The type of vehicle that is being insured is one of the primary factors that determines if you can find affordable auto insurance for inexperienced drivers. Vehicles with high performance engines, a lack of advanced safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost much more to insure than more modest models.
The information below showcases auto insurance costs for a selection of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure in Louisiana.
| Vehicle Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Jeep Wrangler Sport 4WD 2-Dr | $2,291 |
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $2,499 |
| Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $2,566 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 4WD | $2,623 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $2,673 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $2,703 |
| Toyota Prius | $2,767 |
| Nissan Rogue SL 2WD | $2,807 |
| Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $2,815 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 2WD | $2,821 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.5 Station Wagon | $2,851 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Regular Cab 2WD | $2,858 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $2,871 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $2,876 |
| Ford Edge Limited 2WD | $2,891 |
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Data based on single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Louisiana minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, claim-free, safe-driver, and homeowner. Table data does not factor in your specific New Orleans, LA location which can decrease or increase prices substantially.
Based upon the table data, we can infer that models like the Jeep Wrangler, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4 are most likely going to be the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for new drivers.
Finding out which company quotes the lowest-priced car insurance rates for inexperienced drivers requires a bit more work in order to find the best price. Every insurance company uses their own formula to establish rates, so let’s examine the lowest cost car insurance companies in New Orleans.
It’s important to know that New Orleans car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can substantially decrease or increase the cost of a policy. Turning one year older, moving to a new city, or getting a reckless driving citation can trigger changes in premium resulting in some rates now being cheaper than before.
Best Cheap Insurance Rates for Newbies
USAA has some of the cheapest car insurance rates in New Orleans at around $1,626 each year. This is $788 less than the average price paid by Louisiana drivers of $2,414. GEICO, MetLife, Progressive, and Safeway would also be considered some of the lowest-priced New Orleans, LA car insurance companies.
In the above example, if you are currently insured with Progressive and switched to GEICO, you may see an annual savings of about $118. Customers with Safeway may save as much as $245 a year, and Southern Farm Bureau policyholders might lower prices by $317 a year.
Bear in mind that those prices are averages for all drivers and vehicles in Louisiana and are not factoring in an exact location for inexperienced drivers. So the auto insurance company that fits your situation best may not even be in the top 12 companies in the list above. That point stresses why you need to get rate quotes from many companies using your own personal information and vehicle type.
One of the many things that are used to help calculate auto insurance rates is the neighborhood you call home in New Orleans. Areas with high crime rates or more dense population tend to have higher auto insurance costs, whereas areas with less crime or weather claims have the benefit of cheaper auto insurance prices.
The following table shows the most expensive cities in Louisiana for inexperienced drivers to purchase auto insurance in. New Orleans comes in at #1 with a yearly premium of $2,856 for the average insurance policy, which is around $238 each month.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Orleans | $2,856 |
| 2 | Marrero | $2,544 |
| 3 | Terrytown | $2,530 |
| 4 | Harvey | $2,513 |
| 5 | Baton Rouge | $2,209 |
| 6 | Central | $2,201 |
| 7 | Metairie | $2,188 |
| 8 | Kenner | $2,181 |
| 9 | Prairieville | $2,169 |
| 10 | Shenandoah | $2,118 |
| 11 | Hammond | $2,107 |
| 12 | Alexandria | $2,034 |
| 13 | Lafayette | $1,995 |
| 14 | Laplace | $1,991 |
| 15 | Slidell | $1,977 |
| 16 | Monroe | $1,970 |
| 17 | Lake Charles | $1,934 |
| 18 | Sulphur | $1,916 |
| 19 | New Iberia | $1,909 |
| 20 | Shreveport | $1,838 |
| 21 | Houma | $1,791 |
| 22 | Bayou Cane | $1,782 |
| 23 | Natchitoches | $1,763 |
| 24 | Bossier City | $1,744 |
| 25 | Ruston | $1,720 |
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Prices are comparative as specific New Orleans zip code can decrease or increase coverage prices noticeably.
Careless drivers pay higher rates
The common sense way to snag good car insurance premiums in Louisiana for new drivers is to be a cautious driver and not have accidents or get tickets. The example below shows how traffic citations and at-fault accidents can affect insurance costs for different age groups. The price estimates are based on a single male driver, full coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
In the chart above, the average cost of car insurance in Louisiana per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $3,308. Factor in two speeding tickets and the average cost rises to $4,390, an increase of $1,083 each year. Then throw in one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of car insurance for inexperienced drivers jumps again to an average of $5,480. That’s an increase of $2,172, or $181 per month, just for not maintaining a clean driving record!
The illustration below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles can increase or decrease insurance rates when getting quotes for cheap insurance for inexperienced drivers. Data assumes a married female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are applied.
The chart above illustrates that a 40-year-old driver could lower their car insurance rates by $430 a year by changing their physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $644 by using a $1,000 deductible. Even younger insureds, like the Age 20 category, could drop their prices up to $1,062 each year by selecting a higher deductible. If you do raise deductibles, it will now be necessary to have plenty of money set aside to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense. That is the one drawback of using higher deductibles.
New Orleans car insurance company ratings
Insuring your vehicle with a high-quality car insurance company can be a challenge considering how many different companies there are to choose from in New Orleans. The rank data in the lists below can help you pick which companies to look at when shopping insurance around for inexperienced drivers. These ratings include large insurance companies, so companies with more of a regional focus are not taken into consideration for these rankings.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 83 | 99 | 100 | 91% | A++ | 94.1 |
| AAA Insurance | 91 | 95 | 92 | 90% | A | 93.3 |
| Allstate | 77 | 100 | 97 | 88% | A+ | 90.7 |
| State Farm | 80 | 94 | 96 | 88% | A++ | 90.6 |
| The Hartford | 88 | 93 | 91 | 87% | A+ | 90.4 |
| Safeco Insurance | 91 | 95 | 85 | 88% | A | 90.2 |
| Progressive | 88 | 94 | 83 | 88% | A+ | 90.1 |
| American Family | 91 | 86 | 95 | 83% | A | 89.7 |
| Esurance | 86 | 90 | 94 | 90% | A+ | 89.5 |
| The General | 86 | 93 | 89 | 84% | A- | 88.2 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
What aren’t you shopping around?
Louisiana car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can substantially decrease or increase the price you pay for coverage. Simply having a birthday, increasing liability limits, or getting a ticket for careless driving may generate price changes that can cause some rates to be cheaper than competitors. Additionally, insurers file new Louisiana auto insurance rates every year in order to protect their financial rating. Significantly higher claims may cause additional premium costs, while less frequent claims can result in lower-cost New Orleans car insurance rates.
As an example, the bar chart below analyzes the cheapest car insurance in New Orleans, LA for a 40-year-old male driver with no accidents or violations, and a good credit history. If we look at prices based on his current risk factors, USAA may have the lowest car insurance rates in New Orleans at $2,646 per year. This is $232 more than the average premium paid by Louisiana drivers of $2,414. MetLife, GEICO, Progressive, and Southern Farm Bureau are also included in the top five cheapest New Orleans, LA auto insurance companies.
In this next rate comparison, we will give the driver from the first set of rates an accident claim, a lower credit rating, and a stop sign violation. Because each company has a different process for determining rates in each state, comparing rates may now result in a slightly different list of affordable companies as shown below.
California Casualty now has the lowest price on auto insurance in New Orleans, LA with USAA, State Farm, MetLife, and Safe Auto completing the list. This demonstrates why it is critical to do a thorough rate comparison when trying to get the cheapest auto insurance rates for inexperienced drivers.
Car insurance prices can be altered by many risk factors and change substantially, so the best option a year ago may now be priced much higher than other options.