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Pleasure vs. Commuter Car Insurance
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Written by
Janet Hunt
Insurance Writer
Janet Hunt received her B.S. in Business Administration with the University of Phoenix. She has worked in the insurance industry for over 20 years. Janet likes to spend her spare time coming up with gourmet recipes and trying them out on her guests. So far, all have survived.
Edited by
Jackie Cohen
Editorial Manager
Jackie Cohen is an editorial manager at Insurify specializing in property & casualty insurance educational content. She has years of experience analyzing insurance trends and helping consumers better understand their insurance coverage to make informed decisions about their finances.Jackie's work has been cited in USA Today, The Balance, and The Washington Times.
Updated June 15, 2022
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The two main types of vehicle usage are pleasure and commuting. If you use your car for leisure activities and not for driving to work, it is a "pleasure" use vehicle for the purpose of auto insurance rating. On the other hand, if you use your vehicle mainly to drive to and from work, your car is considered "commuting" for auto insurance rating purposes.
Let’s take a closer look at pleasure vs. commuter car insurance policy rates and analyze some car insurance quotes from top insurance providers. Whether you use your car for pleasure or commuting, you can always get the cheapest car insurance quotes by using Insurify to compare rates.
Quick Facts
On average, drivers who use their car to commute see higher rates than drivers who use their car for pleasure.
The cheapest average monthly rate we found for drivers who commute is $96.
The cheapest average monthly rate we found for drivers who use their car for pleasure is $71.
Table of contents
- Cheapest Car Insurance Companies for Pleasure vs. Commuting
- How much does car insurance cost for pleasure vs. commuting?
- Tips for Cheaper Car Insurance for Pleasure vs. Commuting
- What car insurance discounts are you eligible for?
- Cheapest States for Car Insurance for Pleasure vs. Commuting
- Cheap Car Insurance for All Vehicle Uses
- Frequently Asked Questions
Cheapest Car Insurance Companies for Pleasure vs. Commuting
Does car insurance cost more for pleasure or commuting?
Drivers who use their car to commute generally see higher monthly insurance payments than drivers who use their cars for pleasure. That’s because drivers who use their car for pleasure are more likely to qualify for low-mileage discounts.
Even though a commuter vehicle is slightly more expensive to insure than a pleasure use vehicle, you can still find low-cost auto insurance by shopping around to compare rates. Here are the cheapest companies for pleasure use and commuting.
| Company | Quote for Non-Commuter | Company | Quote for Commuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metromile | $71 | Metromile | $96 |
| USH&C | $95 | Farmers | $101 |
| Farmers | $101 | USH&C | $111 |
| Mile Auto | $113 | First Chicago | $134 |
| Foremost Signature | $113 | Kemper | $135 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
How much does car insurance cost for pleasure vs. commuting?
If you use your car primarily for commuting to and from work, you will pay a little more for an auto insurance policy because commuter cars are driven more frequently than a pleasure vehicle and have a greater chance of being in an accident.
Most pleasure use vehicles are only used on weekends or other occasional use for recreational outings. You could also use a pleasure use rating for your car if you primarily use a bus or other public transit to commute to work. Pleasure use vehicles are, on average, around $11 per month
cheaper to insure than commuter vehicles.
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Tips for Cheaper Car Insurance for Pleasure vs. Commuting
Vehicle use will affect your auto insurance premium. How regularly you drive will also play into how much you pay for car insurance coverage. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to finding affordable and best car insurance policies for commute vs. pleasure.
Make Sure Your Vehicle Has the Correct Usage Rating
Your declarations page lists the named insured, excluded drivers, your policy number, effective dates, year/make/model of your vehicles, etc. You will also find the cost of your coverage. If you don't see how your vehicle is rated (pleasure or commuting), you can call your car insurance provider to find out and have it changed if it is incorrect.
Consider Moving Closer to Your Job
The closer you live to work, the fewer miles you will be driving your car on a daily basis. Therefore, even though you have a commuter use classification on your vehicle, you will pay less because your drive is shorter. On the other hand, commuters who drive at least 30 miles on their daily commute to work will pay substantially more for auto insurance.
Consider Buying a Car with a Higher Safety Rating
There is a big difference between commuting to work in a Ferrari and commuting in a Honda Civic. You can check out a vehicle's safety rating with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Cars with a high safety rating are less costly to insure than sports vehicles or those with a low safety rating.
Consider Usage-Based Insurance
If you commute to work but only have to drive a small number of miles, a usage-based policy may be able to save you money. Insurers that offer usage-based insurance use a process called telematics, which measures how you drive and how much you drive to help determine your auto insurance rates for your primary vehicle.
Store Your Car If Not in Use
If you have a vehicle no longer in use that has a pleasure use rating, you may want to consider storing that vehicle. You can buy car storage insurance and drop your full-coverage car insurance, lowering your car insurance premium cost.
Shop Around for Car Insurance
Your best bet for finding the cheapest car insurance is to shop around and compare rates no matter how you use your vehicle. No time to visit your local insurance agency? Use Insurify's easy quote-comparison tools to find a lower rate for car insurance, whether your vehicle is used for pleasure or commuting.
See More: Car Insurance Quotes
What car insurance discounts are you eligible for?
Whether you commute to work or use your vehicle for pleasure use, you can lower your car insurance premium by ensuring you get all the car insurance discounts you are eligible for. Check with your insurance agent to make sure you are getting all the discounts you should receive. Here are some of the most common car insurance discounts:
Driver Safety Discounts
Insurers award driver safety discounts to drivers who demonstrate good driving habits. Some of the most common driver safety discounts include defensive driving, low mileage, accident-free, and safe driver discount. Driver safety discounts can vary anywhere from 5 to 20 percent.
Driver Status Discounts
Driver status discounts are based not just on driving habits but on the drivers. For example, suppose you are in the military, a good student with a high GPA, a student attending college, a senior citizen, or a member of a professional organization. In these cases, you may be eligible to receive a driver status discount. Driver status discounts can vary from 2 to 20 percent.
Policy Discounts
Policy discounts vary by insurer. These are discounts based on your policy and are either automatically applied or requested by you. Common policy discounts include policy bundling, paid in full discounts, loyalty discounts, electronic billing, and homeowners insurance discounts. Policy discounts vary from 3 to 25 percent.
Vehicle Discounts
If you have anti-theft devices installed in your vehicle, you could qualify for an insurance discount ranging from 3 to 30 percent, depending on the device. Some of the most common vehicle devices that are eligible for a discount include anti-theft, antilock brakes, new car, daytime running lights, and vehicles with passive restraints.
See More: Cheap Car Insurance
Cheapest States for Car Insurance for Pleasure vs. Commuting
Your address plays a big part in the price you pay for car insurance. When determining auto insurance rates, insurance companies look at the number of claims, crime rates, road conditions, climate and weather, and other location factors. Here are the cheapest states for car insurance for pleasure vs. commuting.
| State | Monthly Quote for Non-Commuter | Monthly Quote for Commuter | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $104 | $106 | 2% |
| New Hampshire | $104 | $137 | 32% |
| Maine | $106 | $134 | 26% |
| Idaho | $108 | $137 | 27% |
| North Carolina | $111 | $131 | 18% |
| Vermont | $115 | $141 | 23% |
| Indiana | $116 | $140 | 21% |
| Ohio | $116 | $145 | 25% |
| South Dakota | $119 | $149 | 25% |
| Wisconsin | $119 | $152 | 28% |
| Iowa | $121 | $152 | 26% |
| Illinois | $126 | $155 | 23% |
| Montana | $126 | $153 | 21% |
| Massachusetts | $128 | $163 | 27% |
| New Mexico | $128 | $157 | 23% |
| North Dakota | $129 | $145 | 12% |
| Wyoming | $129 | $145 | 12% |
| Tennessee | $131 | $162 | 24% |
| Alaska | $136 | $165 | 21% |
| Nebraska | $138 | $173 | 25% |
| Utah | $138 | $166 | 20% |
| Minnesota | $142 | $168 | 18% |
| Oregon | $142 | $182 | 28% |
| Alabama | $143 | $176 | 23% |
| Kansas | $147 | $182 | 24% |
| Oklahoma | $148 | $181 | 22% |
| Pennsylvania | $150 | $176 | 17% |
| Virginia | $153 | $187 | 22% |
| West Virginia | $159 | $194 | 22% |
| Arkansas | $160 | $192 | 20% |
| Arizona | $165 | $206 | 25% |
| Mississippi | $170 | $200 | 18% |
| California | $174 | $218 | 25% |
| Washington | $180 | $219 | 22% |
| Missouri | $185 | $232 | 25% |
| Colorado | $198 | $231 | 17% |
| Texas | $199 | $238 | 20% |
| Washington, D.C. | $200 | $246 | 23% |
| Connecticut | $221 | $272 | 23% |
| Kentucky | $222 | $260 | 17% |
| New Jersey | $229 | $273 | 19% |
| Maryland | $230 | $289 | 26% |
| Florida | $231 | $286 | 24% |
| South Carolina | $238 | $272 | 14% |
| Nevada | $250 | $305 | 22% |
| Georgia | $251 | $302 | 20% |
| Delaware | $252 | $299 | 19% |
| Rhode Island | $257 | $319 | 24% |
| Louisiana | $268 | $324 | 21% |
| New York | $315 | $345 | 10% |
| Michigan | $337 | $393 | 17% |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Cheap Car Insurance for All Vehicle Uses
There is much more to your car insurance rate than your driving history or driving record. You will pay a higher car insurance premium if you use your vehicle to commute vs. pleasure use. However, there are ways to keep insurance costs low. The best way is by using the convenient quote-comparison tools of Insurify to find the cheapest car insurance quotes available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most insurance providers give a low-mileage discount for vehicles used for pleasure and driven 7,500 miles or less per year. This is because the less a car is on the road, the less likely it is to be involved in an accident. If you commute to work, your car insurance will be more expensive.
While you will pay more for car insurance if you commute to work, there are still ways to get cheaper car insurance. Drive a less expensive vehicle with safety features installed, move closer to work, and use Insurify to compare auto insurance quotes from top auto insurance companies like Allstate, GEICO, Progressive, and Liberty Mutual.
No one wants to pay more for car insurance than necessary. So no matter whether you commute to work or only use your vehicle for weekend excursions, you will always find the best prices for auto insurance by using Insurify to get a free quote.
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Data scientists at Insurify analyzed more than 40 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partner providers across the United States to compile the car insurance quotes, statistics, and data visualizations displayed on this page. The car insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers' vehicles, driving records, and demographic information. Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Service's database of auto insurance rates. With these insights, Insurify is able to offer drivers insight into how companies price their car insurance premiums.
