Progressive vs. Western Reserve Group: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, Western Reserve Group offers significantly less expensive rates than Progressive
• Progressive may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Western Reserve Group
• Western Reserve Group has cheaper premiums for drivers who have a speeding ticket on their driving record

Progressive or Western Reserve Group: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

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

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Progressive or Western Reserve Group as potential options, but between the two, which one will offer you more affordable prices?

As you can see, Western Reserve Group has average rates that are around 24% a month less expensive than those from Progressive when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean Western Reserve Group will be the cheaper option for every single driver. Car insurance carriers vary their rates depending on things like how good your credit score is, where you live, how clean your driving record is, how old you are, and tons of other factors. So, at the end of the day, premiums from every carrier will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Luckily, we've broken down average prices from both Progressive and Western Reserve Group by a variety of different rate factors, so read on to find out which company is the best for you.

Progressive vs. Western Reserve Group: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Progressive and Western Reserve Group only compete against each other in two states, with Progressive offering more affordable rates to the average driver in all of them. If you live in Indiana, Progressive is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at the overall average premiums. Western Reserve Group is the more affordable option in Ohio.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your insurance cost than just your home state. Continue reading to see how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- normally pay a lot for car insurance compared to older drivers. That's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

Even so, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high insurance prices. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of almost 40% less per month by choosing Western Reserve Group over Progressive. It's worth noting that Progressive offers auto insurance in 44 different states compared to Western Reserve Group's two, which can skew the average rates a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

That being said, both carriers will decrease premiums by the time drivers turn 25. Western Reserve Group offers the steepest reduction, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Progressive's average prices drop nearly 70% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between Progressive and Western Reserve Group? Western Reserve Group gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older almost 20% cheaper than the national average for Progressive.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but auto insurance prices tend to be more affordable for married policyholders than they are for single policyholders. That's because policies for married drivers typically cover several vehicles, which lots of companies will give you a discount for.

For single drivers, the difference in average rates between these two carriers is significant, with Western Reserve Group prices coming in at a quarter less than Progressive's. The advantage for married couples with Western Reserve Group is also obvious, where drivers save nearly 15% a month.

Progressive or Western Reserve Group: Average Rates by Gender

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

With Progressive, men typically pay about $5 per month more than women, but surprisingly, with Western Reserve Group, men usually pay around $2 a month less than women.

Looking at overall affordability, Western Reserve Group comes out as the most affordable option for both genders, with average premiums 26% less for men and 22% cheaper for women.

Progressive vs. Western Reserve Group: 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 can be a complicated subject for most people. Everyone needs car insurance, but there are so many different limits and terms that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers and passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- in addition to liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Western Reserve Group has the edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $94. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Western Reserve Group again has the edge, with policies averaging about $180 per month to Progressive's $250.

Is Progressive or Western Reserve Group Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

Speeding tickets and collisions will most likely raise your prices, but is Progressive or Western Reserve Group cheaper for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Progressive for their car insurance can generally expect their monthly bill to go up around 17% after getting a speeding ticket. Western Reserve Group policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of about 28%.

But Western Reserve Group has less expensive premiums for drivers in both categories. With Western Reserve Group, drivers with a clean record can save around $61 a month and drivers with a ticket can save about $58 per month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will raise prices pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with Progressive increasing by around 30%. Western Reserve Group has a less extreme raise, but you can still expect to pay more than 25% more than you were prior to your first accident.

At the end of the day, Western Reserve Group offers the cheapest premiums for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average rates coming in at $120 compared to Progressive's $214.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge on your record, it's probably going to cost you more than a simple speeding ticket or even an accident. On average, Western Reserve Group will increase your prices about 60% after a DUI, while Progressive's average rates climb by over 15%.

Progressive has the overall most affordable premiums for drivers with a DUI on their records at $177 monthly, but it's worth noting that Progressive's average rates come from 44 states compared to just two for Western Reserve Group, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Progressive and Western Reserve Group Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can be used as one of the factors to determine your monthly auto insurance prices. This isn't true for everyone (for example, Hawaii and California are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for many drivers.

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

So, which carrier offers the lowest premiums for drivers with poor, average, or good credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have great credit, Western Reserve Group will generally reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Western Reserve Group comes in nearly 24.26 cheaper. Drivers with "good" credit scores usually save around 25% with Western Reserve Group compared to average prices from Progressive.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Western Reserve Group typically offers lower rates than Progressive when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 23% a month less with Western Reserve Group compared to Progressive, and those with "poor" scores normally save an average of around 23% per month.

Is Progressive or Western Reserve Group Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

Did you know that the amount of time you spend in your car have a considerable impact on your monthly premiums? Typically, those who drive fewer miles will end up with less expensive prices since there's less of a chance of causing a collision and filing an insurance claim.

In this case, neither Progressive or Western Reserve Group report increasing rates for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. Western Reserve Group comes out as the cheapest for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their car each year, with average premiums of $137 per month for both.

Progressive or Western Reserve Group: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

We've already mentioned how your home state can play a role in how much you pay for car insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a large impact as well. Generally, those who live in rural areas will pay less than drivers in urban areas due to the small number of vehicles that are on the roads where they live.

Western Reserve Group tends to offer the most affordable prices for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save about $29 with Western Reserve Group compared to Progressive. People who live in suburban areas pay around $40 less with Western Reserve Group compared to Progressive. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Western Reserve Group's average rates are about $60 less than Progressive.

Progressive vs. Western Reserve Group Discounts

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

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be challenging to nail down the company that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile and to find all the discounts you can take advantage of.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Progressive and Western Reserve Group so that you can see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Progressive knocks Western Reserve Group out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 34 different discounts to Western Reserve Group's 11.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like agency transfer discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, distant student discounts, and discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company. Progressive also offers discounts for ABS, advanced safety feature, continuous insurance, and more.

On the other hand, Western Reserve Group has a proprietary discount of their own -- a company car discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Progressive or Western Reserve Group Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your insurance premiums. 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 company is the best carrier for you and your specific profile and needs?

Western Reserve Group might be best for you if....

• You have less-than-stellar credit.
• Your home is located in the suburbs.
• Your neighborhood is in a rural area.

Progressive might be best for you if...

• You value the experience that comes with a large national car insurance carrier.
• Your driving record includes a DUI charge.
• You're looking for discounts -- Progressive has the most.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Progressive and Western Reserve Group and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your auto insurance.

But, at the end of the day, there's only one way to know for sure that you're getting the best possible deal on insurance -- comparing quotes from several companies, not just Progressive and Western Reserve Group. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top car insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Progressive vs. Western Reserve Group FAQs

Is Progressive or Western Reserve Group cheaper?

Western Reserve Group is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $137 a month with Western Reserve Group and $180 for Progressive. That being said, that doesn't mean Western Reserve Group will be the lowest company for every policyholder, since there are many different factors that are considered when it comes to your auto insurance bill.

Who is better, Progressive or Western Reserve Group?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No single carrier is "better" for each policyholder -- it all boils down to your unique insurance profile. For example, Western Reserve Group is cheaper for drivers with excellent credit, while Progressive offers less expensive premiums for drivers with a recent DUI.

Why do Progressive and Western Reserve Group offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers use several different variables when determining the rates they charge. Things such as gender, your driving record, where you park your car, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Progressive and Western Reserve Group use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which company is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from multiple different companies.

How do I know if Progressive or Western Reserve Group is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of 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 information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Progressive or Western Reserve Group 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.