Best Car Insurance Companies

To select our picks for the top car insurance companies, we first looked at customer reviews and ratings. We narrowed the 50 companies on this guide down to the 43 with at least 20 verified reviews on our site over the last year. We then excluded those with an overall satisfaction rating of 3 stars or less, leaving 19 companies.

The ConsumerAffairs research team then evaluated these companies based on multiple factors, including coverage options, average premium costs, availability, additional features and discounts. The companies below are highly recommended by existing customers and meet our criteria for coverage options and availability:

• GEICO: Our pick for discounts
• Amica: Our pick for claims satisfaction
• ERIE: Our pick for young drivers
• State Farm: Our pick for customer experience
• Progressive: Our pick for high-risk drivers
• USAA: Our pick for veterans and military members
• Allstate: Our pick for driving rewards

GEICO offers a wide variety of insurance products, including policies for cars, motorcycles, RVs, boats and ATVs. It also has significant discount and savings programs. Bundling your homeowners or renters insurance with auto insurance can lower rates. The same goes for insuring multiple vehicles at once. GEICO’s bundling discount is significant compared to other car insurance companies, with up to 25% savings for multivehicle coverage.

While auto insurance is usually more expensive for drivers younger than 25 or older than 65, GEICO’s student and senior discounts provide some relief if you fall into one of these categories, too.

Its Good Driver program rewards you for being accident-free for five years with potential savings of up to 26%. GEICO also offers discounts for new vehicles, having airbags and having an anti-theft system in your vehicle.

GEICO offers at least 16 car insurance discounts, including:

• Safety equipment discounts
• Good driver discounts
• Driver’s education discounts
• Good student discounts
• Military discounts
• Federal employee discounts
• Multivehicle discounts
• Multipolicy discounts
• Senior driver discounts

You can get quotes, understand coverage options and quickly find relevant information on GEICO’s website and mobile app. Its car insurance app also makes paying your bill or filing a claim more convenient.

Bottom line: When it comes to discounts, GEICO is one of the best insurance providers out there. The company’s discounts for teenage drivers, senior drivers, military members and veterans are extensive. While it's not the only company to offer such discounts, GEICO is relatively transparent and upfront about the discounts it offers and what customers can expect to save.

Amica Mutual Insurance Company offers car insurance, home insurance and life insurance. While its coverage and rates are average, Amica stands out with its straightforward claims process. Customers can file claims through its website or by phone. Amica also offers quality customer service and fast response times.

While it does not have many options for discounts, Amica does offer:

• Safety equipment discounts
• Multivehicle discounts
• Multipolicy discounts
• Loyalty discounts
• Auto-pay discounts

Bottom line: Overall, Amica doesn’t provide a whole lot of bells and whistles; it has just a variety of coverage options and a smooth claims process. Its website and app are easy to navigate and help with basic functions like paying your bill.

Erie Insurance is our pick for young drivers and parents and legal guardians looking to insure someone under 21. Erie offers low rates for new drivers, making it one of the better options for teen drivers and college students looking for affordable car insurance.

Erie offers 12 policy options, including accident forgiveness and ride-share coverage. Additional benefits, such as coverage for personal items in an insured vehicle, locksmith services and pet injury coverage, may also come with your plan.

Unfortunately, Erie is available only in the following areas: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

Erie Insurance provides a number of ways to save on your car insurance, including:

• Safe driver discounts
• Safety equipment discounts
• Multicar discounts
• Young driver discounts
• Multipolicy discounts
• Reduced-usage discounts
• Annual payment plan discounts
• Rate locks

Bottom line: While not widely available, Erie provides quality auto insurance coverage. Its generous discounts and savings opportunities are especially good if you’re under the age of 21. Likewise, its rate-lock option is worth considering if you’re on a budget and want to keep rates consistent over the long term.

State Farm insures drivers in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. Along with offering both basic and comprehensive coverages, State Farm also has optional add-ons, including rental car reimbursement and roadside assistance. It covers vintage automobiles and other vehicles, like boats and motorcycles.

State Farm’s standout features are its intuitive online customer interfaces. Its website and mobile app not only provide resources related to insurance but also let you file a claim, pay your bill or receive price quotes.

State Farm also provides several discounts and savings programs, including its:

• Drive Safe and Save program
• Steer Clear driver program
• Vehicle safety discount
• Passive restraint discount
• Accident-free discount
• Good driving discount
• Good student discount
• Multicar discount

You can qualify for its safe driving discount if you take a defensive driving course or have an accident-free driving record for a certain period of time. If you’re a full-time student, State Farm also offers a discount for B grades and higher. This discount remains with you until you graduate or reach the age of 25.

Bottom line: State Farm offers good coverage options and doesn’t harshly penalize drivers for accidents. With its range of discounts, there are multiple ways to save, and State Farm makes being a customer convenient thanks to its helpful online presence.

Progressive offers auto insurance nationwide, including in the District of Columbia. Depending on the state you live in, different features and add-ons may be available, like accident forgiveness programs.

If you are a high-risk driver, Progressive has options that help you avoid the increased financial pressure that comes with a less-than-great driving record. The company’s Name Your Price Tool lets you stick to a budget and find a coverage plan that meets the minimum requirements of your state.

Customers, including high-risk drivers, can also participate in the Snapshot program, which gives Progressive information about your driving habits to help reduce the cost of insurance over time. This discount program uses a telematics device to track safe driving. Drivers can elect to track their driving and have the information transmitted back to Progressive via plug-in devices or Progressive's mobile app. Enrollees are rewarded with policy discounts for safe driving habits such as staying within the speed limit, maintaining low mileage, and avoiding late-night trips, hard brakes and phone usage. Progressive advertises an average discount of $145 for those who complete the program, which typically takes around six months.

Altogether, Progressive offers a number of ways to save on car insurance, including:

• Multipolicy discounts
• Multicar discounts
• The Snapshot program
• Online and paperless discounts
• Continuous insurance discounts
• Teen driver discounts
• Good student discounts
• Full- and automatic-payment discounts

Bottom line: Progressive is a good option for high-risk drivers who either can’t get coverage elsewhere or don’t want to pay exorbitant rates. The company’s Snapshot program rewards you for safe driving. While you may pay more for teen drivers with Progressive, the company can offer significant savings to drivers over 25.

While USAA is available in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and some international locations, it only works with military personnel, veterans and current USAA members’ children. That said, military members and veterans are able to receive exclusive discounts from USAA, including a discount for military families and steep discounts for those who live on a base or are deployed overseas.

Like most auto insurance providers, USAA offers typical coverage plans, including bodily injury liability, collision and comprehensive coverage. Accident forgiveness, towing service, roadside assistance and coverage for ride-share drivers are also available.

USAA’s claims process is completely digital and available through its website or mobile app. Claims adjusters can also give updates via text or email, making the entire process more convenient.

USAA offers several car insurance discounts that can help you save, including:

• Family discounts
• Vehicle storage discounts
• Bundling discounts
• Safe driver discounts
• Defensive driving discounts
• Good student discounts
• Multivehicle discounts

Bottom line: If you are a current military member, veteran or the child of a current USAA member, this company is worth considering. Additionally, there are many discounts exclusive to military members. USAA’s website and mobile app are easy to use and provide additional resources specific to military members and their families.

Allstate offers auto insurance for customers nationwide. It has some typical auto insurance coverage options, along with benefits like accident forgiveness, a safe-driving bonus every six months and new car replacement. Allstate’s roadside assistance comes in three different options: as an add-on to the policy, as a pay-per-use option and as part of the Motor Club, which is a subscription model. However, additional features may depend on the state you live in. Allstate offers a claim satisfaction guarantee for free with standard policies, though, and ride-share insurance is available.

Allstate also offers features like its Drivewise app, through which it can monitor your driving behavior and reward good behavior with cash-back perks. Likewise, Allstate’s Milewise insurance could save you money if you drive infrequently by setting a daily rate and a per-mile rate.

While its premiums are on the expensive side, Allstate compensates with rewards for good driving and various discounts, including:

• New car discounts
• Bundling discounts
• Good student discounts
• Safety equipment discounts
• Early signing discounts
• Automatic payment discounts
• Going paperless discounts
• Upfront payment discounts
• Safe driver discounts

Bottom line: While Allstate’s prices may be more expensive, you can get some good discounts and savings that offset these initial prices. Its intuitive mobile app offers the ability to manage your policy, activate rewards and pay your bill, too.

We compared local car insurance companies across the United States to help you find trusted providers in your city.

• Albuquerque
• Atlanta
• Austin
• Bakersfield
• Baltimore
• Boise
• Buffalo
• Chicago
• Cincinnati
• Cleveland
• Dallas
• Denver
• Detroit
• Fort Myers
• Fresno
• Green Bay
• Honolulu
• Houston
• Indianapolis
• Kansas City
• Knoxville
• Lansing
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• Memphis
• Milwaukee
• Miami
• Nashville
• Omaha
• Orlando
• Philadelphia
• Phoenix
• Pittsburgh
• Portland
• Sacramento
• San Antonio
• San Diego
• Seattle
• Tallahassee
• Tampa
• Tucson
• Tulsa
• Waco
• West Palm Beach

Car insurance is typically broken up into different types of coverage, each with separate limits and protections. Here’s a rundown of what they cover so you can understand what you’re paying for.

Liability insurance

Liability insurance covers you if you’re in an accident deemed to be your fault. It will cover repairs to damaged property, as well as medical bills resulting from injury to the other driver and their passengers. Most states require at least a minimum amount of liability insurance, but it’s a good idea to purchase extra protection if you can afford it.

Collision coverage

If you are involved in an accident, collision coverage pays for the repairs to your car whether or not you’re at fault. If your car is “a total loss,” good collision coverage will pay for the value of your car. If you drive an older car that isn’t worth much money, it may not be worth it to pay for collision insurance.

Comprehensive coverage

Comprehensive coverage handles things that happen to your car outside of collisions, such as weather damage, theft and other factors. It’s a good idea to opt for comprehensive coverage if you can afford it, but it can get costly and might not be worth it for older or otherwise inexpensive cars.

Personal injury protection

Personal injury protection is imperative for all drivers. Medical bills following an accident can be devastating. Good personal injury coverage will cover medical expenses for you and your passengers, as well as missed work expenses.

Uninsured motorist protection

About one in six drivers is uninsured, even though this is illegal in most states. Uninsured motorist protection offers payment when you are in a hit-and-run or a collision with another driver who is at fault and does not have insurance. It can be relatively inexpensive to add uninsured motorist protection to an insurance policy.

Rental car coverage

Check your policy for rental reimbursement. It doesn’t usually add too much to your monthly bill and can be a lifesaver if your car has to undergo major repairs in the shop as a result of an accident.

Gap insurance

Gap insurance covers the difference

between what you owe and what your car is worth.

For new cars, gap insurance covers the difference between what you owe and what the car is worth. Gap insurance generally comes into play for totaled or stolen cars.

Stacked coverage

If you insure more than one vehicle, you may be able to stack your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. For example, let’s say you cover two vehicles on the same policy and each vehicle has a standard $25,000 in uninsured motorist protection. If you have stacked coverage and sustain injuries in a crash caused by an uninsured driver, you’ll be able to draw from both payouts for a combined total of $50,000 in coverage.

Pet injury coverage

Pet injury insurance will help cover vet bills in the event your pet is injured in an automobile accident. Pet coverage is sometimes included as a part of collision insurance.

New car replacement

Exactly as it sounds, new car replacement insurance pays for the cost of a new car of the same make and model as your insured vehicle in the event your car is totaled or stolen. New car insurance won’t be available for every vehicle, and it generally must be purchased in addition to a full coverage policy, so it will be pricey.

» MORE: How much is the car insurance industry worth?