It’s hard to miss the catchy advertisements from companies like State Farm, GEICO, and Nationwide that guarantee the cheapest price. So drivers should just choose the one with the best commercial, right?
Regrettably, it’s not quite that easy, as there are a whole bunch of unknown aspects like the number of miles you drive each year, if you have a spouse, and if you have any tickets or accidents, that all influence how much you pay for auto insurance. This article goes into detail about the types of things that cause high car insurance rates and will hopefully give you a good beginning to your quest for cheaper car insurance in Pittsburgh.
The type of vehicle requiring insurance is probably the most important factor when shopping around for the best auto insurance for safe drivers. Vehicles with lots of speed or power, poor crash test ratings, or an increased likelihood of liability claims will cost more to insure than safer, lower-performance models.
The table below presents insurance prices for the most economical vehicles to insure in Pennsylvania.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $1,278 |
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $1,358 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,389 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $1,404 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS AWD | $1,479 |
| Ford Edge Limited AWD | $1,557 |
| Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $1,588 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Crew Cab 4WD | $1,596 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $1,620 |
| Toyota RAV4 4WD | $1,628 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $1,620 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 2WD 4-Dr | $1,628 |
| Hyundai Elantra Blue 4-Dr Sedan | $1,678 |
| Honda Civic VP 4-Dr Sedan | $1,683 |
| Toyota Camry Hybrid | $1,694 |
| Hyundai Sonata Limited 4-Dr Sedan | $1,703 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $1,704 |
| Ford Explorer Limited AWD | $1,709 |
| Honda Odyssey EX-L | $1,711 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,716 |
| Start Your Quote Go | |
Data based on single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Pennsylvania minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Rate quotes do not factor in zip code location which can decrease or increase price quotes substantially.
Based upon these rates, we can conclude that cars like the Ford Escape, Honda Accord, Toyota Prius, Honda CR-V, and Chevrolet Equinox are most likely to be a few of the less-costly vehicles to insure for good drivers.
One of the many factors that are used to help calculate the amount you pay each year for auto insurance is where you choose to live in Pittsburgh. Areas with more people or higher crime rates tend to have more expensive auto insurance rates, whereas areas that tend to be more rural get the luxury of paying less.
The illustration below sorts the priciest cities in Pennsylvania for safe drivers to buy auto insurance in. Pittsburgh is ranked #16 with an annual cost of $1,053 for the average policy, which is around $88 monthly.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia | $1,997 |
| 2 | Drexel Hill | $1,534 |
| 3 | Chester | $1,421 |
| 4 | Levittown | $1,365 |
| 5 | Norristown | $1,307 |
| 6 | Allentown | $1,097 |
| 7 | Plum | $1,089 |
| 8 | Bethlehem | $1,087 |
| 9 | Erie | $1,082 |
| 10 | Scranton | $1,081 |
| 11 | Hazleton | $1,078 |
| 12 | Reading | $1,077 |
| 13 | Municipality of Monr | $1,059 |
| 14 | Easton | $1,058 |
| 15 | Wilkes-Barre | $1,057 |
| 16 | Pittsburgh | $1,053 |
| 17 | New Castle | $1,046 |
| 18 | Altoona | $1,042 |
| 19 | Williamsport | $996 |
| 20 | Lancaster | $995 |
| 21 | Harrisburg | $985 |
| 22 | Bethel Park | $979 |
| 23 | Lebanon | $950 |
| 24 | York | $916 |
| 25 | State College | $869 |
| Find the Best Rates Go | ||
Price information shown is comparative as the specific zip code location can influence premiums significantly.
Types of discounts on Pittsburgh car insurance rates
Insurance providers that sell policies for safe drivers may additionally offer policy discounts that could reduce prices by as much as 25% or more if you qualify. Large auto insurance companies and some of the discounts are shown below.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for driver’s education, student away at school, multiple autos, Steer Clear safe driver discount, safe vehicle, and multiple policy.
- GEICO has savings for military active duty, anti-theft, seat belt use, anti-lock brakes, air bags, five-year accident-free, and daytime running lights.
- SAFECO may have discounts that include teen safety rewards, drive less, teen safe driver, accident prevention training, bundle discounts, and homeowner.
- Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for multi-car, pay in full, switch companies, homeowner, early shopping, and good student.
- AAA offers discounts for AAA membership discount, education and occupation, multi-car, good student, and anti-theft.
- USAA may include discounts for annual mileage, military installation, multi-vehicle, family discount, and loyalty savings.
The example below compares insurance premiums with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The rate quotes are based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, Pennsylvania state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $100 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average annual price with no discounts. The second shows the rates with claim-free, marriage, defensive driving course, multiple vehicle, homeowner, and multiple policy discounts applied. With discounts applied, the average savings per year on auto insurance for safe drivers is 28% or $580.
The illustration below illustrates how your choice of deductibles can increase or decrease insurance rates when searching for cheap insurance for safe drivers. The premiums assume a single male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.
In the chart above, a 50-year-old driver could pocket $270 a year by changing their physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $408 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, such as the 20-year-old example, could save $888 or even more by choosing larger deductibles on their policy. If you do raise deductibles, it is important to have additional funds squirreled away to enable you to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense, which deters some drivers from choosing higher deductibles.
Who has the cheapest Pittsburgh car insurance?
Pittsburgh, PA auto insurance rates are impacted by many factors which can substantially decrease or increase your annual premium. Improving your credit score, moving to a new city, or having a fender bender can trigger rate changes resulting in some rates now being cheaper than before. Additionally, auto insurance companies modify pricing multiple times each year in order to maintain liquidity for claims. Higher than normal claim frequency or severity may cause rate increases, while lower claims may result in more affordable Pittsburgh car insurance rates.
To help illustrate this point, the chart below compares the cheapest car insurance in Pittsburgh, PA for a 40-year-old female driver with no accidents or violations, and a high credit rating. If we estimate rates based on her current risk factors, General Casualty may have the cheapest car insurance rates in Pittsburgh at $942 annually. This is $715 less than the average price paid by Pennsylvania drivers of $1,657. Travelers, Erie, Penn National, and USAA are the rest of the cheapest Pittsburgh, PA auto insurance companies.
The chart below compares rates after we give the driver from the first rate comparison an accident claim, slightly worse credit, and an imperfect driving record. Since each insurance company uses their own formula for determining rates, getting updated rate quotes may now result in a slightly different list of cheap Pittsburgh auto insurance companies as shown below.
Auto-Owners now has the best price on car insurance in Pittsburgh with Atlantic States, Donegal Mutual, Travelers, and GEICO now rounding out the top five. This illustrates why Pennsylvania drivers need to compare many different companies to get the lowest car insurance rates for safe drivers. Auto insurance prices are made up of many risk factors and can decrease or increase without notice, so the most economical company three years ago may now be one of the more expensive options.
How to find low-cost car insurance for safe drivers
It’s not impossible to find cheaper rates, and here are some money-saving suggestions that can help you locate cheap auto insurance.
- Having at-fault accidents will increase rates
- Do not get tickets or violations
- Raise your physical damage coverage deductibles
- Improve your credit score
- Buy your auto and home insurance from the same company and save
- Pay less by remaining claim-free
- Compare rates regularly and switch companies to save money
That last idea is highly critical, as we discussed in the prior article. Insurance rates in Pittsburgh change constantly, so don’t be hesitant to switch carriers if a better rate can be found.
Staying with the same company for years is fine, but we do not recommend it if that faithfulness ends up costing you potentially thousands of dollars a year. If you have a few minutes, compare prices to find cheaper car insurance for safe drivers.