The vehicle you are buying coverage for is one of the primary factors when comparing quotes for affordable auto insurance for drivers with a bad driving record. Vehicles with more horsepower, poor crash test ratings, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost more to insure than safer models. The next table outlines coverage premiums for a handful of the cheapest automobiles to insure in Minnesota.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $5,697 |
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $5,702 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $6,143 |
| Toyota Prius | $6,300 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $6,448 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS 2WD | $6,454 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $6,448 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $6,509 |
| Ford F-150 FX4 4WD | $6,516 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 2WD | $6,593 |
| Honda Civic EX 4-Dr Sedan | $6,677 |
| Ford Edge SE AWD | $6,682 |
| Toyota Corolla S | $6,738 |
| Honda Odyssey EX-L | $6,745 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $6,749 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 4WD | $6,759 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $6,749 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $6,839 |
| GMC Sierra 3500HD SLE Extended Cab 2WD | $6,861 |
| Kia Optima LX | $7,009 |
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Table data assumes single female driver age 40, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Minnesota minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and homeowner. Prices do not factor in specific garaging location which can change coverage rates significantly.
Based on these rates, cars like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Volkswagen Jetta are the most economical vehicles to insure for bad drivers. Car insurance rates will trend higher just because there is more claim risk for drivers with a bad driving record, but overall those models will most likely have the best insurance prices that you’ll find.
Determining which company quotes the best car insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record requires more work in order to find the best price. Each insurer has a unique approach for determining rates, so to begin we’ll rank the lowest cost car insurance companies in Minnesota.
It’s a good idea to know that Minneapolis car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that will increase or decrease your annual premium. Simply turning a year older, increasing liability limits, or getting a DUI can trigger rate changes that can cause some rates to be affordable when they were higher priced.
Best Insurance Companies for Imperfect Drivers
Travelers quotes some of the best car insurance rates in Minneapolis at around $667 annually. This is $754 less than the average policy premium paid by Minnesota drivers of $1,421. USAA, Farm Bureau Mutual, Western National, and The Hartford also qualify as some of the cheaper Minneapolis, MN car insurance companies.
As the rates illustrate above, if you currently have coverage with Western National and switched to USAA, you might achieve a yearly price reduction of upwards of $130. Insureds with The Hartford may save as much as $157 a year, and West Bend Mutual insureds might cut rates by $174 a year.
Be aware that those premium estimates are averages across all drivers and vehicles and are not factoring in an exact zip code location for drivers with a bad driving record. So the auto insurance company that is best for you may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That illustrates why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
One of the more important components that help determine car insurance rates is where you normally keep your vehicle in Minneapolis. Regions with larger populations or more claims tend to have more expensive auto insurance rates, whereas areas with fewer weather claims and lower vehicle theft rates can boast about having cheaper rates.
The following table ranks the most costly cities in Minnesota for drivers with a bad driving record in which to buy car insurance. Minneapolis is ranked at #2 with an annual rate of $1,997 for car insurance, which is about $166 per month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maplewood | $2,005 |
| 2 | Minneapolis | $1,997 |
| 3 | Saint Paul | $1,988 |
| 4 | Bloomington | $1,792 |
| 5 | Brooklyn Park | $1,762 |
| 6 | Richfield | $1,760 |
| 7 | Edina | $1,759 |
| 8 | Duluth | $1,741 |
| 9 | Maple Grove | $1,741 |
| 10 | Coon Rapids | $1,739 |
| 11 | Blaine | $1,731 |
| 12 | Eden Prairie | $1,723 |
| 13 | Plymouth | $1,714 |
| 14 | Shakopee | $1,710 |
| 15 | Saint Cloud | $1,702 |
| 16 | Saint Louis Park | $1,702 |
| 17 | Woodbury | $1,680 |
| 18 | Eagan | $1,678 |
| 19 | Minnetonka | $1,672 |
| 20 | Burnsville | $1,658 |
| 21 | Lakeville | $1,649 |
| 22 | Apple Valley | $1,631 |
| 23 | Rochester | $1,591 |
| 24 | Moorhead | $1,520 |
| 25 | Mankato | $1,474 |
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Premium amounts are estimated as the specific geographic location can increase or decrease auto insurance rates greatly.
Impact of citations and accidents on insurance rates
A great way to snag good car insurance prices for bad drivers is to drive attentively and have a clean driving record. The information below illustrates how speeding tickets and at-fault claims drive up insurance costs for different categories of driver ages. The information is based on a single male driver, full physical damage coverage, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.
The chart shows that the average cost of an auto insurance policy per year with no violations or accidents is $1,821. Get written up for two speeding tickets and the average cost surges to $2,414, an increase of $593 each year. Now get one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the yearly cost of car insurance for drivers with a bad driving record goes up to an average of $3,010. That’s an increase of $1,189, or $99 per month, just for not being a responsible driver!
Discounts on Minneapolis car insurance
Insurance companies that offer quotes for drivers with a bad driving record may also give you premium discounts that may potentially lower prices by as much as 25% or more if you are eligible. A list of companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are:
- GEICO offers discounts for seat belt use, anti-theft, daytime running lights, good student, and driver training.
- MetLife may include discounts for accident-free, good driver, multi-policy, claim-free, good student, defensive driver
- Progressive offers premium reductions for multi-policy, good student, multi-vehicle, online signing, continuous coverage, and online quote discount.
- Travelers discounts include continuous insurance, multi-policy, good student, new car, payment discounts, and home ownership.
- SAFECO has savings for teen safe driver, anti-theft, homeowner, teen safety rewards, accident prevention training, multi-car, and safe driver.
- AAA may have discounts that include education and occupation, multi-car, good student, AAA membership discount, pay-in-full, good driver, and multi-policy.
The example below compares yearly insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the rates. The premiums are based on a female driver, three speeding tickets and one accident, Minnesota state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with continuous coverage, anti-theft, paid-in-full, multiple vehicle, passive restraint, and paperless filing discounts applied. With discounts applied, theaverage yearly reduction on car insurance for drivers with a bad driving record is 28% or $817.
Why you should be shopping around
Minnesota car insurance rates are influenced by many factors that can increase the cost of your policy. Simply turning a year older, buying a home instead of renting, or getting a driving violation can trigger rate changes resulting in some companies being cheaper than before.
Not only that, but insurers modify pricing as often as every three months in order to offset underwriting gains or losses. Higher than usual claims may cause more expensive prices, while a profitable period can result in lower-cost Minneapolis car insurance rates.
For instance, the chart below shows the company with the cheapest car insurance in Minneapolis, MN for a 30-year-old female driver with a good driving record, no prior claims, and a good credit history. If we estimate prices based on her personal risk profile, Travelers offers the lowest car insurance rates in Minneapolis at $922 annually. This is $499 less than the average policy premium paid by Minnesota drivers of $1,421. Farm Bureau Mutual, USAA, Western National, and The Hartford are also included in the cheapest Minneapolis, MN auto insurance companies.
In the next rate comparison, we’ll give the driver from the above example a claim, a lower credit rating, and an imperfect driving record. Because each company has their own formula to determine rates, getting updated rate quotes could result in a significantly different list of the cheapest car insurance companies in Minneapolis as shown below.
USAA now has the best auto insurance rate in Minneapolis, MN with Farm Bureau Mutual, Allied, California Casualty, and State Farm also having competitive pricing. This example illustrates why it is so important to shop around with many companies to get the most economical insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record. Insurance prices are made up of many things and can decrease or increase without notice, so the most economical company when you bought your policy may now be wasting a lot of money.