Mutual Progressive Auto Insurance Company was founded in 1936 by Joseph Lewis and Jack Green. Its headquarters are in Mayfield Village, Ohio. They started out as a small company in the suburbs of Cleveland, and now they have grown to be the fourth largest insurance company in the United States. Progressive is widely known for its TV ad campaigns, which feature a very enthusiastic insurance agent named “Flo.”
We’ve researched Progressive extensively and conducted our own tests to develop the most informative review possible. We also went through numerous Progressive insurance reviews to ensure that we could provide a completely unbiased review for our readers.
Progressive Auto Insurance Review
Overall Product
Financial Strength
Services Offered
Customer Service
Insurance Rates
Carsurance Verdict:
Progressive is the cheapest insurer around, with solid financial strength, and an intuitive website and mobile app. Its customer service ratings are average, but we still recommend adding Progressive to your shortlist.
4.2
Pros
- The cheapest option in the market
- Better rates for drivers who have previously been in an accident
- Several discount programs
Cons
- Not the best customer service
Progressive Auto Insurance Product Overview
Progressive is one of the biggest auto and home insurance companies in the US. It is known for providing some of the most affordable auto insurance coverage policies around. Its coverage options are excellent and have a tool called “name your price.”
This tool allows you to build a policy that is tailored to your needs and your budget. On top of this, Progressive also offers some exclusive add-ons like gap coverage and custom equipment coverage.
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Progressive Car Insurance Features
Progressive offers all the basic features most insurers do. However, it has other features you’ll be hard-pressed to find from anyone else:
1. Roadside Assistance
If your car breaks down, whether you’re on a mountainside road or in your driveway, you can call Progressive’s customer service line. They will then send a towing service to come and tow your car to the nearest auto shop to get it repaired, and you won’t have to pay a cent!
This also applies to getting a flat tire, running out of fuel, or getting locked out of your car. No matter what auto problem you’re having, you can call the Progressive insurance customer care number to ask for assistance.
2. Gap Insurance
Gap Insurance is also known as a loan-lease payoff. This type of add-on is highly recommended for those who own a new car. If the car is totaled in an accident, Progressive will pay off your entire remaining loan amount.
That way, you won’t get stuck paying off a loan for a car you no longer use or own. Based on the data we gathered, this company is one of the very few car insurance companies that offer this feature, even though numerous Progressive auto insurance reviews state they do, so we advise you to be wary about this info.
3. Custom Parts & Equipment
Most insurers see vehicles with custom upgrades as risky. For this reason, car insurers usually place a higher premium on policies for these cars. Progressive’s policies cover custom parts and accessories of up to $1,000. It also allows policyholders to purchase additional coverage if the custom upgrades are beyond $1,000.
4. Pet Injury
Progressive insurance rating is this high because of the veterinary expense coverage you may incur in the event that your pet gets injured in a car accident. The pet injury coverage is part of your collision insurance, so you would need to pay the deductible to be able to file a claim.
If you’re wondering if you can still benefit from this feature if you already have pet insurance, the answer is yes. Progressive’s deductible for pet insurance is much more affordable than your pet insurance policy. This means you’ll be able to save money.
5. Rental Reimbursement
Another highlight in our Progressive insurance review features how the company will reimburse you for the cost of renting a vehicle while your car is getting repaired after an accident.
However, it will only cover the rental car bill for up to 30 days, and the coverage limit only goes up to $50 per day.
Financial Strength
Progressive has been awarded an A+ by A. M. Best for financial standing. An A+ is a superior rating, which means that the company is in excellent financial health. You can be assured that you will get paid in the event that you file a claim.
However, contrary to many Progressive auto insurance reviews, this company has noted issues with its claim reimbursement, as you’ll see in the customer service section below.
Types of Insurance Coverage Offered
1. Liability Coverage
2. Collision Coverage
3. Comprehensive Coverage
4. Uninsured/Underinsured Bodily Injury
5. Uninsured Motorist Property Damage
6. Medical Payments
Progressive Customer Service
Progressive’s customer service is nothing to write home about. If anything, this is one aspect of the company that sets it back from other insurers. We’ve experienced long waiting times when calling the Progressive customer service line.
Its claims process is another letdown for this company. You can expect a lot of back and forth before your claim gets paid. From what we’ve seen, most of these customers got so frustrated with the claims process that they decided to file a complaint.
In fact, you’ll see that most of the complaints are about the company not delivering on its promises when you look at Progressive Insurance reviews in BBB.
The industry experts confirm this narrative. Progressive has a rating of 3 stars out of 5 in J.D. Power’s 2020 study for both claims satisfaction and insurance shopping, ranking in the lower tier for those categories.
Discounts Offered by Progressive
Progressive offers the standard set of discounts given to car insurance policyholders.
However, its Snapshot program sets it a notch higher than its competitors. Overall, it offers a useful discount to Progressive customers and is easy to use.
Meanwhile, the other discounts offered by Progressive are a little easier to qualify for.
Progressive Snapshot Review
Progressive’s Snapshot program is a great opportunity for you to get significant discounts off your premium. It is usage-based insurance, and the discount you can get is based on your driving habits. This means the safer you drive, the bigger the discount you’re going to get.
In order to qualify, you must voluntarily sign up for the program. This automatically entitles you to an average of $25 off your premium. Then you can download the Snapshot app on your smartphone, or you can opt for the plug-in device which you would have to install on your vehicle, and that’s it!
The Snapshot Progressive insurance app on your smartphone or the plugin device installed on your car will monitor your driving behavior and send reports back to Progressive. Actions such as hard braking or driving too fast will cause the device to beep. The fewer beeps you get, the greater your chances are of getting a higher discount.
However, keep in mind that it works both ways. If you exhibit unsafe driving habits, your premium could go higher. That said, be sure to evaluate your driving skills before you sign up for the program. Nevertheless, there’s a chance your premium will go up if you add on the Snapshot feature.
Other Progressive Discounts
Here are a few of the other discounts Progressive offers:
Start Your Quote Online – All you need to do is request a quote online and complete the purchase by calling in.
Safe Driver – You can unlock this discount if you’ve been a Progressive auto policyholder for three years and haven’t received a driving ticket or had an accident during that time.
Multicar – If you own more than one car, insuring all of them with Progressive entitles you to a discount.
Sign Documents Online – Sign all your insurance documents online.
Pay in Full – Pay your premiums in full.
Automatic Bill Pay – Set up an auto-debit agreement or automatic recurring payment for your insurance payments.
Progressive Auto Insurance Reviews Rates
According to the data we gathered, the company offers the lowest rates out of all the tested insurance providers. Progressive even offers excellent prices for drivers who have a record of previous violations.
Progressive Auto Insurance Rates
We’ve compared the different quotes given by this company for different driver segments, and we found that Progressive offers the most affordable policies for all age demographics.
Progressive vs Geico
Compared with Geico, the second cheapest option on the market, Progressive is $27 cheaper for a 21-year-old driver, $29 cheaper for a 40-year-old driver, and $5 cheaper for a 70-year old driver.
On top of this, the company offers some excellent discounts that can lower the premium even further, and it even has amazing rates for drivers with a previous car accident.
Those belonging to this category can save as much as $450 off their premium if they purchase their policy from Progressive. If you’re working on a tight budget, Progressive should definitely be near the top of your shortlist.
Progressive Insurance Cost
If you are looking for an affordable insurance policy, Progressive is definitely worth considering. Additionally, bundling home and auto insurance can reduce the premium even further.
However, this company uses multiple third-party companies to handle the underwriting for its home insurance policies. This means you will be at the mercy of these companies in the event of needing to file a claim. According to numerous findings and the many Progressive insurance reviews for homes we studied, it’s definitely worth noting this and paying heavy attention to.
Nevertheless, Progressive home insurance policies are some of the most affordable among the ten biggest insurers in the country. In fact, Allstate is the only other company that offers a lower rate for coverage policies amounting to $150,000 or under. This means that Progressive is a great choice for home insurance as long as you are willing to do a little bit of research on the underwriter in your location.
Progressive Auto Insurance Coverage Options Comparison
Comparing car insurance companies is not easy. You have to look at every parameter, not just its rates carefully. To make things easier for you, we took the liberty of comparing Progressive Insurance with three of the most popular insurers in the country.
Progressive vs. Allstate
Allstate is the second-largest insurance company. While Progressive is ranked as the fourth, both companies have very similar offerings in terms of coverage and added benefits. When it comes to price, we found that Allstate quotes are higher than Progressive on average.
However, when comparing Allstate to Progressive auto insurance quotes, the latter offers a lot more discount opportunities, and if you qualify, you’ll be able to enjoy significant savings off your premium.
Both companies were given an A+ by A. M. Best for its financial stability and have been rated 3 out of 5 stars by JD Powers for user satisfaction. If you are particular about this, you might want to move on to comparing Progressive with another insurer.
While our research found that its customer service has less than satisfactory ratings, Allstate still has a higher number of customer complaints.
Progressive vs State Farm
Standing at number 43 on the Fortune 500 list, State Farm is the largest auto insurance company in the world.
However, this company offers more than just car coverage policies. It has a wide range of insurance products, financial planning resources, and identity protection tools.
This makes it a great option if you are looking for a company that can handle all your insurance needs. So how does State Farm compare to Progressive?
Founded in 1922, State Farm is older than Progressive by 15 years. However, it seems that the latter has done better with keeping up with the times. You can now conduct a Progressive insurance quote for a car online.
Meanwhile, State Farm stands by its slogan, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there,” and offers local insurance agents alongside its intuitive website and mobile app. Despite Progressive trailblazing the insurance industry with its technological advancements, State Farm still maintains a higher score when it comes to customer satisfaction.
As far as rates go, Progressive takes the cake. While both companies offer attractive discount opportunities, Progressive still offers a lower bottom line at the end of the day.
However, keep in mind that you have to also consider the quality of a company’s customer service and claims process when it comes to choosing an insurance company.
While Progressive offers more affordable rates, a few Progressive car insurance reviews show that its customer service and claims process leave much to be desired, and this is where State Farm stands out the most.
Progressive vs. Travelers Insurance
Like Progressive, Travelers Insurance is another big player in the auto insurance industry. It is also one of the oldest.
Needless to say, it is probably one of the most stable insurers you will come across. In fact, it has an A++ A. M. Best financial strength rating, which is higher than the Progressive auto insurance rating of A+.
But how does it fare in other aspects?
Unlike Progressive’s “name your price” feature, Travelers offers shoppers a five-step guide on how it’ll be able to build the best auto insurance coverage policy that matches both its needs and its budget. Both companies cater to all 50 states in the US and have very useful websites and mobile apps.
However, Travelers is able to provide more support to shoppers and policyholders because it has over 14,000 independent agents under its umbrella.
Both companies offer competitive coverage policies and rates, but Travelers provides more supplemental coverage options and discount opportunities. Countless Progressive reviews actually show the company winning out when compared to the Traveler’s claims process.
The Travelers claims process is much more frustrating than Progressive’s. If you are looking for a company that can provide a stress-free claims process, you might want to look outside of these two companies. Between the two, though, you might be more satisfied with the service you’ll receive from Progressive.
Best Alternatives
While Progressive offers great auto insurance coverage, it might not be for everyone. Progressive insurance claim reviews show that this is especially true for those who would rather pay a higher price for its policy as long as they are guaranteed exceptional customer service throughout the lifetime of the policy. If you are one of them, the best alternatives for Progressive are Auto-Owners, Erie, and Amica Mutual.
Amica Mutual isn’t as big of a company as Progressive and State Farm. Aside from its very attractive coverage policies and add-ons, its customer satisfaction rating is exceptional. This makes it a worthy alternative to Progressive.
Expert Thoughts
Despite numerous frustrating Progressive insurance complaints about its customer service and claims process, we still consider it one of the best car insurance companies in the country.
Its rates are affordable, its coverage packages are very attractive, and you can enjoy significant savings if you qualify for its discounts.
However, we think that Progressive is only ideal for a few drivers, which we’ve seen verified in other reviews of Progressive insurance.
We highly recommend it for drivers with a history of car accidents because if there is one insurance company that’s most forgiving to these drivers, it’s Progressive. You won’t find any other policy that’s priced lower for these drivers.
The next segment of drivers who will benefit most from Progressive’s policies are those who like to install custom upgrades on their cars. Unlike other insurers, Progressive doesn’t have a problem covering the custom parts and equipment you install on your vehicle.
On the other hand, drivers under the age of 25 would be better off getting auto insurance quotes from different companies and comparing them with Progressive before making a purchase.
People Also Ask
Progressive is a good insurance company. Its competitive rates and a long list of discounts make it one of the best on the market.
It’s especially suitable for drivers with accident history because it has the lowest malus rates and people who like to customize their vehicles. Unlike other companies, Progressive covers custom parts and equipment you install on your car.
Progressive is not the cheapest option for all types of insurance. For instance, it has unbeatable rates for drivers with accident history, but its under-25 plans aren’t cheap.
It gives its customers tools to find the best solution for them. Name Your Price literally asks you how much you want to pay and offers different plans and coverage options to fit into your desired budget.
When it comes to minor accidents, the average settlement for a Progressive Insurance claim is between $14,000 and $28,000. These amounts are higher for severe injuries.
The other three major insurers – Allstate, State Farm, and Geico all pay better than Progressive, but not by much.
These are all insurance giants well known for making low initial offers. Negotiation can considerably increase these sums.
Progressive and Geico offer very similar coverage packages. Additionally, they offer the lowest prices in the market.
The difference, though, is that Geico follows a direct-to-consumer business model. This means there are no independent agents you can talk to if you have questions or need help filing a claim, unlike Progressive.
Geico is a do-it-yourself kind of insurance company, so if you’re not into that kind of thing, you would be better off sticking with Progressive.
The company reevaluates its premiums twice a year. This doesn’t necessarily mean your insurance rate will go up, but it mostly does. Every traffic violation except a parking ticket will increase the insurance rate.
There are also things you can’t control. If your city car thefts and accidents rate increase, so will your insurance premium. There are plenty of reasons that insurance companies use to justify these increases.
Yes, Progressive has two types of accident forgiveness programs – Small and Large. The first one is intended for new customers and ensures that claims under $500 will not affect the future insurance rates.
The latter is designed for customers who have spent at least five years with the company and have three consecutive years without claims.
Its insurance rate will not be affected even if the claim exceeds $500. Our, and numerous other Progressive Insurance reviews, show that the company doesn’t charge anything extra for this benefit, unlike its competitors.