Our Progressive Insurance Review (2021)

Progressive is one of the largest insurers in the U.S. and offers a range of comprehensive coverage options. According to Progressive insurance reviews, claims service is speedy and reliable for most customers. This review provides a full examination of Progressive auto insurance to help you decide if it’s a good choice for your car.

In our industry-wide review of the nation’s best car insurance companies, Progressive was one of our top picks. We recommend reaching out to the insurer as well as other companies to find the cheapest car insurance quotes for your situation.

Progressive Rating: 4.5 Out Of 5.0

Progressive is a low-cost national insurer with a full range of coverage options. It was one of the earliest adopters of online technology, and Progressive policies are easily handled through the mobile app. The Progressive usage-based program, Snapshot^®, appears to function well and can help infrequent drivers save big on premiums.

Progressive customer service isn’t quite as well reviewed as Geico’s or USAA’s, though the insurer’s complaint volume is relatively low. Most Progressive insurance reviews find the company to be reliable and professional. Progressive may be an especially attractive option for drivers with a recent DUI or accident on their driving record.

About Progressive

Founded: 1937
States available: All states
AM Best financial strength rating: A+

Progressive is a well-established, storied company that offers auto insurance to drivers in every state. It is among the largest corporations in the U.S. by revenue and had an operating income of over seven billion dollars in 2020. Combined with its A+ financial strength rating from AM Best, drivers can be confident in Progressive’s reliability when it comes to meeting claims obligations.

Progressive offers the following types of insurance:

• Auto insurance
• ATV insurance
• Boat insurance
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Homeowners insurance
• Life insurance
• Mobile home insurance
• Motorcycle insurance
• Pet insurance
• Renters insurance
• RV insurance
• Snowmobile insurance
• Vision insurance
• Rideshare insurance
• Small business insurance

It’s typically a good idea to purchase all your insurance products from the same insurer as most (including Progressive) offer bundling discounts.

Progressive Car Insurance Cost

One reason that Progressive is such a popular insurer is that it is able to offer low insurance premium costs. While it is not the cheapest car insurance provider on average according to our cost estimate data, it is competitive.

Car insurance rates depend on a number of factors, such as:

• Age
• Gender
• Marital status
• Credit score
• Location
• Vehicle
• Driving history

The policy that you choose and your deductible will also affect your final rate. Because rates vary from driver to driver, the best way to get an idea of what you will pay for coverage is to reach out for a personalized car insurance quote.

To provide a better understanding of Progressive’s costs, the table below shows annual rate estimates for full coverage policies for a 35-year-old married driver with good credit and a clean driving record.

*Cost information not available for Progressive auto insurance in Texas or Wyoming.

We find that Progressive tends to be especially attractive for high-risk drivers–that is, those with a recent accident, DUI, or speeding ticket.

Progressive Car Insurance Discounts

In addition to offering low rates for high-risk drivers, Progressive also offers a number of useful insurance discounts. You may find the cheapest policies with Progressive if you are able to take advantage of any of the following discount opportunities:

Progressive has several other money-saving features that aren’t exactly discounts but can result in decent savings for customers.

• Small accident forgiveness: Claims less than $500 won’t result in raised rates
• Large accident forgiveness: Will not raise rates on any claim provided the customer has had no accidents in the last five years and no tickets in the last three years
• Deductible savings bank: Reduces comprehensive and collision deductible by $50 for each policy period without a violation

While not a discount, Progressive also has the Progressive Name Your Price^® tool. This quote tool allows customers to start their quote by listing the amount they hope to pay and then tailors policy options to that cost.

Progressive Auto Insurance Coverage

Like most auto insurance providers, Progressive offers the following six types of standard coverage:

In addition to the policies mentioned above, Progressive also offers several add-on insurance options, such as:

Because it is such a large company, Progressive is able to offer high coverage limits on all of its policies.

Progressive Usage-Based Insurance

Progressive’s usage-based insurance program is called Snapshot. Snapshot monitors your driving habits through a mobile app. If you avoid hard braking and late-night driving, stay off your phone, and drive less overall, you can find significant savings through Snapshot.

The Snapshot app has a 3.9 out of 5.0-star rating on the Google Play store. This makes it one of the higher-rated usage-based driving apps. There are some complaints about the user interface, but the app seems to work well for most drivers. The app has an even higher 4.6 out of 5.0-star rating on the App Store.

Progressive Mobile App

Coverage, payments, and claims can be managed through the Progressive insurance app, which has a 4.1 out of 5.0-star rating on Google Play and a 3.4 out of 5.0-star rating in the App Store. These ratings aren’t quite as high as some of the best insurers’ apps, but reviews are good enough to indicate that the app works properly. Negative reviews regard Progressive service and not the functioning of the app itself.

Progressive Insurance Reviews

Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating: A+
BBB complaints in the past three years: 3,189
J.D. Power customer satisfaction index: 862 / 1,000

As with all insurers, there are both positive and negative Progressive insurance reviews. Overall, the number of complaints against Progressive is relatively low for a company of its size. Policyholders are typically satisfied with the insurance claims process.

Positive Progressive Insurance Reviews

In many instances, reviewers are happy with the claims experience and report that claims were handled quickly and professionally.

“My car was totaled by a freight truck at full speed on the highway. Progressive handled everything beautifully from processing the claim, to settlement, to issuing new coverage for my replacement vehicle.”

– Tatyana B. via BBB

“After our car was totaled in a hail storm in North Texas, the company appraiser and settlement people were very helpful and patient when walking us through a fairly complex procedure while making the process less stressful for us.”

– Sandy Z. via BBB

Negative Progressive Insurance Reviews

Some complain about Progressive’s suggested mechanics, while others report a poor experience filing liability claims after they were hit by a Progressive customer. These experiences appear to be the minority, but they do occur.

“Nothing but problems when it comes to filling a claim. My car was repaired incorrectly twice by Progressive’s go-to mechanics.”

– Mike C. via BBB

“I was hit by a Progressive-insured driver [and] it’s been [over one] month without a single answer. They don’t care about your car, they don’t care about your time.”

– Juan M. via BBB

Other Recommendations For Car Insurance

If you’re trying to find the best car insurance coverage for your vehicle, you’ll want to shop around and compare auto insurance rates from several top providers. Progressive is a good place to start looking, but be sure to consider other auto insurance companies like Geico and USAA.

Geico: Best Overall Provider

Our team named Geico the Best Overall Provider, and it’s one of only two insurers we awarded a full 5.0 out of 5.0 stars. The company is known for offering comprehensive coverage options at affordable prices. It also provides reliable claims service to drivers nationwide and has high customer satisfaction scores.

Geico received an A++ financial strength rating from AM Best and has a long history of meeting customer claims obligations. It can often be the cheapest option for many drivers–good drivers, young drivers, and drivers with poor credit in particular.

Read our Geico insurance review for more information on this provider, such as our state cost estimates, discount options, and customer reputation.

USAA: Best For Military Members

While its auto insurance policies are available only to military members, veterans, and their immediate families, USAA is one of the best options for those who are eligible. The company boasts some of the lowest average rates of any insurer, and good drivers in particular are likely to find the lowest costs through USAA.

USAA frequently ranks high in J.D. Power studies, and the company has high customer satisfaction scores overall. It’s also a highly reliable company with an A++ financial strength rating from AM Best. 

You can learn more about this provider, including average cost data, by reading our complete USAA insurance review.

How We Rate Insurers

Our review process aims to deliver consistent and unbiased assessments of car insurance providers. While there are multiple qualities that make a car insurance company successful, our review methodology focuses on those we believe are the most important for consumers:

• Cost: Cost can be difficult to compare between insurers because so many factors impact annual premiums. The cheapest insurer for one driver may not be the cheapest for another. To determine our cost score, we look at insurance rate estimates generated by Quadrant Information Services, discount opportunities, and consumer reports.

• Coverage: To determine our coverage score, we look at the number of coverage options available as well as coverage limits and deductible options. Our ratings also take into account additional services and benefits like roadside assistance.

• Reliability: It’s important that an auto insurer is able to meet its claims obligations. Companies with a strong financial strength rating from AM Best score best in this category. Established insurers with a long history of reliable service also receive positive marks.

• Service: We comb through customer reviews on sites like the BBB to learn about customer experiences. Insurers with a low volume of complaints score well in this area. We also consider the claims process, giving higher ratings to car insurance providers that offer easy-to-use claims apps.

*Data accurate at time of publication.