Getting the minimum amount of car insurance is risky business. However, not everyone can afford a bunch of additional coverage. And, some people might not need anything but the minimum. In those cases, having state-mandated coverage is far better (read: legal) than having no insurance at all.
But how do you find the cheapest rate? I examined over 250 quotes from 28 different companies and found three auto insurers that offer the most affordable policies anywhere in the country. Keep in mind, though, everyone’s individual rates will vary.
Best Cheap Car Insurance Companies
- GEICO
- State Farm
- Progressive
How I Chose the Best Cheap Car Insurance Companies
First, I found the top five to seven insurance providers in each state by selecting companies with above-average customer satisfaction ratings from J.D. Power and high financial strength marks from A.M. Best. Why? Because cheap auto insurance policies are great, but purchasing them from unreliable or fickle insurers could wind up being far more expensive down the road.
Then, with some help from the team at The Simple Dollar, we applied for over 250 quotes both online and over the phone from my pool of auto insurance companies from all 50 states. Each member of the team used personal information during the quote process to ensure that we could see who was consistently cheapest across the country with a handful of scenarios. What did remain the same, however, was the amount coverage we applied for: each state’s minimum coverage. No frills, no extras; just the absolute minimum coverage to legally drive on the road.
Next, I tallied and compared how many times each company had the first, second, or third cheapest yearly premium. I awarded five points for first place, three points for second place, and one point for third place.
As it turns out, the cheap car insurance market is dominated by three main providers: GEICO, State Farm, and Progressive. (The other 25 insurers didn’t even score high enough to register in my test.) And, as you can see below, GEICO was the overwhelming victor.
| Insurer | # of 1st Place Awards | # of 2nd Place Awards | # of 3rd Place Awards | Total Score |
| GEICO | 19 | 16 | 2 | 145 |
| State Farm | 12 | 14 | 12 | 114 |
| Progressive | 7 | 5 | 3 | 53 |
GEICO
GEICO was the cheapest option in 19 of the 50 states. It was also one of the three most affordable options 75 percent of the time, and its best offer was often hundreds of dollars cheaper than the next-best competitor. Take these annual quotes for New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington for example.
| New York | Pennsylvania | Washington |
| GEICO: $329 | GEICO: $225 | GEICO: $623 |
| Allstate: $538 | State Farm: $394 | Allstate: $898 |
*Note: Occasionally, the reason GEICO was able to beat its competition by such a large margin was because the other insurers required slightly more coverage than the state mandated.
The gecko-loving company is without a doubt the most consistently affordable option out there, so it deserves a shopper’s consideration. And, it’s true, according to my research, it is safe to say that 15 minutes could often save you “15 percent or more” on a state-minimum policy. However, its range of coverages and discounts don’t particularly shine when compared to a competitor like Allstate. Allstate customers enjoy prepay discounts, low-mileage discounts, interior vehicle coverage, and new car replacement — all of which are not offered at GEICO.
When it comes to customer service ratings, GEICO doesn’t have anything to write home about. (It fell just under the industry average according to JD Power.) But, if you’re dead-set on purchasing the least amount of insurance that you possibly need, then GEICO is your best bet.
State Farm
State Farm had a lower overall score than GEICO, but wound up in the top three a total of 38 times (GEICO only placed 37 times). When State Farm placed, it usually fell between $30 to $50 dollars of the competition. Though, it occasionally would surprise me with a GEICO-like rate. The two best examples of this are Minnesota and South Carolina. In Minnesota, State Farm was $120 cheaper than American Family, and in South Carolina it beat GEICO by a whopping $223.
Quotes aside, State Farm is the nation’s largest auto insurer. It ranks consistently well for customer satisfaction and rates above average in most of the regions of the J.D. Power survey. It also earns A.M. Best’s top marks (A++) for financial strength. All that’s to say it is a great choice if you can spare a few extra dollars each month. Plus, it has the best tools of any auto insurance provider out there, including mobile bill pay, mobile claim filing, and a pay-by-bank account option.
Progressive
Progressive only placed 1st in seven states, and when it did, it was usually less than $20 ahead of the runner-up (which was usually GEICO). That doesn’t mean Progressive is never a viable option, though. Consider the state of Montana, where Progressive came in $22 cheaper for the year. So for less than $2 more each month, a Montana driver could take advantage of mobile claims filing, loyalty discounts, prepay discounts, and low-mileage discounts that GEICO doesn’t offer.
