/images/2018/01/23/navina-side-hustle-mid_MPfEDfV.jpg)
/images/2019/12/06/smart_strategies_to_save_money_on_car_insurance.jpg)
/images/2025/09/17/progressive_logo.png){kind=logo}
Why it won
Progressive does just about everything well when it comes to your car insurance. Combining competitive rates, a best-in-class digital experience, and access to agents 24/7, Progressive stands alone as the top-tier insurance company of 2025.
Progressive’s Name Your Price tool offers full customization of policies inside its easy-to-use mobile app, and gives customers a way to take full control of their insurance needs. Similarly, Progressive offers customers an abundance of discount opportunities, including bundling options, accident forgiveness, and good driver discounts.
Though Progressive isn’t the least expensive provider we reviewed, its customizable coverage, customer service, usage-based insurance option, and ease of use make it second-to-none. What’s more, multiple members of our editorial team have personally used Progressive for decades, making it an easy choice for our top recommendation in 2025.
Why it won
With Progressive’s bundling combinations, it seems like it’s on a mission to make bundling accessible to everyone. Offering home, renters, motorcycle, boat, and RV insurance, Progressive offers customers many ways to bundle their insurance and manage it all in one convenient place.
New customers can save up to 20% by bundling their home and auto policies, and the Name Your Price Tool also allows you to customize what you want (and don’t) to fit your needs.
/images/2025/09/17/state_farm_logo.png){kind=logo}
Why it won
While it can’t fix the stress of having your teen behind the wheel, State Farm can at least make sure your car (and wallet) are protected. State Farm ranked among the lowest national carriers for teen driver insurance prices according to Insurify, and it had one of the lowest differences between teen drivers and adult drivers of any carrier we reviewed.
Additionally, State Farm offers up to a 25% discount for teens with a “B” or better average in school, and it has agents all over the country to develop policies to fit your family. In the event your teen runs into trouble on the road, State Farm also has one of the lowest premium increases for accidents of major national carriers.
/images/2024/03/07/usaa-logo-300x169.png){kind=logo}
Why it won
As an insurance provider founded by, catered to, and ingrained with the military community, USAA is an easy choice for anyone associated with the military. USAA exclusively insures current and former military members and their family members, offering competitive rates, military discounts, and exceptional customer service. It was an obvious choice as the best car insurance for military and veterans.
USAA’s core mission is to serve military members, and its policies reflect it. For instance, it offers flexible, deployment-friendly policies, such as storage discounts for overseas soldiers, as well as on-base discounts. For those who qualify, USAA rates are among the lowest of any major carrier. Its exceptional service and military focus make it an easy award winner in this category.
Why it won
Combining flexibility, low rates for seniors, and discount opportunities, Progressive offers a wide variety of policies that help seniors find coverage that fits their needs and driving histories. It's why we consider it the best car insurance option for seniors. Though some seniors tend to pay less for car insurance than average drivers due to experience behind the wheel, finding customizable coverage with the flexibility to change in the future is what makes Progressive truly special.
Seniors often pay less than average with Progressive and may have access to significant discounts tailored to them, including usage-based, good driver, defensive driving, and more. Additionally, Progressive is good for drivers who may have had an imperfect driving record in the past, making sure that yesterday’s obstacles don’t necessarily become today’s problems.
/images/2025/09/17/geico_logo.png){kind=logo}
Why it won
Although it’s never part of the plan to get into an accident, GEICO is a good example of why it doesn’t always mean your car insurance rates will skyrocket.
While most premiums tend to be 20-30% higher for drivers with accidents on their records, according to Insurify data, rate increases with GEICO were much lower than most of the competitors we reviewed.
Available in most states, GEICO offers competitive rates, a user-friendly mobile app that makes it easy to get quotes online, and accident forgiveness and discount programs in some states to help offset costs for those with an imperfect driving record.
/images/2025/09/17/allstate-logo.jpg){kind=logo}
Why it won
Drivers with tickets on their record typically pay more for car insurance, but how much more can vary depending on your provider. Allstate often offers lower-than-average premiums for drivers with tickets on their records, across both full and liability-only coverage.
Allstate is known for excellent claims service, including its AI-powered ClaimIQ platform that can give customers repair estimates based on photos they submit. In addition to access to its 24/7 claims team and online quote tools, Allstate often offers loyalty rewards and discounts for long-term customers.
/images/2025/09/17/nationwide_logo_1.png){kind=logo}
Why it won
When it comes to making customers feel valued, Nationwide’s customer experience is second to none. Nationwide ranked #1 in customer satisfaction among usage-based auto insurers by J.D. Power each of the last two years and boasts a below-average complaint volume as reported by the NAIC. Nationwide also boasts an A+ Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating.
For Nationwide, “On your side” isn’t just a catchy jingle: It’s a promise to give honest advice, provide personal service, and help customers set and meet their goals. The company even has a Chief Customer Officer among its leadership, in charge of the customer experience and finding ways to put customers’ needs first.
/images/2025/09/17/autoownerslogo.png)
Why it won
If you live in one of the 26 states where Auto-Owners offers coverage, you could be eligible for some of the lowest car insurance rates in the country. Auto-Owners offers some of the least expensive full-coverage policies among major providers, including policies for young drivers, senior drivers, and drivers with records that include tickets and accidents.
While Auto-Owners is driven by low costs, its discounts don’t come with diminished quality. Auto-Owners has a very low NAIC complaint index, an A+ BBB rating, and an A+ AM Best rating for financial security.
/images/2025/09/17/erie_insurance.png)
Why it won
For those in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, or Southeastern regions, Erie Insurance offers some of the most affordable car insurance premiums in the country, including most of the providers we reviewed.
Though a smaller provider operating in just 12 states and Washington, D.C., Erie has won multiple awards for its personalized coverage and unique product offerings, including locksmith services, auto glass repair, and personal item coverage. Erie’s Rate Lock also protects its customers from rate hikes by guaranteeing pricing unless a policy is changed or upgraded by customers.
How car insurance companies structure coverage
Understanding how insurers structure policies helped us evaluate which companies offered the best value.
Insurance companies use deductibles to share risk with policyholders. This represents what consumers pay before coverage applies. Here's how it works: if a driver carries a $500 deductible and causes $5,000 in accident damage, they cover the first $500 while the insurer pays the remaining $4,500.
All states except New Hampshire and Virginia require drivers to carry liability coverage. This ensures drivers can pay for damages they cause to others. Insurers express these limits using three numbers like 100/300/50, known as "split limits" in the industry.
These figures represent:
- The maximum bodily injury liability payout per person injured in an accident.
- The maximum bodily injury liability payout per accident.
- The maximum property damage liability payout per accident.
Using the 100/300/50 example: each injured person could receive up to $100,000 for bodily injuries. Total payouts for a single incident cap at $300,000. Property damage to the not-at-fault driver's vehicle reaches a maximum of $50,000.
Beyond basic liability, companies offer additional protection through collision, comprehensive, personal injury protection, and other coverage types.
How car insurance companies determine rates
Insurance companies analyze numerous personal factors when calculating premiums. Understanding these factors helped us evaluate pricing strategies and identify which providers offered the most competitive rates for different driver profiles.
Driving record
Insurers view past behavior as the strongest predictor of future risk. Accidents and traffic violations on a driver's record indicate a higher risk, leading to increased premiums. Causing an accident that triggers a claim almost always results in higher rates going forward.
Age and experience
Age-based pricing relies entirely on statistical analysis. Data shows younger drivers crash more often and file more claims than experienced drivers. Teenagers face elevated rates regardless of their personal driving record because their age group carries a higher overall risk.
Location
Where drivers live dramatically affects pricing. Urban residents, particularly those parking on streets, face significantly higher risks of theft and vandalism compared to rural drivers. Higher claim probability translates directly to higher premiums for city dwellers.
Vehicle type
Vehicle choice plays a major role in premium calculations. Sports cars and luxury models carry premium rates. Newer vehicles cost more to insure than older models because of their higher replacement costs. Even similar vehicles can have substantially different rates, making car selection a significant cost factor.
Gender
Statistical data reveals that men experience more accidents than women. This actuarial reality means male drivers typically face higher premiums than female drivers at most insurance companies.
Coverage selections
Minimum state-required coverage keeps costs at a minimum. Adding comprehensive and collision protection significantly increases premiums. This creates a tradeoff: lower premiums mean drivers are personally responsible for vehicle repairs after at-fault accidents.
Deductible choice
Higher deductibles reduce monthly costs by shifting more financial responsibility to policyholders when claims occur. Lower deductibles increase monthly payments but reduce out-of-pocket expenses when filing claims.
Common insurance company discounts
The best car insurance companies provide numerous discount opportunities. We evaluated how accessible these discounts were and which companies offered the most savings potential.
Widely available discounts include:
- Safe driver discount: Companies reward drivers who maintain clean records over time with lower rates that reflect their reliability.
- Good student discounts: Students with strong academic performance often qualify for lower premiums. Major insurers extend these discounts to both high school and college students who maintain consistent grades.
- Multi-policy discount: Bundling auto coverage with homeowners or renters insurance typically triggers discounts.
- Safety features discount: Modern vehicle technology, such as adaptive headlights or anti-theft systems, can reduce premiums at many providers.
- Defensive driving course discount: Completing an approved defensive driving course signals commitment to safe driving, and many insurers respond with rate reductions.
- Pay-in-full discount: Choosing semi-annual payment over monthly installments often triggers automatic savings at most companies.
Methodology
When choosing our FinanceBuzz Auto Insurance Award winners, we considered quantitative factors like our star ratings as well as qualitative inputs based on discussions within our editorial team. We've aimed to identify the best companies for specific purposes or types of people. While some winners may be partners, this did not influence who we chose to win awards.
How we chose the winners
We began by compiling a list of over 20 of the largest car insurance companies in the country, collecting data on each, and scoring them. Then, for each category, we identified minimum criteria to be included in our evaluation group. For example, when looking for the best company for teen drivers, we looked at the rates each company charges for teen drivers on average, along with the difference between the cost of policies for experienced drivers and teen drivers. We sourced pricing data from Insurify, an auto insurance comparison shopping website.
Then within that narrowed group, we determined the most important ranking factors to compare the accounts head-to-head. Those ranking factors tie directly to the award category and vary for each award. Some of the factors we examined were quantitative, such as monthly rates and NAIC complaint scores, while others were qualitative, including customer opinions and features that, although not essential, improved the overall experience. In the end, each account received a category-specific score that was used to determine the award winner.