2023’s best insurance companies for female drivers in Ontario

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What are the best insurance companies for female drivers in Ontario? Well, if you’re going strictly on price, it’s CAA Insurance. But that doesn’t mean every woman in Ontario should switch to CAA. Depending on your age, where you live, and your driving record, there are five different companies that could have your best rate. Shopping the market with an insurance broker is the best way to find it, and keep it in the long term.

Insurance companies tend to specialize in particular types of risks. Some look for drivers with perfect driving records, some target people over 40 or 50 years old, and some target new drivers or those with spotty records. So, which are the best auto insurers for women? To find out, we did a side-by-side comparison of rates from some of the most popular insurers we work with. The simple answer for most women right now is CAA Insurance, but as usual, things are more complicated than that.

Note that the rankings in this piece are based solely on price. There are a number of factors that you should consider when shopping for auto insurance, but price is the only one that varies by gender. See our Best auto insurers blog for more information.

Key findings

  • On average, CAA Insurance offers the lowest auto insurance rates for female drivers in Ontario, 18% better than the closest competitor, Aviva Canada.
  • Five different companies (Aviva, CAA, SGI, Pafco and Coachman) represent the best rate for at least one of the eight female driver profiles we created for this piece.
  • Although CAA had the best average rate for women, their price for one driver profile was 63% higher than the lowest quote from Aviva.
  • Pafco offers the lowest average rate for high-risk female drivers, but Coachman quoted a better price for one of the high-risk profiles.

The rankings

Best regular market

  1. CAA
  2. Aviva
  3. SGI Canada
  4. Intact
  5. Commonwell
  6. Gore Mutual
  7. Wawanesa
  8. Pembridge
  9. Economical
  10. Zenith
  11. Travelers

Best high-risk market

  1. Pafco
  2. Jevco
  3. Echelon
  4. Coachman1

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How we rank the best insurers

In order to get a good idea of the kind of rates that women across the province can expect from different insurance companies, we created seven driver profiles, all female, that vary in age, relationship status, location and driving record. We also gave each one a different vehicle. Then we ran quotes for each using our online auto insurance quoter. The people are fictional, but the prices below are an accurate reflection of what a driver with the same rating factors would pay in the real world if they called us for a quote today.

All the quotes were run based on the same coverages, policy limits, deductibles and discounts.

Meet the ladies:

  • Ann, 22, Single, London (N6J), speeding ticket in 2022
    Drives a 2023 MAZDA3 SPORT GT i-ACTIV 5DR AWD
  • Imani, 38, Married, Kingston (K7M), clean record
    Drives a 2019 HONDA ACCORD EX-L 4DR
  • Marta, 46, Common-law, Toronto (M5M), speeding tickets in 2015 and 2020
    Drives a 2015 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN SE
  • Rosana, 68, Widowed, Sault Ste. Marie (P6B), speeding tickets in 2020 and 2021
    Drives a 2021 TOYOTA RAV4 LTD 4DR AWD
  • Eileen, 19, Single, North Bay (P1A), clean record
    Drives a 2010 DODGE RAM 1500 SLT REG CAB 4WD
  • Shab, 40, Married, Carleton Place (K7C), at-fault claim in 2017
    Drives a 2017 TOYOTA CAMRY SE HYBRID 4DR
  • Althea, 55, Divorced, Mississauga (L5R), at-fault claim and speeding ticket in 2021, conviction for unsafe turn in 2023
    Drives a 2016 FORD F150 XLT SUPERCREW 4WD
  • Yulia, 29, Single, Bobcaygeon (K0M), two speeding tickets in 2022, at-fault claim and speeding ticket in 2023
    Drives a 2015 KIA RIO5 EX 5DR

The quotes

Ontario insurance quotes for female drivers
 Eun-WooImaniMartaRosanaEileenShabReg. Avg.AltheaYuliaHigh-risk Avg.
CAA$3,050$1,161$1,491$ 1,006$ 3,271$ 1,880$1,977   
Aviva$3,360$1,745$2,489$ 2,174$ 2,005$ 2,215$2,331   
SGI Canada$3,250$1,732$2,712$ 1,908$ 2,896$ 1,610$2,351   
Intact$3,623$1,967$2,986$ 2,117$ 2,713$ 2,130$2,589   
Commonwell$3,287$1,615$2,932$ 2,006$ 3,816$ 1,932$2,598   
Gore Mutual$4,129$1,477$ 3,437$ 2,223$ 3,185$ 1,830$2,714   
Wawanesa$3,742$1,661$3,039$ 2,342$ 3,445$ 2,072$2,717   
Pembridge$4,372$1,959$2,952$ 2,678$ 3,387$ 2,695$3,007   
Economical$4,097$2,135$2,734$ 2,814$ 4,519$ 2,670$3,162   
Zenith$4,539$2,510$2,620$ 3,269$ 4,896$ 2,012$3,308   
Travelers$6,624$2,364$4,848$ 3,252$ 3,432$ 3,252$3,962   
Pafco       $6,609$5,124$5,867
Jevco       $7,704$5,728$6,716
Echelon       $8,731$5,047$6,889
Coachman       NA2$4,982NA

What has changed?

When we last did this comparison in 2021, CAA Insurance had the best average quotes for regular market female drivers, but the lowest rates for high-risk drivers came from Jevco. Since then, Pafco has climbed to the top of the high-risk list. Pembridge fell from third to eighth on the main list, but even the last time around, they didn’t offer the best rate for any of the driver profiles. In our most recent comparison, Coachman and Pafco joined the list of insurers that offered the lowest price for at least one driver profile.

These rankings will change over time

The reality of the insurance market is that one company is never the most affordable for long. Each company closely monitors its claims costs, and compares them to its premium revenues. The idea is that the premiums should be enough to pay for all the claims, with a little left over (ideally 10-15%) for profit.

Right now, because CAA Insurance has the lowest rates for women, they will win a lot of new female customers. Over the next few months and years, they will find out whether the premiums they charged were enough to cover claims. If they’re not, you’ll see their rates go up gradually until they reach what we call in the business “rate adequacy”.

But even if CAA’s claims costs stay low and their premiums don’t go up, the likelihood is that one of the other insurers will realize that their claims costs are also quite low, and they will reduce their rates hoping to attract more customers, while still making a profit. So from year to year, it’s likely that the best insurer for you will change over and over again.

How to get the best insurer every time

The only way to always have access to the best rates is to work with an independent insurance broker like Mitch Insurance. We work with most of the top insurance companies in Ontario, so although their prices may go up and down, YOUR rate will always be the best available at that time. Call us today to talk to one of our experienced brokers about all your insurance requirements. We may be the last insurance provider you’ll ever need.


1 Coachman did not offer a quote for one of the high-risk driver profiles, but did have the best rate for the other.

2 Even high-risk insurers have limits to the types of drivers they will insure. Coachman did not offer a quote for this driver profile.

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