You have probably seen the captivating commercials from auto insurance companies like The General, Progressive, and State Farm that make claims of big savings, so you should just choose any of them, right?
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple as there are a whole bunch of unknowns such as how well you maintain your credit, how far you drive each year, how old you are, and if you have ever let your policy lapse, that all have an effect on the price of a policy. This article covers the best ways to maintain low rates and will hopefully give you a solid foundation to find cheaper car insurance in Pennsylvania.
The make and model of vehicle needing coverage is one of the main factors that determines if you can find affordable car insurance for low credit scores. Vehicles with higher performance characteristics, a lack of modern safety features, or a high likelihood of having liability claims will cost much more to insure than more modest models.
The data below illustrates insurance costs for a number of the most affordable automobiles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $1,286 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $1,317 |
| Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,325 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 4WD | $1,393 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $1,401 |
| Honda Odyssey LX | $1,410 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $1,420 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 2WD | $1,442 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Super Cab 2WD | $1,452 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,467 |
| Toyota Tacoma X-Runner 2WD | $1,469 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4WD 2-Dr | $1,496 |
| Honda Civic Hybrid 4-Dr Sedan | $1,502 |
| Volkswagen Jetta LE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,525 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $1,535 |
| Start a Quote Go | |
Premium data assumes single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Pennsylvania minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, and claim-free. Price information does not factor in your specific Pittsburgh, PA location which can raise or lower price quotes substantially.
Looking at the numbers, you can assume that models like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, and Toyota RAV4 are most likely going to be the most economical vehicles to insure for bad credit.
Deciphering which companies offer the best insurance rates for low credit scores may require a little more work in order to find the best price.
Each auto insurance company uses a little different formula for establishing rates, so we will examine the most affordable insurance companies in Pittsburgh, PA.
Best Auto Insurance Prices in Pennsylvania
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Casualty | $726 |
| 2 | USAA | $793 |
| 3 | Travelers | $803 |
| 4 | Penn National | $808 |
| 5 | Erie | $816 |
| 6 | Auto-Owners | $993 |
| 7 | Atlantic States | $1,005 |
| 8 | Amica | $1,012 |
| 9 | Donegal Mutual | $1,058 |
| 10 | Allied | $1,144 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,145 |
| 12 | State Farm | $1,210 |
| 13 | California Casualty | $1,234 |
| 14 | State Auto | $1,267 |
| 15 | Harleysville | $1,396 |
| 16 | Mutual Benefit Group | $1,397 |
| 17 | Encompass | $1,398 |
| 18 | Progressive | $1,429 |
| 19 | Nationwide | $1,477 |
| 20 | Chubb | $1,551 |
| Get Personalized Rates Go | ||
General Casualty may have some of the best car insurance rates in Pittsburgh at around $726 per year. USAA, Travelers, Penn National, and Erie also qualify as some of the best Pittsburgh, PA car insurance companies.
As depicted above, if you currently have coverage with Erie and switched to USAA, you could see an annual premium reduction of in the neighborhood of $23. Policyholders with Auto-Owners may save as much as $200 a year, and Atlantic States insureds might cut rates by $212 a year.
If you want to see how much you could save, click here to get quotes or click several companies below for low rates.
These policy rates are averages for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and do not take into consideration a specific vehicle garaging location for low credit scores. So the insurer that has the lowest price for you may not even be in the top 30 companies shown above. That helps illustrate why you need to quote rates from as many companies as possible using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.
The information below demonstrates how deductibles can influence insurance rates when quoting cheap insurance for low credit scores. The price estimates are based on a single female driver, full coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.
In the chart above, a 40-year-old driver could save $260 a year by increasing from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $394 by selecting a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, such as the Age 20 example, could lower their rates up to $662 or more by choosing larger deductibles on their policy.
If you do raise deductibles, it is important to have emergency funds available to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which deters some people from using high deductibles.
Discounts on Pittsburgh auto insurance
Auto insurance companies that offer cheap quotes for low credit scores may provide price discounts that could lower prices by 25% or more if you meet the requirements. A list of companies and a selection of discounts include:
- Esurance policyholders can earn discounts including multi-car, renters, multi-policy, anti-lock brakes, defensive driver, and safety device.
- The Hartford may offer discounts for driver training, vehicle fuel type, anti-theft, good student, defensive driver, and bundle.
- AAA may have discounts that include multi-car, good student, anti-theft, good driver, multi-policy, education and occupation, and pay-in-full.
- GEICO has savings for daytime running lights, air bags, multi-vehicle, seat belt use, defensive driver, anti-theft, and military active duty.
- State Farm offers discounts including anti-theft, safe vehicle, Drive Safe & Save, passive restraint, Steer Clear safe driver discount, defensive driving training, and multiple policy.
The information below illustrates the difference between insurance costs with and without some available policy discounts. The premiums assume a female driver, no claims, a clean driving record, Pennsylvania state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $500 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The second shows the rates with anti-theft, marriage, claim-free, defensive driving course, multiple policy, and passive restraint discounts applied. When these discounts are applied, theaverage yearly reduction on insurance for low credit scores is 28% or $411.
Compare rates to save
Pittsburgh insurance rates are calculated based on many things that control the cost of your policy. Simply having another birthday, getting divorced, or having an at-fault accident may cause policy rate changes resulting in some rates now being cheaper than competitors. Not only may your situation change, but companies change rates every year in order to maintain liquidity for claims. Unexpectedly high claims may result in high rates, while long-term profits may result in cheaper Pittsburgh car insurance rates.
To help illustrate this point, the data below analyzes the cheapest car insurance in Pittsburgh, PA for a 45-year-old male driver with no violations or accidents, and a good credit history. When comparing rates based on his personal profile, General Casualty might offer the cheapest car insurance rates in Pittsburgh at $878 per year. This is $779 less than the average rate paid by Pennsylvania drivers of $1,657. USAA, Travelers, Erie, and Penn National round out the rest of the top five cheapest Pittsburgh, PA auto insurance companies.
Let’s now give the driver from the first set of rates a claim surcharge, bad credit, and an imperfect driving record. Since each company uses a different method to establish rates, comparing insurance quotes may now show a slightly different list of cheap Pittsburgh auto insurance companies as shown below.
Amica now has the cheapest auto insurance in Pittsburgh with Atlantic States, USAA, Donegal Mutual, and GEICO also having competitive pricing. This example shows why Pennsylvania drivers need to do a thorough rate comparison when trying to find the most budget-friendly auto insurance rates for low credit scores. Insurance prices are impacted by many factors and change substantially, so the best company when you bought your policy may now be priced much higher than other options.
How to find the cheapest auto insurance for low credit scores
Lowering your rates is not difficult, and here are some of the better thrifty ideas that can help Pennsylvania drivers quote more affordable auto insurance.
- If possible, pay for small claims out-of-pocket
- Improve your credit
- Do not pay for full coverage if not needed
- Increase your deductibles
- Buy your homeowners policy from the same company as your auto insurance
- Buy a vehicle with excellent safety ratings
- Compare rate quotes frequently
The final tip is very important, as we pointed out in this article. Prices can be adjusted at any time, so don’t be tentative to buy a policy from a new company if a cheaper rate is available. Many drivers have brand loyalty and that’s fine, but it’s not recommended if that stubbornness costs you a small fortune. Take a few minutes and compare prices and find cheaper auto insurance for low credit scores in Pittsburgh.
If you aren’t clear which coverage you need and would like to get some professional input when trying to find the best insurance rates for bad credit, the agents below can most likely answer your questions and help you decide which coverages you need. To locate a Pittsburgh insurance agent closest to you, click the button link following the list.
- David Masters – State Farm Insurance Agent
1900 Murray Ave – Pittsburgh, PA 15217 – (412) 422-1616 - J.S. Smith Insurance Agency
101 Bellevue Rd Suite 02 – Pittsburgh, PA 15229 – (412) 931-6070 - Brown Insurance Agency
5001 Baum Blvd #515 – Pittsburgh, PA 15213 – (412) 681-7114 - Casto Insurance Agency
1900 Painters Run Rd – Pittsburgh, PA 15241 – (412) 257-4300 - D Johnson Insurance Agency
12806 Frankstown Rd – Pittsburgh, PA 15235 – (412) 744-4800