Best Auto Insurance: Who Offers The Top Deals?

When it comes to auto insurance, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The best auto insurance company for you will depend on a variety of factors, including your age, driving record, location, and budget. Here are some of the top auto insurance companies in the market today:

- Travelers

- Progressive

- Geico

- USAA

- Erie Insurance

- Nationwide

- State Farm

- Liberty Mutual

- Allstate

- American Family

These companies stand out for their competitive rates, strong financial ratings, and positive customer reviews. However, it's important to shop around and compare quotes from multiple providers to find the best coverage and rates for your specific needs.

Best for young drivers

Young or first-time drivers tend to pay more for car insurance because they are considered high-risk. Data shows that younger and inexperienced drivers are more likely to be involved in serious accidents. According to the CDC, car crashes are the leading cause of death among teens in the United States.

Progressive

Progressive offers low rates for drivers with accidents, DUIs, speeding tickets, and bad credit. They also have a distant-student discount, which can lower premiums for families with a full-time student who lives more than 100 miles away and doesn't bring their car to school. There's also a 10% discount for maintaining at least a B average. Additionally, they have three tiers of accident forgiveness, which can be beneficial for parents of new drivers.

Geico

Geico is available in all 50 states and offers 16 discounts and various add-ons, such as emergency roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, and mechanical breakdown insurance. They also have a generous 25% discount for insuring more than one vehicle. Drivers who let Geico track their driving habits through the DriveEasy app can earn up to a 25% discount.

Auto-Owners

Auto-Owners is only available in 26 states but offers affordable premiums and high customer satisfaction ratings. They have 12 types of discounts available, including a good student discount of up to 20% and a distant student discount. They also offer various policy add-ons, including accident forgiveness, gap coverage, and diminished value coverage.

State Farm

State Farm has excellent customer satisfaction and is available across the country. They offer over a dozen discounts, including for safe driving, bundling, and good students. They also have a highly-rated mobile app and an impressive service area. State Farm also has a guaranteed completion date for repairs done at their approved garages.

Liberty Mutual

Liberty Mutual offers multiple discounts for young drivers, including a teen driving program discount, a good student discount, a new teen driver discount, and a distant student discount. They also have usage-based programs that allow young drivers to save money by practising good driving habits.

Best for accident forgiveness

Accident forgiveness is an auto insurance benefit that prevents insurance rates from increasing after a driver's first at-fault accident. It is important to note that accident forgiveness only applies to one accident per policy, not per driver on the policy. This means that if there are multiple drivers on the policy, any of the eligible drivers may use this benefit once.

GEICO

GEICO Accident Forgiveness can be earned for free or purchased in states where it is available. To receive this coverage for free, drivers must maintain a clean driving record for five years. Drivers who are under 21 years old may not be eligible for free Accident Forgiveness.

Liberty Mutual

Liberty Mutual offers accident forgiveness as additional coverage. To qualify, drivers must have no accidents or traffic violations within the last five years. Drivers under 25 years old must have five years of a completely clean driving record before they qualify.

Progressive

Progressive offers three types of accident forgiveness: Small Accident Forgiveness, Large Accident Forgiveness, and Progressive Accident Forgiveness. Small Accident Forgiveness is automatically included for new customers in most states, where insurance rates will stay the same for the first claim that is less than or equal to $500. Large Accident Forgiveness is available to customers who have been with Progressive for at least five years and have remained accident and violation-free for up to five consecutive years. Progressive Accident Forgiveness can be purchased when buying or renewing a policy, allowing for one eligible accident to be forgiven per policy period.

Nationwide

Nationwide offers accident forgiveness as an add-on to an auto insurance policy. Like many other accident forgiveness policies, Nationwide forgives your first at-fault auto accident or a minor violation that would normally incur a surcharge.

Allstate

Allstate offers accident forgiveness as optional coverage. The eligibility rules vary, but generally, customers must have been accident-free for three to five years.

American Family

American Family offers accident forgiveness that can be purchased or earned. The coverage can be bought at the start of a policy or at renewal time, provided that household drivers haven't had at-fault accidents or driving violations in the last 12 months and no more than one at-fault accident in the last three years. Accident forgiveness can be earned by having no claims for five years and no major violations on the driving record.

Best for military members

When it comes to auto insurance, military members have different needs than civilians. Fortunately, there are several companies that cater to active-duty military personnel and veterans, offering benefits and discounts specific to military lifestyles. Here is some detailed information about the best auto insurance options for military members:

USAA

USAA is a highly recommended auto insurance company for military members and their families. It offers exclusive coverage to active-duty and retired military members, as well as their spouses and children. USAA has the cheapest auto insurance rates in the country on average and consistently receives high scores for customer satisfaction, outperforming most competitors in the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study.

USAA provides specialized discounts for military personnel, such as up to a 15% discount on comprehensive coverage for vehicles garaged on military installations during deployment. They also offer a telematics insurance program called USAA SafePilot®, which can help customers save up to 30% on their premiums.

USAA stands out for its low rates across various policies and has been previously recognized as one of the top overall and cheapest car insurance companies. It is available in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and some international locations, making it a convenient option for those who need to move during their service.

Geico

Geico is another excellent choice for military members, offering a dedicated military support team composed of veterans. They provide a military discount of up to 15% for current and former military personnel, including members of the National Guard and Reserves. Geico also offers an emergency deployment discount of up to 25% for those deployed to imminent danger zones.

Geico has a wide range of optional add-ons, such as emergency roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, and mechanical breakdown insurance. They are available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, making them easily accessible.

Liberty Mutual

Liberty Mutual is a good option for military members seeking a competitive military discount. They offer a 10% discount for active-duty, veteran, or reserve military members. Their telematics program, RightTrack, is available in most states and can provide additional savings of up to 30% for safe drivers.

Farmers Insurance

Farmers Insurance is worth considering for military members due to their affinity discount for military members. They offer a wide range of coverage options, including original equipment manufacturer (OEM) coverage, spare parts coverage, guaranteed value coverage, new car replacement, and full windshield and glass coverage.

Farmers Insurance is available in most states, except Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington D.C., and West Virginia.

Arbella

Arbella is a regional auto insurance company serving Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. They offer a 10% discount for active and deployed military members. Arbella provides personalized service through a network of independent agents, who are in-tune with the local market. Their Customer Care Package add-on includes new car replacement coverage, trip interruption coverage, and more.

In summary, USAA and Geico are standout choices for military members due to their specialized savings, coverage options, and high customer satisfaction ratings. Liberty Mutual, Farmers Insurance, and Arbella are also worth considering for their discounts and unique benefits tailored to military personnel and their families.

Best for bundling

Bundling your home and auto insurance is a great way to save money, with some insurers advertising discounts of up to 35%. However, it is not always the cheapest option. Here are some of the best companies for bundling home and auto insurance:

State Farm

State Farm has the best home and auto bundles, with cheap rates of around $266 per month to bundle your insurance. State Farm has the best bundling discount, with customers getting an average savings of 24%. It also has a low rate of consumer complaints for both homeowners and auto insurance.

American Family

American Family offers a solid bundling discount for home and auto insurance and has a very low rate of complaints about both types of coverage. Its auto insurance premiums are a bit higher than those of other insurers, but the bundling discount can help offset some of the cost.

USAA

USAA is only available to active and retired military, National Guard, Reserve members, veterans, uniformed personnel and their eligible family members. However, it offers some of the lowest rates overall for both home and auto coverage, which can add up to significant savings. It also has a low rate of consumer complaints to state insurance departments.

Erie

Erie offers outstanding coverage perks and very low rates for bundling home and auto insurance. It also has a low rate of customer complaints to state regulators. However, Erie is only available in 12 states and Washington, D.C.

Auto-Owners Insurance

Auto-Owners Insurance has highly competitive car insurance rates for most drivers, including drivers who have caused an accident. It also has a low rate of complaints among homeowners and car insurance customers, which is a plus if you’re looking for good customer service. However, its homeowners insurance rates are slightly higher than average compared to other top companies.

Best for high-risk drivers

High-risk drivers are those with at least one speeding ticket, at-fault accident, or DUI conviction on their driving record, or married couples with a teen driver on their policy. Auto insurance rates for high-risk drivers are generally higher than the national average. However, Progressive is the best major auto insurer for high-risk drivers.

Progressive is the second-largest auto insurance company in the country, dominating just over 14% of the market. Its nationwide availability and extensive list of coverage options make it a great choice for all types of drivers, even those who have a DUI conviction and need their insurer to file an SR-22 or FR-44 on their behalf. Progressive may even offer competitive rates for drivers with flawed records.

When Progressive opened its doors in 1956, it did so with the intention of agreeing to offer policies to drivers who may be considered high-risk with other insurers. Today, customers with less-than-perfect motor vehicle records may find the coverage they need with a policy from Progressive. Not only does Progressive offer SR-22 and FR-44 filings, but it may even offer competitive rates for drivers with flawed records.

In addition to standard liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, Progressive offers a few add-on coverage options, such as its Snapshot telematics program, Name Your Price shopping tool, and AutoQuote Explorer, which lets you compare rates from multiple companies.

Frequently asked questions