What is Pleasure Use Car Insurance?

Pleasure use car insurance is for vehicles driven exclusively for personal or recreational purposes, excluding commuting. This classification can impact your insurance rates and eligibility.

Location pin icon
No junk mail. No spam calls. Free quotes.

Why you can trust The Zebra

The Zebra partners with some of the companies we write about. However, our content is written and reviewed by an independent team of editors and licensed agents. Reference our data methodology and learn more about how we make money.

Author profile picture

Ross Martin

Insurance Writer

Ross joined The Zebra as a writer and researcher in 2019. He specialized in writing insurance content to help shoppers make informed decisions.

Ross h…

Credentials
  • 5+ years in the Insurance Industry
Author profile picture

Mark Friedlander

Director, Corporate Communications, Insurance Information Institute

Mark Friedlander has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry. He is the Director, Corporate Communications, at the Insurance Informatio…

Author profile picture

Beth Swanson

Insurance Analyst

Beth joined The Zebra in 2022 as an Associate Content Strategist. A licensed insurance agent, she specializes in creating clear, accessible content t…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
  • Associate in Insurance
  • Professional Risk Consultant

What does pleasure mean on car insurance applications?

Pleasure use car insurance applies to drivers who use their car solely for personal or leisure activities. Here, you do not use your vehicle to drive to/from work and is more of a weekend vehicle. Let’s explore how pleasure use car insurance affects auto insurance quotes, and which insurance providers are the most affordable for pleasure use insurance policies.

Car Insurance for Commuting

When you elect "commute" as your vehicle use on an auto insurance application, does it increase your rates? Let's dive into the data.

Understanding pleasure use car insurance

The exact requirements of a pleasure-use vehicle vary by insurance company. Some insurers define pleasure use insurance by annual mileage, while others define pleasure use as simply "not being used to commute to or from work."

If you’re unsure of your vehicle usage classification, should speak to an agent at your insurance company. Insurance premiums can vary substantially depending on the category under which your vehicle is classified. See below some typical rates across the U.S., based on common vehicle uses. A pleasure use classification is slightly cheaper than commuter use — by about $118 per year. The other uses, outlined below, are much less common.

sports car
Average annual premium by vehicle use category

Updating data...

Use of Vehicle Avg. Annual Premium
Farm $1,660
Pleasure $1,760
Work - One-way commute (less than 10 miles) $1,778
Work - One-way commute (10-15 miles) $1,784
Work - One-way commute (15+ miles) $1,799
Business $2,012

Source: The Zebra

The Zebra’s Dynamic Insurance Rating Tool data methodology

The Zebra’s Dynamic Insurance Rating Tool for home and auto insurance rates utilizes the latest ZIP code-level rate filings from across the U.S., sourced from Quadrant Information Services and S&P Global. These filings, typically updated annually or biennially by insurers, are verified through Quadrant’s QA process and then integrated into The Zebra’s estimator.

The displayed rates are based on a dynamic home and auto profile designed to reflect the content of the page. This profile is tailored to match specific factors such as age, location, and coverage level, which are adjusted based on the page content to show how these variables can impact premiums.

For a comprehensive understanding, see our detailed methodology.

Other uses explained

Farm: Vehicles used on a farm for towing and other farm-related activities.

Business: Vehicles used for limited commercial or business functions.


Cheapest pleasure use car insurance companies

Using a standard profile (methodology), we generated average car insurance rates for a pleasure use vehicle. USAA currently provides the best average rates, followed by Nationwide.

Average Insurance Rates for Pleasure Use by Insurance Company

Updating data...

Company Avg. Annual Premium
USAA $1,365
Nationwide $1,476
GEICO $1,542
State Farm $1,569
Farmers $1,786
Progressive $1,887
Allstate $2,414

Source: The Zebra

Pleasure-use car insurance can be a smart way to save if you drive less and mostly stick to personal trips. Coverage works just like a standard policy, but your rates reflect your lower mileage and reduced risk. Just be honest about how often you drive—using your car for commuting or business without updating your policy could create problems at claim time. If you’re not sure whether pleasure use fits your lifestyle, compare quotes and see how much you could save with the right coverage.

Compare insurance quotes quickly and easily.

Location pin icon
No junk mail. No spam calls. Free quotes.

Pleasure use car insurance FAQs:

Choosing between pleasure or commute depends on how the vehicle is actually used. Pleasure use typically results in lower premiums since the car is driven less frequently and not for work or school. If you regularly drive to work or school, you must list it as commuting; misrepresenting usage can lead to denied claims.

Pleasure use means the vehicle is driven only for personal or recreational purposes, not for commuting to work, school, or business-related activities.

Pleasure use generally implies low annual mileage, often under 7,500–10,000 miles per year, depending on the insurer. Higher mileage or frequent commuting usually requires a different policy classification.

About The Zebra

The Zebra is not an insurance company. We publish data-backed, expert-reviewed resources to help consumers make more informed insurance decisions.

  • The Zebra’s insurance content is written and reviewed for accuracy by licensed insurance agents.
  • The Zebra’s insurance editorial content is not subject to review or alteration by insurance companies or partners.
  • The Zebra’s editorial team operates independently of the company’s partnerships and commercialization interests, publishing unbiased information for consumer benefit.
  • The auto insurance rates published on The Zebra’s pages are based on a comprehensive analysis of car insurance pricing data, evaluating more than 83 million insurance rates from across the United States.