For youthful drivers, one of the more important criteria that help determine car insurance rates is where you live. Areas with more people or even just a higher incidence of claims likely pay more, whereas areas with less congestion benefit from lower prices.
The information below ranks the highest-priced areas in New York for young drivers to buy auto insurance in. Buffalo comes in at #13 with a yearly premium of $1,548 for car insurance, which is about $129 monthly.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $2,654 |
| 2 | Hempstead | $2,279 |
| 3 | Freeport | $2,235 |
| 4 | Levittown | $2,001 |
| 5 | Mount Vernon | $1,938 |
| 6 | West Babylon | $1,932 |
| 7 | Yonkers | $1,900 |
| 8 | Brentwood | $1,872 |
| 9 | Hicksville | $1,862 |
| 10 | Coram | $1,784 |
| 11 | New Rochelle | $1,659 |
| 12 | White Plains | $1,612 |
| 13 | Buffalo | $1,548 |
| 14 | Niagara Falls | $1,237 |
| 15 | West Seneca | $1,225 |
| 16 | Cheektowaga | $1,203 |
| 17 | Tonawanda | $1,177 |
| 18 | Utica | $1,125 |
| 19 | Syracuse | $1,097 |
| 20 | Albany | $1,067 |
| 21 | Rochester | $1,056 |
| 22 | Troy | $1,053 |
| 23 | Schenectady | $1,031 |
| 24 | Irondequoit | $1,001 |
| 25 | Binghamton | $912 |
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Price information shown is comparative as specific location information can impact price quotes noticeably.
The make and model of vehicle you are buying coverage for is a large consideration that determines the availability of affordable coverage for young drivers. Vehicles with higher performance characteristics, a lack of safety features, or an increased likelihood of liability claims will cost much more to insure than more modest models. The information below ranks car insurance rates for a handful of the most cost-effective automobiles to insure.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $7,572 |
| Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $7,579 |
| Toyota Prius | $8,170 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 4WD | $8,521 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $8,912 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $8,920 |
| Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $8,912 |
| Volkswagen Jetta LE 4-Dr Sedan | $8,981 |
| Toyota RAV4 4WD | $8,991 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $8,981 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $8,990 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Off-Road Package 4WD | $9,050 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SXT | $9,058 |
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Table data represents single female driver age 16, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and New York minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, and claim-free. Premium amounts do not factor in vehicle location which can raise or lower coverage rates substantially.
Based on these rates, we can tell that vehicles like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Toyota Prius will definitely be the cheapest vehicles to insure for youthful drivers. Auto insurance rates will tend to be higher just because there is more liability risk for young drivers, but generally speaking those models will have the least expensive rates that you are likely to find.
Deciphering which companies quote the best car insurance rates for young drivers will require more time than just comparing rates from one or two companies. Each company has their own unique process to determine rates, so we need to take a look at the car insurance companies with the most affordable rates in New York.
It’s a good idea to know that New York car insurance rates are based on many factors that can increase the cost of coverage. Improving your credit rating, buying a home, or having an at-fault accident can trigger price changes that can cause some rates to be cheaper than competitors.
Best Insurance Companies for Teens
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,199 |
| 2 | Erie | $1,218 |
| 3 | Utica National | $1,489 |
| 4 | Progressive | $1,512 |
| 5 | Allstate | $1,541 |
| 6 | Travelers | $1,559 |
| 7 | Amica | $1,580 |
| 8 | MetLife | $1,588 |
| 9 | Preferred Mutual | $1,737 |
| 10 | New York Central Mutual | $1,818 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,850 |
| 12 | State Farm | $1,904 |
| 13 | Safeco | $1,946 |
| 14 | Central Mutual | $2,028 |
| 15 | Liberty Mutual | $2,066 |
| 16 | Hanover | $2,299 |
| 17 | Encompass | $2,662 |
| 18 | Nationwide | $3,178 |
| 19 | Mercury | $3,926 |
| 20 | 21st Century | $4,324 |
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USAA quotes some of the lowest car insurance rates in Buffalo at around $1,199 a year. Erie, Utica National, Progressive, and Allstate also are some of the lowest-priced Buffalo, NY insurance companies.
In the rate table above, if you are a customer of Progressive and switched to USAA, you might achieve a yearly savings of around $313. Drivers with Allstate might save as much as $342 a year, and Travelers customers might see rate reductions of $360 a year.
To get a quick, customized rate comparison, click here or visit any of the low-priced companies below.
Bear in mind that those policy rates are averaged for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and and are not figured with a specific zip code for young drivers. So the insurer that can offer you the best price may not even be in the top 20 companies shown above. That point stresses why you need to get rate quotes using your own driver data and vehicle information.
Get discounts on Buffalo car insurance
Car insurance companies that offer coverage for young drivers may also give you special discounts that can reduce rates by as much as 35% or more if you can meet the requirements. Popular car insurance companies and some of the discounts are shown below.
- GEICO offers discounts for air bags, emergency military deployment, anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, driver training, and good student.
- SAFECO has discounts for teen safe driver, safe driver, homeowner, bundle discounts, accident prevention training, anti-theft, and teen safety rewards.
- State Farm offers discounts including multiple autos, passive restraint, Steer Clear safe driver discount, defensive driving training, and Drive Safe & Save.
- MetLife policyholders can earn discounts including accident-free, good driver, good student, defensive driver, multi-policy, and claim-free.
- 21st Century offers premium reductions for student driver, air bags, defensive driver, anti-lock brakes, teen driver, and good student.
- Progressive includes discounts for online quote discount, multi-policy, homeowner, online signing, and good student.
The diagram below shows the difference between annual premium costs with and without policy discounts. The premiums are based on a female driver, no claims or driving violations, New York state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The second shows the rates with good student, paperless filing, passive restraint, paid-in-full, continuous coverage, and vehicle safety discounts applied. When drivers qualify for the discounts, the average amount saved each year on car insurance for young drivers is 28% or $517.
The diagram below illustrates how your deductible choice can change premium costs when quoting cheap insurance for young drivers. The rate quotes are based on a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, and no additional discounts are factored in.
In the chart above, a 50-year-old driver could reduce rates by $216 a year by changing their physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $326 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Young drivers, such as the 20-year-old example, could potentially save up to $536 or more by using a higher deductible.
When choosing a higher deductible, it will be important to have plenty of savings on hand to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the main drawback of higher deductibles.
Do you need full coverage?
Reducing the cost of car insurance should be important to the majority of vehicle owners, and an effective way to buy cheap insurance for young drivers is to only buy liability insurance. The illustration below shows the difference between car insurance costs with and without physical damage coverage. The data assumes a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, single marital status, and no policy discounts are applied.
If averaged for all ages, full coverage costs $1,523 per year over having just liability coverage. That amount may make you wonder if you should buy full coverage. There isn’t a steadfast formula of when to eliminate comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than around 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then you might consider buying liability only.
There are some cases where dropping full coverage is not advised. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you have to carry full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not eliminate full coverage.
If you aren’t clear which coverage you need and would like to get some help when buying car insurance for youthful drivers, the agents shown below can most likely aid you in deciding which coverages and limits you need.
To locate an agency near you, click the button after the list or click here to get price quotes now.
Clauss and Company Insurance Agency
735 Delaware Ave – Buffalo, NY 14209 – (716) 886-6600
Nationwide Insurance: Debra R Hamsher
1101 Niagara Falls Blvd – Buffalo, NY 14226 – (716) 833-1900
The Decker Agency, Inc.
37 Elmwood Ave – Buffalo, NY 14201 – (716) 883-1455
View map of Buffalo, NY insurance agents
How to find budget-friendly insurance for young drivers
Below you’ll find some of the recommended money-saving solutions that can help you buy cheap coverage.
- Remain accident-free and save
- Safer vehicles cost less to insure
- Raise deductibles to save money
- Don’t waste money on full coverage for older vehicles
- Just one traffic violation will increase your rates
- Drivers with good credit often pay less
- Compare price quotes at least once a year
The last tip is extremely critical, as we emphasized in the article above. Insurance prices in Buffalo can change considerably in a year, so drivers shouldn’t be reluctant to change to a new company if you find a cheaper price. Having brand loyalty is commendable, but we do not recommend it if your bullheadedness ends up costing you thousands of dollars over several years. It only take a few minutes to compare rates and find cheaper auto insurance for young drivers.