Endurance vs. CarShield

What is the difference between Endurance and CarShield?

Endurance stands out for letting you get quotes online, having slightly better reviews for customer service and including a year of Elite Benefits with every plan sold, which provides nice perks like $1,000 in collision repair assistance. Endurance also gave us cheaper quotes for five of our six sample vehicles.

CarShield, meanwhile, stands out for having an extra plan type (Aluminum), better plans and rates for European luxury vehicles (BMW, Porsche, etc.), and generous rental car and rideshare reimbursement limits while your vehicle is in the shop for warranty repairs.

To put it simply:

• Endurance is best if you value customer service.
• CarShield is best if you drive a European luxury vehicle.

Endurance pros and cons

Endurance’s strong customer service record, wide variety of plans and extensive benefits make it a solid all-rounder. Its plans aren’t always the cheapest, but they tend to offer good value to compensate.

» EXPLORE: Endurance reviews

CarShield pros and cons

CarShield's high points include its generous rental car and rideshare benefits and its unique Aluminum plan that can help supplement your remaining factory powertrain warranty. Although CarShield's quote process isn't the best, its plan options and lax vehicle requirements make finding the right coverage easy.

» EXPLORE: CarShield reviews

Endurance vs. CarShield coverage

Endurance offers 12 plans. The company underwrites six of those plans itself, but in rare cases the company may refer you to a third-party partner for one of its other six options.

Of the six Endurance-underwritten plans, you’ll typically only see three when you get a quote (Supreme, Superior and Secure Plus). That’s because the other three (Superior, Select Premier and Advantage) are usually only available over the phone and have more restrictive eligibility criteria.

• Supreme is an exclusionary, bumper-to-bumper warranty with coverage for virtually all components on your vehicle (2,000+), except wear-and-tear and a short list of exceptions.
• Superior covers ~300+ components across most major component groups.
• Secure Plus is the equivalent of a powertrain warranty but with added coverage for your air conditioning and brakes.
• Select Premier offers similar coverage to Secure Plus for vehicles with more than 150,000 miles.
• Secure is a powertrain-only plan.
• Advantage offers Supreme coverage plus up to $3,500 in annual maintenance costs.

CarShield, meanwhile, offers seven plans, which are all exclusively available over the phone.

• Diamond is an exclusionary, bumper-to-bumper warranty.
• Platinum covers 700+ components across most major component groups.
• Gold covers 300+ components across nine major component groups.
• Silver is a powertrain-equivalent warranty.
• Aluminum covers 300+ components not covered by your powertrain warranty, including your vehicle’s cooling system, electronics, infotainment and brakes.
• Motorcycle & ATV covers 200+ components on motorcycles and ATVs only.
• Electric Vehicle Coverage covers your EV’s electric drive unit, electrical system, battery pack and more but is not comprehensive.

Endurance technically has CarShield beat for selection, but we like CarShield’s clever Aluminum plan that can help bridge the gap when your factory bumper-to-bumper warranty expires but you still have powertrain coverage remaining.

» UNDERSTAND THE BASICS: What does a car warranty cover?

Endurance vs. CarShield cost

Here are some quotes we collected from Endurance and CarShield for various vehicles with expired factory warranties. All quotes were for bumper-to-bumper plans with $100 deductibles, except Endurance’s warranty for the Porsche Macan.

Just keep in mind that the cost of extended warranty coverage can vary wildly based on a wide range of factors, including the age, make, model and mileage of your vehicle as well as your location and choice of deductible.

We should also mention that gathering quotes from Endurance was easier for us because it lets you get estimates and purchase plans entirely online. While the CarShield representatives we spoke with were friendly and informative, having to call and spend 10 minutes on the phone for a quote wasn’t quite as convenient.

Endurance vs. CarShield availability

Endurance isn't available in Massachusetts, and CarShield isn't available in California. So, if you’re in either of those states, your decision might have just been made for you.

One thing to note: Due to state regulations, Endurance plans are sold in California as mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI) policies and do not include Elite Benefits.

Endurance vs. CarShield policies

Both Endurance and CarShield offer a standard deductible of $100.

However, CarShield can sometimes offer deductibles of $50, $200 or $500 based on the make, model and age of your vehicle.

Endurance automatically assigns a $500 deductible to any Supreme plan covering an Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Jaguar, Porsche or Alfa Romeo. It also only covers these vehicles until they hit eight years old or 80,000 miles, whichever comes first.

According to a CarShield representative we spoke with, CarShield does not have similar restrictions and will cover most European luxury vehicles with a standard $100 deductible. The one exception was for Maserati vehicles, which the company does not cover.

» LEARN: How an extended auto warranty works

Endurance vs. CarShield benefits

Both Endurance and CarShield offer 24/7 roadside assistance, towing and rental car assistance with each plan. However, Endurance goes a step further by offering 12 months of what it calls Elite Benefits with each plan. These include:

• Up to $500 for key fob replacements
• Up to two tire repairs/replacements
• Up to $1,000 in collision repair assistance
• Up to $1,000 in total loss protection, which goes toward a replacement vehicle if your current vehicle is declared a total loss

While these benefits are valuable, one of Endurance’s hidden shortcomings is that it only offers $30 per day (or $150 maximum per repair) in rental car assistance.

CarShield offers $100 per day ($700 maximum per repair) in rental reimbursements, which may fully cover the cost of your rental. It also offers $60 per day in rideshare reimbursements, including tips (Uber/Lyft only).

Such generous rental car/rideshare benefits further position CarShield as a great option for drivers of European luxury vehicles. Why? RepairPal data suggests that vehicles from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Jaguar, Land Rover and Alfa Romeo tend to visit the shop more frequently than other brands, which could make having robust rental car/rideshare benefits extra useful.

How customers feel about Endurance vs. CarShield

At the time of writing, Endurance has a 4.6-star overall rating from 13,771 reviews on ConsumerAffairs, while CarShield has 4.2 stars from 9,389 reviews.

The general sentiment surrounding Endurance is that the reps are friendly and knowledgeable and that claims move along quickly.

“They're good people and we get no hassle whenever I have a claim. I had a claim for the radio and Endurance took care of it. They're the real deal. I have already got four of my family members signed up with them,” said William, a ConsumerAffairs reviewer from Georgia.

“The first claim I ever had with Endurance was awesome,” reported Yvonne in Kentucky. “Endurance has been great with me, and I've never been on the phone 15 minutes when I called there.”

Most of Endurance’s negative reviews seem to stem from a misunderstanding of coverage, waiting periods or other key terms of the warranty. To its credit, Endurance responds to its critical reviews, seeking ways to make things right with the reviewer.

“I was told I need 30 days before my warranty was activated. It’s been over 90!!!! Come time to use the warranty fine print page 3 on a digital contract say 30 days and 1000 miles. I drive my car 550 miles so I have been paying them and I am not covered????” wrote Ivorie in Pennsylvania.

Endurance’s response? “Hi Ivorie, we’re sorry to hear about your experience. We’d like to learn more about it and see what we can do to make things right.”

» SEE FOR YOURSELF: Endurance reviews

Feelings were very similar with CarShield. Overall, customers seemed happy with how their claims were handled.

“Everything was covered in my plan and saved me over $1,500. My water pump failed and was leaking really bad. And with these new cars almost nothing can be done by the owners anymore so CarShield took the hit instead of me. So now it not only got repaired but there’s even a warranty on the parts,” wrote Daniel in Texas.

“I really enjoyed speaking with the Lady that helped me with my claim. She was very easy to talk to helping with the information that I need and very patient with answering the questions about my Autos and what was covered,” wrote Elihue in Georgia.

Like with Endurance, many of the negative reviews stemmed from a misunderstanding of the fine print.

“Denied my claim, what’s the point of paying for a service that picks and chooses what they want to fix. … It’s not the actual turbo that’s causing the issue, but the bolt that connects it to the waste gate is causing the turbo to malfunction. I had to pay $700 to get it fixed myself,” wrote Johnny in Georgia.

“We're sorry to hear this. It is unfortunate when a needed repair isn't listed for coverage on your policy,” CarShield responded. “Even though we are sorry to see you go as a customer, we hope you keep us in mind for the future. If there is anything more we can do for you, please give us a call.”

» SEE FOR YOURSELF: CarShield reviews

Bottom line: Endurance or CarShield?

All things considered, what kind of driver is each provider best for?

• Endurance is best for drivers who value strong customer service, robust coverage and generous first-year benefits for added peace of mind.
• CarShield is best for drivers of European luxury vehicles who want bumper-to-bumper coverage with a low deductible and excellent rental car/rideshare benefits in case lengthy repairs are needed.

If neither sounds like a good fit, or if you’d simply like to see more top-rated providers, check out our other picks for the best extended car warranty companies.