Best Car Insurance Companies of 2024

Travelers tops our list of the best insurance companies for 2024, followed by Auto-Owners and American Family.
Ryan Brady
Kayda Norman
By Kayda Norman and  Ryan Brady 
Updated

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Nerdy takeaways
  • Travelers is NerdWallet’s best car insurance company for 2024.

  • NJM and State Farm are also among our top picks, standing out as the best insurance company for affordability and best company for customer satisfaction, respectively.

  • The best car insurance for you depends on your driving history, location and personal characteristics. Shop for quotes to find the best option for you.

Finding the “best” car insurance companies can feel like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle in the dark. Thankfully, we’ve put the pieces together for you.

NerdWallet analyzed dozens of auto insurance companies to find the standouts featured on this list. Each company was categorized based on its best offering compared to other insurance companies.

Here are the best car insurance companies in 2024:

The above average full coverage rates are for a 35-year old driver with a clean driving record and good credit. Rates vary widely depending on your age, driving history and level of coverage you select.

🤓Nerdy Tip

Did your premium go up? You're not alone. The best car insurance companies are often among the cheapest, so compare quotes from a few of our top picks to see if you can get a better rate.

How we found the best auto insurance

NerdWallet’s editorial team considered pricing, discounts, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and more to determine the best car insurance companies. As we continue to evaluate more insurance companies and receive fresh market data, this collection of best auto insurance companies is likely to change. See our full methodology for more details.


Best car insurance companies: Our winners

Here’s our list of the best auto insurance companies for each category, plus their average rates and why they’re the best.

Best insurance company overall: Travelers

Best Overall
insurance-product-card-logo

Travelers

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
Travelers offers a broad range of coverage options and discounts to help you customize your car insurance policy.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected
Best Overall
insurance-product-card-logo

Travelers

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
Travelers offers a broad range of coverage options and discounts to help you customize your car insurance policy.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected

Why it’s the best:

Travelers tops our list as the company with the best overall score in 2024 out of the insurers we ranked. Because our auto insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices, this category represents an overall solid choice for drivers seeking a well-rounded insurance company.

You can get all the standard auto coverage options from Travelers, along with extras like new car replacement coverage and gap insurance, both of which are useful if you drive a relatively new vehicle. Travelers also offers a host of car insurance discounts.

Average cost of full coverage car insurance: $1,681

Driving record

Full coverage

Minimum coverage

Good driver

$1,681

$520

Driver with an at-fault accident

$2,376

$686

Driver with a recent DUI

$2,950

$884

Driver with a recent speeding ticket

$2,227

$660

» Read the full review: Travelers auto insurance review


Best insurance company for affordability: NJM

Best budget pick
insurance-product-card-logo

NJM

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
NJM is among our best car insurance companies for 2024, but it is available in only five states.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Average

NAIC complaints

Far fewer than expected
Best budget pick
insurance-product-card-logo

NJM

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
NJM is among our best car insurance companies for 2024, but it is available in only five states.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Average

NAIC complaints

Far fewer than expected

Why it’s the best:

New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance, or NJM, is the best car insurance company when it comes to your wallet. According to our analysis, NJM’s average rate for full coverage insurance is $119 per month, the lowest out of our list of the best car insurance companies. However, NJM auto insurance is only available in Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Drivers in other states may be able to find low rates with Auto-Owners or Travelers. These companies were runners-up in having the cheapest full coverage insurance among our list of best insurance companies.

Average cost of full coverage car insurance: $1,424

Driving record

Full coverage

Minimum coverage

Good driver

$1,424

$615

Driver with an at-fault accident

$1,545

$672

Driver with a recent DUI

$1,870

$824

Driver with a recent speeding ticket

$1,870

$824

» Read the full review: NJM auto insurance review



Best insurance company for accident forgiveness: Geico

Best For Accident Forgiveness
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 For Accident Forgiveness
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

Why it’s the best:

Geico offers two potential ways to get accident forgiveness so your rates won’t increase and you won’t lose your good driver discount after a crash. You can earn it for free by remaining an accident-free Geico customer for five years, or you can pay for it. Accident forgiveness can be used for any eligible driver on your policy, but it isn’t available in California, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Average cost of full coverage car insurance: $1,846

Driving record

Full coverage

Minimum coverage

Good driver

$1,846

$491

Driver with an at-fault accident

$3,112

$825

Driver with a recent DUI

$4,420

$1,113

Driver with a recent speeding ticket

$2,341

$619

» Read the full review: Geico auto insurance review


Best insurance company for having few customer complaints: American Family

Best for Having Few Complaints
insurance-product-card-logo

American Family

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
American Family offers a wide range of coverage, including rideshare and gap insurance, but doesn’t sell policies in all states.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Far fewer than expected
Best for Having Few Complaints
insurance-product-card-logo

American Family

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
American Family offers a wide range of coverage, including rideshare and gap insurance, but doesn’t sell policies in all states.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Far fewer than expected

Why it’s the best:

American Family received far fewer customer complaints to state regulators for auto insurance than similar-size companies and had the lowest rate of complaints out of the insurers on our 2024 best companies list. The company spotlights its Facebook customer reviews on its main website. It also encourages customers to voice concerns and opinions through multiple customer support channels, including over the phone, email and site feedback.

Average cost of full coverage car insurance: $1,791

Driving record

Full coverage

Minimum coverage

Good driver

$1,791

$687

Driver with an at-fault accident

$2,642

$1,018

Driver with a recent DUI

$2,433

$889

Driver with a recent speeding ticket

$2,167

$832

» Read the full review: American Family auto insurance review


Best insurance company for financial strength: Auto-Owners

Best for Financial Strength
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 for Financial Strength
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

Why it’s the best:

A company’s financial strength is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing an insurer, since it indicates a company’s ability to pay a claim. For this category, NerdWallet leaned on AM Best’s financial strength rating, which measures an insurer’s ability to meet its policy and contract commitments. Auto-Owners exhibits a strong financial backing and ability to pay insurance claims.

Geico, State Farm, Travelers and USAA tied Auto-Owners for financial strength.

Average cost of full coverage car insurance: $1,477

Driving record

Full coverage

Minimum coverage

Good driver

$1,477

$374

Driver with an at-fault accident

$2,018

$519

Driver with a recent DUI

$3,014

$867

Driver with a recent speeding ticket

$1,968

$524

» Read the full review: Auto-Owners insurance review


Best insurance company for discounts: Amica

Best for Discounts
insurance-product-card-logo

Amica

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
High marks for customer satisfaction and low consumer complaints make Amica a great choice for good drivers.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Average

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected
Best for Discounts
insurance-product-card-logo

Amica

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
High marks for customer satisfaction and low consumer complaints make Amica a great choice for good drivers.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Average

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected

Why it’s the best:

If you’re looking to save on your auto policy, Amica may be worth a look. The company offers more discounts than most other insurers, including discounts for owning a home, insuring more than one vehicle, taking a defensive driving course and setting up automatic payments. Just keep in mind that the company with the most discounts will not necessarily be the cheapest. For that, check out NerdWallet's analysis of the cheapest car insurance.

American Family tied with Amica for the number of discounts drivers may qualify for.

Average cost of full coverage car insurance: $2,481

Driving record

Full coverage

Minimum coverage

Good driver

$2,481

$755

Driver with an at-fault accident

$3,222

$1,016

Driver with a recent DUI

$9,157

$2,566

Driver with a recent speeding ticket

$3,169

$982

» Read the full review: Amica auto insurance review


Best insurance company for customer satisfaction: State Farm

Best for Customer Satisfaction
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 Customer Satisfaction
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

Why it’s the best:

The largest personal auto insurance company in the country, State Farm ranked No. 1 among eight large insurers in J.D. Power's 2023 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study

. The same year, it ranked No. 5 out of 24 companies in J.D. Power’s U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study and first for overall satisfaction in the Southwest.

Average cost of full coverage car insurance: $1,976

Driving record

Full coverage

Minimum coverage

Good driver

$1,976

$471

Driver with an at-fault accident

$2,488

$615

Driver with a recent DUI

$2,940

$800

Driver with a recent speeding ticket

$2,237

$553

» Read the full review: State Farm auto insurance review


Best insurance company for military members: USAA

Best for Military members
insurance-product-card-logo

USAA

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
USAA offers insurance to active military, veterans and their families only.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected
Best for Military members
insurance-product-card-logo

USAA

5.0

NerdWallet rating 
USAA offers insurance to active military, veterans and their families only.

Discounts

Great set of discounts

Ease of use

Above average

NAIC complaints

Fewer than expected

Why it’s the best:

USAA is the top auto insurance company for military members. Only available to active military, veterans and their families, the company has relatively low insurance rates and provides other financial solutions for qualifying customers, such as banking and investment products. USAA has high customer satisfaction ratings and offers a discount for storing your car on a military base.

Average cost of full coverage car insurance: $1,432

Driving record

Full coverage

Minimum coverage

Good driver

$1,432

$362

Driver with an at-fault accident

$2,041

$533

Driver with a recent DUI

$2,621

$670

Driver with a recent speeding ticket

$1,699

$432

» Read the full review: USAA auto insurance review

Full list of the best car insurance companies

If you’re looking for even more options, here’s a full list of the best insurance companies that earned a NerdWallet star rating of 4.5 or higher, along with their in-depth reviews.

Company

Star rating

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

Acuity

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

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

Best car insurance companies by state

Car insurance company availability and their offerings can vary widely between states, so the best car insurance companies nationwide might not be the best for you.

NerdWallet analyzed the auto insurance offerings available in different states to put together the best car insurance companies in 13 states in terms of four different categories: Best overall star rating, budget pick, best for customer satisfaction, and best for ease of use.

Find the best car insurance companies in your state below.

How to find the best car insurance company for you

While our best insurance company winners above can serve as a jumping off point in your quest for the best policy, everyone’s needs and circumstances are different.

Here are some tips to help you sift through the best insurance companies to find the one that’s right for you:

  • Shop around. Price is a key consideration for many people, especially with car insurance rates on the rise. Pricing is based on many factors like your age, location, vehicle and driving history. Because every insurance company weighs these factors differently, it’s best to shop around for car insurance quotes to find the cheapest option.

  • Check for complaints. Most people don’t deal with their insurance company until they need to file a claim. Read NerdWallet’s guide on how to find complaints about insurance companies in your area and other information before you sign on the dotted line.

  • Check your coverage. Ask your agent or a customer service representative if you’re getting the coverage you need so that you’re not under or over-insured.

  • Consider smaller insurance companies. Small car insurance companies offer prices well below those of large competitors in many locations, and can often provide a better customer experience, too.

  • Shop strategically. If you’ve gotten a ticket, DUI or other violation recently, be sure to shop three to five years after the incident, when surcharges can drop significantly.

Different types of car insurance

As you shop for the best car insurance, familiarize yourself with the different car insurance coverage types so you’ll know what to include in your coverage.

Here’s a breakdown of common insurance coverage types and what each pays for:

Should you get minimum or full coverage car insurance?

If all you care about is getting the lowest price, consider minimum coverage car insurance. Minimum coverage is the least amount of insurance needed to drive legally in your state.

But it's typically not enough to cover damage from a major accident, and you could end up paying out of pocket for any damage you cause once your insurance pays out. Minimum coverage also won’t pay for damage you cause to your own car.

For greater financial protection, go with full coverage insurance. There’s no standard definition of full coverage car insurance, but it typically includes your state’s minimum requirements, plus comprehensive and collision insurance. Full coverage costs more than minimum coverage, but the peace of mind may be worth the extra money. If you’re financing or leasing your car, you probably already have full coverage insurance.

Why is car insurance so expensive?

You’ve likely noticed that car insurance has gotten more expensive lately. The cost of car insurance increased 19% in October 2023 compared to the year prior, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Databases, Tables & Calculators by Subject. Accessed Jan 2, 2024.
.

While this recent jump in prices is largely due to inflation and other economic factors, your own rates will fluctuate based on many things, including:

  • The insurance company you choose.

  • Your age.

  • Where you live.

  • Your driving history.

  • The car you drive.

Why you can trust NerdWallet

Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fair, unbiased and accurate information so you can choose the best insurance company for you. These company ratings are specific to auto insurance — a company's rating for other types of insurance may be different on our site.

See our criteria for how we evaluate auto insurance companies.

Frequently asked questions

The following companies received 5 stars out of 5 in NerdWallet's analysis of the best auto insurers: Travelers, Auto-Owners, USAA, American Family, State Farm, NJM, Amica and Geico.

To find the best auto insurance policy for you, think carefully about what kind of coverage you need. For instance, if you're looking for a specific type of coverage such as rideshare insurance, check to make sure the company offers this before buying a policy.

When comparing the best insurance companies, select the same coverage levels so you can compare quotes equally. Look at a company's customer complaints on your state insurance commissioner’s website and financial strength through a rating site like AM Best. And don’t forget about the smaller insurance companies.

How much car insurance you need depends on your own unique personal and financial circumstances. But if all you care about is price, consider minimum coverage car insurance. This includes the minimum insurance required to drive in your state and nothing more. If you want more financial protection, explore full coverage insurance.

See NerdWallet’s how much car insurance do you need for more help.

The average cost of car insurance is about $165 per month for a 35-year-old driver with a good driving history, good credit and full coverage insurance, according to NerdWallet’s analysis.

Methodology

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.

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.

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” credit rates are based on credit score approximations and do not account for proprietary scoring criteria used by insurance providers.

These are median 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.

In states where required, minimum additional coverages were added. We used the same assumptions for all other driver profiles, with the following exceptions:

  • For drivers with minimum coverage, we adjusted the numbers above to reflect only the minimum coverage required by law in the state.

  • 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.

  • For drivers with a ticket, we added a single speeding violation for driving 16 mph over the speed limit.

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

These are rates generated through Quadrant Information Services. Your own rates will be different.

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