Travelers vs Progressive
Travelers is the cheaper of these two on the published averages. Whether that makes it the better buy depends on three things the price never tells you.
The verdict
Rounds split 1–1; Travelers edges it on total score.
On averages Travelers is cheaper by about $98 a year — but get your own quote from both, because the published averages disagree with each other by nearly as much as they differ from one another.
Choose Travelers if…
- • You want Travelers's lower average rate
- • You drive well and will accept being monitored
Choose Progressive if…
- • You want Progressive's particular strengths
- • You drive well and will accept being monitored
Round by round
- Round 1Being tracked for a discountProgressive winsTravelers5/10
20% max
IntelliDrive — can increase your rate
- Advertised up to 20%
- Opt-in
- Bad driving can increase your premium
- Typical real saving is nearer 10%
Source: https://www.insuremojo.com/telematics-insurance-discount-programs/
Progressive5/1030% max
Snapshot — can increase your rate
- Advertised up to 30%
- Opt-in
- Bad driving can increase your premium
- Typical real saving is nearer 10%
Source: https://www.insuremojo.com/telematics-insurance-discount-programs/
Both can raise your rate for bad driving. Read that twice.
- Round 2What happens when you claimTravelers winsTravelers8/10
clean complaint record
among the cleanest NAIC complaint records
- Among the better records on the public data
Source: https://www.carinsurance.com/trends-and-insights/auto-insurers-ranked-by-naic-complaint-data/
Progressive6/10see note
undercuts the market on premium but does not reach the top three on claims satisfaction
- Large enough to have a mature claims operation
- Not a leader on claims satisfaction
Source: https://www.jdpower.com/business/insurance/auto-claims-satisfaction-study
The cheap ones are rarely the ones you want on the phone after a crash.
- Round 3Size, reach and who you deal withTieTravelers7/10
large national insurer
market position
- Established national carrier
Source: https://www.usnews.com/insurance/auto/cheapest-car-insurance-companies
Progressive7/10top-three auto insurer by market share
market position
- Established national carrier
Source: https://www.usnews.com/insurance/auto/cheapest-car-insurance-companies
Both are big enough to pay a claim. That is the floor, not a feature.
ProgressiveSide by side
- Advertised up to 20%
- Opt-in
- Among the better records on the public data
- Established national carrier
- Rates vary widely by driver
- Figures from independent rate studies
- Advertised up to 30%
- Opt-in
- Bad driving can increase your premium
- Typical real saving is nearer 10%
- About $527/yr more on average
- Bad driving can increase your premium
- Typical real saving is nearer 10%
- Not a leader on claims satisfaction