The vehicle model on the policy is a significant factor when comparison shopping for the cheapest car insurance for 16 year olds in Montana. Vehicles with lots of speed or power, a lack of modern safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than more economical and safe models. The table below shows insurance costs for a selection of the more afforable vehicles to insure in Montana.
Insured Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $10,484 |
Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan | $10,494 |
Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $10,484 |
Chevrolet Traverse LT 2WD | $10,685 |
Toyota Prius | $11,326 |
Subaru Forester X Limited Edition AWD | $11,427 |
Ford Edge SE 2WD | $11,694 |
Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 2WD | $11,795 |
Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $12,336 |
Honda Odyssey EX | $12,342 |
Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $12,336 |
Hyundai Tucson Limited 4WD | $12,436 |
GMC Sierra SL Extended Cab 2WD | $12,442 |
Toyota RAV4 Limited 2WD | $12,436 |
Chevrolet Silverado LS Extended Cab 4WD | $12,446 |
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Data variables include single male driver age 16, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Montana minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, and claim-free. Premium costs do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can alter prices considerably.
Looking at the numbers, you can figure that vehicles like the Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, and Ford Escape are a few of the more affordable vehicles to insure for new drivers. Prices will trend higher because of the fact that there is more liability exposure for 16 year olds, but in general those specific models will have the least expensive rates possible.
When shopping for car insurance for new drivers, one of the many factors that is looked at to determine car insurance rates is where you normally keep your vehicle in Montana. Areas that are densely populated or have higher claim frequency like Whitefish, Evergreen, and Polson tend to pay higher rates, whereas areas with less congestion generally benefit from lower car insurance rates.
The following table illustrates the more expensive cities in Montana for 16 year olds in which to purchase auto insurance.
Rank | City | Annual Rate |
---|---|---|
1 | Whitefish | $1,213 |
2 | Columbia Falls | $1,212 |
3 | Evergreen | $1,175 |
4 | Kalispell | $1,175 |
5 | Polson | $1,148 |
6 | Livingston | $1,146 |
7 | Havre | $1,137 |
8 | Miles City | $1,125 |
9 | Sidney | $1,115 |
10 | Lewistown | $1,098 |
11 | Glendive | $1,096 |
12 | Lockwood | $1,082 |
13 | Anaconda-Deer Lodge | $1,082 |
14 | Bozeman | $1,055 |
15 | Orchard Homes | $1,053 |
16 | Belgrade | $1,053 |
17 | Butte-Silver Bow | $1,046 |
18 | Great Falls | $1,037 |
19 | Hamilton | $1,036 |
20 | Billings | $1,022 |
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Rate information is approximated as the specific Montana residence address can influence rates greatly.
Shopping around for low-cost car insurance is not always easy, and determining which companies quote the cheapest insurance rates for 16 year olds will require even more shopping around. Premiums could be much higher than the average price in Montana due to the added risk associated with offering coverage for new drivers, but reasonable insurance may be possible if you carefully shop around. Each insurer uses slightly different criteria to determine premium rates, so let’s begin by examining the most affordable insurance companies in Montana.
It’s a good idea to be aware that Montana insurance rates are impacted by many factors that may substantially change the policy price. Events like a birthday, buying a different vehicle, or getting a ticket for careless driving may prompt premium changes that can make some companies much higher than others.
Find the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Teens
Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Safeco | $862 |
2 | Progressive | $980 |
3 | USAA | $1,044 |
4 | State Farm | $1,102 |
5 | MetLife | $1,175 |
6 | National Farmers Union | $1,204 |
7 | Allied | $1,309 |
8 | Farmers | $1,526 |
9 | California Casualty | $1,600 |
10 | GEICO | $1,689 |
11 | Allstate | $2,069 |
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Safeco quotes some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Montana at around $862 per year. Progressive, USAA, State Farm, and MetLife would also be considered some of the most economical Montana auto insurance companies.
As the example above demonstrates, if you currently buy coverage from MetLife and switched to Progressive, you may see an annual savings of upwards of $195. Drivers with National Farmers Union might save as much as $224 a year, and Allied customers might lower prices by $329 a year.
These premiums are averages across all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and do not factor in a price increase for 16 year olds. So the company that fits your situation best may not even be included in the company chart above. That point stresses why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.
Insurance companies that sell policies for 16 year olds may also give you discounts that can reduce rates by 40% or more if you qualify. A list of companies and some of the discounts are included below.
Discount | Progressive | Geico | State Farm | Allstate | Nationwide | Liberty Mutual | Farmers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Multi-policy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Multiple vehicles | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Theft prevention | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Safe vehicle | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Air bags | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Newer vehicle | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Hybrid vehicle | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Accident-free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Defensive driver | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Armed forces | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
Affinity/occupation | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Paid in full | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Automatic payment | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Loyalty | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
Smart student | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Student away from home | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Own your home | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
Seat belt usage | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Online rate quote | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
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The illustration below compares annual premium costs with and without discounts being applied to the rates. The premium estimates are based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, Montana state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $1,000 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with passive restraint, vehicle safety, paperless filing, anti-theft, continuous coverage, and good student discounts applied. In this example, the the average amount saved on insurance for 16 year olds is 32% or $540.
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It’s not impossible to find cheaper rates, and here are a few money-saving ideas that can help Montana drivers get cheaper auto insurance.
That last idea is notably valuable, as we noted in the article above. Prices charged by companies change frequently, so drivers shouldn’t hesitate to switch companies if a more affordable price is available. Loyalty to a specific company is fine, but we do not recommend it if that dedication is costing thousands of dollars over several years. In less than five minutes you could compare prices to find cheaper insurance for 16 year olds.
Drivers have a lot of different ways to find cheap insurance in Montana, but the most popular are through a non-exclusive or independent agent, an exclusive insurance agency like Auto-Owners or State Farm, or direct from companies such as Progressive or Geico.
All three ways are similar, but they are slightly different in how they function.
Independent agencies write business for many companies and can quote your policy with each one. These agents do not work for one specific company and can provide you with more rate quotes, which may give you improved odds of finding cheaper coverage. If your agent finds a cheaper company, they simply move your policy to a different company and you can remain with the same agent.
Exclusive agencies are usually just provide rates from one company, a couple examples are Farmers Insurance or State Farm agents. Exclusive agents normally do not have the ability to compare rates from other companies, so you will not be able to compare their rates to other companies.
The third popular method of shopping for insurance is direct, which means you forego the middleman (the agent) and instead shop direct either online or via phone. This insurance option may be good for consumers who do not need high amounts of coverage and have an above average understanding of the limitations of insurance.
So which way is best for finding the cheapest car insurance for 16 year olds in Montana? Our initial answer would be shopping direct saves money since that prevents the need to pay agent commissions, but that generally is not the case. We could also assume that buying from an independent agent saves the most money since they have access to many companies, but that idea is not necessarily true either. For the right applicant, the exclusive agents have coverage prices that are the cheapest in Montana.
Because it’s impossible to say who has the best insurance rates, the one way to ensure you are not overpaying is to compare rate quotes from as many companies as possible. If you want to save money, get price quotes from independent, exclusive, and direct to give yourself plenty of rates to compare. For a list of companies offering online discounts, click here to view.