Progressive vs USAA Auto Insurance: Which should you buy in 2024?

It’s nice to have options in life, and there are so many auto insurance companies to consider.

You probably know the basics now that you have landed here to narrow down your two best contenders and choose the auto insurance company that will have your back when you need it: Progressive vs. USAA auto insurance.

Progressive and USAA are both on the list of the best auto insurance companies, but how do they stack up when it comes to rates, discounts, consumer satisfaction and complaints, mobile apps, and financial strength?

USAA’s auto insurance rates are cheaper than Progressive’s auto insurance rates through all of our comparison points; however, USAA offers auto insurance only to active, inactive, and retired military members and their immediate family members.

Keep reading to compare USAA quotes and Progressive quotes on auto insurance, or enter your ZIP code to start comparing multiple companies in your local area.

Is Progressive or USAA auto insurance cheaper based on age?

Wouldn’t you agree that as we age, we become more experienced?

Auto insurance companies believe this, especially when it comes to determining your auto insurance rates. They believe the more years of driving experience we have, the more cautious and safe we are as drivers.

I think we can all agree on that. However, I doubt we will all agree that it’s fair to base auto insurance rates on gender and marital status. Some states have outlawed this discriminatory practice, but not all.

Progressive vs USAA Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates by Age, Gender, and Marital Status

USAA’s auto insurance rates are 28 percent cheaper than Progressive’s auto insurance rates for drivers 25 and older.

Coming in at 44 percent cheaper than Progressive, USAA is the better choice if you have a teen driver on your policy.

Is Progressive or USAA auto insurance cheaper based on driving record?

No matter what auto insurance company you select, it’s a widely accepted fact that your auto insurance rates will increase if you get a speeding ticket, cause an accident, or get DUIs. The riskier a driver you are, the more of a liability you are. Progressive and USAA are no exception.

Progressive vs USAA Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates by Driving Record

In general, USAA has cheaper auto insurance rates than Progressive for drivers with any type of driving record.

However, USAA is less punitive with their customers if they get cause an accident.

If you cause an accident while with USAA, expect your rates to increase by 30 percent. Getting a speeding ticket will increase your USAA auto insurance rates by 13 percent, and if you get a DUI, your rates will increase by more than 80 percent.

But, if you cause an accident while with Progressive, your rates will increase by 41 percent, which is less than how much USAA will increase your rates (30 percent).

Strangely, Progressive’s rates increase more for causing an accident than getting a DUI. If you get a DUI with Progressive, expect your rates to increase by only 17 percent compared to USAA’s 81 percent.

Is Progressive or USAA auto insurance cheaper based on credit score?

Your credit score reflects your prior ability to manage your finances and make good choices, as well as pay your bills on time. Auto insurance companies assume that the more financially responsible you are, the safer a driver you are.

We can all agree that a traumatic financial life event like a divorce or unexpected medical costs is likely to decrease your credit score.

Are those always personal choices? Not exactly.

Just the same as gender and marital status, some states have banned auto insurance companies from basing rates on credit history. Let’s take a look at how Progressive and USAA compare when it comes to rates based on credit score.

Progressive vs USAA Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates by Credit History

Again, USAA comes in cheaper than Progressive if you have bad credit.

If your credit score tanks while with USAA, expect to pay more than twice as much as drivers with good credit. Progressive increases their rates by less than a third as compared to drivers with good credit.

When it’s time to renew your six-month policy, and you notice your rate has gone up, it could be because your credit score dropped.

Use your Progressive or USAA login to make adjustments to your deductible and coverage levels, temporarily, if needed, to reduce your rate for the next six months while you work to improve your credit score.

It’s a good practice to check your credit report every six months anyway. Otherwise, it may be a good time to consider a different insurance provider.

State laws determine much of how you will experience obtaining auto insurance coverage, so where you live is a very influential factor in determining your auto insurance rates.

Be sure to check your state auto insurance guide before judging Progressive and USAA auto insurance rates based on credit score alone.

Does Progressive or USAA have better auto insurance discounts?

Every auto insurance company has its brand, and this tends to stem from its history. Similarly, the values and philosophies of an auto insurance company can influence what discounts an auto insurance company will offer.

This is why it pays to shop around. Let’s take a look at Progressive auto insurance discounts and USAA auto insurance discounts.

Progressive vs USAA Auto Insurance Discounts

When comparing all discounts that the companies offer, Progressive has a total of eight auto insurance discounts while USAA has 12 discounts.

USAA’s best auto insurance discounts are 75 percent for young drivers and 90 percent for keeping your car in a garage while deployed.

Even though USAA has cheaper rates, Progressive has some competitive discounts.

Progressive seems to be very environmentally conscious; their highest discount (50 percent) is for going paperless. Other notable Progressive auto insurance discounts are for being a safe driver (31 percent) and using their driving device or driving app (20 percent).

What types of auto insurance coverages are offered by Progressive and USAA?

Since both Progressive and USAA are on the big contender list for market share, they both likely offer the standard six coverages that are listed below in addition to much more.

• Liability auto insurance coverage – bodily injury and property damage
• Comprehensive auto insurance coverage
• Collision auto insurance coverage
• Uninsured/Underinsured auto insurance coverage
• Medical Payments (MedPay) auto insurance coverage – particularly important in states that require no-fault auto insurance
• Personal Injury Protection (PIP) auto insurance coverage

However, be sure to take a closer look at any specialty coverages such as rental reimbursement, roadside assistance, guaranteed auto protection (GAP), mechanical breakdown, and insurance for recreational vehicles such as ATVs or boats.

Does Progressive or USAA have better auto insurance mobile apps?

Most of the top 10 auto insurance companies have mobile apps to make payments, adjust coverage levels, or show electronic verification of insurance coverage. However, most auto insurance companies have a separate app that is used for their usage-based auto insurance programs.

Usually, your Progressive or USAA insurance login will work with both the general insurance app and the driving app.

Read our Progressive auto insurance review and compare its driving app SnapShot to USAA’s SafePilot to decide if you would like to participate in these usage-based auto insurance programs.

How do Progressive and USAA auto insurance compare in financial strength and customer satisfaction?

If auto insurance companies can judge their customers based on gender, marital status, and credit score, then it’s only fair customers get to judge them. We list ratings for Progressive and USAA from the top agencies that judge the credibility of all auto insurance companies.

A.M. Best scores companies based on their ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations such as balancing premiums collected and claims paid. The highest score A.M. Best awards is Superior A++.

Consumer Reports collects annual data from its subscribers regarding customer satisfaction of the Progressive claims process and USAA claims process, step by step. In their 2017 survey, 27 insurance companies were rated, and scores ranged between 86 to 96.

And the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) calculates a complaint ratio based on the total number of customers against the total number of complaints. In 2017, the national average complaint ratio was 1. The lower the ratio, the better.

Progressive vs USAA Company Ratings

Progressive and USAA are on top of things when it comes to external financial rating agencies. In fact, USAA holds the highest score from AM Best.

USAA has one of the best reviews of customer satisfaction through the claims process, but Progressive customer service is still fairly good hovering around the same score as most other auto insurance companies. Both USAA and Progressive have reasonable complaint ratios.

If you’re still unsure which company to choose, you can always use our free comparison tool to compare Progressive vs. USAA auto insurance to other companies in your area.