It’s hard to miss the ads from companies like Liberty Mutual and Nationwide that say if you switch you’ll get huge savings. So you should just select the one with the best jingle, right?
It’s not that easy, however, as there are many unknown factors like whether you are male or female, how experienced of a driver you are, and the miles you drive each year, that all help calculate your car insurance rates. We will touch on the best ways to maintain low rates and will hopefully give you a good start in finding the cheapest car insurance in Washington.
The vehicle model you are buying coverage for is one of the largest factors when shopping for cheap insurance for college graduates. Vehicles with lower acceleration and performance, advanced safety features, or low incidents of liability claims will cost substantially less to insure than higher performance models. The next list ranks coverage costs for a handful of the most affordable automobiles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 2WD | $1,826 |
| Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $1,890 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $1,930 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport Islander Package 4WD 2-Dr | $1,953 |
| Ford F-150 FX4 4WD | $1,964 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SXT | $1,973 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,982 |
| Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $1,990 |
| Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,996 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $2,033 |
| Honda Odyssey EX-L W/Rear Entertainment | $2,039 |
| Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $2,068 |
| Ford Fusion SE 4-Dr Sedan | $2,078 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $2,068 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 4WD | $2,108 |
| Toyota Camry Hybrid | $2,206 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $2,223 |
| Toyota Corolla XLE | $2,226 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Extended Cab 4WD | $2,269 |
| Nissan Altima Hybrid 4-Dr Sedan | $2,277 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ 2WD | $2,269 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 4WD | $2,277 |
| Ford Edge Limited AWD | $2,275 |
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Prices based on single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Washington minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, and homeowner. Price information does not factor in your specific Seattle, WA location which can decrease or increase auto insurance rates noticeably.
Based upon the table data, we can expect cars like the Ford Explorer, Honda CR-V, and Chevrolet Malibu are going to be a few of the most affordable vehicles to insure for college grads.
One of the many things that aid in calculating insurance cost is where your car is garaged. Cities with larger populations will most likely pay more, whereas areas that tend to be more rural benefit from lower rates.
The illustration below shows the most expensive places in Washington for college graduates to buy car insurance in. Seattle comes in at #7 with an annual cost of $1,349 for the average policy, which is around $112 each month.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tacoma | $1,441 |
| 2 | Federal Way | $1,435 |
| 3 | Lakewood | $1,420 |
| 4 | Auburn | $1,408 |
| 5 | South Hill | $1,354 |
| 6 | Kent | $1,350 |
| 7 | Seattle | $1,349 |
| 8 | Renton | $1,348 |
| 9 | Shoreline | $1,312 |
| 10 | Everett | $1,250 |
| 11 | Kirkland | $1,243 |
| 12 | Sammamish | $1,232 |
| 13 | Marysville | $1,221 |
| 14 | Bellevue | $1,206 |
| 15 | Redmond | $1,201 |
| 16 | Vancouver | $1,146 |
| 17 | Lacey | $1,122 |
| 18 | Spokane | $1,093 |
| 19 | Spokane Valley | $1,087 |
| 20 | Olympia | $1,072 |
| 21 | Yakima | $1,068 |
| 22 | Kennewick | $1,041 |
| 23 | Pasco | $1,018 |
| 24 | Richland | $993 |
| 25 | Bellingham | $977 |
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Information shown are approximated as zip code location can influence coverage prices substantially.
Selecting a high-quality auto insurance provider can be challenging considering how many companies sell coverage in Seattle. The company rank data shown next could help you pick which companies to look at shopping your coverage with. The rankings below are only comprised of insurance companies that insure vehicles in the majority of U.S. states, so companies with more of a regional focus will not be included in these rankings.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 98 | 100 | 100 | 94% | A++ | 98.6 |
| American Family | 98 | 89 | 100 | 86% | A | 95.4 |
| State Farm | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90% | A++ | 92.4 |
| The Hartford | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89% | A+ | 91.7 |
| AAA Insurance | 88 | 89 | 95 | 91% | A | 91.2 |
| GEICO | 84 | 93 | 93 | 89% | A++ | 90.3 |
| The General | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88% | A- | 90 |
| Titan Insurance | 90 | 87 | 91 | 95% | A+ | 89.6 |
| Progressive | 84 | 91 | 93 | 87% | A+ | 89.5 |
| Allstate | 85 | 90 | 92 | 88% | A+ | 89.3 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Types of discounts on Seattle insurance rates
Auto insurance companies that provide policies for college graduates could also offer rate discounts that could potentially reduce rates by as much as 35% if you meet eligibility requirements. A few popular companies and some of their more popular discounts can be read below.
- Farmers Insurance has discounts for good student, early shopping, pay in full, electronic funds transfer, and homeowner.
- State Farm may offer discounts for defensive driving training, student away at school, Drive Safe & Save, anti-theft, and good student.
- Liberty Mutual policyholders can earn discounts including new graduate, good student, safety features, newly retired, and hybrid vehicle.
- MetLife may have discounts that include good student, good driver, claim-free, multi-policy, and accident-free.
- Progressive includes discounts for online quote discount, homeowner, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, multi-policy, good student, and online signing.
The chart below compares insurance prices with and without discounts being applied to the rates. The prices are based on a female driver, no claims or driving citations, Washington state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $100 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multiple policy, passive restraint, claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, and vehicle safety discounts applied. When drivers take advantage of discounts, the average amount saved each year on insurance for college graduates is 28% or $604.
The example below demonstrates how deductible levels can raise or lower insurance prices when researching cheap insurance for college graduates. The price estimates are based on a single female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
As shown above, a 30-year-old driver could reduce rates by $266 a year by changing their physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $402 by selecting a $1,000 deductible. Youthful drivers, like the Age 20 chart data, could reduce their rates as much as $592 every year by choosing a higher deductible.
When raising deductibles, it is necessary to have plenty of discretionary funds to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the one shortcoming of high deductibles.
How to find budget-friendly auto insurance for college graduates
The list below shows a few penny-pinching solutions that can help drivers get cheap coverage.
- Vehicles with good safety ratings have lower liability rates
- Maintain a clean driving record
- Full coverage is expensive so only insure older vehicles for liability only
- Save money by staying claim-free
- Remain accident-free and save
- Buying your home and auto policies from the same company can earn a discount
- Comparison shop at least once a year
The last idea is remarkably crucial, as we noted in this write-up. Prices in Seattle vary greatly, so don’t be tentative to switch carriers if a lower price can be found. Brand loyalty is great, but it isn’t a good idea if that inflexibility results in costing you hundreds of dollars year after year. Spend a few minutes and compare rates and find cheaper insurance for college graduates.