The Best Car Insurance in New York

Whether you’re heading to Niagara Falls for a splash-filled trip on the Maid of the Mist, down to the Catskills for a cozy weekend getaway, or over to Manhattan for a dose of the city life, wherever you’re off to in the Empire State, you must ensure your car insurance policy is up to par. 

Searching for the best auto insurance companies in New York can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be impossible. Let’s see how you can find the best coverage, company, and premium for your New York auto insurance policy.

New York State auto insurance can be challenging to find and even harder to track down if you’re on a budget. Finding the right policy for your needs can take a bit of digging, but armed with the right knowledge backed by research, it’s not impossible. As you search for a policy, keep in mind that policies are subjective based on state, coverage, and driver. So, the best policy for you may not be the best for your neighbor or your neighbor’s neighbor. When searching for a policy, you must first choose what you value more: cost or coverage.

Those who value coverage over cost will likely opt for a full coverage policy from an insurance company that offers plenty of optional, additional coverages one may add to their policy to tailor it to their needs. Those who value cost over coverage will likely opt for a minimum coverage policy from an insurance company that offers base rates lower than the average premium in the state. Typically, a minimum coverage policy will be the cheapest in the state.

Those who value coverage and cost equally will need to compromise with their values. Typically, these drivers opt for the best full coverage car insurance in New York from an insurer that offers lower-than-average base rates and several discounts the driver can stack to further reduce their premiums. 

All drivers in the Empire State must have auto insurance policies that meet the state’s minimum legal coverage limits. New Yorkers must have at least $25,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 in bodily injury liability per accident, $10,000 in property damage liability per accident (25/50/10 liability coverage), $25,000 in uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury liability (UMBI/UIMBI) coverage per person, $50,000 in UMBI/UIMBI per accident (25/50 UMBI/UIMBI), and at least $50,000 in personal injury protection (PIP) per person. Those who lease or finance their vehicle may be legally required to carry comprehensive and collision coverages as a stipulation on their leasing or financing agreement. 

Driving without insurance in New York is illegal, and those who forgo coverage may face severe penalties, like fines, fees, license and registration suspension, or even jail time. The consequences don’t stop at the legal penalties, as many uninsured drivers require high-risk or SR-22 insurance, thus raising their insurance premiums to double or triple the average rate for several years. 

While it’s always up to your discretion what type of auto insurance policy works best for your lifestyle, a full coverage policy will always be the safest for every driver. The average full coverage policy in New York costs about $2,340 annually, whereas the average minimum coverage policy costs about $1,170 annually. 

If the premiums on a full coverage policy just don’t work with your budget, a minimum coverage policy will do the trick, too. It’s important to remember that it’s always easier to budget for an insurance premium than the severe financial penalties that may come with getting behind the wheel uninsured. Even though New York is one of the most expensive states for auto insurance, there are plenty of great deals out there if you know where to look.

Sifting through the auto insurance companies in New York to find the gem that best matches what you need from a policy may seem like an impossible task, but we assure you it’s not as tough as it seems. The best way to narrow your search is to decide what you value more in a policy, cost, or coverage. Once you’ve selected what you value in a policy, all that’s left to do is gather quotes and sort through them based on your values. Once you have a few viable quotes, you can decide which insurer offers policies that most closely align with your lifestyle. 

Much of auto insurance is highly subjective, and premiums are no different. If you value cost over coverage, you’re probably curious about how your premiums are determined and how to reduce them. 

Insurers typically use several factors about the policyholder when determining their premiums, like their driving record, insurance history, ZIP code, gender, and age. These factors help insurers determine if a driver is at high risk of filing a claim. If the factors indicate high risk, the policyholder will likely be quoted at higher-than-average premiums to compensate for the risk.

One’s driving record and insurance history are often the most significant factors determining one’s premiums. Still, insurers look at certain non-driving factors to fill in some blanks when assessing a driver’s risk level. Specific statistics surrounding drivers of certain ages, genders, and specific ZIP codes suggest that some drivers may carry more inherent risks than others. For example, drivers in a densely populated city like New York City are far more likely to get into accidents and file claims than those in smaller, less populated cities. Thus, drivers with a New York City ZIP code may automatically pay higher premiums to compensate for this inherent risk, even those with a clean driving record and an excellent insurance history.

If your unique characteristics are working against you when it comes to your insurance rates, don’t worry; it won’t last forever. Premiums vary over time and often stabilize as time passes, especially when drivers reach middle age or a few years after an accident. However, if your wallet needs some relief while your premiums are higher than average, many insurers offer discounts that policyholders can stack on their policies. 

Let’s take a look at which insurance companies in New York offer the best policies, premiums, and coverages for drivers of all ages and backgrounds. 

The best car insurance company in New York will vary from driver to driver, as insurance is subjective based on one’s lifestyle and budget. However, some companies have piqued the interest of New Yorkers for their range of coverage, lower-than-average base rates, or selection of stackable discounts. Let’s take a look at which companies New Yorkers consider the best in their state.

One of the top auto insurance agencies in New York is our partner, Travelers. Travelers offers several additional coverages policyholders can add to their policies to tailor their coverage to meet their needs, and they offer top-tier customer service. The average premium for a full coverage policy with this insurer costs about $2,440 annually, or just $100 more than the state average of $2,340. While the average full coverage policy with this insurer is a bit higher than the state average, Travelers boasts lower-than-average rates for drivers of all backgrounds, especially those who may be considered high-risk. 

Allstate is favored among New Yorkers, as the average full coverage policy with this insurer costs about $2,330 annually in premiums. While the average premium with this insurer is nearly the same as the average policy in the state, Allstate offers plenty of stackable discounts for insurers to further reduce their premiums. For example, this insurer offers a pay-per-mile discount for those who drive less than the national average of 12,000 miles annually and a bundling discount for those who purchase several insurance products with the insurer.

While State Farm isn’t the choice for those who prefer to bind with small auto insurance companies in New York, it is a top choice among New Yorkers who like to save on their car insurance. The average cost of a full coverage policy with State Farm in the Empire State is about $2,080, or about 20% less than the state average. On top of their lower-than-average base rates, State Farm offers discounts policyholders can stack to further reduce their premiums. For example, the insurer offers a good student discount for those who earn good grades (3.0 GPA or above) in school and an anti-theft discount for those who have certain safety devices on their vehicles, among several others. 

New Yorkers frequently bind with Geico, and for good reason, too. Geico offers excellent customer service for its New York customers and offers a wide range of additional coverages policyholders may stack to tailor their policies to their specific needs. A full coverage policy with Geico in New York costs about $1,810 annually, or about 30% less than the state average. Even with such low average rates, Geico offers quite a few discounts drivers can use to lower their premiums even further. Geico offers a multi-car discount for those who insure several cars on one policy or a good driver discount for those who make safe choices behind the wheel.

Our partner, Progressive, is one of New York’s favorite insurers. The average full coverage policy from Progressive in the Empire State costs about $1,270 annually, or about 50% less than the average rate in the state. Not only does Progressive offer lower-than-average base rates and excellent customer service, but the insurer also offers plenty of stackable discounts for policyholders to lower their premiums even further. Progressive offers discounts like a usage-based telematics program and a discount for veterans or other occupational discounts.

Whether you’re searching for the best car insurance in New York for college students, the policy with the most bang for your buck, or just curious about what company offers the cheapest rates in the state, you’ll likely end up looking at policies from our partner Progressive. Progressive offers the best car insurance rates in New York, and on top of the lower-than-average base rates, this insurer offers a range of stackable discounts policyholders can use to reduce their premiums even further. 

If you’re interested in binding a policy with one of the top car insurance companies in New York, the first thing you’ll need to do is find a policy that best suits your needs. The easiest way to find a policy that suits your needs is to get and compare quotes online. By getting and comparing quotes from several insurers, you can tailor your policy and premium to your lifestyle and budget. 

Luckily, quotes are our thing here at Clovered. We even have a free quoting tool you can use to access and analyze your unique quotes in minutes. If you prefer to speak with a professional about your quote, you can contact one of our licensed agents at 833-255-4117 or [email protected].