comparison site?

Historically, car insurance shopping has been a time-consuming, confusing, and boring task for drivers. Thankfully, technology now allows policy seekers to compare auto insurance coverage and quotes in one centralized marketplace.

In your quest for the perfect policy, you’ll likely come across half a dozen or so websites claiming to parse the internet and show you the best rates available for your driver profile. Proceed with caution: not all comparison sites are created equal.

Be wary of lead generation websites that exist to sell your data, leaving you with an inbox full of spam.

Insurance experts suggest shopping for car insurance when your current policy is about to expire, usually every six months or so.

Next time you’re due for some car insurance shopping, don’t just stick with your current insurance because that’s what you’re used to. Be sure to use the best insurance comparison sites to save you time and money, all while keeping your data safe and secure. You’ll soon find that spending 5 minutes on a website like Insurify could save you hundreds on your policy.

Methodology

The data and research team at Insurify analyzed over 40 million auto insurance rates across the United States to compile the car insurance quotes, statistics, and data visualizations displayed on this page. The car insurance applications included in this analysis detail information on drivers' vehicles, driving records, and demographic information. With these insights, Insurify is able to offer car owners a window into how car insurance premiums are priced nationwide.

Trends in Auto Insurance Costs and Coverage

Insurify’s Insuring the American Driver report is a comprehensive analysis of the 2021 car insurance quoting landscape, analyzing over 40 million auto insurance premiums. It takes a closer look at the unique factors driving individual insurance costs, covers major events in the industry from this year, and offers projections for car insurance quotes looking ahead into 2022.

The average annual cost of car insurance

Car insurance rates rose 12% in 2021 and are projected to rise another 5%* in 2022, likely influenced by rising inflation rates over the past year.

Driving & fatality trends

In the spring of 2021, Americans drove 32% more miles than during the same period in the previous year. While the fatality rate decreased by 3% from 2020 levels, it remained 26% higher than it was during the same period in 2019, suggesting that reckless driving habits adopted during initial pandemic shelter-in-place orders have endured well beyond those policies’ end.

Ford F-Series Pickup

$1,619

Honda Civic

$1,962

Honda Accord

$1,855

INSURIFY INSIGHT

Midsize sedans continue to be a popular choice for American consumers, but the most popular cars in the U.S. come from the Ford F-Series Pickup line. F-Series Pickups are well known for their reliability, carrying capacity, and popularity for both work and leisure. In fact, about 1 in 40 Americans drive these perennially popular trucks.

Coverage & Discounts

Insurer discounts can lower premiums by up to 16%, which can get drivers cheap car insurance to save money significantly over time.These discounts are granted by insurers to low-risk drivers for a variety of qualifications, such as having a clean record, low mileage, or participating in safety training programs.

Bundling with homeowners insurance

Average yearly savings

8.6%

Senior driver safety training

Average yearly savings

15.2%

Military service

Average yearly savings

2.2%