The seven best car insurance companies of 2013

Most people shopping for a product or service strive to get the best possible option for the money. This is especially true when looking at something as important as protecting yourself and your family against accidents and injuries while you’re driving. There are so many variables of coverage types, plans, policies and pricing strategies, it isn’t always easy to honestly measure one car insurance provider against another to find what’s best for you. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Commerce, there are more than 2,000 companies in the United State licensed and registered to sell car insurance. So how do you know what the best car insurance companies are?

Here’s a summary of some leading industry and consumer surveys that will give you an idea of what the seven best car insurance companies in the U.S. were for 2013. While each list is different in some way, there are a few companies you’ll find on every list:

MSN/Money Magazine

Each year, MSN and Money Magazine team up to publish surveys of leading providers in specific financial services sectors. They routinely tap into surveys of upwards of 4,500-5,000 customers of car insurance providers to rate and rank levels of satisfaction on five key measurements:

• Customer service
• Claims processing and services
• Value for the price paid
• Whether current customers would recommend the insurer to family and friends
• Whether current customers plan to renew coverage

Companies are ranked on a 100-point scale and the report includes additional details and select customer comments. For 2013, here are the top-ranking car insurance providers, according to this survey:

1. USAA – this insurer scored 96 of a possible 100 points overall and earned a perfect 5 of a possible 5-star rating for Claims and Customer Service. The company also was given a grade of A++ for financial strength.
2. Erie Insurance – this regional insurer offers products and service in 10 states plus the District of Columbia. It scored 92 points on the 100-point scale and earned 4.5 of 5 stars for Claims and Customer Service. It was also rated A+ for financial strength.
3. Auto-Owners Insurance – another strong regional provider, this company sells and services car insurance in 26 states and earned a score of 88 on the 100-point scale. They also earn 4.5 of 5 stars for Claims and Customer Service and were graded A++ for financial strength.
4. MetLife – earned a score of 86.5 on the 100-point scale while also earning a perfect 5 stars for Claims Service and 4.5 stars for Customer Service.
5. Country Financial – perhaps better known for its full range of financial planning products and services, nonetheless, the car insurance side of this firm earned 86 points on the 100-point scale and received a 4.5 star rating for Claims and Customer Service. The company also got an A+ grade for overall financial strength.
6. American Family – this company claimed 85 points on the survey’s 100-point scale while also picking up 4.5 of 5 stars for Claims Services and Cost/Value.
7. Nationwide – they could be on your side after earning 84 points on the 100-point scale and picking up 4.5 of 5 stars for Claims and Customer Service. They also earned an A+ for overall financial strength.

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J.D. Power & Associates

Established in 1968, J.D. Power & Associates conducts ongoing surveys involving consumers and business customers, analyzing opinions and perceptions, refining research techniques and study methodologies to offer some of the most advanced product quality, customer satisfaction, and tracking research available. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power & Associates is a business unit of McGraw Hill Financial and its annual surveys and awards are coveted by a broad cross-section of companies in various industries.

They have a couple well-regarded annual surveys of car insurance providers, including its annual awards for Highest Customer Satisfaction Auto Insurance Purchase Experience. For 2013, here are the top car insurance companies in that survey:

1. Erie Insurance – top ranking firm and winner of the overall award for 2013
2. USAA
3. State Farm
4. Amica Mutual
5. Ameriprise
6. Esurance (the online subsidiary and service division of Allstate)
7. The Hartford (so close as to warrant a tie for seventh, this company underwrites the car insurance available through AARP in addition to other policies it sells and services separately.)

Regional winners

In addition to its annual customer satisfaction surveys, J.D. Power & Associates issues honors for top car insurance companies by certain service regions in the country. If you’re thinking about working with a smaller, regional carrier, you’ll find some nice options from this list of 2013 J.D. Power & Associates Regional Winners:

• New England – Amica Mutual
• North Central U.S. – Auto-Owners Insurance
• Florida – MetLife Insurance
• New York – NY Central Mutual Insurance
• Northwest U.S. – PEMCO Insurance
• Central, Mid-Atlantic & Southwest U.S. – State Farm
• Southeast U.S. – Tennessee Farm Bureau
• Texas – Texas Farm Bureau
• California – Wawanesa Insurance

TheTopTens.com

This is a sort of the People’s Choice award ranking for car insurance providers. This highly subjective site solicits votes online from current and former customers and tallies the results. While you rarely find negative comments posted, some of the positive remarks people leave on the site regarding certain insurers can be deeply revealing. Here are the top ranking car insurance companies for 2013 as recorded on this site:

1. Liberty Mutual Insurance
2. Esurance
3. Allstate
4. State Farm
5. GEICO
6. Progressive
7. Nationwide

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FindTheBest.com

This online resource gathers a wide range of data on an extensive cross-section of industries, products and services. When it comes to car insurance providers, FindTheBest rates companies based on its Smart Rating scale. It incorporates multiple expert ratings sources, consumer complaint data, company-specific premium data and company support services to provide a comprehensive, unbiased rating of how each company compares to others. It then rates companies similarly to the way MSN/Money Magazine’s annual survey does, using a 100-point scale. Here are the top ranking car insurance companies according to FindTheBest’s Smart Rating scale in 2013:

1. USAA Insurance – 100 points
2. Amica Mutual – 99 points
3. Nationwide Insurance – 97 points
4. Allstate – 95 points
5. Liberty Mutual Insurance – 95 points
6. Mercury Insurance Group (a regional insurer selling car insurance in 13 states) – 95 points
7. GEICO – 94 points

Does size matter?

Finally, it matters to some drivers that they are in the care of a larger company and to be assured of all the benefits (and trappings) that can come with that. If size is important to you when selecting a car insurance company, then peruse this list of the top car insurance companies in 2013 ranked by total percentage of market share, measured by the overall dollar value of the direct car insurance premium they wrote:

1. State Farm – 18 percent
2. Allstate – 10.5 percent
3. GEICO – 9.25 percent
4. Progressive – 8 percent
5. Farmers – 6 percent
6. USAA Insurance – 4.5 percent
7. Liberty Mutual – 4.5 percent

Determining what the best car insurance company is for you and your family will always be a very subjective and personal endeavor. In the end, you may be best served to spend some time with a local, licensed car insurance professional with access to both regional and national companies. Or visit with a few experts. An experienced agent can answer all your questions, show you discounts you may not be aware you’re eligible for, and can also show you comparative pricing and coverage proposals before you ever have to write a check. Reply! can be a great resource as we can put you in touch with car insurance professionals in your area who can get you the best car insurance for the unique needs of you and your family.