Find the best auto insurance companies and you can be confident of having at least some financial protection should you have an accident on the road. The cost of repair bills can quickly escalate (opens in new tab) in this kind of situation, and if you’re faced with a lawsuit your financial outlay could skyrocket – paying such bills out of your own pocket could prove challenging, but with good auto insurance coverage, you needn’t put your finances in jeopardy to cover the cost.
Yet you also need to make sure you’re not paying over the odds for comprehensive coverage if it doesn’t suit, which is why you’ll want to find the best auto insurance companies for your needs. The right company will be able to offer general drivers the ideal combination of low rates and coverage, and while it’s true that your level of experience as a driver will dictate the general price range you can expect to pay, comparing the available options is essential nonetheless. This remains the case whether you’re a young driver who’s new to the road, or a more experienced senior driver. It’s important to bear in mind that the level of cover you want can also impact the price you pay, with comprehensive auto insurance coverage typically resulting in higher premiums than if you opted for cover that’s on the lighter end of the scale. That said, the extra level of protection is often deemed more than worth the extra cost for many motorists, particularly if you can track down the best auto insurance rates.
This is where our guide to the top rated car insurance companies can come in. Here, we highlight those insurers that come out on top in a whole range of scenarios, whether you’re looking for the lowest auto insurance rates, the best customer service, an easy claims process or the complete car insurance package - many of the best auto insurance companies offer bundles that include things like breakdown cover, saving you money on buying a separate roadside assistance (opens in new tab) policy too. You can even find the auto insurance company that’s best for those who’ve had an accident before, and of course, we showcase the best auto insurance provider overall, giving you a head start to compare rates and coverage options that will leave you feeling secure while driving your car.
1. Erie Insurance: Best auto insurance company overall
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Erie Insurance is one of the best auto insurance companies out there right now, with an ability to straddle the line between great pricing, personal care and huge financial strength. Individual features like Rate Lock to keep prices fixed, diminishing deductible to help good drivers save money, and some of the best customer care in the industry, make this a treat for those people in the 13 states this insurer operates in. It's just a shame Eerie isn't more widely available like some of its rivals.
If you've got pets or like modifying your car, or drive a classic, Erie has special care for you too. You'll even be let off for an accident without it affecting your policy thanks to accident forgiveness. We'd like to see the addition of a mobile app in the future, along with expansion into other states, but aside from that there's little to fault here. The options are huge and varied making this a near perfect auto insurance solution for most people.
2. Amica Auto Insurance: Best auto insurance customer service
Amica Auto Insurance is one of the best companies around when it comes to customer care and, as a result, is one of the best insurers out there period. Ranked as number one by JD Power its features, like the ability to pick a repair shop near you, make this a personalized and freeing option that's hard to find fault with.
That said, there are some reports of rate increases but with such good customer care even that should be easily cleared up with a call or email exchange. Aside from the superb customer care, via an Amica representative, you get features like flexible billing plans, online policy management and lots of discounts to be earned. There's even a mobile app to help you track your policy and make claims too. All that and this is available in 50 states plus Washington, DC.
3. Auto-Owners Insurance: Best auto insurance for affordable care
Despite remaining a medium-sized company Auto-Owners is a Forbes 500 firm that offers superb personal customer care backed by strong financial stability. As such it can afford to offer great prices, which undercut the competition while still giving excellent features. It isn't the absolute cheapest, but manages to balance excellent prices with a suite of decent features.
Available in 26 states, Auto-Owners uses a great app to give control to customers, including accessing roadside assistance when needed. You can speak to a local agent for any concerns or to change your policy for features like classic car cover, gap insurance and more. The only real issue is that Auto-Owners doesn't issue quotes online, so you'll need to go through a longer process to get insurance here.
4. Geico Auto Insurance: Best auto insurance for cheap prices
As a huge insurance firm, Geico is able to undercut the competition in most cases meaning you end up with the lowest-price insurance available. While Geico does offer lots of features on its policies, with these low prices be sure to check you're covered for anything specific you're looking for - there are different tiers of service, and while that offers customization, you need to make sure you get everything you need with your policy.
The mobile app is impressive with a built-in personal assistant to help you with anything you might need. Quotes are easily obtained online for free and features are varied including breakdown cover, emergency roadside assistance and express auto repairs, to name but a few. It's ideal for anyone looking to cover multiple vehicles, although premiums can start to get expensive fast if you start adding heaps of extra features.
5. Allstate Auto Insurance: Best auto insurance for app support
Allstate is one of the biggest auto insurers in the US meaning it offers solid financial stability and a lot of features. One stand-out feature is the mobile app which allows you to access your policy easily but it also lets you make a claim. So advanced is the app it will allow you to take photos of the car, using the phone, and submit them right there from the accident so the claim process can begin right away.
As such the claims process is a fast one with minimal hassle. While that's going on you can get a rental car with no upper limit and there's also accidental forgiveness so that accident shouldn't even push up your premiums. All that, of course, isn't as cheap as some options out there, and there's no green vehicle benefits, but on the whole this is a really great auto insurance offering.
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6. State Farm: Best auto insurance for bonuses
State Farm is a huge auto insurer and offers a massive amount of benefits to go with that mighty size. Covering 50 states and with over 18,000 local agents, claims are an easier process than with some insurers. But if you're not claiming you'll be rewarded for being a safe driver, with Drive Safe & Save offering savings based on the mileage you drive.
There's also a Steer Clear Driver program which lets you take a refresher course, to make you're a safe driver, and in doing so gets you a reduction on your premium. The car rental cover, should you need it, is also excellent with it paid up as well as any expenses that go with it all, helping make the repair process easier.
7. Farmers Auto Insurance: Best auto insurance for easy claims
Farmers Auto Insurance is one of the most affordable options out there without meaning you have to worry about the claims process, as that works well. Policies are available for as little as less than $100, for the very minimum cover. Spend a bit more and you get lots of features.
The car replacement service means if you total your car, that's newer than two years and has done under 24,000 miles, you'll get a brand-new model to replace it. Also, with accident forgiveness, your premium won't change for an accident in three years of safe driving. You'll even be reimbursed for loss of use while your car isn't with you.
8. Travelers Auto Insurance: Best auto insurance for discounts
Travelers Auto Insurance, as one of the country's oldest, is a great option for those looking to enjoy discounts for a wide selection of personalization options on their policy. These include savings for things like driving a hybrid or electric vehicle, students getting good grades or for having multi-car policies.
Travelers is limited to 43 states but works superbly where it's available, with an A++ Superior rating of financial strength from AM Best. Great features sell this, including gap insurance, new-car replacement and accident forgiveness as easy to access options on a policy.
9. American Family Auto Insurance: Best auto insurance bundle
American Family Auto Insurance is tenth largest in the US yet manages to have some of the fewest complaints thanks to its friendly local-based service. Since it offers different types of insurance it also gives great incentives for bundle deals which can save you money.
Another great way to save money is to use the KnowYourDrive program which tracks your driving, if you opt-in, and lets you save up to 40 percent if you're a safe driver. Roadside assistance 24/7 and gap coverage are also nice extras but we love the MyAmFam app which is a great way to process payments, download proof of insurance, track claims and even call out roadside assistance if you need it.
10. Progressive Auto Insurance: Best auto insurance if you've had an accident previously
Progressive is a big scale insurer that can afford to give drivers with a history of accidents another chance. It not only offers cover to those prone to accidents but also offers really low prices and plenty of discount programs to reward safe driving.
Thanks to a direct model, rates can be kept low and you can enjoy more unique features like pet cover and car modification coverage. Other features include gap insurance, roadside assistance and Snapshot which tracks your driving style to potentially save you money.
