Penn National vs. Safe Auto: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Penn National offers slightly cheaper rates than Safe Auto
• Penn National has more affordable premiums for policyholders who don't have any speeding tickets, DUIs, or at-fault accidents on their record
• Safe Auto offers less expensive average rates for drivers with a DUI charge on their record

Penn National vs. Safe Auto: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching your auto insurance. You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering huge discounts, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Penn National or Safe Auto as your top options, but which carrier will save you the most?

As you can see, Penn National is about $5 per month cheaper than Safe Auto when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

But that doesn't mean Penn National will necessarily be more affordable than Safe Auto for every driver. Insurance companies vary their premiums depending on things like how clean your driving record is, how old you are, how good your credit score is, where you live, and a ton of other factors, so prices will vary quite a bit from person to person.

Luckily, we've broken down average rates from both Penn National and Safe Auto by multiple different rate factors, so read on to find out which company is the best for you.

Penn National or Safe Auto: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Penn National and Safe Auto only compete against each other in one states, with Penn National offering less expensive premiums to the average driver in all of them. Tennessee has the most noticable difference, where Penn National prices are over 10% more affordable than auto insurance premiums at Safe Auto.

But there's more to insurance than just your home state. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how car insurance carriers calculate your rates. Continue reading to learn more about how other factors will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers generally pay a lot more for insurance than any group out there on the road. It's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an auto insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

However, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance prices. As you can see above, teens who use Safe Auto save $30 a month compared to those who use Penn National.

That being said, both companies will offer you dramatically lower rates by the time you turn 25. For example, average premiums for Penn National policyholders reduce nearly $300 and Safe Auto's prices lower around $250 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to car insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the cheapest rates out there.

So, which carrier offers the best premiums to retired drivers? Penn National gets the slight edge here, with average prices coming in at about $163 a month compared to Safe Auto's $179.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that insurance premiums are typically cheaper for married drivers than they are for those who are single? This usually boils down to married couples having multiple cars on their policy -- something several car insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

If you're in the market for auto insurance, Penn National tends to have the lowest average rates regardless of marital status, with prices almost $10 less expensive for single drivers and around $2 cheaper for married policyholders.

Penn National vs. Safe Auto: Average Rates by Gender

Because men are more likely to get into accidents and get tickets, they run a larger risk of filing a claim with insurance. Therefore, men tend to pay more for car insurance than women.

With Penn National, women normally pay about 2% per month less than men, while with Safe Auto, the difference is closer to 7% a month.

When it comes to the cheapest prices for each gender, Penn National is the lowest company for men. Rates with Penn National are $11 less for men, while women can save around $1 with Safe Auto.

Penn National or Safe Auto: 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.

Auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are a bunch of different coverages that account for lots of different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- comprehensive and collision -- in addition to what you get with liability).

In this case, Safe Auto offers the most affordable average rates for state minimum limits for liability insurance, while Penn National has the edge for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Drivers looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $20 with Safe Auto, while full coverage comes out to be about $30 more affordable with Penn National Insurance.

Is Penn National or Safe Auto Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their insurance. But even if you have a spotty record, you can still find plenty of ways to save some cash on your monthly bill.

You'll probably end up paying more with tickets and collisions on your record, but which of these two companies offers the cheapest premiums to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Penn National policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $40 per month if they get a ticket, while Safe Auto usually raises premiums around $40 a month, on average.

Even so, Penn National is generally the less expensive option for both drivers who have a recent speeding ticket and those with clean records, offering prices that are $41 and $41 more affordable, respectively, compared to Safe Auto.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both carriers will increase rates pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault accident with Penn National increasing by over $65. Safe Auto has a less extreme raise, but you can still expect to pay more than $65 more than you were prior to your first collision.

Overall, drivers who use Penn National end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with monthly prices averaging $206 compared to Safe Auto's $246.

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 -- usually a lot more than an accident or ticket. For example, Penn National increases average premiums by over $200 per month -- that's just under a 60% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact Penn National and Safe Auto Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can be used as one of the variables to determine your monthly auto insurance rates. Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as a rating factor, but it does affect lots of policyholders out there.

The reasoning insurance carriers use is that drivers with good credit will be more likely to pay their bills on time; so they'll reward them with cheaper prices, while those with poor credit will typically be forced to pay more.

So, which carrier offers the best rates for policyholders with poor, average, or good credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Penn National or Safe Auto Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a considerable impact on how much auto insurance companies will charge for coverage. Normally, those who drive fewer miles will end up with less expensive premiums since there's less of a chance of getting into a collision and causing an insurance claim.

In this case, neither Penn National or Safe Auto report increasing rates for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. Even so, Penn National comes out as the lowest for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle each year, with average premiums of $218 a month for both.

Penn National vs. Safe Auto: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can play a substantial role in how much you pay for car insurance. Typically, those who live in urban areas will pay more than drivers in rural areas due to the number of cars that are on the roads in those areas.

Safe Auto tends to offer the lowest option for drivers in urban and suburban areas, while Penn National wins in rural areas.

In urban areas, Safe Auto's average premiums are about $271 per month compared to Penn National's $275. People in suburban areas pay a monthly rate of around $200 with Safe Auto compared to $212 with Penn National. Those in rural areas can expect to pay about $165 monthly with Penn National and $197 with Safe Auto.

Penn National vs. Safe Auto Discounts

Regardless of why you might be in the market for a new insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as possible, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many car insurance discounts as you can.

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be hard to find all the ones you can take advantage of.

In the section below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both Penn National and Safe Auto so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Looking at the total number of discounts, Penn National has a slight advantage when it comes to total number of discounts. Safe Auto offers a grand total of 14 discounts, while Penn National has 16.

Both carriers offer lots of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, and paid in full discounts -- but Penn National also offers ABS discounts, added pip option discounts, advance quote discounts, and more that Safe Auto does not.

On the flip side, Safe Auto has a couple unique discounts of its own -- agency transfer discounts, claim free discounts, discounts for being a homeowner, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Penn National or Safe Auto Best for You?

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your auto insurance prices. We've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers, too. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which insurance company is the right company for you and your specific profile and needs?

Penn National might be best for you if....

• You have an at-fault accident on your record.
• You live in a rural neighborhood.
• You've started working from home and don't have much of a commute.

Safe Auto might be best for you if...

• You're planning on moving to another state soon -- undefined is only available in.
• You want basic insurance coverage at the state minimum limits.
• You live in an suburban area.

We hope this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Penn National and Safe Auto. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple companies, not just Penn National and Safe Auto. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple quotes from some of the best insurance carriers in your area, all for free.

Penn National vs. Safe Auto FAQs

Is Penn National or Safe Auto cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Penn National is the cheaper of the two companies, offering average rates of $218 a month compared to $223 for Safe Auto. But Penn National won't necessarily be the cheapest carrier for everyone, since there are many different variables (things like age, driving record, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Penn National or Safe Auto?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". No one company is "better" for every driver -- it all comes down to what your unique auto insurance profile looks like. For example, Safe Auto offers less expensive rates for drivers with a recent DUI, while Penn National is more affordable for drivers with excellent credit.

Why do Penn National and Safe Auto offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers take a look at many different factors when calculating the prices they charge policyholders. Variables such as where you live, gender, where you park your vehicle, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Penn National and Safe Auto calculate rates differently, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different companies.

How do I know if Penn National or Safe Auto is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from several carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your area information and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best car insurance companies in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Penn National or Safe Auto at all!

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.