"Friend of mine swears Geico's assistance is quicker, but honestly, I'm skeptical—feels like luck of the draw in bad weather."
I think you're right to be skeptical... I've had both Progressive and Geico over the years, and honestly, response times always seemed more about the specific tow company they contracted rather than the insurer itself. Last winter, my old Mustang decided to quit on me near Albany during a snowstorm (typical!), and Geico's roadside showed up in about an hour. Decent enough, but nothing mind-blowing. I'd say focus more on rates and coverage—roadside feels like a coin toss most days.
"response times always seemed more about the specific tow company they contracted rather than the insurer itself."
This is spot-on. I've dealt with both Geico and Progressive claims in NY, and honestly, the insurer's name didn't seem to matter much when it came to roadside assistance. A couple years back, I got stranded near Syracuse during a nasty ice storm—Progressive had me waiting nearly two hours because their contracted tow was slammed with calls. Another time, Geico had someone out to me in 30 minutes flat on a sunny afternoon near Rochester. It's really just luck and timing.
I'd suggest looking deeper into their claims handling and customer service reputation instead. Roadside assistance is nice to have, but it's not something I'd base my entire decision on. Premiums, deductibles, and how smoothly they handle actual claims—that's where you'll notice real differences between insurers.
A couple years back, I got stranded near Syracuse during a nasty ice storm—Progressive had me waiting nearly two hours because their contracted tow was slammed with calls. Another time, Geico had...
Yeah, agreed. Roadside assistance is pretty hit-or-miss regardless of insurer. Had Geico once and waited forever in Albany traffic... I'd focus more on claims handling and premiums—those matter way more in the long run.
Yeah, roadside assistance can be a gamble no matter who you're with. Honestly, I'd lean toward whichever company has a better reputation for handling claims smoothly and fairly. I've heard Progressive can be pretty good about processing claims quickly, but Geico sometimes edges them out on premiums—at least in my experience. Either way, make sure you read the fine print carefully... coverage details can vary a lot, and you don't wanna find out the hard way when something actually happens.
Have you checked if either company has local preferred repair shops near you? Sometimes that makes a huge difference in how smoothly claims go. I've had both Geico and Progressive at different times, and honestly, claims handling felt pretty similar. The real question is: Which one gives you fewer headaches overall? You're smart to be cautious about the fine print, though... insurance is one of those things you don't appreciate until you really need it. Good luck figuring it out.
