The best car insurance is not always the cheapest. Buying a new insurance policy based on price alone is attractive, but you need a company to help you file a claim. After all, you don't want to pick the cheapest auto insurance deal only to find out it doesn't offer the protection you need.
Our ranking of the best car insurance companies will help you find the best car insurance for you based on pricing data and real customer feedback.
What is the best car insurance?
USAA is the best auto insurance company, but you need military affiliation to get one. If you don't qualify for USAA, State Farm is the second best auto insurance company on the data.
We asked real customers from nine major auto insurance companies across the country about their experiences. Your feedback provides valuable insights into how well these companies are serving their customers and will help you decide which insurance company is best for your business.
We used this survey to identify the best insurance companies in the country and the best in customer service, billing, and customer retention. It also identifies the insurance companies most likely to renew and is recommended by policyholders.
Best car insurance
1. United States
USAA is the best car insurance we have found. In our research, USAA's customers said they were very pleased with the customer service of this insurance company. They also like the company's easy billing process and frequent billing status updates.
The only downside we found in this company is its limited availability. USAA only serves veterans, military personnel and their families. As a result, many consumers are not covered by USAA insurance.
2. State Ranch
State Farm is easy to bill, according to most survey respondents. Many of the respondents plan to update their policies. If you don't have a military affiliation, State Farm is also the best car insurance company.
State Farm received a slightly lower rating when it asked customers if they were happy with updating the company's status during the billing process. State Farm insured drivers report that the company is offering value for money overall.
3. Geisha
Geico is the third best car insurance company in the ranking. Consumers who claim generally agree that Geico facilitates the process. Most survey respondents also report that they plan to update their policies and are likely to recommend Geico to family and friends. However, Geico outperforms its competitors in terms of value, despite its overall low price and excellent customer service.
4. Nationwide
It has consistently and generally scored good scores nationwide, but has not proven to be significantly better than any field of competition. Nationally, there are some drawbacks that prevent it from becoming the top three car insurance companies in our ranking. Some respondents said they were dissatisfied with updating their national status during the billing process or in the way the bill was resolved.
5. Farmer
The farmer landed in the middle of our ranking. Survey respondents appreciated the insurance company's satisfaction with claim processing, customer service, and value. However, when the driver asked his friends and family if he would recommend the company, the Farmers score was slightly lower and overall satisfaction was mediocre.
6. American family
When it comes to examining respondents' satisfaction with complaint resolution, American families are at the bottom of the list. Nevertheless, American families enjoy customer loyalty. The company is at the top of the list for customers who say they are likely to update their policies. American Family policyholders can also recommend the company to friends and family.
7. Progressive
Energetic advertiser Progressive Flo may be the number one advertiser hub, but Progressive is the number seven insurance company on our list. This insurance company has the highest score for ease of billing and filing with customer service. However, Progressive still lags behind most of its competitors in this area. Many competitors achieve higher satisfaction in terms of value and plan to have a higher percentage of advanced customers with fewer updates than any other company.
8. Travelers
As would be expected from a lower-rated insurer, Travelers customers do not report high levels of satisfaction in most areas measured in our survey.
Drivers who make complaints to Travelers are not happy with how it was resolved, and many don't believe Travelers is offering a fair price. Interestingly, travelers received a decent score when asked if they would recommend it to friends and family, but received a low rating when asked if they would update their policy.
9. All States
The majority of respondents who complained to Allstate indicated that they were satisfied with the simplicity of the process but were dissatisfied in most other areas. Allstate ranks higher than any other company in the ranking, so it has a lower perceived value. In addition, Allstate customers are less likely to renew their insurance policies than competitors' customers.
Who has the best car insurance?
In addition to identifying the best car insurance companies overall, our research has helped determine how these companies work in five key areas. We identify companies with the best customer service, complaint handling, and customer loyalty. Other companies are more likely to renew their policyholders or recommend them to friends.
USAA has swept these five sub-rankings and has taken the top spot in the overall ranking of the best car insurance companies. However, not all policyholders meet USAA membership requirements. Therefore, we have identified runner-ups in each category so that all consumers can seek out the best options in each of these areas.
We asked policyholders to rate their experience at an insurance company on a five-point scale and explain why. Respondents were divided into two groups: the group that signed insurance contracts over the last five years and the group that filed claims. The last group received additional questions about their satisfaction with the process during and after filing the claim, and their satisfaction with the processing of the claim.
This information is aggregated into the following sub-rankings to identify the companies with the highest customer satisfaction in a particular area.
Great for customer service: State Farm
If you're not USAA qualified, but customer service is your number one priority, check out State Farm. According to our research, State Farm customers are generally more satisfied than their competitors.
One of the unique advantages of State Farm is that it has local offices in many areas. This provides a more personalized customer service experience compared to insurance companies that offer phone and web-based interactions. "If you have a problem, you can go to their office and talk to real people who are members and supporters of our community," said one respondent.
Ideal for processing complaints: national
The best result with car insurance is that you don't have to use car insurance, which is unlikely. When it comes time to file a complaint, Nationwide is the best choice for consumers who want the complaint process to be as easy as possible. Of the survey respondents who made accusations nationwide, 76% were completely satisfied with the allegation reduction, 62% were very satisfied with the extension of the charge status, and 74% were very satisfied with the settlement of the allegation.
Great for customer loyalty: State Farm
Our survey scoring methodology measures customer loyalty based on responses to various questions. According to the USAA, State Farm enjoys the highest customer loyalty in the rankings, usually with high scores and positive customer feedback. Respondents cited competitive prices and excellent customer service as highlights of the State Farm experience.
Most likely to recommend: Geico
According to our research, Geico customers are more likely to recommend the company to friends and family. This is a good measure of overall customer satisfaction. About 41% of respondents who did not file a complaint said they would be highly likely to recommend Geico, and around 41% of respondents who only made a complaint accounted for 49%.
Most likely updated: State Farm
If auto insurance companies retain most of their customers when they renew their insurance policies, they are doing the right thing. According to our research, with the exception of USAA, State Farm is ideal for customer retention, indicating a high level of satisfaction. About 61% of State Farm customers who have filed a complaint are likely to renew their policy, and another 20% are more likely to renew.