The vehicle model you are trying to insure is one of the largest considerations that determines whether or not you can buy affordable auto insurance for low mileage drivers. Vehicles with limited speed and performance, an excellent safety record, or a low likelihood of having liability claims will cost less to insure than adrenaline junky models.
The next list estimates coverage rates for a handful of the cheaper automobiles to buy coverage for.
| Insured Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $4,419 |
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $4,737 |
| Toyota Prius | $4,789 |
| Ford Edge Limited 2WD | $5,014 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 4WD | $5,112 |
| GMC Sierra SL Extended Cab 2WD | $5,118 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LT Extended Cab 4WD | $5,112 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport Islander Package 4WD 2-Dr | $5,374 |
| Honda Odyssey EX-L W/Rear Entertainment | $5,388 |
| Nissan Altima 3.5 SR 4-Dr Sedan | $5,482 |
| Kia Optima LX | $5,487 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $5,496 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $5,501 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $5,510 |
| Ford F-150 FX4 4WD | $5,716 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $5,768 |
| Ford Explorer Limited AWD | $5,895 |
| Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $5,909 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SE 4-Dr Sedan | $6,026 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LTZ | $6,035 |
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Prices based on single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Pennsylvania minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, and safe-driver. Prices do not factor in zip code location which can affect price quotes substantially.
Based upon the table data, cars like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Toyota Prius, Ford Edge, and Toyota RAV4 are most likely going to be some of the most affordable vehicles to insure for infrequent drivers.
One of the many criteria that determine car insurance rates is where you live in Philadelphia. More densely populated places are more likely to have higher rates, whereas more rural areas have the gratification of cheaper auto insurance rates.
The following table sorts the priciest cities in Pennsylvania for low mileage drivers to buy car insurance in. Philadelphia ranks #1 having an annual price of $1,997 for car insurance, which is about $166 monthly.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia | $1,997 |
| 2 | Drexel Hill | $1,489 |
| 3 | Levittown | $1,407 |
| 4 | Chester | $1,379 |
| 5 | Norristown | $1,281 |
| 6 | Easton | $1,102 |
| 7 | Allentown | $1,097 |
| 8 | Pittsburgh | $1,095 |
| 9 | Erie | $1,082 |
| 10 | Reading | $1,077 |
| 11 | Bethlehem | $1,077 |
| 12 | Municipality of Monr | $1,059 |
| 13 | Wilkes-Barre | $1,057 |
| 14 | Plum | $1,057 |
| 15 | New Castle | $1,057 |
| 16 | Hazleton | $1,046 |
| 17 | Scranton | $1,039 |
| 18 | Altoona | $1,002 |
| 19 | Lancaster | $995 |
| 20 | Harrisburg | $995 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | ||
Premium amounts are comparative as the specific area where the vehicle is garaged can affect rates noticeably.
Buying cost effective car insurance is not the easiest thing to accomplish, and finding out which insurers offer the most affordable car insurance rates for low mileage drivers will involve even more diligence. Every car insurance company uses their own method to determine rates, so let’s take a look at the most competitive car insurance companies in Philadelphia.
It’s important that readers know that Pennsylvania car insurance rates are influenced by many factors which can substantially decrease or increase the price of your policy. That is why consumers need to perform an extensive rate comparison to get affordable auto insurance quotes for low mileage drivers. Insurance prices are impacted by many risk factors and change dramatically, so the lowest-price company the last time you compared rates may now be an over-priced policy.
Find the Best Cheap Insurance in Pennsylvania
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Casualty | $748 |
| 2 | USAA | $785 |
| 3 | Penn National | $808 |
| 4 | Travelers | $811 |
| 5 | Erie | $824 |
| 6 | Amica | $992 |
| 7 | Auto-Owners | $1,003 |
| 8 | Atlantic States | $1,047 |
| 9 | Donegal Mutual | $1,069 |
| 10 | Allied | $1,155 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,157 |
| 12 | State Farm | $1,174 |
| 13 | California Casualty | $1,222 |
| 14 | State Auto | $1,241 |
| 15 | Encompass | $1,385 |
| 16 | Mutual Benefit Group | $1,411 |
| 17 | Harleysville | $1,452 |
| 18 | Progressive | $1,472 |
| 19 | Nationwide | $1,477 |
| 20 | Chubb | $1,536 |
| Get a Custom Quote Go | ||
General Casualty has some of the lowest car insurance rates in Philadelphia at around $748 per year. This is $909 less than the average policy premium paid by Pennsylvania drivers of $1,657. USAA, Penn National, Travelers, and Erie are also some of the cheapest Philadelphia, PA car insurance companies.
In this example, if you are insured with Penn National and switched to General Casualty, you could see yearly savings of approximately $60. Pennsylvania drivers with Travelers might save as much as $63 a year, and Erie customers might reduce rates by $76 a year.
It’s important to note that these premium estimates are averaged for all drivers and vehicles and and are not calculated with an exact location for low mileage drivers. So the company that has the lowest price for you may not even be in the list above. That illustrates why you need to compare prices as often as possible using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
Rate difference between full and liability-only coverage
Buying cheaper car insurance is probably important to the majority of vehicle owners, and one way to find cheaper insurance for low mileage drivers is to only buy liability insurance. The chart below compares car insurance rates with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The information is based on no accidents, no driving violations, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no policy discounts are applied.
As an average, full coverage on your policy costs $2,311 per year more than just insuring for liability. A very common question is if you should buy full coverage at all. There is no definitive guideline for dropping comp and collision coverage, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than around 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
There are a few situations where eliminating full coverage is not a good plan. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you must maintain physical damage coverage in order to satisfy the requirements of the loan. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should keep full coverage in place.
Types of discounts on Philadelphia insurance
Insurers that offer coverage for low mileage drivers may also offer rate discounts that could lower prices by 25% or more if you qualify. Companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are detailed below.
- GEICO includes discounts for driver training, multi-vehicle, defensive driver, membership and employees, seat belt use, anti-lock brakes, and emergency military deployment.
- Travelers may include discounts for multi-car, payment discounts, new car, continuous insurance, IntelliDrive, and student away at school.
- Nationwide has savings for defensive driving, Farm Bureau membership, business or organization, easy pay, multi-policy, and anti-theft.
- Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for multi-car, youthful driver, good student, distant student, mature driver, pay in full, and early shopping.
- Esurance has discounts for paid-in-full, claim free, multi-policy, renters, and Switch & Save.
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including safe vehicle, good driver, defensive driving training, Drive Safe & Save, and anti-theft.
- Progressive offers discounts for online quote discount, good student, homeowner, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and online signing.
- Mercury Insurance may have discounts that include age of vehicle, type of vehicle, multi-car, low natural disaster claims, good driver, location of vehicle, and ease of repair.
The information below shows the comparison of insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The costs are based on a male driver, no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, Pennsylvania state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $250 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with passive restraint, vehicle safety, defensive driving course, multiple policy, homeowner, and accident-free discounts applied. When drivers qualify for the discounts, theamount saved on car insurance for low mileage drivers is 28% or $643.
Why you should be shopping around
Pennsylvania car insurance rates are impacted by many factors which can significantly increase or decrease the cost of a policy. Getting older, buying a different vehicle, or getting into an accident may generate price changes that can cause some rates to be more affordable than the competition.
Also, auto insurance companies modify rates multiple times each year to reflect underwriting profits or losses. An extended period of higher than normal claims may cause price increases, while profitable underwriting can cause cheaper Philadelphia car insurance rates.
To help illustrate this point, the graph below shows the cheapest car insurance in Philadelphia, PA for a 45-year-old female driver with a clear driving record, no claims, and good credit. If we compare prices based on her current rating profile, General Casualty might offer the cheapest car insurance rates in Philadelphia at $1,683 each year. This is $26 more than the average price paid by Pennsylvania drivers of $1,657. Erie, Penn National, Travelers, and USAA are also on the list of the cheapest Philadelphia, PA auto insurance companies.
The example below compares rates after we give the driver from above an accident surcharge, a lower credit score, and a blemish on her driving record. Since every insurance provider has a proprietary method to set policy rates, analyzing rate quotes may result in a significantly different list of cheap Philadelphia auto insurance companies as shown below.
Amica now has the best car insurance rate in Philadelphia with Atlantic States, Erie, Donegal Mutual, and Penn National also having competitive pricing. This illustrates why it is critical to spend some time comparing rates to get the most economical car insurance rates for low mileage drivers.
Insurance rates can be altered by many things and change frequently, so the cheapest company two years ago may now be wasting a lot of money.