The words “affordable” and “insurance” probably shouldn’t be used together, especially when searching for the cheapest car insurance for infrequent drivers. Because it’s so expensive, let’s go over some situations that can significantly affect insurance rates, and come up with some ideas to reduce the price of the next policy you buy.
One of the more important things that aid in calculating the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you live. Areas with more people or even just a higher incidence of claims are more likely to pay higher prices, whereas areas that tend to be more rural have the gratification of cheaper auto insurance rates.
The illustration below rates the priciest cities in Illinois for infrequent drivers in which to purchase auto insurance. Chicago is ranked at #2 with an annual premium of $1,484 for the average policy, which is approximately $124 per month.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cicero | $1,526 |
| 2 | Chicago | $1,484 |
| 3 | Berwyn | $1,449 |
| 4 | Skokie | $1,433 |
| 5 | Des Plaines | $1,274 |
| 6 | Oak Lawn | $1,269 |
| 7 | Evanston | $1,264 |
| 8 | Waukegan | $1,212 |
| 9 | Mount Prospect | $1,205 |
| 10 | Joliet | $1,180 |
| 11 | Orland Park | $1,173 |
| 12 | Schaumburg | $1,169 |
| 13 | Tinley Park | $1,154 |
| 14 | Bolingbrook | $1,150 |
| 15 | Elgin | $1,139 |
| 16 | Palatine | $1,109 |
| 17 | Rockford | $1,107 |
| 18 | Arlington Heights | $1,095 |
| 19 | Peoria | $1,092 |
| 20 | Aurora | $1,075 |
| 21 | Naperville | $1,053 |
| 22 | Decatur | $1,044 |
| 23 | Springfield | $1,028 |
| 24 | Bloomington | $951 |
| 25 | Champaign | $933 |
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Premium amounts are approximated as specific location information can increase or decrease rates substantially.
Finding out which insurers offer the best insurance rates for infrequent drivers calls for more work in order to find a policy that fits your budget. Each auto insurer uses a little different formula for establishing rates, so let’s rank the insurance companies with the overall best prices in Chicago, IL.
It’s a good idea to be aware that Chicago, IL insurance rates are influenced by many factors that can increase your annual premium. Simply improving your credit, buying another vehicle, or getting caught speeding can cause premium changes resulting in some companies being much cheaper than others.
Best Auto Insurance Prices in Illinois
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hartford | $753 |
| 2 | Rockford Mutual | $813 |
| 3 | Titan | $852 |
| 4 | Erie | $905 |
| 5 | Cincinnati Insurance | $924 |
| 6 | Utica National | $946 |
| 7 | SECURA | $965 |
| 8 | State Farm | $972 |
| 9 | USAA | $979 |
| 10 | Travelers | $981 |
| 11 | Auto-Owners | $1,033 |
| 12 | Safeco | $1,085 |
| 13 | GEICO | $1,085 |
| 14 | Amica | $1,109 |
| 15 | Farmers | $1,135 |
| 16 | California Casualty | $1,209 |
| 17 | MetLife | $1,220 |
| 18 | State Auto | $1,223 |
| 19 | Esurance | $1,233 |
| 20 | Progressive | $1,256 |
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The Hartford generally has some of the best car insurance rates in Chicago at around $753 a year. Rockford Mutual, Titan, Erie, and Cincinnati Insurance would also make the list of some of the most economical Chicago, IL car insurance companies.
In this example, if you are insured with Titan and switched to The Hartford, you might realize a yearly price reduction of roughly $99. Policyholders with Erie may save as much as $152 a year, and Cincinnati Insurance insureds might see rate reductions of $171 a year.
To get a quick, customized rate comparison, click here to start your custom quote or visit several of the following companies.
It’s important to note that these rates are averages for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and are not factoring in a specific zip code for infrequent drivers. So the car insurance company that can offer you the lowest price may not even be in the top 36 companies in the list above. That affirms the importance of why you need to get rate quotes using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
The make and model of vehicle requiring coverage is a significant factor when shopping around for the most economical auto insurance for infrequent drivers. Vehicles with reasonable performance levels, excellent safety ratings, or a track record of few liability claims will cost quite a bit less to insure than higher performance models. The next list outlines auto insurance costs for a selection of the cheaper vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford F-150 FX2 Super Cab 2WD | $2,341 |
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $2,390 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $2,423 |
| Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $2,430 |
| Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $2,445 |
| Ford Edge Sport AWD | $2,596 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $2,645 |
| Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $2,649 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 2WD | $2,682 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD LT Crew Cab 2WD | $2,691 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Regular Cab 2WD | $2,829 |
| Toyota RAV4 2WD | $2,832 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $2,841 |
| Toyota Prius | $2,842 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $2,868 |
| Dodge Ram Crew Cab Sport 2WD | $2,872 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $2,885 |
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Premium data assumes single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Illinois minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Information does not factor in specific garaging location which can increase or decrease price quotes greatly.
Looking at the numbers, models like the Ford F-150, Honda CR-V, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Tacoma, and Ford Escape will definitely be the less-costly vehicles to insure for low mileage drivers.
Careless Chicago drivers pay higher rates
The easiest way to score the best insurance premiums for low mileage drivers is to drive safely and avoid accidents and traffic citations. The example below demonstrates how traffic citations and accidents can impact car insurance rates for different insured age categories. The premiums assume a single male driver, full coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
In the prior example, the average cost of auto insurance in Chicago per year with no accidents or violations is $1,674. Receive one speeding ticket and the average cost increases to $1,887, an increase of $214 each year. Now throw in one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the yearly cost of insurance for infrequent drivers goes up to an average of $2,481. That’s an increase of $808, or $67 per month, just for a couple of infractions!
Finding the right company is difficult considering how many different companies sell coverage in Chicago. The ranking data listed below may help you analyze which companies you want to consider comparing rate quotes with. The ratings below include companies with a national presence, so smaller companies are not included in the list.
Top 10 Large Auto Insurers Overall in Chicago
- USAA
- 21st Century
- GEICO
- Nationwide
- AAA Insurance
- Liberty Mutual
- Safeco Insurance
- State Farm
- Travelers
- American Family
Top 10 Large Auto Insurers in Chicago Ranked by Value
- USAA
- GEICO
- AAA Insurance
- Erie Insurance
- State Farm
- Liberty Mutual
- Safeco Insurance
- Allstate
- 21st Century
- Travelers
Chicago car insurance rates
Chicago, IL insurance rates are based on many factors which can substantially decrease or increase the price you pay for coverage. Turning one year older, moving to a different location, or getting into an accident can trigger price changes resulting in some companies being more affordable than competitors.
Additionally, insurance companies change their prices as often as every three months to adjust for heavy claims or excess profits. Higher than normal claims may result in higher prices, while long-term profits may cause cheaper Chicago car insurance rates.
To help illustrate this point, the graph below demonstrates which company has the cheapest car insurance in Chicago, IL for a 35-year-old male driver with no accidents or violations, and a high credit rating. When comparing rates based on his current rating profile, The Hartford may have the most affordable car insurance rates in Chicago at $1,222 each year. This is $127 less than the average premium paid by Illinois drivers of $1,349. Rockford Mutual, Titan, Cincinnati Insurance, and Erie are the rest of the most affordable Chicago, IL auto insurance companies.
The next chart shows rates after we give the driver from above some claims, a lower credit score, and a traffic ticket or two. Since each auto insurer has their own guidelines for determining rates in each state, analyzing rate quotes will most likely result in a substantially altered list of the cheapest companies as shown below.
Utica National now has the best price on car insurance in Chicago, IL with Travelers, SECURA, State Farm, and Auto-Owners now rounding out the top five. This example proves why consumers need to compare many different companies when trying to get cheap auto insurance quotes for infrequent drivers.
Insurance rates can be altered by many things and change frequently, so the cheapest rate two years ago may now cost much more than other companies.