Below, you can compare our top 10 picks for car insurance with our overall ratings out of 5.0 stars and average annual costs for full-coverage insurance.

*Cost data from Quadrant Information Services is not available for Liberty Mutual.

Our team identified State Farm, USAA, Geico, Liberty Mutual, and Travelers as the top car insurance companies. Based on our comprehensive research, these insurers stand out for their wide selection of coverage options, affordable average costs, and positive industry reputations.

#1 State Farm: Best Overall

AM Best financial strength rating: A++

Overall satisfaction on our consumer survey: 4.2/5.0

State Farm is our pick for Best Overall because it offers affordable rates, a variety of upgrade options, and many helpful discounts. State Farm is the largest car insurer in the U.S., with a market share of 16.84 percent according to the NAIC, and it wrote over $46.7 billion in premiums in 2022.

State Farm Car Insurance Cost

Number of discounts: 10

Compared to the average industry cost of $1,730 for full-coverage car insurance, State Farm offers affordable rates of $1,481 on average per year. That’s about 14 percent cheaper. Below, you can see State Farm rates for a few different driving scenarios.

State Farm rates are competitive and can be especially low if you can take advantage of the insurer’s special discount programs:

• Drive Safe & Save: This is State Farm’s usage-based insurance app. If you score high enough, you can get up to a 30 percent discount on your premium. The app tracks things such as cornering, hard braking, acceleration, and phone use while driving. It can only give you a discount – it can’t raise your rates for bad driving.
• Steer Clear^Ⓡ: This is an educational app available for drivers under the age of 25. Drivers complete in-app courses, log progress with a mentor, complete driving hours, and receive a certification. All that translates into a discount, which is why we think State Farm is the best auto insurance option for students.

State Farm Auto Insurance Coverage

With State Farm, you can get standard auto insurance policies as well as the following additional coverage:

• Roadside assistance: State Farm will cover up to one hour of labor at the breakdown site, fluid delivery, spare tire installation, jump-starts, towing, and lockout services.
• Car rental expense: This option pays for a rental car while your car is in the shop for a covered repair. You can choose the limits of this policy.
• Travel expense: State Farm will pay up to $500 for food, lodging, and travel if you get into a car accident more than 50 miles from home. This option also includes a trip to retrieve your vehicle.
• Rental deductible: State Farm will pay up to $500 toward your deductible if you get into an auto accident while driving a rental car.
• Other insurance products: Other coverage through State Farm includes health, boat, home, life, rental property, and rideshare insurance.

State Farm Car Insurance Reviews

State Farm currently holds a B rating from the BBB, and its customer reviews on the BBB website and Trustpilot are below average. However, in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study℠, State Farm ranked first in Florida and the Southwest region and above-average in most other regions of the country. This study covered the billing process and policy information, claims, interaction, policy offerings, and price.

On our consumer survey, State Farm scored high for its claims service (4.2), claim settlement value satisfaction (4.2), mobile app (4.2), customer service from agents (4.1), and shopping experience (4.0). Overall, 78 percent of people would recommend State Farm to a friend.

State Farm Pros And Cons

State Farm Accident Forgiveness

You can qualify for State Farm’s accident forgiveness program if you have had insurance with State Farm for over nine years and have not filed a claim during that time. This is one of the longest qualification periods for accident forgiveness in the market.

To learn more about this car insurance provider, check out our review of State Farm auto insurance.

#2 USAA: Best For Military

AM Best financial strength rating: A++

Overall satisfaction on our consumer survey: 4.3/5.0

If USAA were available to everyone, it would be our first pick overall. However, USAA policies are only available to military members, veterans, and their immediate families. To qualify, you must be a member of the armed services or have a parent or spouse with a USAA membership. Besides that drawback, USAA stands out when it comes to cost, service, and coverage.

USAA Car Insurance Cost

Number of discounts: 10

USAA tends to be the cheapest provider for many types of drivers. It offers average full-coverage rates that are 39 percent cheaper than the industry average. It also offers cheap minimum-coverage policies and affordable coverage on average for drivers with tickets, accidents, or DUIs on their records.

USAA’s standout discounts include those for military members. It offers a 60 percent discount for military deployment and a 15 percent discount for garaging a vehicle on base.

USAA also offers a usage-based program called SafePilot^® that can help drivers save up to 30 percent. The app is a telematics insurance program that tracks safe driving habits and rewards good drivers. It’s available everywhere except California, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York.

USAA Auto Insurance Coverage

On top of the standard options for car insurance, USAA offers:

• Roadside assistance: Roadside assistance adds coverage for emergency towing, lockout services, gas delivery, and spare tire installation.
• Rental reimbursement: This option pays toward a rental car after you file a covered insurance claim.
• Accident forgiveness: In some states, USAA members can purchase accident forgiveness insurance that protects their rates after one accident.
• Other insurance products: USAA offers numerous insurance products, including motorcycle insurance as well as rideshare, boat, renters, homeowners, collectible, flood, vision, pet, and life insurance.

USAA Auto Insurance Reviews

USAA was not eligible for formal ranking in the J.D. Power Auto Insurance Study. However, the insurer was included in the study and scored highest for customer satisfaction in nearly every region surveyed.

USAA scored well across many areas of our own survey too, including its claims service (4.3), mobile app rating (4.2), customer service from agents (4.2), and confidence that USAA has a customer’s best interest in mind (4.2). Overall, 78 percent of people would recommend USAA to a friend.

USAA Pros And Cons

To learn more about this car insurance provider, check out our full review of USAA insurance.

#3 Geico: Best Discount Availability

AM Best financial strength rating: A++

Overall satisfaction on our consumer survey: 4.1/5.0

For the majority of drivers, there’s Geico. The company offers some of the most competitive prices on the market, and it’s one of the best auto insurance options available nationwide. We named it Best Discount Availability because it offers 16 discounts that give many different types of drivers a chance to save money. And who doesn’t want that?

Geico Car Insurance Cost

Number of discounts: 16

Geico is another affordable provider compared to the industry. It offers full-coverage rates about 24 percent cheaper than the industry average. Our research shows that Geico offers more generous discounts than many of its competitors, including up to 25 percent off for having multiple vehicles on your policy and up to 15 percent for good students. 

If you can’t get USAA, you’ll probably find great car insurance rates from Geico. And if you’re a safe driver, you could save even more. Geico offers a usage-based program called DriveEasy.

DriveEasy tracks distracted driving, speed, hard braking, cornering, distance, smoothness, time of day, and weather. Not all of those directly impact your discount. Also, the discount can vary by state. DriveEasy is currently available in 37 states and Washington, D.C.

Geico Car Insurance Coverage

In addition to standard car insurance, GEICO offers:

• Roadside assistance: Through Geico’s Emergency Road Service, drivers can request roadside assistance right in an app. It includes coverage for towing, jump starts, flat tire changes, and lockout services.
• Rental reimbursement: This option helps pay rental car costs when your car is being repaired after a claim. Enterprise Rent-A-Car bills Geico directly under this arrangement.
• Mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI): MBI is similar to an extended car warranty, except you pay for it with your auto insurance policy. This program covers repairs for all mechanical parts, though it doesn’t cover maintenance or regular wear and tear. MBI is available for vehicles under 15 months old or with fewer than 15,000 miles, and it can be renewed annually up to 7 years or 100,000 miles.
• Other insurance products: Geico offers many kinds of insurance, including boat, rideshare, condo, mobile home, landlord, professional liability, overseas, and jewelry insurance.

Geico Auto Insurance Reviews

Geico has an A+ rating from the BBB and scored well in the J.D. Power Auto Insurance Study. It ranked around average or better in most regions and scored the highest customer satisfaction rating for usage-based insurance.

In our consumer survey, Geico scored well for its mobile app (4.2), claims service (4.2), and value of claim settlement (4.1). Overall, 77 percent of customers would recommend Geico to a friend.

Geico Pros And Cons

To learn more about this car insurance provider, check out our full Geico review.

#4 Liberty Mutual: Best For Teens

AM Best financial strength rating: A

Overall satisfaction on our consumer survey: 4.1/5.0

Liberty Mutual earns the fourth spot on our list of best car insurance companies for its programs for teens. Being a young driver is hard because insurance rates tend to be expensive. Teens have a higher risk of getting into an accident, statistically speaking. However, Liberty Mutual makes things more affordable with the following discounts for young drivers:

• New teen driver discount: Get a discount when you add a new teen to your policy within the last year.
• Teen driving program discount: Drivers under 21 can get this discount if they complete a qualified training program.
• Good student discount: This discount applies to students under 25 who maintain a B average.
• Student-away-at-school discount: If your teen lives away from home and only rarely drives your car, you could save on your policy.

Liberty Mutual Cost

Number of discounts: 13

In our consumer survey, Liberty Mutual customers rated the company slightly higher than average for affordability. The average rating was 3.7 out of 5.0, while Liberty Mutual customers rated the company 3.8 for affordability. While cost data from Quadrant Information Services is not available for Liberty Mutual, we believe it to be an affordable company because of these survey responses.

The company also offers a variety of discounts besides the ones for teens mentioned above. These include: 

• Homeowner discount
• Military discount
• Claims-free discount
• Violation-free discount
• Multi-policy and multi-car discounts
• Discounts for autopay, paying in full, buying online, and paperless billing

Finally, Liberty Mutual’s Right Track^® program can help good drivers save up to 30 percent. Depending on where you live, you’ll either use a mobile app or plug-in device to track your driving.

Liberty Mutual Coverage

Liberty Mutual offers some of the best coverage upgrades in the industry. Some companies may offer two or three different options beyond standard coverage, while Liberty Mutual offers ten. Here are the details.

• Deductible fund: This add-on reduces your deductible by $100 each year (and costs $30 each year for you).
• Lifetime repair guarantee: With this option, Liberty Mutual will arrange your auto repairs from an approved facility and guarantee the repairs for life.
• New car replacement: This covers your vehicle for its original replacement cost if you total it within one year of 15,000 miles (from the in-service date).
• Better car replacement: With this add-on, Liberty Mutual will replace your totaled car with a model one year and 15,000 miles newer.
• Rental car reimbursement: This covers the cost of a rental car while your car is in the shop after an accident up to a limit. If you go to a Liberty Mutual preferred shop, the coverage will last until the repair is completed.
• Roadside assistance: This covers towing, battery jump-starts, fuel delivery, spare tire assistance, and lockout assistance.
• Gap insurance: This covers the difference between your car’s value and what you owe on your auto loan in the case of a total loss.
• Original parts replacement: This option ensures repairs use original equipment manufacturer parts whenever possible. 
• Teachers’ auto insurance: This covers up to $2,500 of teaching materials in your car and waives your deductible if your car is vandalized at school or damaged while you’re driving for school business.
• Mexico car insurance: This option covers your car if you drive into Mexico.

Liberty Mutual Reviews

Liberty Mutual has an A+ rating with accreditation from the BBB. The company performed below average in most regions on the J.D. Power Auto Insurance Study, although it did rank above average for usage-based insurance customer satisfaction.

In our customer survey, Liberty Mutual scored well for claims service (4.1), its mobile app (4.1), and customer service from agents (4.0). Overall, 75 percent of customers would recommend Liberty Mutual to a friend.

Liberty Mutual Pros And Cons

#5 Travelers: Best Coverage Selection

AM Best financial strength rating: A++

Overall satisfaction on our consumer survey: 4.2/5.0

Travelers rounds out our top five picks for best car insurance because it offers a great coverage selection including gap insurance, accident forgiveness, and Premier New Car Replacement^®. Travelers has been around since 1864 and is the eighth-largest car insurance provider according to the NAIC.

Travelers Cost

Number of discounts: 14

Travelers is a bit more affordable than the industry average. Its annual full-coverage rate of $1,669 falls just below the industry average of $1,730. It also offers more affordable rates for people with points on their driving records than the industry averages for speeding, an at-fault accident, and a DUI.

Travelers Coverage

Coverage options is where Travelers stands out. In addition to standard options, Travelers offers:

• Loan/lease gap insurance: If you total your car, this covers the difference between what you owe on the loan or lease and its cash value.
• Rental coverage: This covers a rental car while your vehicle is in the shop after an accident.
• Roadside assistance: This covers services to get your car back on the road if it breaks down, needs a tire change, runs out of gas, and more.
• Premier New Car Replacement: This pays to replace your car with a car up to five model years newer. You need to be the original owner and have purchased the car within the last five years.
• Accident forgiveness: This option forgives one at-fault accident and keeps your rates from increasing.
• Responsible Driver Plan℠: This option includes accident forgiveness along with minor violation forgiveness, which forgives one small violation like a traffic ticket.
• Premier Responsible Driver Plan: With this option, you get accident forgiveness, minor violation forgiveness, plus Decreasing Deductible^® and total loss deductible waiver. These lower your deductible by $50 every six months you go without an accident or major violation (up to $500 off) and eliminate your deductible if your car is totaled.

Travelers Reviews

Travelers has an A rating from the BBB at this time, which shows it responds to all complaints on the site. In the J.D. Power Auto Insurance Study, Travelers ranked fourth in New York but performed below average in several other regions.

In our customer survey, Travelers scored high for claims service (4.4), customer service from agents (4.2), and its mobile app (4.2). Overall, 76 percent of customers would recommend Travelers to a friend.

Travelers Pros And Cons

According to our cost data, average rates for 35-year-old drivers are about $1,730 per year for full-coverage insurance. For minimum coverage, drivers pay about $635 per year on average. How much you pay varies greatly by your state, ZIP code, age, vehicle, driving history, and more.

Average Full-Coverage Insurance Rates By Age

Below, you can see how average rates change by age.

Average Car Insurance Rates By Company

Below, you can see how some of the most popular car insurance companies rank on average cost for full coverage.

What Affects Car Insurance Rates?

While each company calculates the price of its policies differently, here are a few basic factors to consider:

• Driving record: This is one of the most significant factors in the price of your car insurance. Speeding tickets, DUIs, and reckless driving all raise rates. Depending on the state, your rates can go up for the next three to seven years because of a conviction.
• Credit score: Generally, a higher score correlates to lower rates, and individuals with lower credit scores often report high auto insurance rates.
• Years of experience driving: Newer drivers are charged higher rates, while drivers with lots of experience get a break on rates. This is because younger drivers are less experienced and are at higher risk of getting into auto accidents.
• Where you live: If you live in a densely populated area with many expensive claims, your insurance will cost more even if you’re a good driver with a perfect history.
• Age: Younger drivers pay more, especially teen drivers, as they have less experience. Teens can pay two or three times what a person in their 40s would pay.
• Mileage: Lower annual mileage can mean lower premiums from many insurance companies.
• Previous insurance coverage: Companies like to see that you’ve had continuous coverage throughout your driving career. Gaps in coverage can increase your rates.
• Claims history: Claims filed within the last few years can also increase your rates.
• Gender of young drivers: Younger men are more likely to receive higher rates, but costs even out after drivers age beyond their teens.
• Type of car: Insurance companies will charge you more if you have a luxury or sports car since those cost more to fix. Family-oriented SUVs are a safer choice.

While many factors affect the price of your car insurance policy, you can do a few things to ensure you are getting the cheapest car insurance. In our team’s nearly 2,000 hours of research into the auto insurance marketplace, we found these tips to make the greatest difference when searching for affordable coverage.

Compare Car Insurance Quotes

When you’re determining how to get cheap car insurance, you should get auto insurance quotes from a number of providers and compare your quotes to ensure you’re paying the best price for coverage.

Car Insurance Discounts

Your car insurance costs can be drastically reduced when you are eligible for multiple discounts, which vary by state and insurance provider. Common offerings are good student discounts, accident-free discounts, multi-policy discounts, safe driving discounts, and savings for cars with safety features.

Check Local And Regional Companies

While big car insurance companies promise you low rates, you can often still find cheaper car insurance prices when you choose a local or regional provider. Finding out how to get cheaper car insurance is often as simple as researching more providers.

Shop Around Every Six Months

Once you choose a car insurance policy, don’t lock yourself in. You have tons of insurance options even after you commit to a provider. Car insurance rates change often so that companies can stay competitive and get new customers. It can be a great idea to review your policy every time it renews, whether that is every six months or every year.

Adjust Your Coverage Limits

You can reduce your monthly premium by changing the coverage you have and getting rid of coverage you may not need. You may be tempted to add optional coverage, but sticking to liability auto insurance can greatly lower your rates.

Consider A Higher Deductible

Like adjusting your coverage amounts, changing your car insurance deductible can impact your monthly insurance premiums and help you save money. If you increase your out-of-pocket deductible from $500 to $1,000, you can see a lower monthly payment.

Usage-Based Car Insurance

Another option for getting cheaper car insurance is to consider trying a usage-based discount. If you drive fewer miles than the carrier’s limit, you can get a deduction for your insurance rate. This can be beneficial if you drive fewer than 10,000 miles per year.

Pay Your Bills On Time

An often-overlooked step in searching for cheap car insurance is the credit score. Having good credit is a crucial factor in determining your car insurance premium in most states. To reap these benefits, pay your bills on time and reduce your debts. Pay down credit cards and car payments to keep your credit balances low.

Improve Your Driving Habits

One of the best ways to get affordable rates on car insurance is to keep a clean driving record. Safe drivers prove to auto insurance companies they are not at high risk for getting into accidents. This means they will usually be cheaper to insure.

When you are searching for cheap car insurance, keep your options open. Compare three or more insurance providers to get a more accurate, and sometimes lower, premium. For more details, check out our full article on how to get cheap car insurance.

Following extensive research into the industry and what matters most to consumers, our team names State Farm the Best Overall auto insurer. Drivers can typically find affordable, quality coverage from USAA and Geico as well. However, we recommend reaching out to multiple companies for auto insurance quotes to find the best coverage for your needs.

Because car insurance costs are highly personalized, the only way to know how much you will pay for car insurance is to get a quote.