Best Car Insurance Companies (2026)

Best car insurance rates: Erie

Erie has the nation’s best car insurance rate at $131 a month for full coverage Full coverage includes collision and comprehensive, which cover your own car for damage and theft. . This is 26% less than the national average of $177 a month. Meanwhile, Erie’s excellent satisfaction rating shows it doesn’t cut back on service to keep its rates low.

The company also offers perks that many of its competitors don’t have, such as coverage for accident-related injuries your pet suffers while riding in your car. It also gives you free accident forgiveness Accident forgiveness prevents your first accident from making your rates go up. You have to add it to your policy before you crash. after three incident-free years with the company.

Country Financial, Travelers and State Farm have the next-best car insurance rates.

Best rates on auto insurance

Company		Full coverage	Difference from U.S. average	LendingTree score
	Erie	$131	-26%
	Country Financial	$134	-24%
	Travelers	$135	-24%
	State Farm	$144	-19%
	American Family	$146	-18%
	Auto-Owners	$154	-13%
	Progressive	$160	-10%
	Geico	$173	-2%
	Mercury	$181	2%
	Nationwide	$190	7%

Car insurance rates vary by customer. They’re affected by factors like your driving record, vehicle and, in most states, your credit history.

Each company treats these factors differently and has different car insurance discounts. This makes it good to compare car insurance quotes to find the cheapest rate.

Best customer service: Amica

Amica’s high satisfaction rating means its customers like its rates, coverage options and customer service. A good complaint rating means that it’s generally fair and prompt with claims payments.

Amica is among a dozen or so companies that beat the industry average for both ratings. The others include regional companies like NJM and Erie, and larger ones, too.

Car insurance company ratings

Although Amica’s rates are higher than the national average, it offers more than a dozen discounts that can make it more affordable. These include discounts for bundling auto and home policies, vehicle safety features and avoiding accidents.

Best large car insurance company: State Farm

Low rates and good customer service have helped make State Farm the nation’s largest car insurance company. It also offers low rates on home and renters insurance, plus a generous multipolicy discount. This usually makes State Farm an affordable company for bundlers.

State Farm caters to a wide range of insurance shoppers. Its website and smartphone app make it easy to get quotes and manage your policy on your own. It also offers personalized service from local agents in most communities.

Best regional car insurance company: Auto-Owners

Auto-Owners’ rates tend to be lower than average in most of the areas it serves. It has the cheapest full coverage car insurance in South Carolina and the cheapest liability insurance in Utah. An excellent complaint rating means it generally meets customer expectations.

The company offers add-on coverages like gap insurance Gap insurance covers the difference between your car’s value and your loan balance, if you total the vehicle. and accident forgiveness Accident forgiveness prevents your first accident from making your rates go up. You have to add it to your policy before you crash. . Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer online quotes. Instead, its website helps you find an independent insurance agent near you for help. 

Independent agents Independent agents work with companies that don’t have exclusive agents. You have to contact exclusive-agent companies like State Farm and Allstate separately for their quotes. can usually also get you quotes from other companies. This helps you comparison shop.

Best car insurance coverage options: Travelers

Travelers’ low car insurance rates can save you money upfront. It also offers more coverage options than most other companies. These include gap insurance Gap insurance covers the difference between your car’s value and your loan balance, if you total the vehicle. , accident forgiveness Accident forgiveness prevents your first accident from making your rates go up. You have to add it to your policy before you crash. and new car replacement If your car is totaled while it’s relatively new, new car replacement pays for a new one. .

You have to pay extra for these coverages. However, they can save you money in certain situations after an accident. State Farm and Geico don’t offer these options. Progressive offers gap insurance and accident forgiveness, but not new car replacement.

Best for military families: USAA

USAA has better rates on full coverage car insurance than Erie. It also ties with Amica for highest and best J.D. Power satisfaction score. These are two great reasons to get quotes from USAA if you meet its eligibility requirements USAA is only available to current and former members of the military and their families. This includes spouses and children, plus the spouses and children of USAA members. .

The company’s website and smartphone app make it easy to get quotes and manage your policy. However, you usually get a different person each time you call for live assistance. With most other companies, you regularly work with the same agent. Its high satisfaction score suggests customers don’t mind this arrangement.

Best car insurance for teens: State Farm

Along with low rates, State Farm has discounts that make car insurance more affordable for young drivers. These include discounts for teens who get good grades and complete driver training.

State Farm’s Drive Safe & Save app can also help a teen save on car insurance. The app monitors your driving and gives you discounts on how safely you drive. It also gives feedback to help improve your driving. The program is available to drivers of any age, but teens may benefit the most.

App-based safety programs are also known as usage-based insurance. Several companies have them. Unlike some competitors, State Farm doesn’t raise your rates if its app detects unsafe driving.

Farm Bureau and Auto-Owners also have cheap car insurance for teens.

Best teen car insurance rates

Best car insurance discounts: Geico

Geico offers a greater number and variety of discounts than most other companies. These include discounts for government employees and military service members. You can also get one if you belong to certain alumni or professional groups.

You can also get discounts from Geico for:

Other companies have some of these discounts. Geico is one of the few companies that offers all of these and more.

Best car insurance for a bad driving record: Country Financial

Country Financial takes some of the sticker shock out of getting into a ticket or accident. Its rate only goes up to $169 a month after a speeding ticket. This is slightly less than the national average of $177 a month for a clean record.

At $182 a month, Country Financial has the best rate after an at-fault accident. The company has about a dozen discounts that can help bring your rate down more. These include an occupational discount for teachers and first responders.

Auto-Owners, Travelers and American Family also have good rates for a bad driving record.

Insurance rates with a bad driving record

Best car insurance rates for bad credit: American Family

At $241 a month, American Family has the best car insurance rates for drivers with bad credit. Travelers is only slightly more expensive and available in more areas.

The high cost of bad credit car insurance makes it especially important to find discounts. Setting up auto pay and going paperless are easy ways to bring down your rate with American Family.

If you drive fewer than 8,000 miles a year, you can save more with American Family’s MilesMyWay program. The program factors the number of miles you drive every six months into your rate. The less you drive, the less you pay.

Bad credit car insurance rates