Cheapest Auto Insurance for Drivers Under 21 in South Carolina

The vehicle model on the policy is one of the primary factors when shopping for the cheapest auto insurance for drivers under 21 in South Carolina. Vehicles with more horsepower, poor safety ratings, or high incidents of liability claims will cost quite a bit more to insure than more modest models. The next list shows car insurance costs for a handful of the most economical vehicles to insure.

Prices above based on single female driver age 18, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and South Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Premium amounts do not factor in garaging location in South Carolina which can affect price quotes greatly.

Based upon these rates, we can expect vehicles like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Jeep Wrangler, Chevrolet Traverse, and Toyota Prius are the cheapest vehicles to insure for minors. Auto insurance rates will trend higher because of the fact that there is more claim exposure for drivers under 21, but overall those particular vehicles will have the cheapest rates that you’ll find.

Determining which companies offer the lowest-priced insurance rates for drivers under 21 will involve more work in order to find the most economical policy. Every auto insurer has their own unique process for determining rates in each state, so we’ll take a look at the insurance companies with the overall cheapest rates in South Carolina.

It’s important to understand that South Carolina insurance rates are impacted by many things which can significantly increase or decrease the cost of your policy. Simply having a birthday, moving across town, or getting a ticket for careless driving can trigger changes in premium that can now make some companies cheaper than before.

The Hartford has some of the lowest car insurance rates in South Carolina at around $775 each year. USAA, State Auto, Auto-Owners, and Southern Farm Bureau would also be considered some of the more affordable South Carolina car insurance companies.

As shown in the rates above, if you are insured with Auto-Owners and switched to The Hartford, you could realize a yearly price reduction of in the vicinity of $344. Policyholders with Southern Farm Bureau could save as much as $511 a year, and SC Farm Bureau Mutual customers might realize rate reductions of up to $523 a year.

It’s important to note that these premiums are averaged for all types of insureds and vehicles and and are not figured with a price increase for drivers under 21. So the car insurance company that has the lowest price for you may not even be featured in the above rate chart. That points out the importance of why you need to get rate quotes using your own driver and vehicle profiles.

Does it make sense to buy full coverage?

Finding the cheapest auto insurance for drivers under 21 in South Carolina should be important to most vehicle owners, and one of the fastest ways to find cheap insurance is to buy only liability coverage. The example below compares yearly insurance costs with and without physical damage coverage. The price estimates are based on no claims, a clean driving record, $250 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

Averaged for all ages 20 through 70, physical damage coverage costs $1,794 per year more than just insuring for liability. That is a large expense which might make you wonder when is the right time to remove full coverage. There is no definitive formula to stop buying comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a general convention. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s say your vehicle’s replacement value is $11,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most your company would pay you is $10,000 after paying your policy deductible. If you are paying more than $1,000 a year for physical damage coverage, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.

There are a few cases where only buying liability is not advised. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to carry full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should not remove full coverage.

Is Progressive, Geico, Allstate, or State Farm cheaper?

When comparing car insurance for minors, four good companies to start with are Progressive, Geico, Allstate, and State Farm. The data below rates some of the different features .

How to find economical auto insurance for drivers under 21

Here are some penny-pinching ideas that can help South Carolina drivers buy more affordable auto insurance.

• Staying accident-free helps keep rates low
• Save money by only buying liability coverage for older vehicles
• Drive vehicles with five-star safety ratings
• Better credit rating means better rates
• Insure your home and auto with the same company
• Compare rates once a year for cheaper prices

The last tip in the list is highly vital, as we noted in the article above. Auto insurance rates can change in a short period of time, so drivers shouldn’t be resistant to buy from a different company if you can save money. Staying with the same car insurance company is fine, but it isn’t a good idea if your bullheadedness ends up costing you big bucks every year. If you have a few minutes, compare rates and find cheaper car insurance for drivers under 21.