The make and model of vehicle requiring coverage is one of the largest factors that determines the availability of the most affordable auto insurance for drivers with accidents. Vehicles with lots of horsepower, poor passenger safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost quite a bit more to insure than more economical and safe models. The next list outlines auto insurance rates for a handful of the more affordable vehicles to insure in Tennessee.
| Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan | $2,400 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $2,429 |
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $2,583 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport Islander Package 4WD 2-Dr | $2,664 |
| Toyota Prius | $2,732 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $2,755 |
| Ford Edge SE 2WD | $2,780 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $2,868 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer AWD | $2,870 |
| Dodge Ram 3500 Crew Cab Laramie 2WD | $2,879 |
| Toyota RAV4 4WD | $2,972 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $2,990 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $3,006 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $3,015 |
| Ford F-150 FX4 Super Cab 4WD | $3,006 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $3,015 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Crew Cab 4WD | $3,019 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4WD | $3,028 |
| Ford F-350 XL Crew Cab Cabela Package 2WD | $3,051 |
| Nissan Rogue S AWD | $3,071 |
| Toyota Corolla LE | $3,128 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LTZ Extended Cab 4WD | $3,162 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ 2WD | $3,171 |
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Cost estimates assume single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Tennessee minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and homeowner. Estimates do not factor in specific location information which can alter coverage rates significantly.
Looking at the numbers, you can figure that models like the Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Jeep Wrangler are most likely going to be a few of the cheapest vehicles to insure for drivers with at-fault accidents. The cost of auto insurance will be more expensive just because there is a higher risk for drivers with accidents, but generally speaking those specific models will tend to have the cheapest auto insurance rates compared to all other vehicles.
One of the more important things that are looked at to help calculate car insurance rates is where you call home. Regions with more people or even just more weather-related claims tend to pay slightly more, whereas areas that tend to be more rural have the gratification of cheaper auto insurance rates.
The next table sorts the most costly cities in Tennessee for drivers with accidents in which to buy car insurance. Nashville makes the list at #9 costing $1,201 for car insurance, which is about $100 each month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memphis | $1,446 |
| 2 | Bartlett | $1,405 |
| 3 | Germantown | $1,334 |
| 4 | Collierville | $1,309 |
| 5 | Jackson | $1,266 |
| 6 | Columbia | $1,226 |
| 7 | Oak Ridge | $1,223 |
| 8 | Spring Hill | $1,205 |
| 9 | Nashville | $1,201 |
| 10 | Maryville | $1,196 |
| 11 | Knoxville | $1,194 |
| 12 | Murfreesboro | $1,183 |
| 13 | Morristown | $1,171 |
| 14 | Clarksville | $1,170 |
| 15 | Franklin | $1,164 |
| 16 | La Vergne | $1,162 |
| 17 | Chattanooga | $1,161 |
| 18 | Smyrna | $1,159 |
| 19 | Cookeville | $1,147 |
| 20 | Brentwood | $1,144 |
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Rate quotes are estimated as the specific Nashville residence address can lower or raise coverage prices significantly.
Tennessee car insurance company ratings
Choosing the best company can be rather challenging considering how many different insurance companies sell coverage in Nashville. The company rank data shown next can help you choose which providers to look at when comparing rate quotes. The ratings below are for companies with a national presence, so companies that may only write in Tennessee are not included in the list.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travelers | 93 | 98 | 99 | 88% | A++ | 95.1 |
| USAA | 83 | 99 | 100 | 91% | A++ | 94.1 |
| AAA Insurance | 91 | 95 | 92 | 90% | A | 93.3 |
| Nationwide | 85 | 95 | 97 | 89% | A+ | 92.4 |
| 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 |
| GEICO | 79 | 89 | 95 | 87% | A++ | 87.8 |
| Titan Insurance | 86 | 82 | 92 | 86% | A+ | 86.5 |
| 21st Century | 86 | 82 | 90 | 84% | A | 86.4 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Cost of full coverage in Nashville
Paying less for car insurance should be important to the majority of people, and a great way to buy cheaper insurance for drivers with accidents is to buy only liability coverage. The information below visualizes the comparison of annual premium costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying the minimum liability limits required in Tennessee. The price estimates are based on no claims or driving citations, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
If averaged out across all ages, comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy costs an additional $1,521 per year more than insuring for liability only. Many drivers will wonder when is it a good idea to stop buying full coverage. There is no clear-cut formula for eliminating physical damage insurance, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of coverage is 10% or more of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s assume your vehicle’s settlement value is $12,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most you would get paid by your company is $11,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are paying more than $1,100 annually to have full coverage, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
There are some circumstances where removing full coverage is not recommended. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you have to maintain full coverage in order to satisfy the requirements of the loan. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not buy liability only.
Discount Nashville auto insurance
Auto insurance companies that offer quotes for drivers with accidents may also provide premium discounts that can lower rates by 30% or more if you meet eligibility requirements. A few of the larger companies and their possible discounts are outlined below.
- GEICO may have discounts that include good student, daytime running lights, multi-vehicle, federal employee, air bags, and five-year accident-free.
- Travelers offers discounts including multi-policy, new car, good student, save driver, student away at school, home ownership, and driver training.
- Nationwide discounts include Farm Bureau membership, anti-theft, accident-free, business or organization, family plan, and easy pay.
- Farmers Insurance offers premium reductions for good student, alternative fuel, early shopping, pay in full, and business and professional.
- Esurance has savings for multi-policy, good driver, defensive driver, good student, and multi-car.
- State Farm has discounts for driver’s education, multiple policy, Steer Clear safe driver discount, anti-theft, safe vehicle, and student away at school.
- Progressive may include discounts for continuous coverage, homeowner, online quote discount, good student, multi-policy, online signing, and multi-vehicle.
- Mercury Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including annual mileage, multi-car, ease of repair, age of vehicle, and anti-theft.
The illustration below illustrates the difference between auto insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. Data assumes a female driver, no traffic citations and one accident, Tennessee state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $1,000 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, vehicle safety, paid-in-full, paperless filing, homeowner, and multiple policy discounts applied. When these discounts are applied to the policy premium, theaverage yearly reduction on car insurance for drivers with accidents is 28% or $591.
Here’s why you should compare rates often
Nashville, TN car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can significantly increase or decrease the price you have to pay for coverage. Simply improving your credit, becoming a homeowner, or getting a couple of tickets can trigger price changes resulting in some companies being much cheaper than others. In addition to those changes, car insurance companies change premium rates every year in order to remain profitable. Higher than normal claim frequency or severity can cause higher rates, while a profitable period may result in cheaper Nashville car insurance rates.
For example, the bar chart below shows which companies have the cheapest car insurance in Nashville, TN for a 35-year-old male driver with no accidents or violations, and good financial standing. Based on his current rating profile, Utica National might offer the best car insurance rates in Nashville at $858 a year. This is $470 less than the average policy premium paid by Tennessee drivers of $1,328. Auto-Owners, Cincinnati Insurance, USAA, and Penn National are also included in the best Nashville, TN auto insurance companies.
Now we will pretend the driver from above a couple of claims, poor credit, and a traffic citation. Since each auto insurance company uses a different method to determine rates, comparing quotes may result in a slightly different list of companies as shown below.
Tennessee Farmers now has the best auto insurance rate in Nashville, TN with Nationwide, Allied, Westfield, and GEICO now rounding out the top five. This illustrates why consumers need to shop around with many companies when trying to get the lowest car insurance rates for drivers with accidents.
Insurance prices are determined by many things and can change substantially, so the lowest-price company six months ago may now be an over-priced policy.