Best Car Insurance in Michigan for 2024

Auto-Owners topped the list of the best car insurance companies in Michigan overall, according to NerdWallet’s analysis.
Isabel Contreras
By Isabel Contreras 
Updated
Edited by Lacie Glover
Man drives car on a snowy road.

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.

Drivers in Michigan may prioritize different things in their search for the best car insurance. A seamless mobile app experience and quality customer service might be key for some, while others focus on getting the best deal for their coverage.

No matter where you stand, NerdWallet has your back. We’ve done the research to deliver a roundup of the best insurance companies in Michigan based on four different parameters.

NerdWallet looked at 20 insurers available in Michigan to find the top picks for the following categories:

If you’re looking for the most affordable car insurance you can get, check out NerdWallet’s rate analysis of the cheapest car insurance in Michigan.

And if you’d rather browse a full list of the best car insurance companies in Michigan, you can jump to the bottom of the page.

Car with shield on road

See what you could save on car insurance

Easily compare personalized rates to see how much switching car insurance could save you.
GET MY RATES
on NerdWallet

NerdWallet’s editorial team considered financial strength, discounts, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and more to determine the best car insurance companies in Michigan. Our “ease of use” category includes factors such as website transparency and how simple it is to file a claim. As we continue to evaluate more insurance providers and receive fresh market data, our list of best auto insurance companies is likely to change.

Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage so you can choose the insurance policy that works best for you. These carrier ratings are specific to auto insurance; a company’s ratings for other products may be different on our site. See our criteria for evaluating auto insurance companies.

Best car insurance in Michigan overall: Auto-Owners

With a 5-star NerdWallet rating, Auto-Owners tops our list of the best car insurance companies in Michigan. The company has low customer complaints and a wide range of coverage options. Auto-Owners policyholders have access to an extensive list of discounts that can help them find cheaper rates for their policies, including bundling, paperless and good student discounts.

Although Auto-Owners does not provide quotes online, and the company’s app ratings trail behind their competitors’, their service and coverage keep policyholders content: Auto-Owners ranked above-average on J.D. Power’s 2023 auto insurance claims satisfaction study.

Read our Auto-Owners auto insurance review to see why this insurer is a top option for Michigan drivers.

best star rating
insurance-product-card-logo

Auto-Owners Insurance

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
People who need several insurance policies may benefit from the convenience and discounts of bundling them with Auto-Owners, which has many coverage options and few customer complaints.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Average

NAIC complaints

Far fewer than expected
best star rating

Auto-Owners Insurance

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
People who need several insurance policies may benefit from the convenience and discounts of bundling them with Auto-Owners, which has many coverage options and few customer complaints.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Average

NAIC complaints

Far fewer than expected

Best budget auto insurance in Michigan: Geico

Out of the 11 Michigan car insurance companies with a 4.5 star ranking or above, Geico is the cheapest. But don’t let the lower price tag fool you — this insurer still offers solid coverage and customer service.

Geico is best for those who don’t need or want much agent interaction; currently there’s only one Geico agent in all of Michigan. However, its user-friendly website and mobile app make filing claims and making changes to your policy online easy. And, while Geico offers fewer coverage options than some of its competitors, slimmer policies and its wide range of discounts can make Geico’s budget-friendly premiums even cheaper.

Read NerdWallet's Geico auto insurance review to learn more.

Best budget pick
insurance-product-card-logo

Geico

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
With nationwide availability and a raft of discounts, Geico is a popular, and often affordable, choice for car insurance.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Close to expected
Best budget pick

Geico

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
With nationwide availability and a raft of discounts, Geico is a popular, and often affordable, choice for car insurance.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Close to expected

Best car insurance in Michigan for having few customer complaints: The Hanover

The Hanover may seem a bit old-school for some since it doesn’t offer online car insurance quotes — its customers must work with an independent agent. What The Hanover may lack in online accessibility, it makes up with its customer service: This insurer boasts the lowest number of customer complaints in Michigan.

The Hanover offers a variety of coverage options, including roadside assistance, accident forgiveness and newer car replacement, which replaces your old car with a newer model in the event of a total loss. This insurer also offers bundling options for home and auto insurance beyond just discounts.

To get more details, read NerdWallet's The Hanover auto insurance review.

Best for having few customer complaints
insurance-product-card-logo

Hanover

4.5

NerdWallet rating 
The Hanover sells highly customizable policies in 20 states.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Average

NAIC complaints

Far fewer than expected
Best for having few customer complaints

Hanover

4.5

NerdWallet rating 
The Hanover sells highly customizable policies in 20 states.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Average

NAIC complaints

Far fewer than expected

Best Michigan auto insurance for ease of use: State Farm

State Farm is a good option for Michigan drivers who prioritize having a seamless experience when shopping for auto insurance, filing claims, and contacting an agent with questions about their policy. Along with its user-friendly website and large network of agents, State Farm’s app is highly rated, with features such as roadside assistance, claim management, and telematics programs that offer discounts for safe driving.

State Farm offers a variety of products beyond auto insurance, and gives discounts for bundling insurance policies or insuring multiple cars. Read NerdWallet’s State Farm auto insurance review to learn more.

best for ease-of-use
insurance-product-card-logo

State Farm

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
State Farm offers numerous discounts and extras including travel expense coverage, making it a good choice for most drivers.

Discounts

Average set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected
best for ease-of-use

State Farm

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
State Farm offers numerous discounts and extras including travel expense coverage, making it a good choice for most drivers.

Discounts

Average set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected

Full list of the best auto insurance companies in Michigan

Out of the 20 car insurers NerdWallet analyzed, here's the full list of the best car insurance companies in Michigan, all with a NerdWallet star rating of 4.5 or higher.

Company Final

Stars Final

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

*USAA is available only to military, veterans, and their families.

Methodology

Auto insurance ratings methodology

NerdWallet’s auto insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, consumer complaints and discounts. Our “ease of use” category looks at factors such as website transparency and how easy it is to file a claim. Using our editorial discretion, we also consider customer satisfaction surveys. These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines and full ratings methodology for auto insurance.

Insurer complaints methodology

NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2020-2022. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.

Average rates methodology

NerdWallet averaged rates based on public filings obtained by pricing analytics company Quadrant Information Services. We examined rates for men and women for all ZIP codes in any of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Although it’s one of the largest insurers in the country, Liberty Mutual is not included in our rates analysis due to a lack of publicly available information.

In our analysis, “good drivers” had no moving violations on record; a “good driving” discount was included for this profile. Our “good” and “poor” credit rates are based on credit score approximations and do not account for proprietary scoring criteria used by insurance providers.

These are average rates, and your rate will vary based on your personal details, state and insurance provider.

Sample drivers had the following coverage limits:

  • $100,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person.

  • $300,000 bodily injury liability coverage per crash.

  • $50,000 property damage liability coverage per crash.

  • $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person.

  • $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per crash.

  • Collision coverage with $1,000 deductible.

  • Comprehensive coverage with $1,000 deductible.

We used the same assumptions for all other driver profiles, with the following exceptions:

  • We changed the credit tier from “good” to “poor” as reported to the insurer to see rates for drivers with poor credit. In states where credit isn’t taken into account, we only used rates for “good credit.”

  • For drivers with one at-fault crash, we added a single at-fault crash costing $10,000 in property damage.

  • For drivers with a DUI, we added a single drunken-driving violation.

We used a 2021 Toyota Camry LE in all cases and assumed 12,000 annual miles driven. We analyzed rates for a 35-year-old driver.

Get more smart money moves – straight to your inbox
Sign up and we’ll send you Nerdy articles about the money topics that matter most to you along with other ways to help you get more from your money.