Are you a high-risk driver looking for quick insurance? Direct Auto’s tagline, “Drive with Peace of Mind,” has been its motto since its inception in 1991. Known for offering policies to high-risk drivers, Directo Auto is there for those who have trouble getting insured by major providers.

As a writer for Ucheckus.com, when evaluating a provider, I consider various factors, including average cost, discounts offered, coverage options, the quoting process, and customer feedback. Direct Auto may charge higher premiums, but that’s to be expected for a provider that caters to individuals with a bad driving record.

Even if you have a clean driving record, you may find cheap rates with Direct. It offers multiple discounts and some harder-to-find insurance options.

If your driving record is clean, you can definitely get better rates elsewhere. Direct Auto’s average rates are almost a third higher than national averages. If not, Direct Auto may be an ideal choice, with multiple discounts available and some harder-to-find insurance options.

Below I’ll go over some highlights based on industry research and my personal experience getting a quote to help you decide whether Direct Auto is the right provider for you.

Who Is Progressive Auto Insurance Best For?

Progressive is best for people with a clean driving record, drivers with a DUI, and those who may need more than one type of insurance, like personal auto coverage and rideshare coverage. It’s not ideal for people who need gap insurance or people who value stellar customer service.

How Much Does Progressive Car Insurance Cost?

Progressive’s annual average rate for full coverage car insurance is $1,960, which is under the national average of $2,399 by about 18 percent. Its average rates for minimum coverage ($638) are about on par with the national average ($635).

With DUI rates over $500 below the national average, Progressive is also a good choice for drivers with a DUI.

Bundling Discount

Another discount option is bundling, which saves customers an average of 5 percent.

Had I purchased multiple policy types instead of just auto insurance, I would’ve gotten discounts on both policies. On average, new Progressive customers save 7 percent when they bundle homeowners and auto insurance specifically.

Those weren’t the only ways I could save, however. Here’s a complete list of all the discounts Progressive offers:

• Automatic payments
• Bundling
• Continuous insurance
• Distant student
• Good student
• Homeowner
• Multiple cars
• Online quote
• Paperless billing
• Pay in full
• Sign documents online
• Snapshot
• Teen driver

My Experience Getting a Quote With Progressive

It was really easy for me to get an online quote from Progressive. The entire process only took a few minutes, and I loved that Progressive gave me three packages to choose from, costing anywhere from about $51 to $241 monthly.

There were multiple points during the quote process when I had the opportunity to receive discounts, whether it was signing up for Snapshot, bundling my insurance with another policy type such as homeowners insurance, or having passive restraints in my car. Below, I show the quotes after I added the Snapshot discount.

Once I chose a package, I filled out some more information online, including my vehicle identification number, my primary phone number, and how I would like to receive my bills (I got $3 off for choosing paperless billing.) From there, all I had to do to begin coverage was provide payment. If you prefer, you can call Progressive directly to get a quote. However, I enjoyed this simple, frictionless online process, which made buying insurance as easy as any online shopping experience. Additionally, I got a discount for signing up online.

What Types of Auto Insurance Coverage Does Progressive Offer?

Progressive offers the standard types of car insurance, which include liability, medical payments/personal injury protection, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, collision and comprehensive insurance.

In addition to these, Progressive offers many other coverages and add-ons, including:

• Accident forgiveness: It’s no secret that car insurance rates increase after an accident. Progressive offers accident forgiveness at an additional cost, which will prevent a surcharge on your premium after an accident. Progressive also offers complimentary accident forgiveness to people who have been customers for at least five years with no accidents or violations. And for new customers, Progressive won’t raise your rates after your first claim of less than $500.
• Custom parts and equipment value coverage: If you’ve made any modifications to your car, like adding an aftermarket stereo system or custom wheels, you can insure these modifications for up to $5,000.
• Disappearing deductible: For every six-month period without a violation or claim, Progressive will reduce your collision or comprehensive deductible by $50.
• Loan/lease payoff: Typically, finance and leasing companies require gap insurance, which would cover the remainder of the amount owed on a loan or lease (above the actual cash value) in the event of a total loss. However, Progressive’s version covers only up to 25 percent of the car’s actual cash value, so depending on your financing, it’s possible you could still have a remainder on your bill.
• Pet injury coverage: If you get into an accident with your pet in your car, Progressive will cover up to $1,000 worth of vet bills. This coverage is part of collision coverage automatically and does not cost extra.
• Rental car reimbursement: If my car were in the shop for a covered claim, rental car reimbursement would help pay for a rental car.
• Rideshare coverage: Personal auto insurance does not cover rideshare driving, but the insurance from the rideshare companies won’t cover you when you’re driving to pick someone up or when you’ve just dropped them off. If you drive for a rideshare company or deliver for a platform like Postmates, rideshare coverage will fill in those gaps.
• Roadside assistance: Roadside assistance can cover services like towing, lockouts, fluid or fuel deliveries, and flat tire changes.
• Trip interruption coverage: Available as an add-on to roadside assistance, trip interruption coverage would apply if I was more than 100 miles away from home and my car broke down. I would be able to get up to $500 for my related costs, which include lodging, transportation, and food. Note that the daily limits are $100 for lodging, $50 for transportation, and $50 for food.
• Vehicle protection: Last but certainly not least, Progressive’s vehicle protection plan covers non-accident-related repairs to your car’s major systems, minor “dents and dings,” and damaged, lost, or stolen keys. This coverage is available only for newer cars, and you must have liability insurance, rental car coverage, roadside assistance, trip interruption coverage, and collision and comprehensive coverage. It’s an offering you won’t find with every insurance company.

To give you an idea of how these coverages affected my quote, my cheapest quote of $47.95 per month included the following coverages and limits:

• Bodily injury per person: $15,000
• Bodily injury per accident: $30,000
• Property damage per accident: $5,000
• Medical expenses coverage: $5,000

However, the package Progressive recommended, which costs $224 per month, included:

• Bodily injury per person: $15,000
• Bodily injury per accident: $30,000
• Property damage per accident: $5,000
• Uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident: $30,000
• Underinsured motorist bodily injury per person: $15,000
• Underinsured motorist bodily injury per accident: $30,000
• Medical expenses coverage: $5,000
• Comprehensive and collision coverage: With $500 deductibles
• Rental car reimbursement: $1,200 maximum, or up to $40 per day