It’s hard to avoid all the ads from companies like The General, Farmers, and Liberty Mutual that claim dirt cheap rates, so you just need to pick one at random, right?
Unfortunately, it’s just not that easy, as there are a ton of unknown factors such as if you have a coverage lapse, whether you are single or married, how many years you have been driving, and whether you just need liability insurance, that all help calculate your car insurance rates. We will attempt to cover the types of situations that result in high rates and should give you a good start to your coverage search.
The car, truck, or SUV to be insured is one of the largest considerations when consumers are trying to find the best cheap coverage for safe drivers. Vehicles with lower acceleration and performance, an excellent safety record, or a low likelihood of having liability claims will cost less to insure than fast, unsafe models. The table below presents auto insurance costs for a handful of the most affordable automobiles to buy insurance for.
| Insured Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $1,136 |
| Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan | $1,145 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $1,233 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,259 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 2WD | $1,276 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4WD 2-Dr | $1,283 |
| Ford Edge Limited 2WD | $1,320 |
| Honda Civic DX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,327 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $1,335 |
| Toyota RAV4 4WD | $1,347 |
| GMC Sierra SL Extended Cab 2WD | $1,357 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $1,373 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,417 |
| Toyota Corolla S | $1,425 |
| Nissan Rogue S 2WD | $1,441 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $1,465 |
| Kia Optima EX | $1,538 |
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Data based on single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Missouri minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Information does not factor in zip code location which can influence premiums greatly.
Based upon these rates, you can conclude that vehicles like the Ford Escape, Honda Accord, Volkswagen Jetta, Toyota Prius, and Ford Explorer should be the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for good drivers.
Comparing quotes for reasonably-priced car insurance is not always easy, and determining which companies have the cheapest car insurance rates for safe drivers will take even more shopping around. Every auto insurer has a proprietary formula for establishing rates, so let’s begin by examining the car insurance companies that tend to have lower prices in Kansas City, MO.
Keep in mind that Kansas City, MO car insurance rates are calculated based on many things that control the price you have to pay. Events such as a birthday, filing a claim, or getting a few speeding tickets can trigger changes in premium resulting in some rates now being cheaper than others.
Find Cheaper Auto Insurance for Safe Drivers
USAA normally has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Kansas City at around $642 each year. This is $620 less than the average policy premium paid by Missouri drivers of $1,262. The Hartford, Electric, Allied, and Auto-Owners also rank well as some of the cheapest Kansas City, MO auto insurance companies.
As shown above, if you are currently insured with Electric and switched to USAA, you may realize a yearly savings of roughly $207. Missouri drivers with Allied could save as much as $207 a year, and Auto-Owners insureds might realize rate reductions of up to $395 a year.
It’s important to note that these premium estimates are averages for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and do not take into consideration a specific vehicle garaging location for safe drivers. So the auto insurance company that can offer you the best rate may not even be in the top 23 companies shown above. That is why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own specific driver information and vehicle.
One of the many things that are looked at to help calculate the cost of insurance is your address in Kansas City. Areas with high crime rates or more dense population likely pay more, whereas areas with less people or fewer weather incidents have the luxury of lower rates.
The illustration below lists the most expensive cities in Missouri for safe drivers in which to purchase auto insurance. Kansas City is ranked at #5 with an annual cost of $1,283 for the average policyholder, which is approximately $107 per month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint Louis | $1,474 |
| 2 | Florissant | $1,459 |
| 3 | University City | $1,352 |
| 4 | Raytown | $1,303 |
| 5 | Kansas City | $1,283 |
| 6 | Mehlville | $1,272 |
| 7 | Independence | $1,264 |
| 8 | Chesterfield | $1,244 |
| 9 | Ballwin | $1,244 |
| 10 | Wildwood | $1,201 |
| 11 | Kirkwood | $1,187 |
| 12 | Lee’s Summit | $1,170 |
| 13 | Saint Joseph | $1,168 |
| 14 | Liberty | $1,165 |
| 15 | Saint Charles | $1,140 |
| 16 | Wentzville | $1,134 |
| 17 | O’Fallon | $1,134 |
| 18 | Joplin | $1,126 |
| 19 | Blue Springs | $1,126 |
| 20 | Saint Peters | $1,117 |
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Table data uses approximated as the garaging address in Kansas City can change auto insurance rates noticeably.
How to get discounts on Kansas City car insurance rates
Insurance providers that provide policies for safe drivers could also offer premium discounts that may potentially lower prices by as much as 35% if you qualify. Companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are shown below.
- Farm Bureau policyholders can earn discounts including good student, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, renewal discount, and safe driver.
- Liberty Mutual has savings for multi-policy, new vehicle discount, preferred payment discount, teen driver discount, newly retired, and exclusive group savings.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for good student, driver’s education, multiple autos, good driver, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
- Auto-Owners Insurance may have discounts that include multiple vehicles, company car, group or association, air bags, paid in full, and anti-lock brakes.
- GEICO offers discounts including daytime running lights, five-year accident-free, seat belt use, military active duty, and anti-theft.
- SAFECO has discounts for accident prevention training, teen safe driver, multi-car, bundle discounts, drive less, homeowner, and safe driver.
The illustration below shows the comparison of auto insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. Data assumes a female driver, no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, Missouri state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with multiple policy, marriage, anti-theft, vehicle safety, passive restraint, and accident-free discounts applied. When these discounts are applied to the policy premium, the average savings per year on car insurance for safe drivers is 28% or $331.
The illustration below shows how choosing a deductible can raise or lower insurance prices when researching cheap insurance for safe drivers. The premiums are based on a married female driver, full coverage, and no policy discounts are applied.
A 30-year-old driver could lower their policy premium by $210 a year by switching from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $320 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Younger drivers, such as the 20-year-old chart data, could save as much as $454 every year by selecting a higher deductible.
When choosing a higher deductible, it will be necessary to have emergency funds available to be able to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the main disadvantage of using high deductibles.
Should you buy full coverage?
Lowering the price of car insurance is important to most vehicle owners, and one of the easiest ways to pay less for insurance for safe drivers is to not insure for full coverage. The chart below illustrates the difference between insurance premiums with and without full coverage. The rate quotes are based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no policy discounts are applied.
If the expense is averaged for all age categories, comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy costs an extra $1,706 per year more than buying just liability insurance. At some point, almost every driver questions if full coverage is worth the money. There is no clear-cut rule to exclude full coverage, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than around 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
How to find more affordable car insurance for safe drivers
The list below details many penny-pinching suggestions that can help you locate lower-cost auto insurance.
- Increase your credit rating
- Increase deductibles to save money
- Safer vehicles generally have cheaper insurance rates
- Keep your driving record clean
- Being accident-free can lower rates significantly
- Compare quotes from other companies often
The final tip is notably necessary, as was noted in the prior article. Car insurance rates in Kansas City can be modified anytime, so drivers shouldn’t hesitate to buy from a different company if a more affordable rate is found.
Brand loyalty is not necessarily bad, but we do not recommend it if that loyalty ends up costing several hundred dollars every year. In less than five minutes you could compare rates to find cheaper car insurance for safe drivers.