You have probably seen the catchy advertisements from companies like Nationwide and Allstate that make promises of big savings. So drivers just need to pick one at random, right?
Regrettably, it’s not quite that easy, as there are a whole bunch of unknown elements such as whether you are a woman or a man, the safety features built into your vehicle, which neighborhood you live in, and how you use your vehicle, that all impact the cost of coverage. This article will cover some of these criteria and should give you a good start in finding the cheapest insurance.
For a learners permit, one of the big considerations that car insurance companies take into consideration when calculating the price of your policy is where you keep your car. More populated areas like Bluefield, Pea Ridge, and Huntington tend to pay higher rates, whereas areas with fewer weather claims and lower vehicle theft rates have the luxury of lower rates.
The following table lists the highest-priced places in West Virginia for a school permit to buy car insurance in.
Rank | City | Average Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Bluefield | $1,406 |
2 | Beckley | $1,406 |
3 | Pea Ridge | $1,376 |
4 | Elkins | $1,374 |
5 | Huntington | $1,366 |
6 | Nitro | $1,351 |
7 | South Charleston | $1,350 |
8 | St. Albans | $1,349 |
9 | Princeton | $1,343 |
10 | Charleston | $1,337 |
11 | Vienna | $1,336 |
12 | Teays Valley | $1,335 |
13 | Oak Hill | $1,335 |
14 | Cross Lanes | $1,327 |
15 | Dunbar | $1,324 |
16 | Parkersburg | $1,303 |
17 | Bridgeport | $1,299 |
18 | Wheeling | $1,290 |
19 | Cheat Lake | $1,288 |
20 | Moundsville | $1,276 |
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Price information shown is estimated as the specific West Virginia residence address can influence prices greatly.
The make and model of vehicle that needs insurance is one of the biggest factors that determines whether or not you can buy the cheapest car insurance for a school permit. Vehicles with average performance, good safety features, or a low likelihood of having liability claims will cost quite a bit less to insure than higher performance models. The next list shows auto insurance prices for some of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure.
Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $3,818 |
Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $3,826 |
Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan | $3,818 |
Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $4,143 |
Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 2WD | $4,187 |
Toyota Prius | $4,194 |
Ford Edge SE 2WD | $4,211 |
Honda Odyssey LX | $4,221 |
Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $4,255 |
Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $4,260 |
Hyundai Tucson GLS 4WD | $4,255 |
Subaru Outback 2.5I | $4,299 |
Subaru Forester XT AWD | $4,512 |
Chevrolet Equinox LS AWD | $4,537 |
Toyota RAV4 4WD | $4,546 |
Chevrolet Malibu LS | $4,537 |
Ford Explorer Limited AWD | $4,581 |
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 2WD 4-Dr | $4,587 |
Honda Civic EX 4-Dr Sedan | $4,774 |
Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $4,783 |
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Above prices assume single female driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and West Virginia minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Table data does not factor in zip code location which can modify premium rates considerably.
Looking at the data, you can infer that models like the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Elantra, Honda Accord, and Ford Escape will be a few of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for a learners permit. The price for car insurance will tend to be more expensive anyway just because there is more inherent risk for a school permit, but in general those particular models will probably have the cheapest rates compared to other types of vehicles.
Determining which companies offer the lowest-priced car insurance rates for a school permit involves a little more sweat in order to find the lowest price. Every car insurance company has their own formula for determining prices, so let’s take a look at the car insurance companies with the overall cheapest rates in West Virginia.
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Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Erie | $904 |
2 | The Hartford | $1,060 |
3 | State Auto | $1,216 |
4 | USAA | $1,287 |
5 | Westfield | $1,314 |
6 | Progressive | $1,494 |
7 | Nationwide | $1,536 |
8 | State Farm | $1,538 |
9 | Encompass | $1,636 |
10 | GEICO | $1,676 |
11 | Motorists Mutual | $1,750 |
12 | California Casualty | $1,788 |
13 | Safeco | $1,803 |
14 | Allstate | $2,253 |
15 | Liberty Mutual | $3,308 |
16 | Sentry | $3,845 |
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Erie may have some of the cheapest car insurance rates in West Virginia at around $904 per year. The Hartford, State Auto, USAA, and Westfield also make the cut as some of the more affordable West Virginia car insurance companies.
In the rate table above, if you currently have a policy with Westfield and switched to The Hartford, you might achieve a yearly savings of in the vicinity of $254. Policyholders with Progressive might save as much as $434 a year, and Nationwide insureds might see rate reductions of $476 a year.
Be aware that those prices are averaged for all drivers and vehicles and are not factoring in a price surcharge for a school permit. So the company that fits your situation best may not even be included in the company chart above. That helps illustrate why you need to quote rates from many companies using your own specific driver information and vehicle.
<img class="shadow floatright" src="http://www.quoteclickinsure.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/cheapest-insurance-school-permit-wv.jpg" alt="Cheaper West Virginia car insurance for a learners permit” />Auto insurance companies that offer coverage for a school permit may also offer price discounts that could lower prices by as much as 30% if you meet eligibility requirements. A list of car insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer include:
The chart below visualizes the comparison of premium costs with and without policy discounts. The rate quotes are based on a male driver, no tickets, no at-fault accidents, West Virginia state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with vehicle safety, continuous coverage, anti-theft, paperless filing, good student, and paid-in-full discounts applied. With discounts applied, the average savings per year on car insurance for a school permit is 28% or $617.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawDiscqcibChart);function drawDiscqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘Male Driver No Discounts’, ‘Male Driver with Discounts’],[‘Age 17’, 4493,3213],[‘Age 30’, 1551,1127],[‘Age 40’, 1517,1101],[‘Age 50’, 1385,1001],[‘Age 60’, 1339,969]]);var options = {title: ‘Effect of Discounts on Insurance Price for a School Permit’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 500,’chartArea’:{left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’},colors: [‘#6791b9’, ‘#98bee2’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle in West Virginia’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},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(‘qcibdisc’));chart.draw(data, options);}
When researching auto insurance, the first places to look would be Progressive, State Farm, Allstate, and Geico. The table below compares some of the different options and features offered by each one.
Progressive | State Farm | Allstate | Geico | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Claims Service | 4th | 2nd | 1st | 3rd |
Overall Cost | 3rd | 2nd | 4th | 1st |
Policy Discounts | 4th | 3rd | 1st | 2nd |
Customer Satisfaction | 3rd | 4th | 2nd | 1st |
U.S. market share | 8.8% | 18.3% | 10% | 11.4% |
Rating from A.M. Best | A+ | A++ | A+ | A++ |
S&P financial rating | AA | AA | AA- | AA+ |
New car replacement insurance | No | No | Yes | No |
Mechanical breakdown insurance | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Roadside assistance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Accident forgiveness | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Coverage for Uber and Lyft drivers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Rating based on usage | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
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It’s not impossible to find cheaper rates, and here are some penny-pinching suggestions that can help you get cheaper coverage.
The last suggestion is notably critical, as we noted in the prior information. Car insurance rates in West Virginia adjust often, so don’t be tentative to buy from a different company if a better deal can be had. We understand brand loyalty, but it’s not a great idea if your bullheadedness ends up costing you several hundred dollars every year. Spend a few minutes and shop around to find cheaper car insurance for a school permit.
There are many different ways to comparison shop for car insurance in West Virginia, but the most popular are through a captive (or exclusive) agency such as Allstate or Auto-Owners, an independent agent, or buying direct from a company like Progressive or Geico. You can use whichever method you prefer, but they differ slightly in how they price policies.
Independent insurance agents have contracts with multiple insurance companies and can get policy pricing from every one. Independent agents have the option to give you more rates, which can give you the best chance of saving money. If a cheaper rate is found, they can switch companies in-house and you don’t have to do anything.
A captive or exclusive agent is contracted to one company such as a Liberty Mutual or State Farm agent. Exclusive agencies are unable to provide multiple price quotes, so unless you get quotes from other companies, you cannot determine which is cheapest.
The final way is buying direct, which means you bypass local insurance agents and instead shop from a direct company like Esurance or Geico. Buying car insurance direct is a good choice for people who do not have a complex risk profile and have a good understanding of what coverage options they need.
So which of the methods works best to buy the cheapest auto insurance for a school permit in West Virginia? We would first guess that shopping direct saves the most money because there isn’t an agent involved, but unfortunately, it’s not that simple. An argument could also be made that buying car insurance from an independent agent results in the cheapest rates since they can provide multiple quotes, but again, that’s not a true statement. In many cases, exclusive agencies may have very competitive prices that cannot be beaten by either independent or direct companies.
Because there is so much variation in car insurance prices, the best way to find out which one is cheapest is to get rate quotes and compare. It takes a little work, but we recommend you get price quotes from all three in order to have the best selection to choose from. For a list of car insurance companies with low rates, click here to view.