The words “low-priced” and “auto insurance” really shouldn’t be used together, specifically when you are trying to find the cheapest coverage for a learners permit. Because it’s so expensive, let’s get started by showing you some of the factors that have an effect on car insurance premiums, and figure out some ways to lower the price of the next policy you buy.
Deciding which company quotes the best auto insurance rates for a learners permit will take a little more work in order to find coverage that fits your budget. Every insurance provider has their own guidelines to establish rates, so let’s rank the most affordable auto insurance companies in Seattle, WA.
It’s important to understand that Washington auto insurance rates are influenced by many factors which can substantially change your annual premium. Getting older, buying another vehicle, or getting a ticket for careless driving can trigger rate changes resulting in some rates now being cheaper than before.
Lowest Insurance Price Quotes in Washington
Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Capital | $754 |
2 | Grange | $813 |
3 | Nationwide | $981 |
4 | PEMCO | $994 |
5 | Travelers | $1,028 |
6 | Mutual Enumclaw | $1,034 |
7 | The Hartford | $1,048 |
8 | USAA | $1,050 |
9 | California Casualty | $1,083 |
10 | Chubb | $1,094 |
11 | Allied | $1,098 |
12 | State Farm | $1,176 |
13 | Safeco | $1,180 |
14 | American Family | $1,196 |
15 | Amica | $1,206 |
16 | Liberty Mutual | $1,270 |
17 | Farmers | $1,355 |
18 | Progressive | $1,480 |
19 | National General | $1,495 |
20 | GEICO | $1,656 |
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Capital generally has some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Seattle at around $754 per year. Grange, Nationwide, PEMCO, and Travelers would also make the list of some of the most economical Seattle, WA car insurance companies.
As depicted above, if you have coverage with Travelers and switched to Grange, you may see an annual premium reduction of upwards of $215. Drivers with Mutual Enumclaw could save as much as $221 a year, and The Hartford customers might see rate reductions of $235 a year.
To see how much you can save, click here to start a quote or feel free to get quotes from the companies below.
Understand that those premiums are averages across all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and and are not figured with a vehicle location for a learners permit. So the insurer that is best for you may not even be in the top 25 companies shown above. That emphasizes why you need to get rate quotes using your own driver data and vehicle information.
One of the more important components that are looked at to help calculate auto insurance rates is where you keep your car in Seattle. Areas with more people or higher crime rates tend to pay more, whereas areas with less crime or weather claims receive better rates.
The illustration below shows the priciest cities in Washington for a learners permit in which to buy car insurance. Seattle is ranked #5 with a yearly premium of $1,405 for the average insured, which is approximately $117 per month.
Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Federal Way | $1,435 |
2 | Lakewood | $1,434 |
3 | Tacoma | $1,427 |
4 | Auburn | $1,422 |
5 | Seattle | $1,405 |
6 | Kent | $1,378 |
7 | Renton | $1,361 |
8 | South Hill | $1,354 |
9 | Shoreline | $1,326 |
10 | Everett | $1,250 |
11 | Marysville | $1,245 |
12 | Kirkland | $1,243 |
13 | Sammamish | $1,232 |
14 | Bellevue | $1,206 |
15 | Redmond | $1,201 |
16 | Vancouver | $1,192 |
17 | Spokane | $1,093 |
18 | Lacey | $1,089 |
19 | Spokane Valley | $1,087 |
20 | Olympia | $1,072 |
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Rate information is estimated as the specific area where the vehicle is garaged can decrease or increase premiums noticeably.
The make and model of vehicle requiring insurance is one of the biggest factors that determines whether or not you can buy the best insurance for a learners permit. Vehicles with limited top-end speed, good crash test ratings, or a track record of few liability claims will cost substantially less to insure than higher performance models. The information below estimates coverage prices for the most cost-effective vehicles to insure in Washington.
Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $5,455 |
Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $5,510 |
Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $5,520 |
Toyota Prius | $5,907 |
Chevrolet Impala LS | $6,418 |
Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $6,426 |
Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $6,418 |
Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $6,425 |
Ford Edge SEL AWD | $6,418 |
Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $6,473 |
Chevrolet Malibu LS | $6,481 |
Toyota RAV4 2WD | $6,473 |
Volkswagen Jetta LE 4-Dr Sedan | $6,482 |
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Data based on single female driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Washington minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, and claim-free. Prices do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can modify rates greatly.
Looking at the rates, you can figure that makes and models like the Hyundai Elantra, Honda CR-V, and Ford Escape should be some of the most economical vehicles to insure for new drivers. The price for car insurance will tend to be more expensive anyway just because there is more exposure for a learners permit, but generally speaking those models will have the lowest insurance rates that you are likely to find.
The information below demonstrates how deductibles can impact annual premium costs when trying to find cheap insurance for a learners permit. The premiums assume a single female driver, full coverage, and no discounts are factored in.
A 50-year-old driver could lower their car insurance rates by $280 a year by switching from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $422 by choosing a $1,000 deductible. Even younger insureds, like the 20-year-old example, can cut $710 every year just by choosing higher deductibles when buying full coverage.
When insureds make the decision to increase the deductibles on their policy, it is important to have enough savings set aside to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the main disadvantage of using high deductibles.
Rate comparison of full coverage and liability-only
Reducing premiums for auto insurance should be important to most vehicle owners, and one of the best ways to save on the cost of insurance for a learners permit is to only buy liability insurance. The illustration below shows the difference between car insurance costs with full coverage compared to only the Washington minimum liability coverage. Data assumes no accidents, no driving violations, $100 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
As an average for all age groups, physical damage coverage costs an additional $2,266 per year over and above liability only. That brings up the question if it’s a good idea to buy full coverage. There is no definitive formula to eliminate comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than around 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s assume your vehicle’s claim settlement value is $12,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, you would only receive $11,000 after paying your deductible. If premium cost is more than $1,100 a year for full coverage, then you might consider buying liability only.
There are some cases where removing full coverage is not advised. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you must maintain physical damage coverage as part of the loan requirements. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should not drop full coverage.
Ending up with a high-quality insurance company is hard considering how many different companies there are to choose from in Seattle. The company ratings below may help you pick which companies to look at comparing prices from. The ratings below include companies that insure vehicles across America, so companies with more of a regional focus are not factored into these rankings.
Top 10 Major Auto Insurance Companies in Seattle Ranked by Customer Service
- GEICO
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- The General
- Progressive
- Allstate
- AAA Insurance
- American Family
- Nationwide
- Liberty Mutual
Top 10 Major Auto Insurance Companies in Seattle Ranked by Value
- USAA
- American Family
- The Hartford
- Titan Insurance
- The General
- AAA Insurance
- State Farm
- Nationwide
- Safeco
- Esurance