The words “low-priced” and “insurance” probably shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, especially when trying to find the lowest insurance rates for teenagers. Let’s start off by going over a few of the things that determine insurance prices, and find out if you can slash the price of your next policy.
The vehicle requiring insurance is one of the primary factors that determines the availability of the most economical car insurance for teenagers. Vehicles with high performance engines, poor crash test ratings, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost much more to insure than safer, lower-performance models. The list below showcases auto insurance costs for the most cost-effective vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $5,426 |
| Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $5,820 |
| Toyota Prius | $5,875 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 2WD | $6,095 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4WD 2-Dr | $6,102 |
| Ford F-150 XL Crew Cab 4WD | $6,150 |
| Ford Edge SE AWD | $6,384 |
| GMC Sierra SLE Crew Cab 2WD | $6,436 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $6,441 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $6,436 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $6,445 |
| Dodge Ram 3500 Crew Cab Laramie 2WD | $6,491 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $6,500 |
| Honda Civic EX 4-Dr Sedan | $6,728 |
| Hyundai Elantra Blue 4-Dr Sedan | $6,734 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 S 4-Dr Sedan | $6,780 |
| Toyota Corolla XLE | $6,789 |
| Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $6,780 |
| Honda Odyssey EX-L W/Navigation | $6,785 |
| Toyota Camry XLE | $6,780 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $6,835 |
| Ford Fusion SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $6,841 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 4WD | $6,835 |
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Table data assumes single female driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Washington minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Rate quotes do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can lower or raise prices greatly.
Looking at the rates, makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Toyota Prius, and Ford Explorer are the most economical vehicles to insure for teen drivers. Prices will tend to be more expensive anyway because there is more risk for teenagers, but overall those particular models will probably have the lowest prices compared to all other vehicles.
For teen drivers, one of the big considerations that aid in calculating insurance cost is where you keep your vehicle. More populated areas tend to have higher rates, whereas areas with lower vehicle theft rates and fewer weather claims tend to receive cheaper rates.
The illustration below ranks the priciest cities in Washington for teenagers to buy auto insurance in. Seattle comes in at #6 with an annual cost of $1,363 for the average insured, which is approximately $114 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal Way | $1,421 |
| 2 | Renton | $1,403 |
| 3 | Lakewood | $1,392 |
| 4 | Tacoma | $1,385 |
| 5 | Auburn | $1,366 |
| 6 | Seattle | $1,363 |
| 7 | South Hill | $1,354 |
| 8 | Kent | $1,350 |
| 9 | Shoreline | $1,326 |
| 10 | Everett | $1,276 |
| 11 | Marysville | $1,258 |
| 12 | Kirkland | $1,231 |
| 13 | Bellevue | $1,219 |
| 14 | Redmond | $1,214 |
| 15 | Sammamish | $1,196 |
| 16 | Vancouver | $1,146 |
| 17 | Lacey | $1,122 |
| 18 | Olympia | $1,083 |
| 19 | Spokane | $1,060 |
| 20 | Yakima | $1,057 |
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Rates are estimated as the specific area where the vehicle is garaged can increase or decrease coverage rates noticeably.
Deciding which company offers the cheapest car insurance rates for teenagers will take more work in order to find the lowest price. Each auto insurance company has their own process to establish rates, so let’s take a look at the most budget-friendly car insurance companies in Seattle.
We do need to point out that Washington car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that will increase or decrease the price you pay for coverage. Simply turning a year older, buying another vehicle, or getting a couple of tickets may generate price changes that can make some companies cheaper than competitors.
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Capital quotes some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Seattle at around $777 per year. This is $635 less than the average price paid by Washington drivers of $1,412. Grange, PEMCO, Nationwide, and Travelers would also be considered some of the most economical Seattle, WA car insurance companies.
As shown above, if you are currently insured with Nationwide and switched to Grange, you may see a yearly savings of about $168. Drivers with Travelers might save as much as $186 a year, and USAA customers might lower prices by $228 a year.
If you would like to find cheaper car insurance rates, click here to get a free quote or visit several of the following companies.
Bear in mind that those rates are averaged for all drivers and vehicles and and are not calculated with a vehicle location for teenagers. So the car insurance company that is best suited for you may not even be in the top 25 companies in the list above. That point stresses why you need to quote rates from many companies using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
Drive safe and save
In a perfect world, the best way to earn low car insurance rates for teen drivers is to be a cautious driver and avoid getting tickets or having accidents. The illustration below shows how traffic citations and at-fault accidents can raise insurance costs for different categories of driver ages. The premium estimates are based on a single male driver, full coverage, $100 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
In the previous example, the average cost of a car insurance policy per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,693. Add in two speeding tickets and the average cost surges to $2,246, an increase of $553 each year. Now throw in one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the yearly cost of car insurance for teenagers goes up to an average of $2,799. That’s an increase of $1,106, or $92 per month, just for not being a responsible driver!
Get discount Seattle insurance
Insurers that offer quotes for teenagers may provide policy discounts that may potentially lower prices by 25% or more if you are eligible for them. Large car insurance companies and a selection of discounts are shown below.
- The Hartford has savings for bundle, good student, driver training, vehicle fuel type, and anti-theft.
- American Family may include discounts for bundled insurance, air bags, good driver, good student, and TimeAway discount.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including good student, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, homeowner, online quote discount, and multi-policy.
- Travelers includes discounts for multi-car, student away at school, driver training, home ownership, IntelliDrive, and payment discounts.
- Farmers Insurance has discounts for bundle discounts, early shopping, teen driver, youthful driver, and distant student.
- USAA offers discounts for multi-vehicle, annual mileage, driver training, military installation, and multi-policy.
- Liberty Mutual may offer discounts for new vehicle discount, newly retired, safety features, good student, new move discount, hybrid vehicle, and preferred payment discount.
The chart below compares insurance premiums with and without some available policy discounts. The rates are based on a female driver, no accidents or driving violations, Washington state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $250 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with good student, paperless filing, vehicle safety, anti-theft, paid-in-full, and continuous coverage discounts applied. When discounts are factored in, the average savings per year on car insurance for teenagers is 28% or $690.
Why you should be shopping around
Washington car insurance rates are based on many factors which can significantly increase or decrease the price you have to pay. Simply having a birthday, filing a claim, or getting caught speeding may cause policy rate changes resulting in some companies being cheaper than competitors. Not only that, but companies change the rates they charge in Washington as needed in order to be able to pay unexpected claims. A period of increased losses can result in increased rates, while less frequent claims can result in more affordable Seattle car insurance rates.
The graph below shows which company has the cheapest car insurance in Seattle, WA for a 45-year-old male driver with a clear driving record, no claims, and solid credit. If we estimate rates based on his current situation, Capital offers the most affordable car insurance rates in Seattle at $1,069 annually. This is $343 less than the average premium paid by Washington drivers of $1,412. Grange, Nationwide, PEMCO, and Mutual Enumclaw also make the list of the top five cheapest Seattle, WA auto insurance companies.
In this example, we will give the driver from the first example a chargeable claim, less-than-perfect credit, and a speeding citation. Due to the fact that every auto insurer has a proprietary method to determining premium rates, comparing prices may now result in a different set of affordable Seattle car insurance companies as shown below.
The Hartford now has the cheapest car insurance in Seattle with USAA, Chubb, Grange, and California Casualty now rounding out the top five. This illustrates why consumers need to take the time to compare many different companies when trying to find the cheapest car insurance quotes for teenagers. Rates are influenced by many factors and can change without notice, so the best price the last time you shopped your coverage around may now be wasting a lot of money.
How to find more affordable car insurance for teenagers
The list below details a few penny-pinching ideas that can help you get low-cost auto insurance.
- Do not insure for full coverage
- Higher credit scores may earn you cheaper rates
- Choose a safer vehicle and pay lower rates
- Save money by insuring your home and auto with the same company
- Accident-free drivers may qualify for discounts
- Ensure you have the best deal by shopping around regularly
That last idea is highly valuable, as was stressed in this article. Prices charged by companies in Seattle change constantly, so drivers shouldn’t be reluctant to buy from a different company if a lower-cost policy is available. Many drivers prefer to stick with one company, but it’s not recommended if that inflexibility results in costing you potentially thousands of dollars a year. Take a couple minutes and shop around to find cheaper car insurance for teenagers.