You have probably watched the commercials from car insurance companies like Nationwide and Allstate promising enormous savings, so drivers just need to select the one with the best jingle, right?
That is not the case, however, as there are a whole bunch of unknown aspects such as where you choose to live in Pennsylvania, how experienced of a driver you are, and if you need full coverage or liability-only, that all impact the cost of your policy. This article delves into 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.
When shopping for cheaper insurance for military personnel, one of the many factors that insurance companies use to calculate car insurance rates is your address. Urban areas that are densely populated like Philadelphia, Chester, and Norristown likely pay more, whereas areas that are not as densely populated tend to receive slightly lower rates.
The following table lists the most expensive places in Pennsylvania for active military to purchase a policy in.
Rank | City | Annual Premium |
---|---|---|
1 | Philadelphia | $1,997 |
2 | Drexel Hill | $1,489 |
3 | Chester | $1,435 |
4 | Levittown | $1,379 |
5 | Norristown | $1,320 |
6 | Reading | $1,110 |
7 | Allentown | $1,108 |
8 | Easton | $1,102 |
9 | Municipality of Monr | $1,091 |
10 | Pittsburgh | $1,085 |
11 | Scranton | $1,081 |
12 | Plum | $1,079 |
13 | Hazleton | $1,078 |
14 | Erie | $1,071 |
15 | Wilkes-Barre | $1,047 |
16 | Bethlehem | $1,045 |
17 | New Castle | $1,026 |
18 | Bethel Park | $1,009 |
19 | Altoona | $1,002 |
20 | Lancaster | $995 |
21 | Harrisburg | $985 |
22 | Williamsport | $966 |
23 | Lebanon | $932 |
24 | York | $926 |
25 | State College | $878 |
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Premium amounts are approximated as the specific area where the vehicle is garaged can increase or decrease price quotes substantially.
The type of vehicle driven is probably the biggest factor when comparing the cheapest car insurance for active military in Pennsylvania. Vehicles with lower acceleration and performance, modern passenger safety features, or low incidents of liability claims will cost less to insure than adrenaline junky models. The information below features insurance prices for a selection of the more afforable vehicles to insure in Pennsylvania.
Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Honda Odyssey LX | $924 |
Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 2WD | $952 |
Toyota Prius | $959 |
Ford F-150 STX Super Cab 4WD | $969 |
Subaru Outback 3.6R | $1,028 |
Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $1,048 |
Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $1,053 |
Toyota Camry SE | $1,068 |
Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $1,085 |
Ford Explorer XLT AWD | $1,092 |
Chevrolet Malibu LTZ | $1,089 |
Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4WD | $1,113 |
Chevrolet Impala LS | $1,127 |
Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,136 |
Jeep Wrangler Sport Islander Package 4WD 2-Dr | $1,137 |
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $1,152 |
Ford Fusion SEL AWD 4-Dr Sedan | $1,172 |
Dodge Ram Crew Cab TRX 4WD | $1,176 |
Subaru Forester X Premium AWP AWD | $1,182 |
Toyota Corolla LE | $1,221 |
Nissan Rogue S 2WD | $1,225 |
Kia Optima LX | $1,235 |
Toyota RAV4 Sport 2WD | $1,241 |
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Prices above based on single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Pennsylvania minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Estimates do not factor in Pennsylvania location which can impact premium rates substantially.
Based upon the table data, makes and models like the Honda Odyssey, Chevrolet Traverse, and Toyota Prius are most likely going to be a few of the more affordable vehicles to insure for military personnel.
The obvious way to receive good auto insurance rates in Pennsylvania for military personnel is to drive cautiously and not receive tickets or have accidents. The example below demonstrates how traffic citations and at-fault accidents can drive up insurance rates for different age categories. The premiums assume a married male driver, full coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawVioqcibChart);function drawVioqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘No Violations or Accidents’, ‘One Speeding Ticket and No Accidents’, ‘One Speeding Ticket and Two Accidents’],[‘Age 20’, 2031,2209,3877],[‘Age 30’, 1051,1227,2899],[‘Age 40’, 1027,1203,2873],[‘Age 50’, 945,1123,2791],[‘Age 60’, 927,1103,2771],[‘Age 70’, 1091,1267,2935]]);var options = {title: ‘Impact of Violations and Accidents on Pennsylvania Auto Insurance Rates’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’, fontSize: 17, bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 600,’chartArea’: {left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’,textStyle: {fontSize: 12}},colors:[‘#b2da64′,’#eed355′,’#e39e71’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle in Pennsylvania’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},vAxis: {title: ‘Age of Insured’}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);formatter.format(data,3);var chart = new google.visualization.BarChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibvio’));chart.draw(data, options);}
In the previous chart, the average cost of a car insurance policy in Pennsylvania per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,179. Get written up for one speeding ticket and the average cost increases to $1,355, an increase of $177 each year. Then include two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the 12-month cost of auto insurance for active military increases to an average of $3,024. That’s an increase of $1,846, or $154 per month, just for being a less-than-perfect driver!
Finding the cheapest car insurance for active military in Pennsylvania should be important to the majority of people, and one good way to pay less for insurance is to buy only liability coverage. The illustration below illustrates the difference between insurance rates with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The premium estimates are based on no accidents, no driving violations, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are factored in.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawFclqcibChart);function drawFclqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘Full Coverage with $100 Deductibles’, ‘Liability Only’],[‘Age 20’, 3233,999],[‘Age 30’, 1683,551],[‘Age 40’, 1667,511],[‘Age 50’, 1515,479],[‘Age 60’, 1463,471],[‘Age 70’, 1773,627]]);var options = {title: ‘Comparison of Rates for Full Coverage and Liability Only’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 500,’chartArea’: {left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’},colors: [‘#6791b9′,’#98bee2’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle in Pennsylvania’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},vAxis: {title: ‘Age of Insured’}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);var chart = new google.visualization.BarChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibfcl’));chart.draw(data, options);}
Averaged for all ages 20 through 70, physical damage coverage on your policy costs $1,889 per year over having just liability coverage. At some point, every insured wonders if physical damage coverage is worth the money. There is no definitive rule that is best for determining when to drop physical damage insurance, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
The list below shows a few money-saving ideas that can help Pennsylvania drivers buy lower-cost auto insurance.
That last tip is particularly significant, as we emphasized in the prior article. Coverage prices in Pennsylvania go up and down frequently, so don’t hesitate to buy a different policy if you find a better deal. Being loyal to a particular company is commendable, but we do not recommend it if that stubbornness costs you lots of money. It only take a few minutes to compare prices and find cheaper car insurance for active military.