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Why You Can Trust the MarketWatch Guides Team
Here’s a breakdown of how we reviewed and rated the top auto insurance providers
130
Providers ReviewedOur team looked at over 100 of the top auto insurance providers in the U.S., from national providers like USAA, Travelers and State Farm to regional providers like Erie Insurance.
8,500
Data Points AnalyzedTo properly score each auto insurance provider, we looked at cost data, claims processes, customer review scores, industry standing, available discounts, coverages and add-ons.
800
Research HoursOur team put in the time so you don’t have to, evaluating cost data, reading customer reviews and researching companies to determine the most reliable options for coverage.
8,500
Customers SurveyedWe asked thousands of customers to describe their experience with their auto insurance provider to understand how real customers feel about their insurers.
Learn more about our methodology and editorial guidelines.
What Is Progressive Direct Auto Insurance?
The Progressive Direct insurance company is the division of Progressive that sells insurance directly to customers. That means if you purchase a policy through Progressive’s website or by calling customer service, you’re using Progressive Direct.
The Progressive Corp. offers the same coverage and insurance add-ons whether you get Progressive Direct auto insurance or use an independent agent or broker.
Car insurance companies have multiple ways to sell coverage. They can employ captive agents, sell to consumers through a website or call center and sell through independent agents and insurance brokers. Progressive doesn’t have captive agents. It sells directly to consumers and through independent agents and brokers.
Differences Between Progressive and Progressive Direct
There are two main differences between buying Progressive insurance through an independent agent or broker or directly from the company. The price can be slightly different, and who you interact with to get service differs.
The Price You Pay
You may find slightly different prices if you compare car insurance rates through an agent and Progressive’s website. That’s because each business model has different costs associated with it. Here’s a breakdown:
- Progressive Direct: Progressive Direct auto insurance is sold online and by phone. That means the company maintains call-center staff and has expenses such as marketing to consumers. Your price includes these costs of doing business.
- Independent agent or broker: Independent agents make commissions that Progressive bakes into insurance prices. Brokers also make commissions, and you may pay separate charges to have brokers help you file a claim or change your coverage.
Both ways of purchasing Progressive insurance account for different costs of doing business. But the differences between an agent or broker and Progressive Direct may be smaller than the differences between Progressive and another insurance company.
How You Get Service
The other main difference is who you work with to get service. Progressive Direct auto insurance customers can call customer service and claims departments on the phone, use the Progressive mobile app and use email to get help.
However, there’s no option to meet an agent in person because Progressive doesn’t employ captive agents. If you want to have someone local look over your policy or help with issues, Progressive Direct may not be the best option for you. Also, you’ll likely work with someone new each time you call.
On the other hand, buying Progressive through an independent agent or broker guarantees you’ll have someone in your area who can help you upgrade coverage or resolve issues. You’ll work with the same agent any time you need help with your policy. As a Progressive customer, you can still call the company directly for help with your policy or to file an insurance claim if you choose.
Progressive Direct Auto Insurance Cost
You can get a quote for Progressive Direct auto insurance by using Progressive’s website or calling customer service. According to our data, full-coverage insurance from Progressive costs about $1,611 per year on average. This is about 7% cheaper than the national average annual rate of $1,730 per year. These rates apply to 35-year-old drivers with good credit and good driving records.
Progressive car insurance costs are based on a variety of factors, including:
- Location
- Vehicle
- Driving record
- Age
- Other drivers on your auto policy
- Marital status
- Gender
- Credit history
- Type of coverage
Progressive Direct Auto Insurance Discounts
Progressive offers 13 discounts for policyholders:
- Automatic payment
- Continuous insurance
- Distant student discount
- Good student discount
- Homeowner discount
- Multi-car
- Multi-policy
- Online quote
- Paperless
- Pay-in-full
- Sign documents online
- Snapshot usage-based insurance
- Teen driver discount
Depending on your situation, you could be eligible for multiple discounts if you get Progressive Direct auto insurance. But if you use an agent or broker, you might not be able to get the online-quote or sign-online discounts.
Progressive Direct Auto Insurance Coverage
As we mentioned above, you can get the same coverage from Progressive Direct and through an agent or broker. Progressive auto insurance offers a wide range of coverage options, so you can get anything from state-required liability coverage to full coverage with extra perks. Standard options include:
- Bodily injury and property damage liability insurance
- Collision insurance
- Comprehensive insurance
- Medical payments insurance (MedPay)
- Personal injury protection (PIP insurance)
- Underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage
Add-ons you can get from Progressive include:
- Roadside assistance with towing
- Loan or lease payoff
- Rental car reimbursem*nt
- Custom parts and equipment
- Ride-share coverage
- Trip-interruption reimbursem*nt
- Deductible savings bank
Progressive Direct Auto Insurance Reviews
Most Progressive reviews on sites including the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot are about Progressive Direct. If a customer wants to review a specific agency or broker, they can do so on that company’s website.
Progressive has an A rating from the BBB, which means it has transparent business practices and resolves all complaints on the BBB. However, the company also has a rating of nearly 1.1 out of 5 stars from over 1,400 customer reviews.
Our team reached out to Progressive for comment on its customer review score but did not receive a response.
Progressive Direct Auto Insurance: The Bottom Line
Progressive Direct is the division that sells insurance to customers through the company’s website and over the phone. It offers all of the coverage options and insurance policy enhancements you can find from Progressive. There may be a slight difference between pricing from Progressive Direct and from an independent agent or broker. As you shop, we recommend comparing insurance quotes from other companies too to see if Progressive offers the best rates.
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Top Auto Insurance Recommendations
We’ve compared all major car insurance companies on reputation, availability, coverage, cost and customer experience. Along with Progressive, our top 10 picks for car insurance include State Farm and Geico.
State Farm: Best Customer Experience
State Farm offers low rates, reliable service and helpful programs for young drivers. Our rate data shows State Farm’s full-coverage prices tend to be about 14% cheaper than the national average. Young drivers can save more if they have good grades or participate in the company’s educational program, Steer Clear.
Read more: State Farm insurance reviews
Geico: Best for Budget-Conscious Drivers
With full-coverage rates about 24% cheaper than the national average, Geico can be an affordable option for many drivers. One thing that stands out is its variety of discounts. Geico offers 16 of them, including discounts for veterans, federal employees, students and good drivers.
Read more: Geico insurance reviews
FAQ: Progressive Direct Auto Insurance
Below are frequently asked questions about full-coverage car insurance.
Progressive Direct is a division of Progressive that sells directly to consumers. The other option is to buy a policy from an independent insurance agent or broker. Either way, you get the same coverage options and add-ons.
Our insurance cost data shows Progressive’s average rates are about 7% cheaper than the national average. This applies to good drivers who are 35 years old and have good credit and good driving records. Since rates are customized to each driver, compare companies to see which is cheaper for you.
Direct Auto is a subsidiary of National General Holdings, which is a subsidiary of Allstate. However, Direct Auto operates independently and offers its own insurance products and services.
Our rate data shows that on average, Geico is about 19% cheaper than Progressive for good drivers. However, insurance rates are customized based on the vehicle and driver, so you may find that Progressive’s rates are cheaper in your situation.
Our Methodology
Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best car insurance companies. We collected data on dozens of auto insurance providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the insurers that scored the most points topping the list.
Here are the factors our ratings take into account:
- Cost: Auto insurance rate estimates generated by Quadrant Information Services and discount opportunities were both taken into consideration.
- Coverage: Companies that offer a variety of choices for insurance coverage are more likely to meet consumer needs.
- Reputation and experience: Our research team considered market share, ratings from industry experts and years in business when giving this score.
- Availability: Auto insurance companies with greater state availability and few eligibility requirements scored highest in this category.
- Customer experience: This score is based on volume of complaints reported by the NAIC and customer satisfaction ratings reported by J.D. Power. We also considered the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of each insurance company’s customer service team based on our own shopper analysis.
Our credentials:
- 800 hours researched
- 45 companies reviewed
- 8,500+ consumers surveyed
*Data accurate at time of publication.
If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email the MarketWatch Guides team ateditors@marketwatchguides.com.
