Patriot vs. Progressive: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Progressive offers slightly cheaper prices than Patriot
• Patriot offers more affordable rates for drivers who have a speeding ticket on their driving record
• Progressive has more affordable premiums for single people who will be the only person on the insurance policy

Patriot or Progressive: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you considering a new insurance policy? With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering big savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You might have narrowed your search down to Patriot or Progressive for your next policy, but which company will save you the most?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Patriot is around $11 more a month than Progressive.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean Progressive will be the less expensive option for every driver. Auto insurance companies vary their prices depending on things like how old you are, how clean your driving record is, where you live, how good your credit score is, and a ton of other factors. So, at the end of the day, rates from every company will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if Patriot or Progressive is really the right carrier for you? Keep on reading to see how average premiums can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

Patriot vs. Progressive: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Patriot and Progressive only compete against each other in two states, with Progressive offering cheaper prices to the average driver in all of them. New Hampshire has the most noticable difference, where Progressive rates are $114 less expensive than insurance prices at Patriot.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance bill than just your home state. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive car insurance premiums of any other group of drivers. It's usually because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high prices, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Patriot for their insurance pay almost 5% less than those who use Progressive.

But both carriers will reduce premiums once you turn 25. For example, average rates for Patriot policyholders drop about $250 and Progressive's prices lower around $300 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll generally enjoy the most affordable car insurance rates you'll ever see. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly premiums for auto insurance.

So, which company offers the best prices to retired drivers? In this case, Patriot has the slight edge, with rates about $3 per month less than Progressive. Even so, the difference is only around 5%, so other variables will likely come into play when determining which carrier has the cheapest premiums for you.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but insurance rates tend to be more affordable for married drivers than they are for single policyholders. That's because policies for married policyholders normally cover more than one vehicle, which many companies will give you a discount for.

For those who are single, the difference in average premiums between these two carriers is not very significant, with Progressive prices coming in at about 1% less than Patriot's. The advantage for married couples is more obvious, where drivers who use Progressive save nearly $25 a month.

Patriot or Progressive: Average Rates by Gender

Women typically to pay less for car insurance than men. That's because men are more likely to get into collisions and get speeding tickets, which increases the chances of filing a claim with insurance.

Generally, women see rates almost 10% per month less with Patriot, but with Progressive, the difference is closer to 3% a month.

Looking at overall affordability, Progressive comes out as the lowest option for both genders. On average, women save about $4 per month and men save around $17 with Progressive compared to the average Patriot policyholder.

Patriot vs. Progressive: Compare State Minimum vs. Full Coverage Rates

*State minimum value indicates liability-only policies at each state's minimum bodily injury and property damage (BI/PD) limits

**Full coverage indicates state minimum BI/PD limits with collision and comprehensive coverages added to policy.

For most people, auto insurance can be pretty complicated. Everyone needs car insurance, but there are so many different coverages and terms that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

That being said, most policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (that covers bodily injury and property damage for other drivers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- alongside what you get with a liability policy).

When it comes to state minimum liability limits, Patriot has the edge, while Progressive offers the cheapest average premiums for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Policyholders looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $30 with Patriot Insurance, while full coverage comes out to be about $55 less expensive with Progressive.

Is Patriot or Progressive Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their auto insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

You'll probably end up paying more with collisions and speeding tickets on your record, but which of these two companies offers the lowest prices to drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Drivers who use Patriot for their insurance can generally expect their monthly bill to go up around 21% after getting a speeding ticket. Progressive policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 17%.

But Patriot has more affordable rates for drivers in both categories, offering premiums that are 44% and 41% cheaper, respectively, compared to Progressive.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Patriot policyholders who get in an accident can expect to see their prices increase by just under $20, while those who have insurance through Progressive will see around a $65 increase.

At the end of the day, the less expensive rates come from Patriot, with average prices coming in at $103 compared to Progressive's $214.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge, you can expect some pretty significant increases in your monthly car insurance bill -- typically a lot more than a collision or ticket. Patriot drivers usually see a 82% increase in their auto insurance premiums after a DUI charge, while Progressive will usually climb prices by about 16%.

How does Credit Score Impact Patriot and Progressive Rates?

Did you know many insurance carriers take your credit score into account when determining premiums? This isn't true for everyone (Massachusetts, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an auto insurance factor) but it might come into play for lots of drivers.

Car insurance companies argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, policyholders with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

So, which company offers the best rates for drivers with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Patriot or Progressive Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a pretty big impact on your monthly prices. That's because the fewer miles you put on your car, the less likely you are to be in an accident and file an insurance claim.

In this case, neither Patriot or Progressive report increasing rates for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. Still, Progressive comes out as the most affordable for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle annually, with average premiums of $180 a month for both.

Patriot or Progressive: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your car can have a large impact on your monthly auto insurance payment. Normally, if you live in an urban area with more cars on the road, you'll pay a little more for insurance, while the opposite is true for people in rural areas.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Progressive usually comes out as the cheaper option for drivers in rural and suburban areas, while Patriot wins in urban areas.

For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Patriot Insurance's average prices are around 7% less than Progressive. People who live in suburban areas pay about 10% less with Progressive compared to Patriot. Those in rural areas can expect to save around 16% with Progressive compared to Patriot.

Patriot vs. Progressive Discounts

You want to save as much money as you can, right? The best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many car insurance discounts as possible.

The hard part is finding all of the discounts you can take advantage of, since it can feel sometimes like every carrier has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Patriot and Progressive offer their customers so that you can see which carrier can save you the most money each month.

Progressive knocks Patriot out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 23 more discounts than Patriot.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like advance quote discounts, distant student discounts, discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company, and passive restraint discounts. Progressive also offers discounts for ABS, advanced safety feature, agency transfer, and more.

On the other hand, Patriot has a few proprietary discounts of their own like full coverage discounts and life policy discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Patriot or Progressive Best for You?

You've seen the role certain factors have on your insurance and the different discounts companies offer. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, which company is the best one for you and your specific needs?

Progressive might be best for you if....

• You value the experience that comes with a large national auto insurance carrier.
• You want the most robust protection via a "full coverage" policy.
• You drive fewer than 12,000 miles each year.

Patriot might be best for you if...

• You've received a ticket for speeding recently and don't want to see your rates climb.
• You have an at-fault collision on your record.
• You want to save money while purchasing insurance for a teenager.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Patriot and Progressive and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your auto insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your car insurance policy is to compare quotes from a handful of carriers, not just Patriot and Progressive. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple quotes from some of the best insurance companies in your area, all for free.

Patriot vs. Progressive FAQs

Is Patriot or Progressive cheaper?

Progressive is the more affordable of the two carriers when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $180 per month with Progressive and $191 for Patriot. Even so, that doesn't mean Progressive will be the cheapest company for everyone, since there are a range of different variables that come into play when it comes to your car insurance cost.

Who is better, Patriot or Progressive?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". Neither carrier is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all depends on what your unique auto insurance profile looks like. For example, Patriot is less expensive for drivers who have already retired, while Progressive offers cheaper rates for single drivers.

Why do Patriot and Progressive offer me different rates?

Insurance companies use several different factors when calculating the premiums they charge. Variables like gender, your driving record, age, where you call home, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Patriot and Progressive use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different carriers.

How do I know if Patriot or Progressive is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from several companies and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance carriers for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the most affordable rate. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Patriot or Progressive at all, but another you hadn't even thought of!

Methodology

All of the data referenced in this article has been gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. We analyzed more than 2.5 million rows of carrier-reported data to calculate the average rates referenced above. All rates are based on an insurance profile of a single-vehicle policy for a driver that owns a 2016 Honda Accord. For more information on how we calculate rates, please reference our data methodology.