Progressive auto insurance stands out as a leading player in the insurance industry, offering a diverse range of coverages at a competitive price point. Here, we’ll explore the compelling features that make Progressive a prominent choice for those seeking comprehensive and affordable auto insurance solutions.
Our Take
Progressive Car Insurance
4.8Expertise.com ranking
Key Takeaways
- AM Best rating: A+
- J.D. Power rating: 870/1000
Pros
- Competitive, budget-friendly pricing
- Range of coverages
- User-friendly online services
Cons
- Complex, and sometimes confusing, discounts
- Customer service can be difficult to reach
Progressive auto insurance excels with competitive pricing, providing the second-lowest quotes among surveyed companies with reasonable deductibles. Their extensive coverage options, including user-friendly online services, are notable strengths.
However, mixed customer service experiences and complex, varying discounts can pose challenges for some. Without clear guidance, some customers may feel overwhelmed and confused.
Progressive Auto Insurance at a Glance
Understanding Progressive’s strengths and potential weaknesses can help you weigh the pros and cons before choosing this company as your auto insurance provider.
Where Progressive stands out
Competitive pricing: Progressive is known for its competitive rates, and its innovative Name Your Price tool allows policyholders to customize their coverage to match their budget, making it easier to find affordable options.
Range of coverages: Progressive offers diverse coverage options, from standard auto insurance to valuable add-ons like roadside assistance and gap insurance. This variety ensures customers can tailor their policies to suit their needs and circumstances.
User-friendly online services: With a user-friendly website and mobile app, Progressive simplifies policy management and claims filing and even offers tools like the Snapshot program for safe driving discounts. These digital services improve the overall customer experience, providing convenience and accessibility.
What could be improved
Customer service: Progressive has faced criticism for its customer service, with occasional reports of unsatisfactory experiences in claim handling. Delays or communication issues can frustrate customers, potentially affecting their overall satisfaction.
Complex, varying discounts: While Progressive offers discounts for safe driving and other factors, these discounts may vary by location and customer profile. Not all customers may qualify for them, making it challenging to predict the final cost of coverage. Additionally, the array of add-ons and options available can be overwhelming for some customers, making it difficult to navigate and select the right coverage for their needs.
Progressive compared to the competition
For anyone in the market for auto insurance, the cost of premiums and deductibles plays a significant role in the decision-making process. To help you make an informed choice, we’ve prepared a comparative table that examines Progressive’s premiums and deductibles for a four-door sedan alongside its top competitors.
Company | Biannual Premium | Monthly Premium | Deductible |
Progressive | $501 | $111 | $750 |
Allstate | $1,144 | $191 | $1,000 |
Geico | $603 | $105 | $500 |
Nationwide | $1,226 | $204 | $500 |
Liberty Mutual | $1,014 | $169 | $1,000 |
Available discounts
Progressive auto insurance offers a range of discounts to help policyholders save on their premiums, including:
Loyalty-based discounts: Enjoy savings of 5% to 12% for those with multiple policies (such as bundling auto and home insurance), multiple cars, and continuous insurance based on the time you’ve been insured without a lapse.
Snapshot Safe Driver Discount: By participating in the Snapshot program and showcasing safe driving habits, customers can achieve an average savings of $231, promoting safe driving practices.
Teen Driver Discount: Parents can benefit from discounts when adding teenage drivers to their policy.
Good Student and Distant Student Discounts: Students who excel academically or live away from home may qualify for reduced rates.
Homeowner Discounts: Owning a home can lead to savings on your auto insurance policy.
Discounts for How You Buy: Receive a 7% to 9% discount by getting an online quote and signing up online. Additional savings are available for enrolling in autopay, going paperless, and paying the premium in full, boosting the overall affordability of your coverage.
What Auto Insurance Coverage Options Are Available?
Progressive offers a variety of popular auto insurance coverage options that allow customers to tailor their policies to their specific needs, such as:
Liability coverage: This is a fundamental component of any auto insurance policy. It covers bodily injury and property damage liability, helping to pay for medical expenses and property repairs if you’re at fault in an accident.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage: This safeguards you in an accident with a driver who lacks insurance or sufficient coverage. It helps cover medical expenses and property damage costs.
Collision coverage: If your vehicle is damaged in a collision with another car or object, this coverage pays for the repairs, regardless of who’s at fault.
Comprehensive coverage: This offers protection against non-collision incidents, such as theft, vandalism, natural disasters, and animal collisions.
Medical payments coverage: This covers medical expenses for you and your passengers in the event of an accident, regardless of who’s at fault.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP): PIP provides a broader scope of medical coverage, including lost wages and essential services, and may be required in no-fault states.
Additional coverage options
Progressive offers a significant selection of additional coverage options to enhance your auto insurance policy, providing comprehensive protection.
Loan/Lease Payoff: Often referred to as gap insurance, this coverage pays the difference between what you own on your auto loan or lease and the actual value of your vehicle if it’s deemed a total loss.
Rental Car Reimbursement: If your vehicle is in the shop for covered repairs, this coverage assists with renting a replacement vehicle.
Roadside Assistance: Progressive’s roadside assistance program offers help with common roadside issues like flat tires, lockouts, and towing.
Trip Interruption: If an accident occurs while traveling, this coverage helps with expenses like lodging and food while your vehicle is being repaired.
Custom Parts and Equipment Value Coverage: If you’ve customized your vehicle with aftermarket parts, this coverage ensures they are protected.
Rideshare Coverage: If you drive for ridesharing services like Uber or Lyft, this option covers you when you work.
Deductible Savings Bank: Progressive rewards safe driving by reducing your deductible for every claim-free policy period.
Pet Injury Coverage: This unique offering helps cover veterinary bills if your pet is injured in an accident while in your vehicle.
Progressive Auto Insurance Consumer Experience
According to J.D. Power’s 2023 Auto Insurance Study, Progressive secured the second position in overall customer satisfaction across the United States, just behind Geico. This can be attributed to several factors, including the following:
Claims experience: Progressive offers a streamlined claims process, accessible online and through their agents. While some users have raised concerns, many find the claims experience satisfactory overall. Additionally, the option to file claims online or via agent communication caters to various customer preferences.
Online tools: Progressive’s online tools simplify policy management, including the mobile app. The app facilitates easy payments, and its Snapshot program, designed for safe driving discounts, illustrates its commitment to leveraging technology for customer benefits.
Competitive pricing: While reviews on pricing are mixed, Progressive maintains competitiveness. Even in the face of premium increases, many customers stick with Progressive, appreciating their efforts to keep rates competitive in the insurance market.
The combination of a user-friendly claims experience, advanced online tools, and a commitment to competitive pricing contributes to Progressive’s favorable ranking from the perspective of many auto insurance consumers.
Where Can You Get Progressive Auto Insurance in the United States?
Progressive auto insurance is available in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia.
How Much Does Progressive Auto Insurance Cost?
Progressive quoted us a monthly premium of $111 for a four-door sedan with a clean driving record and a $750 deductible. While higher than Geico, it’s substantially less than Allstate and Nationwide’s initial quote for the same vehicle. In addition, paying the biannual premium offers a substantial $165 discount, making Progressive a relatively affordable option, though rates depend on individual circumstances.
How To Buy Progressive Car Insurance
You can purchase Progressive car insurance that suits your needs and provides the required coverage by taking the following steps.
Request a quote by speaking with an agent over the phone or save 7% to 9% on your policy by seeking your quote online.
Review the quote and tailor your policy to meet your needs, including coverage options and deductibles. Inquire about discounts like bundling, safe driving, and more to maximize your savings.
Once satisfied with your choices, complete the application process and provide the necessary policy information. Choose a payment plan — monthly, semi-annually, or annually — and pay the initial premium.
Progressive will then provide you with a digital insurance card and policy documents.
Progressive Car Insurance FAQs
Methodology
Expertise’s car insurance rating methodology takes into account the following details about each company:
Financial strength: This category examines a company’s ability to pay future claims based on assessments from independent agencies like AM Best and Demotech. Companies with a higher score than these third-party companies ranked higher in this category.
Customer satisfaction: Our team examined https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2023-us-auto-claims-satisfaction-study, which provides an analysis of customers’ perceptions and expectations of their insurer’s performance throughout the entire claims experience. Companies that ranked higher on J.D. Power’s list scored higher in this category.
Coverage availability: Our team examined state availability for each company and rated companies with more availability higher than competitors.
Consumer experience: For this category, our team reviewed each company’s website, mobile app, quote tool, and customer service availability.
Consumer complaints: Our team reviewed complaints to state regulators as reported by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size or share of total premiums in the industry. The NAIC assigns a median complaint ratio of 1.0. Companies with an NAIC complaint score of less than 1 scored higher in this category.
Premium cost: This category assesses homeowners insurance costs based on the quotes we gathered from each company for a four-door sedan with no accidents in the past five years. Companies that provided lower quotes scored higher in this category.
To score companies in these categories, we collected data points from the companies' websites, company representatives, state regulator data, and third-party analyses.
These data points were then compared against each other and given a star rating score, where one star represents a poor rating and a five-star score represents an excellent rating. To calculate the star rating, we looked at each company’s total weighted score, divided by the maximum score, and multiplied by five.
Our ratings are weighted based on our editorial opinions. We use the following weightings for our homeowner’s insurance company ratings:
Financial strength (20%)
Customer satisfaction (15%)
Coverage availability (10%)
Consumer experience (20%)
Consumer complaints (15%)
Premium cost (20%)