You have seen the captivating commercials from insurers like Nationwide and Liberty Mutual that promise the cheapest price, so you just need to pick the one with the catchiest commercial, right?
It’s not quite that easy, unfortunately, as there are a ton of unknowns such as if you are currently insured, if you want full coverage, the annual mileage you drive, and your credit rating. We will touch on the types of things that cause high car insurance rates and will give you a good start to your coverage search.
The vehicle model you are trying to insure is probably the most important factor when looking for the most affordable insurance for high mileage drivers. Vehicles with economical engines, good safety features, or low incidents of liability claims will cost much less to insure than fast, unsafe models.
The data below outlines auto insurance premiums for a handful of the cheaper vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,225 |
| Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $1,233 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,241 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Crew Cab 2WD | $1,253 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport 4WD 2-Dr | $1,263 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $1,299 |
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $1,308 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $1,349 |
| Ford Edge Sport AWD | $1,397 |
| Honda Odyssey EX-L W/Navigation | $1,406 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $1,425 |
| Dodge Ram Quad Cab SLT 4WD | $1,447 |
| Ford Fusion S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,451 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $1,457 |
| Toyota RAV4 4WD | $1,451 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $1,473 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $1,480 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $1,488 |
| Ford Focus SES 2-Dr Coupe | $1,494 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $1,504 |
| Dodge Ram 3500 Mega Cab Laramie 2WD | $1,545 |
| GMC Sierra SL Crew Cab 2WD | $1,559 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ Crew Cab 4WD | $1,565 |
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Price data assumes single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Estimates do not factor in garaging location in Durham, NC which can decrease or increase insurance rates greatly.
Based upon the rates shown, we can assume that models like the Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Toyota Prius, and Ford F-150 are most likely going to be the less-costly vehicles to insure for high mileage drivers.
Buying budget car insurance is difficult, and determining which company quotes the most affordable auto insurance rates for high mileage drivers will take even more work.
Every auto insurer uses their own formula for determining rates, so we need to take a look at the lowest cost auto insurance companies in North Carolina. Keep in mind that Durham auto insurance rates are based on many factors that control the price you pay for coverage. Simply improving your credit score, having a teen driver, or getting a ticket for careless driving can produce rate changes resulting in some rates now being more expensive than before.
Best Cheap Insurance Rates in North Carolina
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Progressive | $651 |
| 2 | Utica National | $655 |
| 3 | NC Farm Bureau | $716 |
| 4 | GEICO | $720 |
| 5 | Liberty Mutual | $721 |
| 6 | Penn National | $725 |
| 7 | Titan | $729 |
| 8 | State Farm | $779 |
| 9 | Auto-Owners | $844 |
| 10 | National General | $890 |
| 11 | Allied | $892 |
| 12 | Erie | $895 |
| 13 | Travelers | $909 |
| 14 | Peerless | $972 |
| 15 | Unitrin | $1,002 |
| 16 | MetLife | $1,018 |
| 17 | Encompass | $1,041 |
| 18 | Nationwide | $1,041 |
| 19 | Safeco | $1,076 |
| 20 | Allstate | $1,086 |
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Progressive normally has some of the lowest car insurance rates in Durham at around $651 each year. Utica National, NC Farm Bureau, GEICO, and Liberty Mutual also are some of the cheapest Durham, NC insurance companies.
As shown in the table above, if you currently have a policy with GEICO and switched to Progressive, you could see yearly savings of about $69. Drivers with Liberty Mutual might save as much as $70 a year, and Penn National customers might reduce prices by as much as $74 a year.
Bear in mind that those policy rates are averaged across all types of insureds and vehicles and and are not calculated with a specific location for high mileage drivers. So the company that is best suited for you may not even be in the top 20 companies in the list above. That underscores the importance of why you need to get rate quotes from many companies using your own driver data and vehicle information.
Get discounts on Durham insurance rates
Insurance companies that offer coverage for high mileage drivers may additionally offer policy discounts that could reduce prices by as much as 35% or more if you qualify. The best auto insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are detailed below.
- American Family may include discounts for early bird, mySafetyValet, bundled insurance, good student, and good driver.
- Nationwide includes discounts for defensive driving, Farm Bureau membership, easy pay, family plan, business or organization, multi-policy, and accident-free.
- MetLife may offer discounts for claim-free, defensive driver, accident-free, good driver, good student, and multi-policy.
- 21st Century discounts include teen driver, theft prevention, student driver, 55 and older, early bird, anti-lock brakes, and air bags.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts including bundle discounts, mature driver, teen driver, switch companies, early shopping, youthful driver, and homeowner.
- Allstate has savings for auto/life discount, eSmart discount, defensive driver, new car, and EZ pay plan discount.
The illustration below visualizes the comparison of insurance premiums with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The costs are based on a male driver, no accidents or driving violations, North Carolina state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $500 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average annual price with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with marriage, passive restraint, homeowner, accident-free, claim-free, and safe-driver discounts applied. When discounts are factored in, theaverage amount saved on auto insurance for high mileage drivers is 28% or $438.
Full coverage versus liability only rates
Reducing premiums for auto insurance is probably important to most people, and one of the easiest ways to reduce the cost of insurance for high mileage drivers is to not insure for full coverage. The chart below visualizes the comparison of annual premium costs with full coverage and liability only. The premiums are based on no accidents, no driving violations, $1,000 deductibles, single marital status, and no additional discounts are factored in.
If we average the cost for all age groups, comp and collision coverage costs an additional $1,053 per year over having just liability coverage. At some point, about every driver wonders when is it safe to stop buying full coverage. There is no exact rule of when to exclude physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than around 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
Driving violations and accidents
The obvious way to find good auto insurance prices for high mileage drivers is to pay attention while driving and avoid accidents and traffic violations. The illustration below highlights how speeding tickets and at-fault claims can affect auto insurance rates for different categories of driver ages. The data is based on a single female driver, comp and collision included, $100 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.
In the chart above, the average cost of car insurance in North Carolina per year with no violations or accidents is $1,510. Factor in one speeding ticket and the average cost jumps to $1,709, an increase of $199 each year. Then throw in one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the 12-month cost of auto insurance for high mileage drivers jumps again to an average of $2,276. That’s an increase of $765, or $64 per month, just for not driving attentively!
The Durham auto insurance agencies shown below can answer your questions and help you decide which auto insurance policy fits you best, as some people prefer to get some help when shopping for cheaper insurance for high mileage drivers. It can be challenging to find coverage yourself, and a professional agent can give you peace of mind knowing your coverage gives you adequate protection.
To locate a Durham car insurance agency nearest to you, click the button following the list or click here to compare rates now.
- James Zewe – State Farm Insurance Agent
3500 Westgate Dr Ste 901 – Durham, NC 27707 – (919) 489-0804 - John Moore – State Farm Insurance Agent
1107 W Main St #201 – Durham, NC 27701 – (919) 598-7900 - Marsh Dawson Insurance Agency
5410 – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 484-8400
View map of Durham, NC insurance agents
How to find more affordable insurance for high mileage drivers
The list below shows many thrifty suggestions that can help North Carolina drivers locate cheaper auto insurance.
- Avoid accidents and claims
- Increase your comprehensive and collision deductibles
- Good credit can mean cheaper rates
- Older vehicles may not need full coverage
- Safe vehicles cost less to insure
- Violations and traffic tickets increase rates
- Compare rates often to find the best deal
The last idea is extraordinarily significant, as was noted in the prior information. Rates go up and down frequently, so don’t be afraid to switch to a new company if a better rate can be found. Staying with the same car insurance company is fine, but it’s not a great idea if it’s costing you hundreds every year. In just a few minutes you could shop around and find cheaper insurance for high mileage drivers in Durham.