Cheapest Auto Insurance for Infrequent Drivers in Michigan

Cheapest Auto Insurance for Infrequent Drivers in Michigan

For Michigan drivers, one of the considerations that control the cost of insurance is where you normally keep your vehicle in Michigan. Areas with more people or more claims like Detroit, Southfield, and Flint tend to have more expensive auto insurance rates, whereas cities that are not as densely populated have the benefit of cheaper auto insurance prices.

The information below illustrates the priciest cities in Michigan for infrequent drivers to purchase auto insurance in.

Where does Michigan rank for car insurance cost?
Rank City Premium Per Year
1 Detroit $4,813
2 Dearborn $4,082
3 Southfield $3,980
4 Pontiac $3,567
5 Flint $3,439
6 Warren $3,322
7 Dearborn Heights $3,305
8 Taylor $3,116
9 Sterling Heights $2,924
10 Westland $2,908
11 St. Clair Shores $2,819
12 Livonia $2,714
13 Farmington Hills $2,676
14 Saginaw $2,583
15 Rochester Hills $2,567
16 Royal Oak $2,537
17 Troy $2,536
18 Novi $2,439
19 Lansing $2,367
20 Battle Creek $2,354
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Premium costs are approximated as specific location information can change auto insurance rates significantly.

Buying budget auto insurance is not the easiest thing to do, and determining which companies quote the lowest-priced auto insurance rates for infrequent drivers will require even more rate comparisons.

Each insurer uses a different method for determining rates, so let’s rank the auto insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in Michigan. It’s a good idea to be aware that Michigan auto insurance rates are impacted by many factors that will increase or decrease the price you pay for coverage. Simply having a birthday, increasing liability limits, or getting into an accident can trigger rate changes that can now make some companies affordable when they were higher priced.

Lowest Insurance Price Quotes in Michigan

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Cheapest auto insurance in Michigan ranked by cost per year
Rank Company Cost Per Year
1 USAA $987
2 GEICO $1,003
3 Safeco $1,047
4 MetLife $1,350
5 Chubb $1,386
6 MEEMIC $1,408
7 Pioneer State Mutual $1,444
8 Hastings Mutual $1,643
9 Auto-Owners $1,652
10 Frankenmuth $1,696
11 SECURA $1,796
12 Progressive $1,923
13 Wolverine Mutual $2,147
14 Grange Mutual $2,253
15 Allied $2,309
16 Hanover $2,376
17 Allmerica $2,386
18 Auto Club Group $2,464
19 Nationwide $2,541
20 Farm Bureau $2,573
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USAA generally has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Michigan at around $987 per year. GEICO, Safeco, MetLife, and Chubb also are some of the more affordable Michigan auto insurance companies.

As illustrated above, if you are a policyholder with GEICO and switched to USAA, you might see yearly savings of about $16. Policyholders with Safeco could save as much as $60 a year, and MetLife insureds might lower prices by $363 a year.

If you want to find out if you’re overpaying, click here to start your free quote or quote prices from the following companies.

These policy prices are averages for all drivers and vehicles in Michigan and are not factoring in a price discount for infrequent drivers. So the car insurance company that fits your needs best may not even be in the company chart above. That illustrates why you need to quote rates from as many companies as possible using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.

The make and model of vehicle on the policy is one of the largest factors that determines the availablility of the most economical insurance for infrequent drivers. Vehicles with limited speed and performance, good crash test ratings, or low incidents of liability claims will cost much less to insure than higher performance models. The list below shows auto insurance costs for a number of the most budget-friendly automobiles to buy insurance for.

Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates for Infrequent Drivers in Michigan
Make and Model Estimated Cost for Full Coverage
Honda CR-V EX 2WD $2,863
Ford Escape XLS 4WD $2,870
Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan $2,863
Toyota Prius $3,173
Ford Edge SEL 2WD $3,314
Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon $3,351
Toyota Sienna XLE $3,384
Subaru Outback 3.6R $3,450
Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan $3,492
Hyundai Elantra Blue 4-Dr Sedan $3,499
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport Islander Package 4WD 4-Dr $3,500
Dodge Grand Caravan SE $3,508
Ford F-150 XL Crew Cab 2WD $3,574
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Prices above based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Michigan minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, multi-policy, homeowner, and claim-free. Prices do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can change auto insurance rates noticeably.

Looking at the data, you can see that models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Honda Accord, and Toyota Prius are most likely going to be some of the less-costly vehicles to insure for low mileage drivers.

Responsible drivers pay cheaper Michigan auto insurance rates

One of the best ways to earn cheap auto insurance rates for low mileage drivers is to be a safe driver and not receive tickets or have accidents. The chart below illustrates how traffic citations and at-fault collisions can drive up insurance costs for different categories of driver ages. The price estimates are based on a married female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

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In the example above, the average cost of an auto insurance policy per year with no accidents or violations is $2,927. Add in one speeding ticket and the average cost jumps to $3,428, an increase of $501 each year. Next add one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the annual cost of auto insurance for infrequent drivers increases to an average of $4,819. That’s an increase of $1,892, or $158 per month, just for not maintaining a clean driving record!

Michigan auto insurance companies ranked

Finding the highest-rated auto insurance company can be challenging considering how many companies are available to choose from in Michigan. The information displayed below may help you select which coverage providers you want to consider comparing price quotes from. These ratings are only comprised of companies who write in the majority of U.S. states, so companies that focus mainly on Michigan business will not be included in this list.

Top 10 Major Auto Insurance Companies in Michigan Ranked by A.M. Best Rating

  1. State Farm – A++
  2. USAA – A++
  3. GEICO – A++
  4. The Hartford – A+
  5. Allstate – A+
  6. Nationwide – A+
  7. Esurance – A+
  8. Progressive – A+
  9. Safeco Insurance – A
  10. Liberty Mutual – A

How to find more affordable car insurance for infrequent drivers

It’s not impossible to find cheaper rates, and here are many money-saving suggestions that can help drivers get low-cost coverage.

  • Drive safe vehicles
  • Good credit scores may make rates cheaper
  • Raise deductibles
  • Do not get into accidents
  • Save money by observing traffic laws and speed limits
  • Shop around for cheaper prices often

The last item on the list is incredibly significant, as we emphasized in the prior information. Prices in Michigan vary considerably, so drivers shouldn’t be resistant to buy a policy from a new company if a cheaper price is available.

Many drivers prefer to stick with one company, but it isn’t a good idea if that devotedness results in you overpaying several hundred dollars every year. Spend a few minutes and compare prices to find cheaper insurance for infrequent drivers.

Cheap insurance quotes for low mileage drivers

Thanks to technology, there are a lot of ways to quote and buy auto insurance in Michigan, but the most prevalent methods are through an independent insurance agent, a captive (or exclusive) agent such as Allstate or Liberty Mutual, or direct from companies such as Geico or Progressive.

You can use whichever method you prefer, but auto insurance shoppers should know the differences in how they provide rate quotes.

Independent insurance agents have contracts with many companies and can quote your policy with each one. Independent agents are not employed by one specific company and can give you more rate choices, which can help you get a better overall rate comparison. If they find a lower price, it’s easy for the agent to move the policy which prevents you from having to find a new agency.

A captive, or exclusive, agent is only able to quote rates from a single company, two popular examples being Liberty Mutual and Allstate agents. They usually cannot compare other company’s rates, so unless you get quotes from other companies, you cannot determine which is cheapest.

Auto insurance from a direct company means you bypass the middleman (the agent) and instead shop from a direct company like Esurance or Geico. Shopping for auto insurance direct can be a good choice for consumers who do not need advice for risk management and understand how auto insurance works and possible exclusions.

So which of those three methods works best for finding the cheapest auto insurance for infrequent drivers in Michigan? The majority of people assume that buying from a direct company results in the cheapest rates because there is no agent taking a commission, but that generally is not the case. We’d also like to say an independent agent saves the most money because you have more choices, but that assumption is also not necessarily accurate. In the right set of circumstances, exclusive agencies have coverage prices that are the lowest in Michigan.

Because there are so many factors that make up auto insurance rates, really the only way to ensure you are not overpaying for auto insurance is to compare rate quotes from as many companies as possible. The ideal approach is to get prices from all three to get a good idea who is cheapest. We compiled a list of companies with some of the cheapest online rates that you can click here to view.