You want to know you’ll get good service from your auto insurance company if you have an accident, and you don’t want to overpay. But finding that gem of a company among the dozens available isn’t easy. Insurance company ads always promise savings and great service, but you need the proof.
To help you find the best car insurance companies, we’ve compiled data on customer happiness and pricing for large companies nationwide. We evaluated companies based on average prices for multiple coverage levels and types of driving records. And we factored in complaints made to state regulators and the satisfaction of customers who’ve made claims.
Our evaluation of the best car insurance companies can help get you pointed in the right direction of insurers that are most likely to give you delightful service at a good price.
In This Post
The Best Car Insurance Companies
USAA
USAA
Excellent
Excellent
94%
American Family Insurance
American Family Insurance
Good
Very Good
78%
Nationwide
Nationwide
Good
Very Good
78%
Auto-Owners Insurance
Auto-Owners Insurance
Auto-Owners Insurance
Excellent
Fair
88%
Geico
Geico
Good
Very Good
82%
Best Car Insurance Companies Ratings At-A-Glance
| Company | Customer Happiness | Price Competitiveness | Forbes Advisor Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | Excellent | Excellent |  |
| American Family | Good | Very good |  |
| Nationwide | Good | Very good | |
| Auto-Owners Insurance | Excellent | Fair | |
| Geico | Good | Very good | |
| Erie | Good | Good |  |
| Travelers | Good | Fair | |
| State Farm | Good | Fair | |
| Progressive | Good | Fair |  |
| Allstate | Good | Poor |  |
| Farmers | Poor | Poor |  |
| MetLife | Poor | Poor |  |
Methodology
Forbes Advisor’s ratings of the best auto insurance companies are based on the following measurements of cost and customer happiness. Companies were evaluated in relation to one another within the group we scored.
Average costs: 50% of score. Most consumers shop for car insurance based on price, so we gave it 50% weight in our evaluation. Within this category, we gave equal weight to the national average prices for: good drivers with state minimum liability insurance, good drivers with 100/300/100 coverage ($100,000 bodily injury liability per person, $300,000 bodily injury liability coverage per accident, $100,000 for property damage liability), good drivers with 250/500/250 coverage, drivers with 100/300 and a speeding ticket, drivers with 100/300 and an at-fault accident.
Customer happiness: 50% of score. Claims satisfaction and customers who are unhappy enough to file a complaint are where an insurer’s service is tested. Even if you’ve been paying a good price, you’ll be unhappy if you feel treated poorly. Within this measurement we gave equal weight to complaints filed with state regulators at their state’s department of insurance and satisfaction ratings among customers who made claims. We evaluated claims satisfaction data from the last four years.
Sources
- Claims satisfaction: Clearsurance, a leading provider of consumer insurance satisfaction ratings and reviews based on evaluations of nearly 160,000 customer reviews across car, home and renters insurance. Customers who gave a score of 4 or 5 on a scale of 1-5 were considered “satisfied” with their claims experience.
- Complaints: The National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which aggregates complaint data from each state. Its complaint ratios express a company’s number of complaints relative to the size of its business.
- Average costs: Quadrant Information Services, a provider of property/casualty insurance pricing and analytics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of car insurance are required?
Most states (except New Hampshire and Virginia) require liability auto insurance, to pay for damage and injuries you cause to others.
Many states also require uninsured motorist coverage. This does not pay out to other motorists. It pays for medical bills to you and your passengers if you’re hit by someone who doesn’t have auto insurance—or not enough.
And states that have a no-fault insurance system require that car owners buy personal injury protection (PIP). PIP pays your medical bills no matter who caused the accident.
How can I find the best price on car insurance?
The main key in finding a good deal is to get car insurance quotes from multiple companies. That’s the only way you’ll know what companies are going to charge, based on your personal factors.
Another strategy is to bundle your auto insurance with another policy, such as homeowners or renters. Buying more than one policy from the same company typically results in a decent discount.
What car insurance discounts should I look for?
Discounts on vehicle safety equipment, such as air bags, are easy to get. Make sure to get a bundling discount by buying from the same company if you need more than one type of insurance policy.
Good driver car insurance discounts are common. If you have a teen or young adult driver, you may be able to get a good student discount. And you may be able to get a small discount for things you would do anyway, like going paperless by receiving insurance bills and policies electronically.
Next Up in Car Insurance
- Comprehensive Vs. Collision Auto Insurance: Here’s What You Need To Know
- How To File A Car Insurance Claim From Your Couch
- Here Are The Rules For PIP Insurance & No-Fault Laws
- Tips For First-Time Car Insurance Buyers
- What You Need to Know About Uninsured Motorist Coverage
- Forbes Guide To Auto Insurance Discounts
