The words “cheap” and “insurance” really don’t belong together, in particular when you are trying to find the best car insurance for drivers over age 50. Because it’s so expensive, let’s start the ball rolling by going over some of the things that determine car insurance prices, and find a way to slash the price of the next policy you buy.
The make and model of vehicle you are buying coverage for is one of the largest factors when looking for affordable coverage for drivers over age 50. Vehicles with high performance engines, poor safety features, or an increased likelihood of liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than more modest models.
The next lists outlines car insurance prices for a handful of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure in Pennsylvania.
Make, Model, and Trim Level | Annual Cost | Semi-Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Ford Focus SES 2-Dr Coupe | $1,168 | $584 | $97 |
Honda Civic Hybrid 4-Dr Sedan | $1,126 | $563 | $94 |
Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,104 | $552 | $92 |
Kia Optima SX | $1,190 | $595 | $99 |
Nissan Altima 3.5 SR 2-Dr Coupe | $1,254 | $627 | $105 |
Toyota Camry Hybrid | $1,190 | $595 | $99 |
Toyota Corolla XRS | $1,126 | $563 | $94 |
Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.5 Station Wagon | $1,048 | $524 | $87 |
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Prices above based on single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Pennsylvania minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, and safe-driver. Prices do not factor in your specific Pennsylvania location which can impact coverage prices noticeably.
Make, Model, and Trim Level | Annual Cost | Semi-Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Suburban LTZ 2WD | $1,126 | $563 | $94 |
Chevrolet Traverse LT 2WD | $920 | $460 | $77 |
Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $874 | $437 | $73 |
Ford Explorer XLT 2WD | $976 | $488 | $81 |
GMC Acadia SLE AWD | $1,040 | $520 | $87 |
GMC Terrain SLT 2WD | $1,048 | $524 | $87 |
Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $874 | $437 | $73 |
Honda Pilot LX 2WD | $976 | $488 | $81 |
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $1,040 | $520 | $87 |
Jeep Patriot Limited 4WD | $1,040 | $520 | $87 |
Nissan Pathfinder LE 4WD | $1,062 | $531 | $89 |
Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition 4WD | $1,072 | $536 | $89 |
Toyota Highlander Sport 4WD | $1,062 | $531 | $89 |
Toyota RAV4 Sport 4WD | $1,040 | $520 | $87 |
Volvo XC90 3.2 AWD | $1,214 | $607 | $101 |
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Data based on single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Pennsylvania minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and claim-free. Price information does not factor in specific location which can impact coverage rates noticeably.
Make, Model, and Trim Level | Annual Cost | Semi-Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Silverado LT Extended Cab 4WD | $1,040 | $520 | $87 |
Dodge Ram 2500 Mega Cab SLT 4WD | $1,214 | $607 | $101 |
Dodge Ram 3500 Crew Cab SLT 4WD | $1,552 | $776 | $129 |
Dodge Ram Crew Cab SLT 4WD | $1,214 | $607 | $101 |
Ford F-150 XL Crew Cab 2WD | $976 | $488 | $81 |
Ford F-350 Super Cab Lariat 4WD | $1,468 | $734 | $122 |
GMC Canyon SLT Crew Cab 4WD | $1,062 | $531 | $89 |
GMC Sierra 3500HD SLE Extended Cab 2WD | $1,150 | $575 | $96 |
GMC Sierra SLE Regular Cab 4WD | $1,126 | $563 | $94 |
Toyota Tundra Limited Double Cab 2WD | $1,190 | $595 | $99 |
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Cost estimates assume single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Pennsylvania minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Prices do not factor in zip code location which can decrease or increase premium rates noticeably.
Shopping around for low-priced auto insurance is confusing at best, and figuring out which company quotes the lowest-priced insurance rates for drivers over age 50 involves even more shopping around. Policy prices may be moderately less expensive than the state average due to the potentially lower risk related to selling insurance for older drivers. Economical insurance should be easy to find with minimal effort.
Each auto insurer uses slightly different criteria for determining prices, so let’s take a look at the most budget-friendly insurance companies in Pennsylvania.
Keep in mind that Pennsylvania insurance rates are influenced by many factors which can substantially decrease or increase the price of coverage. Improving your financial situation, moving to a new city, or getting a couple of tickets may cause policy rate changes that can now make some companies more expensive than competitors.
Find the Cheapest Car Insurance for Age 50+
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawPAT5qcibChart);function drawPAT5qcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Company’, ‘Rate’, { role: ‘style’ }], [‘General Casualty’, 740, ‘#F07050’], [‘Travelers’, 787, ‘#C85D42’], [‘USAA’, 809, ‘#A64D37’], [‘Penn National’, 816, ‘#8A402D’], [‘Erie’, 824, ‘#733525’]]);var options = {title: ‘Top Five Cheap Auto Insurance Companies in Pennsylvania’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’, fontSize: 17, bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 300,’chartArea’: {left:0,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},bar: {groupWidth: “90%”},legend: {position: ‘none’},vAxis: {viewWindowMode:’explicit’,viewWindow:{max:924,min:0}}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});var view = new google.visualization.DataView(data);view.setColumns([0, 1,{ calc: “stringify”,sourceColumn: 1,type: “string”,role: “annotation” },2]);formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);var chart = new google.visualization.ColumnChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibt5cic’));chart.draw(view, options);}
General Casualty may offer some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Pennsylvania at around $740 annually. Travelers, USAA, Penn National, and Erie would also be considered some of the lowest-priced Pennsylvania auto insurance companies.
As shown above, if you currently have coverage with USAA and switched to General Casualty, you may realize yearly savings of upwards of $69. Customers with Penn National could save as much as $76 a year, and Erie policyholders might lower prices by up to $84 a year.
These rates are averages for all drivers and vehicles in Pennsylvania and do not take into consideration a rate discount for drivers over age 50. So the company that is most affordable for your situation may not even be shown in the list above. That helps illustrate why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
When buying auto insurance for older drivers, one of the key criteria that impact the cost of insurance is where your home is located. Urban areas that are densely populated like Philadelphia, Chester, and Norristown are more likely to have higher rates, whereas areas with less congestion have the gratification of cheap car insurance for drivers over age 50 in Pennsylvania.
The illustration below ranks the more expensive cities in Pennsylvania for drivers over age 50 to purchase auto insurance in.
Rank | City | Annual Premium |
---|---|---|
1 | Philadelphia | $1,977 |
2 | Drexel Hill | $1,504 |
3 | Chester | $1,435 |
4 | Levittown | $1,407 |
5 | Norristown | $1,268 |
6 | Allentown | $1,130 |
7 | Erie | $1,115 |
8 | Reading | $1,110 |
9 | Easton | $1,102 |
10 | Pittsburgh | $1,095 |
11 | Wilkes-Barre | $1,089 |
12 | Plum | $1,057 |
13 | Bethlehem | $1,055 |
14 | Scranton | $1,049 |
15 | Municipality of Monr | $1,049 |
16 | Hazleton | $1,046 |
17 | New Castle | $1,026 |
18 | Harrisburg | $1,015 |
19 | Altoona | $1,012 |
20 | Bethel Park | $1,009 |
21 | Lancaster | $1,005 |
22 | Williamsport | $966 |
23 | Lebanon | $922 |
24 | York | $916 |
25 | State College | $869 |
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Price information shown is comparative as specific Pennsylvania garaging address can alter auto insurance rates noticeably.
Finding cheap car insurance for drivers over age 50 in Pennsylvania should be important to most people, and a great way to save on the cost of insurance is to buy only liability coverage. The diagram below illustrates the comparison of auto insurance rates with full coverage and liability only. The data assumes a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are factored in.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawFclqcibChart);function drawFclqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘Full Coverage with $100 Deductibles’, ‘Liability Only’],[‘Age 20’, 4373,1319],[‘Age 30’, 2223,723],[‘Age 40’, 2221,671],[‘Age 50’, 2017,627],[‘Age 60’, 1953,617],[‘Age 70’, 2379,825]]);var options = {title: ‘Full Versus Liability Only Rates’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 500,’chartArea’: {left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’},colors: [‘#6791b9′,’#98bee2’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle in Pennsylvania’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},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);}
If averaged for all ages, comp and collision coverage costs $2,528 per year over and above liability only. Many people question if buying full coverage is worth the money. There is no set rule of when to phase out physical damage coverage, but there is a general convention. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
There are a few situations where buying only liability insurance is not recommended. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you have to carry full coverage to satisfy the loan requirements. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should keep full coverage.
If you’re looking for the best car insurance for older drivers in Pennsylvania, four companies you’ll want quotes from are Geico, State Farm, Allstate, and Progressive. All offer your standard physical damage and liability coverages, but each one has different options that buyers can choose from. The table below shows some of the ratings and options that are available for policyholders.
Geico | State Farm | Allstate | Progressive | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Claims Handling | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 4th |
Customer Satisfaction | 1st | 4th | 2nd | 3rd |
Policy Cost | 1st | 2nd | 4th | 3rd |
Number of Discounts | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | 4th |
Amount of market share | 11.4% | 18.3% | 10% | 8.8% |
Breakdown insurance | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Coverage for Uber and Lyft drivers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Roadside service | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
New car replacement insurance | No | No | Yes | No |
Usage-based rating | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Accident forgiveness coverage | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Coverage in Pennsylvania | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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Drivers have a lot of ways to find lower-cost insurance in Pennsylvania, but the most frequently used methods are using an exclusive insurance agent such as Auto-Owners or State Farm, an independent agent, or direct from companies such as Geico or Progressive. All three ways are similar, but insurance shoppers should know the differences in how they work.
Independent agencies write business for many companies and can do rate comparisons with all of them. They are not locked into one company and can get prices from more than one company, which may provide you with the best idea of how your rates compare. If they quote lower rates, your agent can just switch to a different company without having to get a different agent.
An exlusive, or captive, agency is able to quote prices with one company, two examples being a State Farm or Liberty Mutual agent. Exclusive agents normally do not have the ability to shop your coverage around, so keep that in mind.
Buying direct means you do not use local insurance agents and instead buy direct either online or via phone. This option may be preferred by people who do not have a need for a risk management assessment and understand what is covered and what is not.
Which method works best for finding cheap car insurance for drivers over age 50 in Pennsylvania? Most people assume that shopping direct results in the cheapest rates because there is no agent taking a commission, but that does not always hold true. An argument could also be made that using an independent agent can save the most money because they can quote many companies, but again, it’s not a sure thing. In the right set of circumstances, exclusive agents have price quotes that cannot be beaten by either independent or direct companies.
Due to that fact that insurance uses so many rating variables, really the best method to get the cheapest rates is to compare, compare, and compare some more. Set aside the time to get quotes from all three types to have the best selection of rates to choose from. For a list of companies with online discounts, click here to view.