Pleasure vs. Commuter Car Insurance

The two main types of vehicle usage are pleasure and commuting. If you use your car for leisure activities and not for driving to work, it is a "pleasure" use vehicle for the purpose of auto insurance rating. On the other hand, if you use your vehicle mainly to drive to and from work, your car is considered "commuting" for auto insurance rating purposes.

Let’s take a closer look at pleasure vs. commuter car insurance policy rates and analyze some car insurance quotes from top insurance providers. Whether you use your car for pleasure or commuting, you can always get the cheapest car insurance quotes by using Insurify to compare rates.

Cheapest Car Insurance Companies for Pleasure vs. Commuting

Even though a commuter vehicle is slightly more expensive to insure than a pleasure use vehicle, you can still find low-cost auto insurance by shopping around to compare rates. Here are the cheapest companies for pleasure use and commuting.

How much does car insurance cost for pleasure vs. commuting?

If you use your car primarily for commuting to and from work, you will pay a little more for an auto insurance policy because commuter cars are driven more frequently than a pleasure vehicle and have a greater chance of being in an accident.

Most pleasure use vehicles are only used on weekends or other occasional use for recreational outings. You could also use a pleasure use rating for your car if you primarily use a bus or other public transit to commute to work. Pleasure use vehicles are, on average, around $11 per month

cheaper to insure than commuter vehicles.

Tips for Cheaper Car Insurance for Pleasure vs. Commuting

Vehicle use will affect your auto insurance premium. How regularly you drive will also play into how much you pay for car insurance coverage. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to finding affordable and best car insurance policies for commute vs. pleasure.

Make Sure Your Vehicle Has the Correct Usage Rating

Your declarations page lists the named insured, excluded drivers, your policy number, effective dates, year/make/model of your vehicles, etc. You will also find the cost of your coverage. If you don't see how your vehicle is rated (pleasure or commuting), you can call your car insurance provider to find out and have it changed if it is incorrect.

Consider Moving Closer to Your Job

The closer you live to work, the fewer miles you will be driving your car on a daily basis. Therefore, even though you have a commuter use classification on your vehicle, you will pay less because your drive is shorter. On the other hand, commuters who drive at least 30 miles on their daily commute to work will pay substantially more for auto insurance.

Consider Buying a Car with a Higher Safety Rating

There is a big difference between commuting to work in a Ferrari and commuting in a Honda Civic. You can check out a vehicle's safety rating with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Cars with a high safety rating are less costly to insure than sports vehicles or those with a low safety rating.

Consider Usage-Based Insurance

If you commute to work but only have to drive a small number of miles, a usage-based policy may be able to save you money. Insurers that offer usage-based insurance use a process called telematics, which measures how you drive and how much you drive to help determine your auto insurance rates for your primary vehicle.

Store Your Car If Not in Use

If you have a vehicle no longer in use that has a pleasure use rating, you may want to consider storing that vehicle. You can buy car storage insurance and drop your full-coverage car insurance, lowering your car insurance premium cost.

Shop Around for Car Insurance

Your best bet for finding the cheapest car insurance is to shop around and compare rates no matter how you use your vehicle. No time to visit your local insurance agency? Use Insurify's easy quote-comparison tools to find a lower rate for car insurance, whether your vehicle is used for pleasure or commuting.

What car insurance discounts are you eligible for?

Whether you commute to work or use your vehicle for pleasure use, you can lower your car insurance premium by ensuring you get all the car insurance discounts you are eligible for. Check with your insurance agent to make sure you are getting all the discounts you should receive. Here are some of the most common car insurance discounts:

Driver Safety Discounts

Insurers award driver safety discounts to drivers who demonstrate good driving habits. Some of the most common driver safety discounts include defensive driving, low mileage, accident-free, and safe driver discount. Driver safety discounts can vary anywhere from 5 to 20 percent.

Driver Status Discounts

Driver status discounts are based not just on driving habits but on the drivers. For example, suppose you are in the military, a good student with a high GPA, a student attending college, a senior citizen, or a member of a professional organization. In these cases, you may be eligible to receive a driver status discount. Driver status discounts can vary from 2 to 20 percent.

Policy Discounts

Policy discounts vary by insurer. These are discounts based on your policy and are either automatically applied or requested by you. Common policy discounts include policy bundling, paid in full discounts, loyalty discounts, electronic billing, and homeowners insurance discounts. Policy discounts vary from 3 to 25 percent.

Vehicle Discounts

If you have anti-theft devices installed in your vehicle, you could qualify for an insurance discount ranging from 3 to 30 percent, depending on the device. Some of the most common vehicle devices that are eligible for a discount include anti-theft, antilock brakes, new car, daytime running lights, and vehicles with passive restraints.

Cheapest States for Car Insurance for Pleasure vs. Commuting

Your address plays a big part in the price you pay for car insurance. When determining auto insurance rates, insurance companies look at the number of claims, crime rates, road conditions, climate and weather, and other location factors. Here are the cheapest states for car insurance for pleasure vs. commuting.

Cheap Car Insurance for All Vehicle Uses

There is much more to your car insurance rate than your driving history or driving record. You will pay a higher car insurance premium if you use your vehicle to commute vs. pleasure use. However, there are ways to keep insurance costs low. The best way is by using the convenient quote-comparison tools of Insurify to find the cheapest car insurance quotes available.