Wouldn’t it be excellent if we could just tell you that one special company that has the best insurance prices for infrequent drivers? It’s not quite that easy, unfortunately, as there are a whole slew of unknown elements like if you own or rent your home, any driving violations you may have, and the vehicle you drive, that all have an effect on the price of a policy. This article will cover some of these criteria and hopefully give you enough understanding to have a good beginning to your search for cheaper coverage.
For low mileage drivers, one of the more important factors that are looked at to help calculate the price you pay for insurance is where you keep your car. Cities with larger populations likely pay more, whereas areas with lower vehicle theft rates and fewer weather claims benefit from lower coverage costs.
The next table shows the most expensive cities in New York for infrequent drivers to buy auto insurance in. Buffalo is listed at #13 with an annual rate of $1,488 for the average policy, which is around $124 each month.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $2,708 |
| 2 | Hempstead | $2,301 |
| 3 | Freeport | $2,213 |
| 4 | Levittown | $2,041 |
| 5 | Mount Vernon | $1,997 |
| 6 | Yonkers | $1,958 |
| 7 | West Babylon | $1,932 |
| 8 | Brentwood | $1,910 |
| 9 | Hicksville | $1,900 |
| 10 | Coram | $1,784 |
| 11 | White Plains | $1,678 |
| 12 | New Rochelle | $1,610 |
| 13 | Buffalo | $1,488 |
| 14 | Niagara Falls | $1,225 |
| 15 | Cheektowaga | $1,203 |
| 16 | West Seneca | $1,201 |
| 17 | Tonawanda | $1,177 |
| 18 | Utica | $1,125 |
| 19 | Syracuse | $1,119 |
| 20 | Troy | $1,085 |
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Premium amounts are approximated as the specific garaging location can affect price quotes noticeably.
Deciphering which companies quote the best insurance rates for infrequent drivers will involve more time than just quoting one company’s rates. Every insurance provider uses their own method for establishing rates, so to begin we’ll rank the insurance companies with the most affordable rates in Buffalo.
It’s a good idea to be aware that New York insurance rates are based on many factors that may substantially change the price you pay for coverage. Simply having a birthday, having a claim, or getting a couple of tickets can trigger rate changes that can cause some rates to be cheaper than before.
Best Auto Insurance Prices in New York
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,152 |
| 2 | Erie | $1,255 |
| 3 | Travelers | $1,529 |
| 4 | Allstate | $1,541 |
| 5 | Utica National | $1,549 |
| 6 | Progressive | $1,558 |
| 7 | MetLife | $1,588 |
| 8 | Amica | $1,628 |
| 9 | Preferred Mutual | $1,737 |
| 10 | New York Central Mutual | $1,836 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,907 |
| 12 | Safeco | $1,946 |
| 13 | Central Mutual | $1,968 |
| 14 | State Farm | $1,982 |
| 15 | Liberty Mutual | $2,005 |
| 16 | Hanover | $2,299 |
| 17 | Encompass | $2,662 |
| 18 | Nationwide | $3,085 |
| 19 | Mercury | $3,965 |
| 20 | 21st Century | $4,412 |
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USAA may have some of the lowest car insurance rates in Buffalo at around $1,152 each year. This is $923 less than the average policy premium paid by New York drivers of $2,075. Erie, Travelers, Allstate, and Utica National would also be considered some of the best Buffalo, NY insurance companies.
As illustrated above, if you currently buy coverage from Allstate and switched to Erie, you may realize savings of around $286. Insureds with Utica National may save as much as $294 a year, and Progressive insureds might realize rate reductions of up to $303 a year.
It’s important to note that these prices are averaged for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and are not factoring in a specific location for infrequent drivers. So the insurer that can offer you the lowest price may not even be in the top 20 companies in the list above. That points out the importance of why you need to get rate quotes using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
The make and model of vehicle you are insuring is a large consideration when shopping for cheaper coverage for infrequent drivers. Vehicles with lower acceleration and performance, advanced safety features, or low incidents of liability claims will cost less to insure than high performance models. The information below presents coverage prices for a number of the most cost-effective vehicles to insure in New York.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda Odyssey LX | $2,438 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $2,485 |
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $2,505 |
| Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $2,579 |
| Toyota RAV4 2WD | $2,629 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $2,710 |
| Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $2,770 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $2,777 |
| Toyota Prius | $2,774 |
| Nissan Rogue S AWD | $2,814 |
| GMC Sierra SLT Crew Cab 2WD | $2,821 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LTZ | $2,828 |
| Ford Edge Limited 2WD | $2,821 |
| Ford Explorer XLT AWD | $2,827 |
| Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4WD 2-Dr | $2,832 |
| Ford F-150 Lariat King Ranch 4WD | $2,871 |
| Ford Fusion S 4-Dr Sedan | $2,878 |
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Price data assumes single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and New York minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Prices do not factor in vehicle location which can lower or raise premiums significantly.
Looking at the rates, we can presume that models like the Honda Odyssey, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Ford Focus, and Toyota RAV4 should be the less-costly vehicles to insure for low mileage drivers.
Get discounts on Buffalo insurance
Auto insurance companies that provide coverage for infrequent drivers could also offer policy discounts that could lower prices by as much as 40% or more if you meet specific eligibility requirements. A list of insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts can be found below.
- Farm Bureau may offer discounts for good student, youthful driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and 55 and retired.
- MetLife includes discounts for defensive driver, good driver, multi-policy, claim-free, accident-free, and good student.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including multi-vehicle, online signing, good student, online quote discount, multi-policy, continuous coverage, and homeowner.
- AAA has discounts for anti-theft, pay-in-full, AAA membership discount, multi-car, multi-policy, and good student.
- American Family offers premium reductions for good student, accident-free, early bird, TimeAway discount, and air bags.
- GEICO may have discounts that include anti-lock brakes, seat belt use, emergency military deployment, membership and employees, daytime running lights, defensive driver, and federal employee.
- State Farm may include discounts for good student, anti-theft, accident-free, defensive driving training, multiple autos, multiple policy, and Drive Safe & Save.
The illustration below compares premium costs with and without policy discounts. The premiums are based on a female driver, no claims or driving citations, New York state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $100 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with anti-theft, passive restraint, safe-driver, multiple vehicle, homeowner, and defensive driving course discounts applied. When these discounts are applied to the policy premium, the average savings per year on insurance for infrequent drivers is 28% or $398.
Reckless driving habits raise Buffalo insurance rates
The common sense way to snag affordable insurance rates for low mileage drivers is to drive carefully and avoid accidents and traffic violations. The illustration below shows how traffic citations and at-fault collisions can raise annual premium costs for each age group. The prices are based on a married male driver, full physical damage coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.
In the example above, the average cost of a car insurance policy per year with no violations or accidents is $1,070. Get one speeding ticket and the average cost rises to $1,228, an increase of $158 each year. Next add one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the annual cost of insurance for infrequent drivers goes up to an average of $1,670. That’s an increase of $599, or $50 per month, just for not maintaining a clean driving record!
The information below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles can change premium costs when getting quotes for cheap insurance for infrequent drivers. The data is based on a single female driver, full coverage, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
A 50-year-old driver could lower rates by $292 a year by switching from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $442 by selecting a $1,000 deductible. Even younger insureds, such as the Age 20 example, could potentially save $748 annually by choosing larger deductibles on their policy.
When increasing deductibles, it is a good idea to have enough spare savings to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the one inconvenience of using high deductibles.
How to find economical auto insurance for infrequent drivers
It is possible to find better rates, and here are some of the better thrifty ideas that can help New York drivers buy low-cost coverage.
- Increase your credit rating
- Buying home and auto together can help save money
- Full coverage is expensive so only insure older vehicles for liability only
- Raise deductibles
- Claim-free policyholders usually earn a discount
- Buy a safer vehicle
- Compare rates and switch if you can find a better deal
The last idea is notably crucial, as we stressed in the prior article. Prices charged by companies in Buffalo fluctuate considerably, so don’t be afraid to change to a new company if a more affordable rate is found.
Brand loyalty is great, but is isn’t recommended if your bullheadedness ends up costing you hundreds of dollars a year. Take a few minutes and compare prices and find cheaper car insurance for infrequent drivers.