Figuring out which companies have the cheapest auto insurance rates for drivers with bad credit will take a tad more effort in order to find the best policy. Each auto insurer used slightly different criteria for determining prices, so we need to take a look at the auto insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in Columbus.
Cheapest Insurance Rates with Bad Credit
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utica National | $654 |
| 2 | Erie | $661 |
| 3 | Allied | $697 |
| 4 | Frankenmuth | $701 |
| 5 | Travelers | $726 |
| 6 | USAA | $733 |
| 7 | Cincinnati Insurance | $749 |
| 8 | Merchants Insurance Group | $755 |
| 9 | Motorists Mutual | $800 |
| 10 | Grange Mutual | $804 |
| 11 | General Casualty | $837 |
| 12 | Hastings Mutual | $866 |
| 13 | State Farm | $867 |
| 14 | Central Mutual | $874 |
| 15 | Westfield | $918 |
| 16 | Atlantic States | $940 |
| 17 | Progressive | $953 |
| 18 | Western Reserve | $970 |
| 19 | Farmers | $995 |
| 20 | Auto-Owners | $998 |
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Utica National may have some of the lowest car insurance rates in Columbus at around $654 each year. This is $386 less than the average policy premium paid by Ohio drivers of $1,040. Erie, Allied, Frankenmuth, and Travelers also rank well as some of the cheapest Columbus, OH car insurance companies.
As the example above demonstrates, if you currently buy coverage from Allied and switched to Utica National, you may see an annual savings of upwards of $43. Ohio drivers with Frankenmuth could save as much as $47 a year, and Travelers insureds might reduce rates by $72 a year.
To see how much you can save, click here to start a quote or click through to the companies below.
Understand that those prices are averaged for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and and are not calculated with a specific zip code for drivers with bad credit. So the insurer that fits you best may not even be in the top 33 companies in the list above. That’s why you need to get quotes using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
For people with poor credit, one of the largest considerations that determine car insurance rates is where you live. Cities with more crime and/or more people tend to have higher auto insurance costs, whereas less populated areas have the benefit of cheaper auto insurance prices.
The illustration below ranks the highest-priced areas in Ohio for drivers with bad credit to buy an auto insurance policy in. Columbus shows up at #4 with the yearly price of $1,211 for the average policyholder, which is about $101 each month.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Youngstown | $1,285 |
| 2 | Toledo | $1,279 |
| 3 | Cleveland | $1,259 |
| 4 | Columbus | $1,211 |
| 5 | Cincinnati | $1,186 |
| 6 | Akron | $1,169 |
| 7 | Cleveland Heights | $1,166 |
| 8 | Hamilton | $1,135 |
| 9 | Euclid | $1,129 |
| 10 | Dayton | $1,120 |
| 11 | Newark | $1,095 |
| 12 | Springfield | $1,094 |
| 13 | Fairfield | $1,063 |
| 14 | Canton | $1,058 |
| 15 | Lakewood | $1,031 |
| 16 | Beavercreek | $1,027 |
| 17 | Cuyahoga Falls | $1,027 |
| 18 | Middletown | $1,024 |
| 19 | Kettering | $1,020 |
| 20 | Lorain | $1,005 |
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Price information shown is approximated as the garaging address in Columbus can revise coverage prices noticeably.
The vehicle you are trying to insure is one of the primary factors when consumers are trying to find cheaper insurance for drivers with bad credit. Vehicles with economical engines, a great safety record, or a positive history of liability claims will cost less to insure than adrenaline junky models. The next list outlines insurance premiums for a handful of the most budget-friendly vehicles to buy insurance for.
| Insured Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $1,284 |
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $1,290 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $1,397 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $1,443 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $1,494 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $1,502 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $1,553 |
| Ford F-150 Lariat Crew Cab 2WD | $1,558 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $1,553 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,568 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 2WD 4-Dr | $1,571 |
| Toyota Tacoma X-Runner 2WD | $1,606 |
| Honda Civic DX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,635 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,645 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $1,668 |
| Ford Edge SE AWD | $1,681 |
| Honda Accord LX-S 2-Dr Coupe | $1,716 |
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Data based on single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Ohio minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-vehicle, homeowner, multi-policy, and safe-driver. Table data does not factor in your specific Columbus, OH location which can increase or decrease price quotes substantially.
Looking at the data, cars like the Hyundai Elantra, Ford Escape, Volkswagen Jetta, and Honda CR-V are a few of the cheapest vehicles to insure for people with poor credit. Auto insurance rates will be more costly because of the fact that there is more exposure for drivers with bad credit, but overall those specific models will tend to have the best insurance prices that you’ll find.
Selecting a good quality auto insurance company is hard considering how many different companies there are to choose from in Columbus. The information in the lists below could help you analyze which car insurance companies to look at when trying to find the cheapest insurance for drivers with bad credit.
These rankings only include companies with a nationwide focus, so smaller regional companies will not be included in the list. To compare prices from the insurers below and more, follow this link.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 99 | 100 | 90 | 92% | A++ | 97.4 |
| 21st Century | 89 | 86 | 100 | 88% | A | 92.7 |
| GEICO | 97 | 91 | 88 | 85% | A++ | 92.5 |
| Nationwide | 88 | 94 | 91 | 88% | A+ | 91.3 |
| AAA Insurance | 93 | 87 | 88 | 87% | A | 90.8 |
| Liberty Mutual | 91 | 91 | 92 | 87% | A | 90.7 |
| Safeco Insurance | 90 | 93 | 88 | 86% | A | 90.2 |
| State Farm | 91 | 94 | 80 | 88% | A++ | 90.2 |
| Travelers | 89 | 91 | 94 | 79% | A++ | 90.1 |
| American Family | 88 | 92 | 83 | 88% | A | 89.4 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
The information below highlights how deductible choice can raise or lower insurance rates when researching cheap insurance for drivers with bad credit. The data is based on a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
As shown above, a 50-year-old driver could cut expenses by $190 a year by switching the physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $286 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger insureds, like the 20-year-old, can save up to $630 every year by choosing a higher deductible. When insureds make the decision to increase the deductibles on their policy, it is a good idea to have plenty of money set aside to allow you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the primary disadvantage of high deductibles.
Violations and accidents raise rates
The common sense way to obtain the best auto insurance prices for people with poor credit is to drive safe and avoid tickets and accidents. The information below illustrates how speeding tickets and at-fault fender-benders raise car insurance rates for each age group. The costs are based on a single male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
The data above shows the average cost of car insurance in Columbus per year with no violations or accidents is $1,436. Factor in two speeding tickets and the average cost increases to $1,894, an increase of $459 each year. Then include one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the 12-month cost of auto insurance for drivers with bad credit jumps again to an average of $2,366. That’s an increase of $930, or $78 per month, just for not driving carefully!