Car Insurance rates in Chicago (Yale: month to, to buy, live)

[movingsomewhere]

[SIZE=2]here's the thing: I'm still in MD trying to get a new car insurance with Progressive for $65.85 a month or for 6 months paid in full it's $367, for 1 car. I might be moving to Chicago in 1 or 2 months from now. Should I pay for this on a month to month basis so that I can get a cheaper insurance rate once I move to Chicago? I heard IL ranks as having one of the lowest rates to have a car insurance in? Should I stick with the well known companies like Progressive or are there local (no-names) car insurance companies there that are legit to buy insurance from?
[/SIZE]

[snoylekim]

Not sure where you heard about low rates for Chicago..where auto insurance is concerned, "Illinois' as a whole and 'Chicago' are completely different animals.. if you live and register the car in they city, your rates for equivalent coverage could be almost twice as high as if you lived in a nearby suburb...Not sure how the Chicago rate would compare to what you're paying in MD, but my guess is they'f be equivalent if you're in the BaltWash beltway area. Check w/ your current carrier for comparisons, and use a Chicago zip like 60614 ( That'll be high...but will tell you what to expect) .
There are also lots of threads in this subforum on the general utility of car ownership in Chicago..bottom line is that 'cheap' is not a word used to describe the experience..

[myrc60]

Insurance rates in Chicago are high; we cut ours in half when we moved to SC. You can prepare a quote online; just use a Chicago zip code as instructed above and remember that insurance laws differ from state to state; you may be required to carry more coverage when you move.

[movingsomewhere]

ok. well here's the thing: In MD, I was paying about $170 a month for a premium, I'm in Chicago now, and I'm paying $150 a month for the same premium, so I guess I was right, or that article I read on AOL about states with low car insurance rates, which IL was featured as one of them. Yay! I'm paying $20 less! Anyway, my insurance could go lower since I probably don't need to have premium, I just need that "road side assistance" service that most car insurance companies provide for a small fee. I'm with Progressive.

I've seen a couple of local car insurance companies here in Chicago with advertised price of $39.99 a month. I would like to go for that and save some money. What are some good local car insurance companies I should look into that also provides "road side assistance" in case my car breaks down/needs a jumpstart/gas/etc? I've seen YALE, Atlantic, and others. Which ones should I go for?