You have seen the captivating ads from auto insurance companies like GEICO and Liberty Mutual that make claims of huge savings. So you should just pick the company with the cutest commercial, right?
It’s not quite that easy, unfortunately, as there are a whole bunch of unknown factors like whether or not you are currently insured, if you have purchased a home, and which neighborhood you live in, that all help calculate your car insurance rates. This article covers the best ways to compare rates and will hopefully give the reader some help in finding cheaper rates.
One of the key considerations that auto insurance companies use when figuring a rate quote is the neighborhood you call home. Cities with larger populations or higher claim trends like Saint Paul, Maplewood, and Bloomington tend to pay more, whereas areas with less congestion have the gratification of the cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI in Minnesota.
The table below shows the most expensive cities in Minnesota for drivers with a DUI in which to purchase auto insurance.
Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Saint Paul | $2,049 |
2 | Minneapolis | $1,997 |
3 | Maplewood | $1,985 |
4 | Duluth | $1,794 |
5 | Bloomington | $1,792 |
6 | Saint Louis Park | $1,772 |
7 | Richfield | $1,760 |
8 | Edina | $1,759 |
9 | Coon Rapids | $1,756 |
10 | Brooklyn Park | $1,744 |
11 | Blaine | $1,731 |
12 | Eagan | $1,729 |
13 | Burnsville | $1,726 |
14 | Saint Cloud | $1,686 |
15 | Woodbury | $1,680 |
16 | Plymouth | $1,680 |
17 | Maple Grove | $1,673 |
18 | Minnetonka | $1,672 |
19 | Eden Prairie | $1,672 |
20 | Shakopee | $1,659 |
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Premium costs are estimated as the vehicle garaging location can modify premiums greatly.
The make and model of vehicle to be insured is probably the largest consideration when consumers are trying to find the most affordable coverage for drivers with a DUI. Vehicles with higher performance characteristics, a lack of modern safety features, or an increased likelihood of liability claims will cost quite a bit more to insure than more economical and safe models. The table below presents insurance rates for a selection of the cheapest vehicles to buy coverage for.
Make, Model, and Trim Level | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,103 |
Jeep Wrangler Sport 4WD 2-Dr | $1,141 |
Ford Edge Limited 2WD | $1,160 |
Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $1,162 |
Toyota RAV4 Limited 2WD | $1,182 |
Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $1,192 |
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $1,182 |
Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $1,188 |
Ford Explorer Limited AWD | $1,205 |
Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $1,210 |
Toyota Prius | $1,224 |
Toyota Camry SE | $1,247 |
Hyundai Elantra GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,253 |
Hyundai Santa Fe SE 4WD | $1,247 |
Chevrolet Silverado LT Regular Cab 2WD | $1,268 |
Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $1,270 |
Toyota Corolla XRS | $1,277 |
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Data rating is based on single female driver age 50, two speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Minnesota minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, multi-policy, and homeowner. Information does not factor in vehicle garaging location which can lower or raise premium rates noticeably.
Based upon the table data, we can expect makes and models like the Honda Accord, Jeep Wrangler, Ford Edge, and Ford Escape are most likely to be the most economical vehicles to insure after getting a DUI. Prices will be more expensive because there is more claim exposure for drivers with a DUI, but overall those specific models will have the best insurance prices that you’ll find.
In a perfect world, the best way to score good auto insurance rates in Minnesota after getting a DUI is to drive safe and not get tickets or have accidents. The chart below shows how speeding tickets and at-fault claims drive up premium costs for different age groups. The price estimates are based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawVioqcibChart);function drawVioqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘No Violations or Accidents’, ‘Two Speeding Tickets and No Accidents’, ‘Two Speeding Tickets and Two Accidents’],[‘Age 20’, 3621,4419,7283],[‘Age 30’, 1879,2681,5543],[‘Age 40’, 1805,2603,5467],[‘Age 50’, 1653,2453,5319],[‘Age 60’, 1627,2423,5289],[‘Age 70’, 1875,2673,5537]]);var options = {title: ‘Impact of Violations and Accidents on Minnesota Insurance Rates’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’, fontSize: 17, bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 600,’chartArea’: {left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’,textStyle: {fontSize: 12}},colors:[‘#b2da64′,’#eed355′,’#e39e71’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle in Minnesota’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},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);}
The data in the chart shows the average cost of a car insurance policy in Minnesota per year with no violations or accidents is $2,077. Factor in two speeding tickets and the average cost increases to $2,875, an increase of $799 each year. Now include two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the 12-month cost of auto insurance for drivers with a DUI goes up to an average of $5,740. That’s an increase of $3,663, or $305 per month, just for not driving attentively!
If you want the best auto insurance after getting a DUI, four companies to definitely compare rates with are Progressive, Geico, State Farm, and Allstate. The following table compares and contrasts price, claims, and customer service ratings, as well as some optional coverages offered by each one.
Progressive | Geico | State Farm | Allstate | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Policy Discounts | 4th | 2nd | 3rd | 1st |
Client Satisfaction | 3rd | 1st | 4th | 2nd |
Claims Handling | 4th | 3rd | 2nd | 1st |
Overall Price | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 4th |
Recommend by customers | 88% | 87% | 88% | 86% |
Roadside service | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Rideshare coverage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
New car replacement | No | No | No | Yes |
Usage-based rating | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Accident forgiveness coverage | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Breakdown insurance | Yes | Yes | No | No |
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It is possible to find better rates, and here are many money-saving solutions that can help you buy more affordable coverage.
The last tip is highly important, as we pointed out in the prior article. Insurance rates in Minnesota vary considerably, so you should be ready to change to a new company if a better rate can be found.
Brand loyalty is not necessarily bad, but it’s not a good idea if your bullheadedness ends up costing you potentially thousands of dollars a year. It only takes a couple minutes to compare prices and find cheaper insurance for drivers with a DUI.
There are a variety of different ways to quote and buy auto insurance in Minnesota, but the most popular methods are using an exclusive agency like State Farm or Liberty Mutual, an independent or non-exclusive agent, or direct online or over the phone from a company like Geico or Progressive. They all have the same end result, but they are slightly different in how they function.
Independent insurance agents have contracts with multiple insurance companies and can get rate quotes from every one. Agents of this type can provide you with more rates, which can give you the best chance of finding a lower price. If they find a cheaper price, you can get a different policy which makes it simple for you.
An exlusive, or captive, agency is only able to write business for a single insurance company, two examples are a State Farm or Farmers agent. They generally cannot quote prices from more than just one company, which will not provide a complete price comparison.
Drivers who opt to buy auto insurance direct skip local agents and instead buy from a direct company like Esurance. Shopping direct is good for consumers who have an average risk profile and have a good understanding of how their policy works.
So which method is best to buy the cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI in Minnesota? Most people assume that shopping direct yields the cheapest rates because there isn’t an agent involved, but that turns out to not be true. An argument could also be made that an independent agent results in the cheapest rates due to increased selection, but that assumption is not true either. In a lot of cases, exclusive agencies may have very competitive prices that cannot be beaten by either independent or direct companies.
Since auto insurance prices are based on many different factors, the best way to not overpay for auto insurance is to do a thorough rate comparison. It takes a little work, but we recommend you get rate quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies to get an idea of which is cheapest. For a list of auto insurance companies with low rates, click here to view.