Progressive car insurance review: Great rates for drivers with spotty records

Insuring American drivers since 1937, Progressive has a reputation for affordable rates, customizable plans and numerous discounts.

It's a top pick for high-risk drivers, with an optional small accident forgiveness benefit and some of the lowest rates on the market for motorists with speeding tickets, accidents and DUIs.

Progressive offers auto insurance in all 50 states and Washington, DC. 

Basic coverage

These are typically required if you leased or financed your car.

• Liability car insurance: Minimum coverage allowed in most states, liability pays for damages if you or someone else driving your car is at fault for an accident. 
• Collision coverage. Part of full coverage car insurance, collision coverage pays to repair or replace your vehicle after an accident.
• Comprehensive coverage. Pays for damages not caused by a collision, including theft, weather damage or hitting an animal.

Progressive automatically includes small accident forgiveness, which means your rates won't go up for claims under $500. If you've been accident-free for at least five years, even a larger accident won't raise your premium.

Additional coverage

These policies are required in some states in addition to full coverage.

• Personal injury protection insurance: Also known as no-fault insurance, PIP covers medical bills, lost wages, child care and even funeral costs.
• Medical payments insurance: Covers medical bills for you, your passengers and any pedestrians, regardless of fault.
• Gap insurance: Pays up to 25% over the value of your car if it's totaled to cover the balance of a loan or lease. Available to Progressive customers with collision and comprehensive insurance.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance: Covers repairs and medical bills if you are in an accident with a driver with little or no insurance.

Add-ons

Optional features offered by Progressive.

• Additional accident forgiveness: Forgives one accident per policy period.
• Deductible Savings Bank: $100 is subtracted from your deductible for each policy period you go without an accident or violation.
• Rental car reimbursement: If your vehicle is damaged in a covered accident, this optional policy will reimburse the cost of a rental car, up to $60 per day for up to 30 days.
• Roadside assistance: Customers can request assistance through the Progressive app and get help with jump starts, fuel delivery, lockouts, flat tires, towing and winching.
• Trip interruption: Pays up to $500 for food, lodging, transportation and related costs if your car breaks down more than 100 miles from home.
• Vehicle protection: Covers major systems, minor dings and dents and lost keys for newer cars.
• Custom parts and equipment value: Pays up to $5,000 to fix or replace custom accessories.
• Rideshare insurance: Expands coverage to any time the app is on, including when waiting to match with a rider.
• Veterinary expense coverage: Policyholders with collision coverage are eligible for up to $1,000 in veterinary expenses if their pet is injured in a covered accident.

Progressive offers many auto policy discounts, though specifics may vary by state:

• Automatic payment: If you don't pay in full, you can still earn a discount for setting up automatic payments from a checking account or a credit or debit card.
• Continuous insurance: If you switch to Progressive, the time you spent with your previous insurer will be honored with a discount.
• Distant student discount: A full-time student 22 or younger who lives more than 100 miles from home and leaves their car behind can get a discount.
• Good student: Students with a B average or better can save up to 10%.
• Homeowner: Homeowners can earn up to 10% off, regardless of whether Progressive is their home insurance provider.
• Multi-car: Save an average of 12% for having more than one vehicle on your policy. Also available for RVs, boats and motorcycles.
• Multi-policy: Save an average of 5% when you bundle homeowners, renters or condo insurance with your auto policy.
• Online quote: Average savings of 7% for getting an online quote and 9% for signing policy documents online
• Paperless: Save if you opt to receive bills and other documents via email
• Pay-in-full: Lower your rate up to 15% for paying your premium in one lump sum. 
• Sign online: Get an average of 9% back for signing your policy and other documents online.
• Snapshot®: This usage-based insurance (UBI) program rewards safe drivers. According to Progressive, customers who save with Snapshot save an average of $231 per year.
• Teen driver:  Save if you have a driver who is 18 years old or younger and on a parent's policy for at least 12 months.

Progressive ranked below average for customer satisfaction in most regions of J.D. Power's 2024 Auto Insurance Study, which surveys users on price, ease of doing business, level of trust, product offerings, problem resolution and digital channels. It also fared poorly in a separate survey about the claims process.

The Better Business Bureau issued Progressive an A, however, and it receives slightly fewer than the expected volume of complaints about auto insurance for a company its size, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Progressive offers policies in many other categories, including:

• homeowners insurance
• renters insurance
• life insurance
• pet insurance
• travel insurance
• business insurance

According to Progressive, customers who bundle auto and home policies save more than 20% on average.

The company also provides a variety of financial services, including personal loans and auto loan refinancing.

Here's how Progressive stacks up against two other leaders in the auto insurance space.

Progressive vs. Geico

Progressive and Geico both advertise affordable and customizable policies, but a full-coverage policy with Geico averages $1,782, compared to $2,201 with Progressive.

Both are good options for high-risk drivers, but Geico has better rates if you have speeding tickets or at-fault accidents. Progressive is less expensive if you have a DUI conviction —averaging $2,498 per year, compared to $4,128 with Geico.

Progressive and Geico both scored below average in J.D. Power's surveys of customer satisfaction with insurance shopping and the claims process.

Progressive vs. Erie

A year of full coverage with Erie averages $1,703 for someone with a clean driving history, compared to $2,021 with Progressive. Erie also beats Progressive with high-risk drivers: If you have a speeding ticket, you'll pay an average of $1,872 for full coverage with Erie, about $700 less than Progressive.

Unlike Progressive, Erie is a customer service standout, earning the top spot in J.D. Power's 2024 insurance shopping survey and the second-highest score for claims satisfaction.

When it comes to availability, however, Progressive leaves the competition in the dust. It's available in all 50 states, while Erie is only offered in 13 states.

You can apply and pay for Progressive auto insurance entirely online — and get a 9% discount for doing it. Here's how:

• Go to the Progressive website and select the AutoQuote Explorer.
• Answer questions about your car, including its make, model, year and mileage.
• Share details about your driving history, including any accidents
• Customize your coverage, limits and deductibles to get quotes from Progressive and several competitors
• Choose your policy and set up a payment method.
• Get ID cards and documents directly on the Progressive app

You can also apply over the phone at 866-749-7436 or work with a local insurance agent. 

Progressive's customer service team is available 24/7 at 888-671-4405. Questions about rates, claims and other topics can also be answered via email or by the Flo chatbot on the Progressive website or Facebook Messenger.  

You can make payments, view your policy and insurance cards, request roadside assistance and report and track claims on the Progressive mobile app.

Progressive earns high marks for availability, affordability and flexibility and for offering specialized coverage for rideshare drivers and pet owners. Its lower rates for customers with DUIs, speeding tickets and at-fault accidents landed Progressive on CNBC Select's list of best insurers for high-risk drivers.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed financial decisions. Every insurance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of insurance products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

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