State Farm Auto Insurance: What you need to know
State Farm Auto Insurance is the largest auto insurer in the entire nation meaning it gets the balance right between being a well-known brand name but offering a decent selection of products at consumer-friendly prices.
State Farm looks after its customers that stay with the company by not automatically raising rates when policies renew, something customers report really enjoying.
Since this is a nationwide company, across 50 states, you can get access to a local agent, of which there are 18,000, to file a claim or to simply have a chat with about any questions you need answered.
State Farm Auto Insurance offers benefits for safe drivers which extend beyond adults to good teen drivers. This is quite a rare offering that could help younger new drivers earn a more affordable policy which lets them get on the road early.
There's even a reward scheme which offers savings to students that have a good grade average – a nice idea to entice parents into using this service.
State Farm is a large company and also offers home insurance. If you need this too then you could make a saving as it does offer reductions and bundle benefits for taking more than one policy out at a time with the company.
Policies: How much does State Farm Auto Insurance cost?
- Low-cost car coverage: $530
- High-cost car coverage: $688
- Market-leading 20/65/20 quotes
Car rental cover: Rental is paid for and any expense to do with that is also covered
Drive Safe & Save: Based on mileage and safe driving you can make savings
Steer Clear Driver Program: Driver training refresher course offers to help make savings
Policies aren't one set price and vary based on lots of factors including the car value, your credit and driving history, age, location and more. So pricing here is a rough guide based on the average user taking out the state recommended 100/300/100 policy.
We tested using low-value and high-value cars costing above and below $25,000 but with lots of other factors playing a part, this is to be taken as a rough idea.
For both low and high-priced cars State Farm sat slightly below the national average. So for a low cost car that's around the $530 mark and for a high priced vehicle it's closer to $688 price.
For a state minimum requirement which is usually 20/65/20 we got the lowest prices, meaning there are savings to be made here.
Teen driver policies, which can represent an 80 percent price bump were at the lower end of the scale for State Farm.
State Farm Auto Insurance: Rental and expenses
- Complimentary rental car
- Expenses covered when over 50 miles from home
For car rental, when your car is in the shop after a collision, State Farm offers one of the best services. The insurance company will pay for a rental car for you but on top of that you get expenses too.
Expenses include things like meals, transportation and even lodgings. These all apply only if you're stranded more than 50 miles from your home. This coverage is also limited by state so may vary where you are.
State Farm Auto Insurance: Drive Safe & Save
- System encourages safe driving
- Discounts up to 50% for safe drivers
State Farm offers a reward system that allows you to enjoy benefits for being a safer driver. This is called Drive Safe & Save which is a usage based program that calculates discounts based on your mileage and safe driving measurements. These include things like your driving speed or the time of day that you're driving most often.
You can get a discount of up to 50% once your driving behavior has been analyzed. The availability of this service and the discounts that you get from it won't be the same everywhere.
State Farm Auto Insurance: Steer Clear Driver Program
- Online refresher course can help young drivers
- Aimed at drivers who are under 25
Another feature that State Farm offers is the Steer Clear Driver Program which is designed to make you a safe driver. The idea being that if you're a better driver the insurance company can rely on you and so can charge you less on your policy.
The course itself is a driver refresher course which is available online, through an agent or using the mobile app. This course is aimed at drivers who are under 25 and have had no at-fault accidents or moving violations in the last three years.
State Farm Auto Insurance: Ridesharing insurance
- Ridesharing cover offered in 46 states
- Covers both personal and ridesharing use
State Farm offers cover for drivers of taxi services that use apps like Uber or Lyft.
Since some of these companies only give cover when the driver is active in a job there is risk when in between pickups. This policy from State Farm aims to fill in those gaps so you're always covered. The cover is a single policy that covers both personal and ridesharing use.
This is available for 46 US states and the District of Columbia.
State Farm Auto Insurance: Online resources
- Website is filled with online resources for you
- Tips on day-to-day responsibilities when owning a vehicle
If you head over to the State Farm site it's filled with online resources for you. There's lots available to you, beyond insurance alone. There are lots of articles you can use to inform yourself on how to act in situations like in the event of your car being totaled.
You can also get simple things like tips on day-to-day responsibilities when owning a vehicle. This includes useful details like how to jump-start a car, how to protect it from sun damage or how to properly use the driver safety systems.
State Farm Auto Insurance: What the users say
- 3 star rating overall from J.D. Power
- 4 star rating from ConsumerAffairs
State Farm Auto is a well reviewed service with high financial solvency.
According to the 2018 J.D. Power study, the overall customer satisfaction score put this up there as one of the highest rated providers.
ConsumerAffairs gives a four-star rating for average customer reviews with positive for safe driver discounts, basic coverage and online portal access but negatives for no accidental forgiveness and options not spreading across all states.
State Farm Auto Insurance: Verdict
State Farm Auto is the biggest auto insurer in the US meaning it covers all 50 states and has over 18,000 agents. The service is heavy on the rewards for safe drivers and those that are willing to do training, including students and younger drivers.
The app isn't great but the online portal has a huge selection of assistive features. The lack of accidental forgiveness as an option may be a deal breaker for some but other than that most features are there.
Bundle discounts are also another positive feature. There are also lots of options for both basic and comprehensive coverage with the rates just below that of the national average.
