Wouldn’t it be easy if we could look into our crystal ball and tell you the one auto insurance company that has the best auto insurance prices for first-time drivers? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple as there are a whole slew of unknown aspects like if you own a home, what coverage limits you want, the safety ratings of your vehicle, and if you are a man or woman. The content below will cover these topics and will hopefully give the reader some help in finding cheaper rates.
Shopping around for cheap auto insurance is not easy, and determining which companies have the cheapest insurance rates for first-time drivers will require additional perseverance. Each auto insurance company uses their own calculation to establish rates, so first let’s look at the rankings for the insurance companies that tend to have lower prices in Columbus, OH.
Compare Cheap Insurance Quotes for Inexperienced Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utica National | $647 |
| 2 | Erie | $667 |
| 3 | Allied | $697 |
| 4 | Frankenmuth | $701 |
| 5 | Travelers | $733 |
| 6 | USAA | $741 |
| 7 | Merchants Insurance Group | $755 |
| 8 | Cincinnati Insurance | $772 |
| 9 | Motorists Mutual | $824 |
| 10 | Grange Mutual | $828 |
| 11 | General Casualty | $837 |
| 12 | Hastings Mutual | $858 |
| 13 | Central Mutual | $866 |
| 14 | State Farm | $894 |
| 15 | Westfield | $918 |
| 16 | Atlantic States | $931 |
| 17 | Western Reserve | $941 |
| 18 | Auto-Owners | $958 |
| 19 | Progressive | $982 |
| 20 | Nationwide | $998 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||
Utica National has some of the lowest car insurance rates in Columbus at around $647 per year. This is $393 less than the average premium paid by Ohio drivers of $1,040. Erie, Allied, Frankenmuth, and Travelers also qualify as some of the best Columbus, OH car insurance companies.
In this example, if you currently buy coverage from Frankenmuth and switched to Erie, you may see yearly savings of roughly $34. Customers with Travelers might save as much as $66 a year, and USAA customers might reduce prices by as much as $74 a year.
To see how much you can save, click here to get a free quote or visit any of the companies below.
Be aware that those estimates are averages across all drivers and vehicles and are not factoring in a specific zip code for first-time drivers. So the auto insurance company that is best suited for you may not even be in the top 33 companies in the list above. That underscores the importance of why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
One of the many components that determine the cost of insurance is your address. Cities with larger populations or higher claim trends likely pay more, whereas more rural areas have the gratification of cheaper auto insurance rates.
The illustration below rates the most expensive areas in Ohio for first-time drivers to buy car insurance in. Columbus is ranked at #5 with an annual premium of $1,211 for car insurance, which is approximately $101 each month.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Youngstown | $1,285 |
| 2 | Cleveland | $1,235 |
| 3 | Toledo | $1,229 |
| 4 | Cincinnati | $1,222 |
| 5 | Columbus | $1,211 |
| 6 | Cleveland Heights | $1,202 |
| 7 | Euclid | $1,175 |
| 8 | Akron | $1,157 |
| 9 | Dayton | $1,120 |
| 10 | Hamilton | $1,102 |
| 11 | Canton | $1,102 |
| 12 | Springfield | $1,094 |
| 13 | Lakewood | $1,073 |
| 14 | Middletown | $1,066 |
| 15 | Fairfield | $1,063 |
| 16 | Newark | $1,063 |
| 17 | Strongsville | $1,041 |
| 18 | Parma | $1,027 |
| 19 | Beavercreek | $1,027 |
| 20 | Kettering | $1,009 |
| 21 | Mentor | $1,008 |
| 22 | Cuyahoga Falls | $1,007 |
| 23 | Elyria | $1,005 |
| 24 | Mansfield | $992 |
| 25 | Lorain | $985 |
| Find the Best Rates Go | ||
Information shown are comparative as specific location information can alter prices noticeably.
Responsible drivers pay cheaper Columbus insurance rates
In a perfect world, the best way to obtain affordable insurance premiums for new drivers is to drive safely and not get tickets or have accidents. The illustration below illustrates how speeding tickets and fender-benders impact car insurance rates for different age groups. The rates are based on a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, $100 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.
In the example above, the average cost of auto insurance in Columbus per year with no violations or accidents is $1,658. Receive one speeding ticket and the average cost swells to $1,878, an increase of $220 each year. Then add one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the 12-month cost of insurance for first-time drivers increases to an average of $2,509. That’s an increase of $851, or $71 per month, just for being a less-than-perfect driver!
How to get discounts on Columbus auto insurance
Insurers that provide policies for first-time drivers may have rate discounts that can lower rates by as much as 40% or more if you meet certain criteria. A few popular companies and their possible discounts are outlined below.
- GEICO offers premium reductions for defensive driver, driver training, good student, multi-vehicle, seat belt use, and anti-theft.
- Mercury Insurance may offer discounts for location of vehicle, annual mileage, type of vehicle, low natural disaster claims, and good driver.
- Farmers Insurance may include discounts for bundle discounts, early shopping, teen driver, distant student, electronic funds transfer, pay in full, and multi-car.
- Auto-Owners Insurance has savings for teen driver, student away at school, anti-lock brakes, multiple vehicles, good student, and anti-theft.
- Liberty Mutual offers discounts including hybrid vehicle, newly retired, preferred payment discount, multi-policy, good student, and multi-car.
- SAFECO policyholders can earn discounts including accident prevention training, multi-car, teen safety rewards, anti-lock brakes, and teen safe driver.
- Progressive may have discounts that include homeowner, good student, continuous coverage, multi-policy, and online quote discount.
- USAA includes discounts for loyalty savings, defensive driver, new vehicle, safe driver, and military installation.
The illustration below shows the difference between insurance costs with and without discounts applied. The rates are based on a female driver, no claims or driving citations, Ohio state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $1,000 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with good student, passive restraint, vehicle safety, anti-theft, continuous coverage, and paperless filing discounts applied. When discounts are factored in, theamount saved on insurance for first-time drivers is 28% or $446.
Picking a high-quality insurance provider is difficult considering how many companies there are in Ohio. The company rank data in the next section can help you choose which providers you want to consider when trying to find the cheapest insurance for first-time drivers.
The rankings below are for companies that insure vehicles nationwide, so companies that only write business in Ohio or surrounding areas are not included in the list. To view rates and find cheaper insurance for first-time drivers, click this link.
Top 10 Large Car Insurance Companies in Columbus Ranked by Customer Satisfaction
- USAA – 92%
- Erie Insurance – 88%
- American Family – 88%
- State Farm – 88%
- Nationwide – 88%
- 21st Century – 88%
- AAA Insurance – 87%
- Liberty Mutual – 87%
- Farmers Insurance – 87%
- The Hartford – 87%