Life would sure be easier if we could simply give you the name of the one Florida auto insurance company that has the best insurance prices in Florida. It’s not that simple, unfortunately, as there are a whole bunch of unknown factors like if you are currently insured, whether or not you own a home, and how much you actually drive in a year, that all factor into the price you pay. In this article, we will teach you about the best ways to avoid overpriced car insurance and should give you a solid foundation to find cheaper car insurance.
The vehicle model needing coverage is one of the primary factors when trying to find low-cost car insurance for uninsured drivers. Vehicles with reasonable performance levels, an excellent safety record, or a positive history of liability claims will cost substantially less to insure than high performance models.
The information below outlines car insurance rates for the most affordable vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $2,021 |
| Toyota Prius | $2,239 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4WD 2-Dr | $2,264 |
| Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $2,280 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $2,341 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $2,393 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Off-Road Package 4WD | $2,437 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $2,473 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 2WD | $2,483 |
| Ford F-150 FX2 Super Cab 2WD | $2,473 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $2,521 |
| Ford Edge SEL 2WD | $2,566 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.5 Station Wagon | $2,598 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD LT Crew Cab 2WD | $2,610 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS 2WD | $2,617 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $2,636 |
| Ford Focus SES 2-Dr Coupe | $2,690 |
| Hyundai Sonata SE 4-Dr Sedan | $2,695 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $2,697 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $2,706 |
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Prices above based on single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Florida minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Price estimates do not factor in specific garaging location which can affect auto insurance rates greatly.
Looking at the rates, you can see that cars like the Ford Escape, Toyota Prius, Jeep Wrangler, and Honda Accord are some of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for drivers with no prior coverage.
One of the many things that are used to help calculate the annual cost of car insurance is your zip code. Regions with more people or even just more weather-related claims tend to pay slightly more, whereas areas with fewer weather claims and lower vehicle theft rates have the luxury of lower rates.
The table below ranks the most expensive places in Florida for uninsured drivers in which to purchase auto insurance. Tampa is listed at #7 with an annual cost of $2,636 for the average insured, which is around $220 each month.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hialeah | $3,595 |
| 2 | Miami | $3,241 |
| 3 | Miami Gardens | $3,181 |
| 4 | Miami Beach | $3,013 |
| 5 | Miramar | $2,709 |
| 6 | West Palm Beach | $2,679 |
| 7 | Tampa | $2,636 |
| 8 | Hollywood | $2,630 |
| 9 | Pompano Beach | $2,595 |
| 10 | Fort Lauderdale | $2,550 |
| 11 | Coral Springs | $2,549 |
| 12 | Davie | $2,473 |
| 13 | Pembroke Pines | $2,431 |
| 14 | Brandon | $2,392 |
| 15 | Clearwater | $2,238 |
| 16 | St. Petersburg | $2,196 |
| 17 | Spring Hill | $2,039 |
| 18 | Orlando | $2,029 |
| 19 | Jacksonville | $1,980 |
| 20 | Port St. Lucie | $1,975 |
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Prices are comparative as specific Tampa garaging address can change rates greatly.
Buying coverage from the right car insurance company can be challenging considering how many choices there are in Florida. The rank data in the next section may help you choose which car insurance companies you want to consider when shopping car insurance rates for uninsured drivers.
These rankings are only made up of the largest companies in America, so companies that have a smaller presence will not be included in this list. To check rates from the insurers below and more, just click here.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travelers | 93 | 98 | 99 | 88% | A++ | 95.1 |
| USAA | 83 | 99 | 100 | 91% | A++ | 94.1 |
| Mercury Insurance | 97 | 96 | 88 | 89% | A+ | 93.4 |
| AAA Insurance | 91 | 95 | 92 | 90% | A | 93.3 |
| Nationwide | 85 | 95 | 97 | 89% | A+ | 92.4 |
| Allstate | 77 | 100 | 97 | 88% | A+ | 90.7 |
| State Farm | 80 | 94 | 96 | 88% | A++ | 90.6 |
| The Hartford | 88 | 93 | 91 | 87% | A+ | 90.4 |
| Safeco Insurance | 91 | 95 | 85 | 88% | A | 90.2 |
| Progressive | 88 | 94 | 83 | 88% | A+ | 90.1 |
| American Family | 91 | 86 | 95 | 83% | A | 89.7 |
| Esurance | 86 | 90 | 94 | 90% | A+ | 89.5 |
| The General | 86 | 93 | 89 | 84% | A- | 88.2 |
| GEICO | 79 | 89 | 95 | 87% | A++ | 87.8 |
| Titan Insurance | 86 | 82 | 92 | 86% | A+ | 86.5 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Full coverage versus liability only rates
Saving money on car insurance should be important to the majority of people, and one easy way to lower the cost of insurance for uninsured drivers is to not pay for full coverage. The chart below illustrates the difference between yearly insurance costs with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The data is based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are applied.
If averaged for all ages, full coverage on your policy costs an additional $3,196 per year over and above liability only. That is a significant amount which raises the question if paying for full coverage is worth it. There is no written rule to eliminate comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a broad guideline. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is 10% or more of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
For example, let’s assume your vehicle’s claim settlement value is $4,500 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, you would only receive $3,500 after the deductible is paid. If premiums are more than $350 a year to have full coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
There are some cases where removing full coverage is not advised. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you have to maintain full coverage as part of the loan requirements. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should not drop full coverage.
Why you should shop around
Tampa car insurance rates are calculated based on many things which can significantly increase or decrease the price you have to pay for coverage. Simply having a birthday, marrying your spouse, or getting a speeding ticket may prompt premium changes that can cause some rates to be more affordable than others. Not only that, but companies change rates without warning in order to remain profitable. Heavier than normal losses can result in rate hikes, while profitable underwriting can cause lower-priced Tampa car insurance rates.
For instance, the data below shows rates for the cheapest car insurance in Tampa, FL for a 40-year-old male driver with no accidents, a clean driving record, and a good credit rating. If we estimate prices based on his current rating profile, USAA offers the cheapest car insurance rates in Tampa at $1,564 annually. This is $884 less than the average policy premium paid by Florida drivers of $2,448. Amica, Electric, Progressive, and Travelers are the rest of the top five cheapest Tampa, FL auto insurance companies.
In this next rate comparison, we will give the driver from the first example a claim surcharge, poor credit, and a stop sign violation. Due to the fact that each insurance company uses their own calculation to determining premium rates, comparing prices could now result in a different set of affordable companies as shown below.
USAA now has the cheapest insurance rate in Tampa, FL with Allied, State Farm, Esurance, and Auto-Owners now rounding out the top five. This example proves why consumers need to take the time to shop around when trying to get the most economical insurance rates for uninsured drivers. Auto insurance prices can be altered by many different factors and change frequently, so the cheapest option when you last compared rates may now be costing you a lot of money.