USAA vs. Progressive: Car Insurance Rates and Coverage
USAA has cheaper car insurance rates and better customer service. But many drivers can't get USAA insurance.
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Progressive vs. USAA car insurance quotes
USAA offers cheaper rates than Progressive for most drivers.
Car insurance from USAA costs between 11% and 68% less than insurance from Progressive.
Cheapest for most drivers: USAA
Most drivers will find cheaper car insurance rates with USAA than Progressive.
A full coverage policy from USAA costs $100 per month, on average. That's $69 per month less than the cost of a policy with Progressive.
Monthly full coverage rates
| USAA: $100 |
| Progressive: $169 |
Monthly liability-only rates
|
| USAA: $33 |
|
| Progressive: $66 |
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Car insurance quotes from USAA are also cheaper for a liability-only policy. At $33 per month, a policy from USAA is half the cost of coverage from Progressive. It's also $31 per month cheaper than the national average.
Most drivers should consider full coverage insurance, which protects your vehicle. If you have a car loan or lease, your lender will typically require you to have full coverage insurance.
Liability-only car insurance has the minimum amount of insurance required to drive legally in your state. However, the low coverage limits may not provide enough protection if you're in a serious accident.
Cheapest rates for drivers with a bad record: USAA
USAA has cheaper car insurance quotes than Progressive for drivers with a ticket, accident or DUI.
Full coverage car insurance with USAA is between 11% and 45% cheaper for these drivers.
Monthly rates after a speeding ticket
|
| USAA: $121 |
|
| Progressive: $217 |
Rates are for a full coverage policy.
Monthly rates after a DUI
|
| USAA: $188 |
|
| Progressive: $212 |
Rates are for a full coverage policy.
Monthly rates after an accident
|
| USAA: $138 |
|
| Progressive: $252 |
Rates are for a full coverage policy.
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Drivers with recent tickets usually pay more for car insurance. That's because they're more likely to cause a future accident.
Insurance companies raise rates by different amounts, which is why you should always compare car insurance quotes after a ticket or accident.
Cheapest car insurance rates for young drivers: USAA
USAA car insurance rates for young drivers are 64% to 68% cheaper than Progressive.
An 18-year-old driver pays $180 less per month for liability-only coverage insurance with USAA. Full coverage insurance from USAA costs $471 per month less than Progressive.
Monthly full coverage rates
|
| USAA: $237 |
|
| Progressive: $708 |
Rates are for an 18-year-old driver.
Monthly liability-only rates
|
| USAA: $86 |
|
| Progressive: $266 |
Rates are for an 18-year-old driver.
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Young drivers who recently joined the military can get even lower rates from USAA by sharing a policy with their parents. Although sharing a policy may cause your parents' rates to increase, it usually results in an overall savings.
This is especially true if you can qualify for USAA's legacy discount. If your parents already have USAA, drivers under 25 with a clean driving record can save up to 10% by sharing a policy with their parents.
Progressive vs. USAA auto quotes by state
USAA has cheaper car insurance rates in almost every state.
Of the 39 states in which rates from both companies were available, the cost of a full coverage policy from Progressive was only cheaper in one state — New York.
The amount of savings with USAA varies by state, ranging from $25 per month in Utah to $193 per month in Connecticut.
State | Progressive | USAA |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $152 | $105 |
| Alaska | $165 | $84 |
| Arizona | $176 | $129 |
| Arkansas | $201 | $75 |
| California | $134 | - |
USAA vs. Progressive auto insurance coverage
Progressive offers more coverage options to protect you and your car than USAA.
Both companies offer extra coverage options that some drivers may find useful.
Coverage | Progressive | USAA |
|---|---|---|
| Extra coverage options | ||
| Custom parts and equipment | ||
| Deductible savings bank | ||
| Gap insurance | ||
| Trip interruption | ||
| Vehicle protection | ||
| Rental reimbursement | ||
| Rideshare insurance |
Progressive and USAA both offer the standard coverages that you would expect from a car insurance policy, like bodily injury and property damage liability.
Progressive car insurance coverage options
Progressive offers a number of coverage add-ons that you can use to customize your policy. These add-ons aren't available from USAA.
Gap insurance pays the difference between what you owe on your vehicle and its current worth if your car is totaled in an accident.
Progressive calls this coverage loan/lease payoff. It limits the payout to up to 25% of the value of your car.
Custom parts and equipment coverage pays up to $5,000 to fix or replace aftermarket accessories, like custom wheels or a navigation system.
Trip interruption pays up to $500 toward hotel bills, transportation and food if your car breaks down more than 100 miles from home.
Vehicle protection covers minor damage to your newer car not caused by an accident, like dings, dents and lost keys.
"Deductible savings bank" lowers your deductible by $50 for every six months that you don't file an insurance claim.
USAA vs. Progressive auto insurance discounts
USAA offers more car insurance discounts than Progressive.
However, both companies offer more discounts than average. That includes common car insurance discounts that you would expect from a large company, like multipolicy and good student discounts.
Discount | Progressive | USAA |
|---|---|---|
| Annual mileage | ||
| Anti-theft devices | ||
| Defensive driving | ||
| Driver training course | ||
| Legacy |
Progressive insurance discounts
Progressive offers five discounts based on how you buy and pay for your policy. Drivers can save by:
- Getting a quote online
- Signing policy documents online
- Getting policy documents via email
- Paying for the policy in full
- Setting up automatic payments
Progressive also offers discounts geared towards the parents of young drivers. The teen driver discount is for parents adding a driver under age 18 to their policy. The distant student discount lowers rates for parents with a student who is 22 or younger, lives more than 100 miles away and doesn't have a vehicle at school.
USAA auto insurance discounts
USAA offers unique discounts for military members. Its "storage" discount includes 15% off the cost of comprehensive coverage to drivers who garage their car on base. And you can save 60% during deployments.
USAA also offers discounts if you don't drive often, you take a driver training course or you have a brand-new car.
Progressive Snapshot vs. USAA SafePilot
USAA SafePilot is a better safe driving program than Progressive Snapshot.
That's because USAA's SafePilot typically offers a larger discount, and it won't raise your rates if you get a bad score. On the other hand, 20% of drivers who sign up for Progressive Snapshot see their rates go up.
Progressive Snapshot | USAA SafePilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 49 states and D.C. | 47 states and D.C. |
| Sign-up discount | $94/yr, on average | Up to 10% |
| Safe driving discount | $231/yr, on average | Up to 30% |
| Can rates go up? | Yes | No |
Both companies consider phone usage when calculating your driving score. But USAA penalizes drivers for hands-free phone usage. This may be restrictive if you regularly use your phone's GPS, talk-to-text or a music streaming app.
USAA vs. Progressive customer service
USAA has better customer service ratings than Progressive.
Drivers can expect an excellent customer service experience from USAA. It earned one of the top scores on J.D. Power's claims satisfaction study. USAA also gets an average number of complaints compared to insurance companies of its size, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
In comparison, Progressive earned one of the lowest scores on J.D. Power's claims satisfaction survey. That means it could take Progressive a long time to fix your car, and you may have to pay more for repairs. However, Progressive gets about one-quarter fewer complaints than an average company its size, according to the NAIC.
Progressive | USAA | |
|---|---|---|
| Editor's rating | ||
| J.D. Power | 3rd out of 25 | 19th out of 25 |
| NAIC complaint index | 28% fewer than average | 1% fewer than average |
| AM Best financial strength rating | A+ | A++ |
In addition, USAA stands out with an excellent rating from ValuePengin's editors due to its excellent customer service ratings and the overall value it provides customers. It also earned the highest financial strength rating available from AM Best. That means that the company has the ability to pay out claims, even in tough economic situations.
Progressive did not score as well with our editors largely due to its home and renters insurance offerings. Drivers who buy home insurance through Progressive have to file claims with a different company because Progressive does not underwrite its homeowners insurance policies. This may lead to inconsistent service.
Frequently asked questions
Does Progressive offer a military discount?
No, Progressive doesn't offer a military discount. However, it offers a number of other car insurance discounts, like multipolicy and good student discounts.
Is USAA more expensive than Progressive?
USAA auto insurance is typically cheaper than Progressive. For example, a full coverage policy from USAA costs an average of $100 per month, while Progressive costs $169.
How do you get USAA auto insurance?
Only USAA members are eligible to buy its insurance products. To become a member, you have to be a member of the military, be a veteran or have a family member who belongs to USAA. Once you join USAA, you'll be able to take advantage of its insurance offerings, banking products and other perks and discounts.
Methodology
To compare USAA versus Progressive, ValuePenguin used car insurance quotes from thousands of ZIP codes across the U.S. Rates are for a 30-year-old man with good credit who owns a 2015 Honda Civic EX.
Full coverage auto insurance quotes include comprehensive and collision coverage along with higher liability limits than required in each state.
- Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $25,000 per accident
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident
- Comprehensive and collision: $500 deductible
- Personal injury protection (PIP): Minimum when required by state
ValuePenguin's analysis used insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurance company filings and should be used for comparative purposes only. Your own quotes may be different.
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author's opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.