Best Car Insurance in Santa Maria, 3

If you're a Santa Maria, 3 resident seeking the best protection for your vehicle, you've landed in the right place. Car insurance is not just a legal requirement; it's your safety net on the unpredictable roads of our beloved Santa Maria. Let's dive into the world of car insurance in Santa Maria, exploring options, considerations, and how you can make the most informed choices.

Understanding the Landscape

Car insurance in Santa Maria, 3 is a multifaceted landscape. Whether you're a daily commuter navigating the bustling streets or a weekend explorer enjoying the scenic drives, having comprehensive coverage is paramount. It ensures financial protection and peace of mind.

When delving into the car insurance market, it's essential to comprehend the basics. Liability coverage addresses third-party injuries and property damage, while collision and comprehensive coverage cater to damages to your vehicle. Striking the right balance between these components is key to tailor-fitting your insurance to your unique needs.

Navigating the Market

In Santa Maria, a plethora of insurance providers vie for your attention. Giants like State Farm, GEICO, and USAA have a substantial presence, each offering distinct advantages. As you explore your options, consider factors beyond premiums. Evaluate customer reviews, financial stability, and coverage flexibility to make an informed decision.

Securing Affordable Protection

Affordability is a crucial factor in selecting the right car insurance. To find the sweet spot between cost and coverage, explore discounts offered by insurers. Bundling policies, maintaining a clean driving record, and leveraging available discounts can significantly reduce your premiums.

As you navigate through the online realm for quotes, ensure that your information is accurate. Use tools provided by insurance companies to generate precise quotes that reflect your driving profile and coverage preferences.

Tailoring Coverage to Your Needs

Car insurance isn't one-size-fits-all. Explore specialized coverage options based on your unique circumstances. Temporary insurance is ideal for those in Santa Maria for a short duration, while classic car enthusiasts may benefit from policies catering specifically to vintage vehicles.

Ensuring Local Relevance

Santa Maria, 3 has its traffic nuances and local regulations. Ensure your chosen car insurance aligns with these specifics. Understanding local considerations guarantees that your coverage is not only comprehensive but also adheres to regional laws.

Scroll for the Unveiling of Exclusive Insights!

Curious to know more about finding the perfect car insurance in Santa Maria, 3? Scroll down to uncover exclusive insights, tips, and expert advice that will revolutionize the way you approach car insurance.

As you scroll, get ready to unlock premium value. Our comprehensive guide goes beyond the basics, delving into advanced strategies to maximize your car insurance benefits. Whether you're a first-time car owner or a seasoned driver, there's something valuable waiting for you.

The Ultimate Guide to Car Insurance in Santa Maria, 3

Decoding Policy Types: Which One Suits You?

Embark on a journey into the intricacies of policy types. Understand the differences between liability, full coverage, and specialty policies, empowering yourself to choose the ideal coverage for your unique needs.

Expert Insights and Practical Tips

Scroll deeper to access expert insights and practical tips that can redefine your approach to car insurance. Uncover hidden gems of information, explore real-life scenarios, and equip yourself with the knowledge to secure the best car insurance in Santa Maria, 3.

Car Insurance in Santa Maria, 3

Unlock the secrets of car insurance in Santa Maria, 3. Our in-depth guide provides expert insights, tips, and exclusive information to help you find the perfect coverage. Discover more as you scroll through our comprehensive guide.

Conclusion:

Your journey to finding the best car insurance in Santa Maria, 3 begins here. Scroll, explore, and empower yourself with the knowledge to make informed decisions. Your vehicle deserves the utmost protection, and our guide ensures you navigate the car insurance landscape with confidence.

• The 10 Best and Worst Car Insurance Comparison Sites for 2024

• We spent hours testing well-known car insurance comparison websites to determine which ones serve the most real-time, personalized quotes, and which ones will serve you spam instead.

• 10+ years in insurance and personal finance content

• 30+ years in media, PR, and content creation

• Evelyn leads Insurify’s content team. She’s passionate about creating empowering content to help people transform their financial lives and make sound insurance-buying decisions.

• Read Editorial Guidelines

• Featured in

• 3+ years producing insurance and personal finance content

• Main architect of the Insurify Quality Score

• Courtney’s deep personal finance knowledge extends beyond insurance to credit cards, consumer lending, and banking. She thrives on creating actionable content.

• Read Editorial Guidelines

• Featured in

• Corporate communications director for Insurance Information Institute

• 20+ years in insurance and communications

• As Director, Corporate Communications for Triple-I, Mark serves as the non-profit’s national spokesperson, sharing information and education on a wide array of insurance issues.

• Read Editorial Guidelines

• 7+ years experience in data analysis

• Ph.D. in Computational Biology

• Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

• Read Editorial Guidelines

• Updated April 25, 2024

• Save up to $717 by comparing quotes from the top 100+ insurance companies

• At Insurify, our goal is to help customers compare insurance products and find the best policy for them. We strive to provide open, honest, and unbiased information about the insurance products and services we review. Our hard-working team of data analysts, insurance experts, insurance agents, editors and writers, has put in thousands of hours of research to create the content found on our site.

• We do receive compensation when a sale or referral occurs from many of the insurance providers and marketing partners on our site. That may impact which products we display and where they appear on our site. But it does not influence our meticulously researched editorial content, what we write about, or any reviews or recommendations we may make. We do not guarantee favorable reviews or any coverage at all in exchange for compensation.

• Cheapest recent rates

• We just helped a driver in Anderson, Indiana cover their KIA Optima with this quote from Progressive.

• A Roanoke, Virginia driver just saved on coverage for their Hyundai Elantra with this quote from Liberty Mutual.

• Progressive's average rate for drivers with good credit and a clean driving record.

• We just helped a driver in Mount Vernon, Ohio cover their Chevrolet Impala with this quote from Certainly.

• A Toledo, Ohio driver just saved on coverage for their Chevrolet Equinox with this quote from Hugo.

• Mile Auto helped a Chevrolet Silverado driver in Lubbock, Texas save on car insurance with this quote.

• We just helped a driver in Phoenix, Arizona cover their Chevrolet Suburban with this quote from Just Insure.

• A Elkhart, Indiana driver just saved on coverage for their Ford Escape with this quote from First Chicago.

• Safeco helped a Dodge Journey driver in Wadsworth, Ohio save on car insurance with this quote.

• *Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on April 25, 2024

• We just helped a driver in Edmond, Oklahoma cover their Honda Accord with this quote from Progressive.

• A Herndon, Virginia driver just saved on coverage for their Toyota 4Runner with this quote from Liberty Mutual.

• Progressive's average rate for drivers with good credit and a clean driving record.

• We just helped a driver in Dayton, Ohio cover their Cadillac DTS with this quote from Certainly.

• A Garland, Texas driver just saved on coverage for their Scion xB with this quote from Mile Auto.

• Safeco helped a Toyota 4Runner driver in Lancaster, Ohio save on car insurance with this quote.

• We just helped a driver in Indianapolis, Indiana cover their Chevrolet Impala with this quote from National General.

• A Phoenix, Arizona driver just saved on coverage for their Jeep Wrangler with this quote from Just Insure.

• CSAA helped a Hyundai Elantra driver in Indianapolis, Indiana save on car insurance with this quote.

• *Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on April 25, 2024

• Insurify, Compare.com and Policygenius are the three best car insurance comparison sites.

• The Zebra, our pick for second-best site in the past, has fallen to fourth place due to a lack of instant quotes.

• Jerry has the best mobile app for comparing car insurance.

• Comparing auto insurance quotes on a car insurance shopping site can help you find the coverage you need at an affordable price. 

• But not all comparison sites are equally trustworthy. Some collect your information to sell to insurance agencies and insurance companies and don’t show you any actual quotes.

• The editors and data scientists at Insurify checked out 10 of the most well-known car insurance comparison sites. We’ve identified the best (and worst) experiences for comparing car insurance rates online. Here’s what we learned.

• We created a driver profile intended to appear the most insurable to quoting engines, and then went through the quoting process for each site. Our sample profile was for a 50-year-old female driver residing in a suburban area, driving a paid-off 2019 Hyundai Elantra. Our driver has a clean motor vehicle record and average credit, rents her home, is single, and has a current in-force policy. She got her license at 17, commutes 10 miles per day to work, and is a high school graduate. 

• We sought full coverage quotes for:

• $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident bodily injury liability

• $50,000 property damage liability

• $1,000 collision/comprehensive deductible

• Insurify’s researchers considered each site’s available online ratings, the number of real quotes the site served for our sample driver, prices of provided quotes, and ease of use. We also looked at customer reviews and whether using the site might result in spam emails, phone calls, or text messages. To assess spam risks, we created a test email account and tracked the number of emails it received.

• Snapshot: Best and worst comparison sites

• With dozens of insurance comparison sites available, picking the best shopping experience can be challenging. To help you choose, here’s a comprehensive list of car insurance comparison sites.

• How auto insurance comparison sites work

• Auto insurance comparison sites help you shop for car insurance and compare multiple quotes by sharing some basic information about yourself and your vehicle. These sites fall into two categories: quote-comparison sites and lead-generation sites. Both aim to connect insurance shoppers with quotes from car insurance companies. They differ in how they do this.

• Many people still prefer to work with a local agent to buy a car insurance policy. But a growing number are embracing online shopping for car insurance. 

• Find Affordable Car Insurance

• Full-coverage policies start at just $44/mo.

• Quote-comparison sites and car insurance search engines

• Quote-comparison sites partner with car insurance companies. This lets the site provide either real-time quotes or estimated quotes.

• Sites that provide real-time quotes use the information you provide to generate personalized, accurate quotes pulled from the insurance companies’ own quoting engines. Sites that provide estimated quotes use your information and historical averages that may not be the most up-to-date information available.

• Once you choose a quote, the website transfers you to the insurance company website or to an agent. You can then complete your purchase online or by phone. 

• You share your information only once to help the comparison site provide quotes and speed up your purchasing process.

• Lead-generation sites

• Lead-generation sites collect your information and promise multiple quotes. But these sites typically sell user information to their advertising partners, like insurance companies, agencies, or even other lead-generation sites. 

• This means you won’t receive actual quotes from a lead-generation site. Instead, the site will display a list of insurance company logos. You’ll need to click on one or more logos and enter your information multiple times to request quotes. 

• You could end up getting a barrage of cold calls or emails from insurance call centers and agents.

• Best and worst comparison sites ranked

• The insurance industry went through a lot of turmoil in 2023. Many insurers reduced the amount of business and advertising they did with comparison websites. This has made it difficult overall for sites to deliver as many real-time quotes as they could in previous years. We saw this difference reflected in our testing to update this page with the most current information, and we’ll point it out when it’s relevant on this page.

• 1. Insurify

• Evelyn Pimplaskar

• Editor-in-Chief, Director of Content, Insurify

• Even reputable comparison sites will show you ads, often right next to a real quote. That was the case with Insurify, but the digital agent site served up six instant quotes – the most of any of the sites we tested – and just three ads, the least we found in our testing.

• Our verdict: Insurify is the best website to compare car insurance

• Insurify is a reputable virtual insurance agent that makes it easy to instantly compare car insurance rates from multiple companies. Insurify provides accurate, real-time quotes. Other comparison sites can provide accurate quotes too, but Insurify delivered the most. And it gave us the option to complete our purchase online.

• The process was fast and simple for our sample driver, and the information prompts were the easiest to follow of any website we tested.

• Insurify is a virtual insurance agent that’s licensed in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The company partners with many well-known insurance companies, including Liberty Mutual, Travelers, Allstate, and Progressive. The company has provided more than 90 million quotes. Users can save up to $717 on annual car insurance premiums when they compare rates through the website, Insurify says.

• Users consistently give Insurify positive reviews for ease of use, customer service, and savings. Insurify partners with more than 100 auto insurance companies, including top-rated national, regional, and ultra-regional insurers, so the company can provide the most real-time quotes. Insurify offers auto, home, renters, life, and bundled insurance.

• High number of insurance company partners

• Produces more accurate, real-time quotes than competitors

• Users can personalize policy details for the best possible policy fit

• Must provide phone number to see quotes

• Insurance company ads on results pages may make users enter their information again 

• Users with traffic incidents on their records may see fewer quotes

• How Insurify works

• Insurify prompts users to provide information like their age, gender, and ZIP code; car year, make and model; and their driving record. You also need to share your current insurance status and pick whether you want to buy liability only or full coverage (comprehensive and collision) insurance.

• Once you’ve completed the process, Insurify shows you quotes from top insurance companies. The site even recommends which offer might be best for you.

• The entire process can take five minutes or less, and Insurify charges no fees of any kind. 

• In most cases, users have the option to complete their purchase online or talk to an agent. Some users may have to speak with an agent to complete their policy purchase.

• How Insurify performs

• Insurify typically returns multiple quotes. Our sample driver’s information got nine offers, including six real-time quotes. It's worth noting that in previous years' testing, Insurify served even more quotes.

• Clicking “View deal” showed us some high-level details of the policy, including coverages, limits, policy length, down payment, and payment schedule. We had the option to finalize our purchase online or by speaking with an agent on the phone.

• Clicking “Get quote” took us to the insurer’s website to complete the quoting and purchase process. Insurify prefilled some of our test driver’s basic information on the insurer’s website.

• 2. Compare.com

• Evelyn Pimplaskar

• Editor-in-Chief, Director of Content, Insurify

• In previous tests, Compare served up five quotes. Even though it only showed us one instant quote this year, that was still more than most of the other sites we tested. Compare moves up to our second place pick (it was third previously) for its ease of use, strong customer data protections, and the ability to finalize a purchase online.

• Our verdict: Among the best

• User reviews indicate Compare.com is an easy-to-use comparison website that provides users with useful quotes. The quotes Compare.com provides are real-time quotes from insurers, not estimated quotes. 

• Like Insurify and The Zebra, Compare.com is free to use and partners with top insurance companies.

• Compare only offers auto insurance, but users will generally see multiple offers at the end of Compare’s quoting process. Compare.com works with more than 75 top insurance companies, according to its website. It partners with major national insurers, including Liberty Mutual, USAA, and Travelers.

• The site claims it saves its users $720 per year on average, and many of its reviews echo that assertion. Compare.com customers generally have positive things to say about their experiences.

• Works with more than 75 top insurers

• Quick and easy online form

• More than 1,000 positive customer reviews with the Better Business Bureau

• Limited options for policy customization

• Fewer returned quotes than competitors

• Some users may not get any quotes

• How Compare.com works

• Like Insurify, Compare.com makes money through commissions its insurance company partners pay when a user buys a policy through Compare.com. The site says it doesn’t sell user information.

• To get a quote from Compare.com, you’ll first provide the standard personal, driving record, and vehicle information. Compare.com adds in a few additional personal questions.

• How Compare.com performs

• Compare has refined its results page to be much more understandable. You can adjust coverage levels on the results page and see updated offers right away.

• Compare only showed us one instant quote, but it was a competitive price. The other two offers were an insurance company and another comparison platform. In both cases, we needed to re-enter information we’d already provided to Compare.

• Quotes show the monthly premium, the total cost over the life of the policy (usually six to 12 months), and how much is due when you buy the policy. If you choose one of the policies Compare.com shows you, the website will transfer your data to the insurance company’s website. You’ll complete your purchase there.

• 3. Policygenius

• Evelyn Pimplaskar

• Editor-in-Chief, Director of Content, Insurify

• While Policygenius didn’t show us any instant quotes, it did provide seven offers – three of which allowed us to view detailed quotes with just one or two more clicks. It was the next best thing to seeing quotes instantly.

• Our verdict: Some good changes

• In past testing, Policygenius showed us estimated quote numbers. This time, its results page didn’t show us any actual numbers, but served up offers from seven insurance companies – and no other comparison sites. Three of the offers allowed us to see actual, detailed quotes with just one or two clicks to the insurer’s website. 

• Overall, it was a faster, easier, and less frustrating experience than some other sites that either referred us to other comparison sites, or required us to re-enter information on an insurance company’s site.

• It’s also worth noting that Policygenius has numerous positive online reviews from users praising the site’s customer service and ease of use when bundling home and car insurance policies.

• Policygenius offers quotes for auto, home, disability, renters, and other types of insurance. Policygenius allows you to compare policies and premiums from multiple companies.

• The website claims to save shoppers an average of $435 per year on auto insurance from “dozens of the nation’s top auto insurance companies.”

• Offers quotes for bundling car and home insurance

• Thousands of positive user reviews on Trustpilot

• Provides access to live customer support

• Limited pool of insurance company partners

• Doesn’t display any real-time quotes

• Application and purchasing process can be comparatively lengthy

• How Policygenius works

• Policygenius is an online insurance broker. It can help users find insurance companies to work with but can’t complete the policy sale — known as “binding” the policy. Like human insurance brokers, Policygenius receives a commission from an insurance company when you buy a policy.

• Policygenius initiates the quoting process by asking for your ZIP code. It then requests information you would need to provide to any company, agent, or broker for a quote.

• But Policygenius asks for your full name and other personal details much sooner in the quoting process than some other sites. The site states that it doesn’t sell your information to third parties. But it offers no assurance that you won’t receive phone calls or emails as a result of sharing your information.

• How Policygenius performs

• At the end of the quote process, Policygenius showed us seven offers instead of estimated quotes. Three of the offers allowed us to see actual quotes by clicking through to the insurer’s website. Clicking on other offers took us to insurer websites, some of which had prefilled the information we’d already shared with Policygenius. 

• Policygenius can’t help you complete a policy purchase, so the time lapse from comparing to buying a policy will largely be up to the insurance company. But the site has agents available to assist shoppers, and many online reviews praise their customer service. 

• 4. The Zebra

• Evelyn Pimplaskar

• Editor-in-Chief, Director of Content, Insurify

• We previously ranked The Zebra as No. 2 on this list, but our recent testing yielded disappointing results with no instant quotes. Insurers’ pullback from advertising and marketplace partnerships is likely a factor.

• Our verdict: Falls short

• The Zebra is a reputable car insurance comparison site, but our most recent experience with it was unexpected. Previously, we received instant quotes from top insurers. In this test, we received four offers instead of instant quotes, and one was for another comparison website.

• The absence of real-time quotes, and some information prompts that require you to scroll through a long list of options to select your response, bumped The Zebra down on our list of best and worst comparison sites for car insurance. 

• Positive user reviews mostly praise the professionalism and helpfulness of The Zebra’s agents. Negative reviews point to a lack of real-time quotes. 

• The Zebra, like Insurify, is completely free to use and isn’t a lead-generation engine.

• The Zebra allows users to compare car insurance quotes from multiple companies for free. The site offers real-time quotes in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., by partnering with more than 30 top insurers. While The Zebra started out offering only car insurance, you can now use the site to compare home, renters, and condo insurance policies too.

• Generally, The Zebra has more positive reviews than negative ones on sites like Trustpilot. But many negative reviews – especially recent ones – tend to follow common themes. Users dislike the need to go to a different website to finalize a purchase and report receiving annoying spam calls.

• Helpful agents

• Partners with reputable, well-known insurers

• Doesn’t require a phone number to get quotes

• You may not get any real-time quotes

• Users can’t complete a purchase on the site

• Users must re-apply for a policy on the insurer’s website

• How The Zebra works

• The Zebra quoting process begins with users entering their ZIP code. Then, the site prompts you to add your birthdate, insurance history, driving record, marital status, and other personal information. You’ll also need to provide your vehicle make and model and the type of coverage you want to buy.

• The site gives you the option to create an account and save your information for easier access in the future.

• According to The Zebra, the company has provided more than 18 million quotes and can help users “save hundreds every year.”

• How The Zebra performs

• The Zebra delivered just four offers but no instant quotes in our test. One offer was to another comparison website. Still, the auto insurance companies offered were reputable and well-known names. 

• After you choose a car insurance company, you must click through to the company website to finish your purchase. In some cases, The Zebra transfers the information you already provided to prefill some of the data that the company needs to finalize your quote and policy. But some users may have to re-enter information on the insurer website to get an actual quote.

• 5. Gabi

• Evelyn Pimplaskar

• Editor-in-Chief, Director of Content, Insurify

• Not only did Gabi not show us an actual quote, it required a phone number for a verification code just to see our one and only offer.

• Gabi has some positive reviews, but many users report unsatisfactory outcomes. Even some who ultimately purchased a policy through a Gabi expressed dissatisfaction. 

• Gabi doesn’t collect all the information needed to generate an accurate quote, so it’s difficult to know if you’ll get one, multiple, or any quotes. And the insurer you choose may ultimately provide a different quote when you’re ready to buy a policy.

• Gabi also shares your information with its parent company, Experian. In less than 20 minutes after using the site, we received two text messages — one from an agent with Gabi, and one from an Experian agent.

• Gabi is an online auto and home insurance broker in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Gabi also sells renters, condo, umbrella, and landlord insurance. The company works with more than 40 insurers, such as Travelers, Safeco, Clearcover, and Nationwide. 

• Gabi makes money through commissions from its partner companies when you buy a policy through its quote engine. 

• Partners with well-known national insurance companies

• Can capture your information from your current insurance policy

• Offers quotes for multiple types of insurance

• Some users may not get many quotes — or any at all

• Gabi quotes may differ from what the insurers offer

• Many negative customer reviews

• How Gabi works

• Gabi requires users to verify their identity by providing a phone number before beginning the quote process. Gabi then sends a verification code to your phone. After you verify your identity, Gabi will request personal, vehicle, and policy limit information.

• You can upload a PDF of your current car insurance policy’s declarations page, and Gabi uses the information on the page to match its quotes to your coverage needs.

• However, because Gabi is an online broker, it doesn’t offer any real-time quotes, and it can’t help you buy a policy online. Rather, Gabi uses the information you provide to vet insurers that might be willing to sell you a policy.

• To get a quote and complete a purchase, you’ll have to connect with an agent via email or phone.

• How Gabi performs

• To get exactly the coverage you want, you may have to opt out of some additional coverages that Gabi adds by default. We had to reject uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and towing. 

• Gabi returned just one quote for our sample driver. Although it was from a well-rated insurance company, the monthly price was more than double the highest quotes we found elsewhere. What’s more, the site immediately sent a text message to the cell phone number we provided.

• Gabi’s users report various outcomes. For example, Gabi may show you only one quote or several quotes. Or the site may refer you to other quoting websites, such as Insurify, to get a quote. 

• If you do receive an actual quote, you may have to complete the quoting and purchasing process on the insurer’s website. And the quote you receive from Gabi may differ from the final quote the insurance company provides.

• 6. Trusted Choice

• Evelyn Pimplaskar

• Editor-in-Chief, Director of Content, Insurify

• With the other sites on this list, we went through the entire process to see how many results our driver profile would get. But to get agent recommendations from Trusted Choice, you have to provide a phone number and email address – and risk getting spammed.

• Our verdict: Agent shopping, not quote comparison

• If you prefer to work with an insurance agent for your shopping needs, Trusted Choice is a good option for finding one. With a network of more than 250,000 agents to choose from, you stand a good chance of finding at least one you like.

• But you’ll have to wait for that agent to get you quotes and bind the policy. And you’ll need to opt out of information sharing if you want to avoid possible spam emails or calls.

• Trusted Choice is a digital insurance marketing platform. It connects users with local, independent insurance agents. The site says it works with more than 250,000 independent insurance agents and 52 companies. Its partners sell car, home, life, business, and other types of insurance.

• Trusted Choice says it’s connected more than 36 million shoppers with independent insurance agents.

• Large, nationwide network of independent agents

• Agent partners work with many national and regional insurers

• Largely positive reviews on Trustpilot

• No real-time quotes

• Provided quote is an estimate

• Agents pay to participate

• How Trusted Choice works

• Trusted Choice first asks what type of insurance you’re shopping for. Auto, home, renters, condo, umbrella, mobile home, RV/motor home, ATV, and more are available. You can select up to three types of coverage for quotes, and bundling policies may result in savings.

• The site uses the information you provide to match you with an independent insurance agent in its network. You can choose up to three of the recommended agents, and they shop insurance policies for you.

• After receiving quotes from the agents, you can review the quotes, then select the agent and policy you want.

• How Trusted Choice performs

• Trusted Choice is an agent-shopping platform and not a true quote-comparison site. The site’s number of partner agents and available insurers is impressive. But it won’t show you any real-time car insurance quotes. You’ll have to interact with one or more of the site’s recommended agents to get quotes.

• And the site states it can share your information with its insurance marketing partners unless you specifically tell it not to.

• 7. Coverage.com

• Evelyn Pimplaskar

• Editor-in-Chief, Director of Content, Insurify

• Coverage.com is Bankrate’s insurance partner – Bankrate doesn’t actually sell any insurance. So rather than review and rank another non-insurance website, we cut out the middleman and looked directly at Coverage.com.

• Our verdict: High risk of spam

• Seeking a quote directly through Coverage.com was notably faster than going through its sister site Bankrate. Going through Bankrate requires you to track down its insurance product, provide a ZIP code, and click through to Coverage.com where you’ll have to re-enter your ZIP and provide additional information.

• Because it’s part of Red Ventures, Coverage.com may share your information with its sister websites – which could result in unwanted emails for financial products you weren’t shopping for.

• It’s difficult to find much history about Coverage.com online. The site discloses on its “About” page that media giant Red Ventures owns it as well as Bankrate and other financial services websites.

• Coverage.com is an online agency licensed to sell car insurance in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The site says it makes money through insurer commissions and advertising, and that paid affiliations may affect the order in which Coverage.com displays products.

• Simple, clear questions to collect your information

• Access to live agents

• Some users may see instant quotes

• High probability your information will be shared

• High risk of spam

• Few online reviews or company history

• How Coverage.com works

• Like other comparison sites, Coverage.com asks users to provide basic information needed to generate a quote, such as ZIP code, age, and gender. Coverage.com also asks for the user’s email address, and automatically checks an acknowledgement box to receive marketing emails and offers – if you don’t want to receive them, you’ll have to uncheck the box.

• The site may serve users with both offers and instant quotes. Offers that don’t show actual quotes may also have notations on how many more clicks you’ll have to go through to get a quote. These click estimates weren’t accurate for the offers we saw.

• How Coverage.com performs

• Coverage.com did a credible job of gathering our profile driver’s information and showing us a blend of offers and instant quotes. The quote prices were competitive when compared to estimates we received through competitor sites.

• We also liked that throughout the quoting process, Coverage.com provides users with multiple opportunities to schedule a call back from a live agent. That said, you won’t be able to complete your purchase online through Coverage.com. And since the site is owned by a large media company with multiple financial brands, using Coverage.com could mean you get spam emails for financial products you’re not shopping for.

• 8. QuoteWizard

• Evelyn Pimplaskar

• Editor-in-Chief, Director of Content, Insurify

• QuoteWizard showed us a lot of offers, but only two were from actual insurance companies. For those results, clicking through on “View My Rate” did show us actual quotes. But we’d rather have fewer, higher-quality results, than multiple “quotes” from other comparison sites.

• Our verdict: High risk of spam

• As a lead-generation site, QuoteWizard sells users’ information to insurance agents. Multiple reviewers on the Better Business Bureau website report spam calls and emails after using QuoteWizard. 

• In fact, the company’s BBB customer review rating is just one star. User reviews are also largely negative on Trustpilot, where QuoteWizard has just 1.8 stars.

• A LendingTree company, QuoteWizard is a lead-generation site. It collects user information to match buyers to local agents. By filling out a single form, online shoppers can get connected to agents who will help them obtain three to four quotes. Agents pay a fee to participate in the network and receive the leads that QuoteWizard generates.

• QuoteWizard says it’s connected more than 50 million people to agents.

• Homeowners can request a quote for bundling home and auto coverage

• Option to speak with an agent

• No real-time quotes

• A lead generation site — you may get multiple unsolicited calls and emails

• How QuoteWizard works

• To request a quote, you provide standard information like your ZIP code; vehicle year, make, and model; name and phone number; and the address where you park the vehicle. After you complete the process, QuoteWizard will return just a few results.

• Clicking on “View My Rate” takes you to the insurance company’s website, where you’ll have to provide more information to verify your identity before you can see the quote.

• How QuoteWizard performs

• QuoteWizard is a lead-generation service for insurance agents. It doesn’t show any real quotes at the end of its quote-requesting process. Instead, the site will direct you to insurance company sites. It may even point you to another comparison website.

• Agents pay a fee to participate in QuoteWizard’s network. The site bases matches on filters and territories rather than an agent’s qualifications or quality.

• 9. ValuePenguin

• Evelyn Pimplaskar

• Editor-in-Chief, Director of Content, Insurify

• Testing ValuePenguin was like deja vu all over again, since LendingTree owns both ValuePenguin and QuoteWizard. The quoting process and results were virtually the same, and it’s not clear why a user would choose one over the other.

• Our verdict: High risk of spam

• Like QuoteWizard, ValuePenguin makes money, in part, by selling user information as leads to car insurance agents. Many ValuePenguin users report online that they received unwanted phone calls but no actual quotes. 

• The site does have a respectable library of educational articles. But the high risk of spam and lack of actual quotes may inspire you to comparison shop elsewhere.

• ValuePenguin is a lead-generation site that claims it saves users an average of $1,092 per year by comparing quotes. Visitors to the site have the option of starting the process online or getting a quote by phone from agents who are available 24/7.

• ValuePenguin clearly states in its terms of use that users will receive phone calls or text messages “including for marketing purposes.”

• 24/7 access to agents

• Choose your coverage level before starting the quote process

• Doesn’t deliver any real-time quotes

• May result in spam calls, text messages, or emails

• How ValuePenguin works

• LendingTree also owns QuoteWizard, which may explain why its quote process looks like ValuePenguin’s. However, ValuePenguin offers users a faster start. You only have to enter your ZIP code and age and whether you currently have insurance to get started. The site then collects some of the standard information for a quote.

• Like QuoteWizard, ValuePenguin may return multiple results, but few are likely to be from insurers. Results from our sample driver profile were mostly ads for other comparison sites. Clicking on insurance companies in the results page navigates you to the insurer’s website. There, you’ll need to enter more information to complete the process.

• How ValuePenguin Performs

• Searching on ValuePenguin won’t yield any real-time quotes. Instead, the site sends you to other websites to continue or complete the process. It may even recommend another lead-generation site. You may navigate through multiple sites — and enter your information many times — without actually getting a quote.

• 10. NerdWallet

• Evelyn Pimplaskar

• Editor-in-Chief, Director of Content, Insurify

• Nerdwallet is a great resource for personal finance education. But the best thing we can say about its insurance product is that Nerdwallet is upfront that you’ll get emails and texts for marketing purposes from them, their partners, and third parties.

• Our verdict: High risk of spam

• Completing the quote process on NerdWallet won’t get you any real-time quotes. Instead, the platform channels users to insurer websites to complete the quoting process. 

• NerdWallet’s terms of service say using its platform means you authorize the site to share your information with third parties “at your sole risk.” Many Trustpilot and BBB reviewers report multiple unwanted phone calls after requesting insurance or loan quotes through NerdWallet.

• And it’s worth noting in the days after using NerdWallet, the email address we provided received dozens of emails from the website and its partners.

• NerdWallet started out in 2009 as a credit card comparison platform and source for personal finance information. It now offers insurance, banking, travel, small business, personal loans, mortgages, student loans, and investing products. It also has a robust library of educational articles, tools, and guides.

• NerdWallet isn’t a digital insurance agent or broker. It uses your information to match you with its insurance partners. Those partners include one national insurance company and two marketing companies.

• Numerous personal finance tools and products

• Helpful editorial content and calculators

• Free to use

• No real-time car insurance quotes

• Many negative user reviews online

• Users may experience spam calls

• How NerdWallet works

• You’ll have to track down NerdWallet’s insurance product if you want to get a quote. Unlike other insurance comparison sites, NerdWallet’s quoting engine can’t be accessed from the site’s home page. You’ll have to click multiple times to find a page that will let you start the quoting process.

• NerdWallet’s car insurance quote process starts just like many others — with your ZIP code. As you add information like your vehicle’s make and model, your age, and your driving record, the site will show you preliminary matches. 

• Just before the end of the process, NerdWallet provides the opportunity to create an account. Opening an account allows you to take full advantage of the site’s many calculators, tools, and educational articles.

• How NerdWallet performs

• At the end of NerdWallet’s quote process, you won’t receive any real-time quotes.

• The site showed just two options for our test driver – Experian and Root Insurance. Experian is a national credit bureau, not an insurance company.  For both results, we had to click through to another website and either re-enter information or confirm information we’d already provided to NerdWallet.  

• Get Personalized Car Insurance Quotes in Minutes

• Comparison shop quickly and securely. Rack up savings, not spam emails

• Best apps to compare car insurance quotes

• Many car insurance companies provide quotes for their own policies through their mobile apps. But you’ll find far fewer apps for comparing quotes among multiple insurers. In fact, Insurify found just four — one of which launched just a month ago and had only about 1,000 downloads.

• Surprisingly, some of the best websites for comparing car insurance quotes don’t have mobile apps. We couldn’t find apps for The Zebra or Compare.com. Let’s take a look at three Insurify did find: Jerry, Insurify, and NerdWallet.

• To evaluate car insurance comparison apps, we downloaded the mobile apps reviewed here. We considered availability on Google Play and the Apple App Store, number of downloads, number of positive and negative reviews, and star ratings from reviewers. We also experimented with the apps for ease of use and end results (if the apps produced any real-time quotes and, if so, how many).

• 1. Jerry

• While Jerry’s desktop comparison tool didn’t make Insurify’s list of best insurance-comparison sites, its app deserves a look. On Google Play, it has more than 1 million user downloads and a 4.2-star rating from 9,000 user reviews.

• While the Jerry app may not show you many quotes from well-known companies, its quoting process is smooth and easy. The ability to store digital insurance cards in the app is a plus. As long as you have the Jerry app on your phone, and your phone with you, you’ll always have proof of insurance.

• How the Jerry app works

• After downloading the Jerry app, you’ll find the sign-up process is relatively painless. You enter information about your car insurance and claims history, name, and other information. You’ll also need to provide a valid phone number so Jerry can send you a PIN to authorize and complete the sign-up process.

• The app can analyze your existing policy and send you a text message if it finds a better, cheaper option. The app typically displays a few policy options and may include national companies, like GEICO and Progressive. 

• After you’ve bought a policy through Jerry, you’ll be able to store your digital insurance cards in the app.

• 2. Insurify

• Insurify’s robust comparison app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. It has 4.4 stars and 29 ratings in the App Store, and more than 10,000 downloads and 4 stars on Google Play. The app allows users to see custom, real-time quotes. It also contains advertising.

• If you already know what types and levels of coverage you want, the Insurify app is a fast way to compare quotes and buy coverage with your smartphone. You’ll get multiple real-time quotes and can complete your purchase in the app.

• However, the app lacks educational content and only gives users two options: Get a quote or call an agent. But if you’re unsure how much car insurance you need, Insurify’s desktop experience provides calculators and educational articles.

• How the Insurify app works

• After downloading the app, you’ll complete a short form with basic information to generate a quote. The app provides a list of customized car insurance quotes from multiple insurance companies.

• You can set your desired coverage limits to meet or exceed your state’s minimum insurance requirements. You can also compare available deals, and secure coverage, all within the app.

• The Insurify app allows you to complete your shopping experience entirely within the app. Or, you can get phone help from a licensed Insurify insurance agent.

• 3. NerdWallet

• Available through Google Play and the Apple App Store, NerdWallet’s app allows you to create a new account or access your existing NerdWallet account. The app has more than 1 million downloads on Google Play, 24,000 reviews, and a 4.7-star user rating.

• Just as with the desktop experience, shopping for car insurance on the NerdWallet mobile app won’t produce any real-time quotes. But it could leave you exposed to spam. However, the app’s financial tools and educational content can be helpful for managing your money.

• How the NerdWallet app works

• After downloading the NerdWallet app, you’ll have the option to log into your existing account or create a new one. After you log in, the app gives you multiple options for linking your financial accounts to the app to manage them in one place.

• The app also has a marketplace option, and that’s where you’ll find its insurance-shopping experience. However, clicking on the car insurance tile launches NerdWallet’s mobile browsing page for car insurance comparison.

• Estimate your car insurance costs

• *Estimate based on a market average of rates provided to other users like you.

• I’m a good driver

• I’m a homeowner

• I’m married

• I have multiple cars

• Why it’s more important than ever to compare car insurance quotes

• If it seems like you’re paying more for car insurance now, you’re not imagining it. Auto insurance rates rose 24% in 2023, according to an Insurify report. And they're likely to increase another 7% in 2024, Insurify's data analysts predict.

• Several inflation- and climate change-related factors are driving the increase, including:

• Higher labor costs for repairs

• Increasing cost of auto body and mechanical parts

• Rising costs for new vehicles

• Surging insurer losses due to climate-driven natural disasters

• Nearly 62% of Americans reported their car insurance rates increased in 2023, an Insurify poll revealed. ADrivers tried to cut costs with tactics like raising their deductibles (12.76%), lowering coverage limits (12.31%), or dropping full coverage (5.31%). A concerning 2.87% even canceled all their car insurance, despite the fact that 49 states and Washington, D.C. require drivers to have at least a minimum amount of liability coverage.

• Just 10.29% switched insurers. Of all these tactics, switching to a new company after comparing quotes from multiple insurers is the least financially risky.

• With car insurance rates unlikely to fall any time soon, comparing quotes from multiple insurers is more important than ever.

• Here’s how average car insurance rates vary by state.

• Tips for successful online comparison shopping

• Whether you need full-coverage car insurance or liability-only coverage, comparison shopping is the best way to find an affordable policy. Here are some tips to help make online comparison shopping easier:

• Prepare. Gather the basic information you’ll need to get an auto insurance quote, including driver’s license numbers for everyone who will be on the policy, vehicle identification numbers for every vehicle you want covered, and your previous policy coverage limits.

• Decide how much coverage you need. If you lease or finance your car, you’ll need to buy comprehensive and collision coverages. If you have an older, paid-off vehicle, you might choose liability-only coverage. But keep in mind insurance professionals recommend buying more than your state’s required minimum. Higher liability insurance limits provide more financial protection in case of an at-fault accident.

• Choose a reputable comparison platform. Look for options that provide real-time quotes and don’t sell your data. Avoid lead-generation sites that could result in spam calls, emails, or text messages.

• Explore discounts. Most insurers offer discounts for things like being a good driver, paying your premium in full, and vehicle safety features. Teen drivers may benefit from discounts for good grades. You may qualify for multiple money-saving discounts.

• Manage your payments. Most insurers require a down payment to initiate a car insurance policy. Be prepared to make that payment, and either pay the balance in full if you can or set up a monthly or quarterly payment plan.

• New cars are generally more expensive to insure than older cars because they have higher values and repair costs. Teens drivers, those younger than 25, and drivers with speeding tickets, DUIs, and other infractions on their driving records also tend to pay higher rates.

• Factors that affect car insurance rates

• Car insurance is a legal requirement in nearly every state. Insurance companies consider many factors when providing your car insurance quotes. Some are within your control, while others aren’t. Here are some key factors that influence car insurance rates:

• Location: Where you live tells an insurer a lot about the risks your car may face. Severe weather, high accident rates, or high numbers of vehicle thefts are tied to location.

• Age: Teens and young drivers under 25 typically pay higher car insurance rates. Their relative lack of driving experience and high rates of traffic accidents make them riskier to insure. Rates drop after age 25 but can begin to increase again in your senior years as eyesight and reaction times decline.

• Gender: Statistically, men get into more car crashes — and more serious crashes — than women. Insurance companies typically charge women lower rates than men.

• Vehicle: Vehicle-specific factors, like make and model, age, and safety features, all affect car insurance costs.

• Driving history: Drivers with car accidents, speeding, or other violations on their motor vehicle records pose higher claim risks to insurers.[1] If you have a clean driving record, you’re likely to qualify for lower car insurance rates.

• Coverage options: Liability-only coverage, also known as minimum coverage, is the cheapest insurance you can buy, while full coverage tends to cost more.

• Miles driven per year: The more miles you drive in a year, the greater your risk of getting into an accident. Drivers who log fewer miles generally get better rates. In fact, the concept of pay-per-mile car insurance stems from the idea that motorists who drive less should pay less for car insurance than those who drive more.

• Type of car: The more expensive it is to repair or replace a vehicle, the higher your insurance premiums are likely to be. For example, a luxury vehicle will cost more to insure than a modest model. But cars with anti-theft devices and other built-in security features may cost less to insure.[2]

• Credit history: Many states allow insurance companies to consider credit history in rating decisions. This is known as credit-based insurance scoring. If you live in one of these states, maintaining a good credit score could help you get the best car insurance rates available to you.

• Compare Car Insurance Rates from Top Companies

• See quotes from 100+ insurance companies and save up to $717 annually

• Car insurance comparison site FAQs

• Many sites to compare car insurance promise to find you the best rates for car insurance coverage. Comparison sites can make shopping for auto coverage fast and easy, but none can guarantee you’ll get the best deal available to you. It’s important to find the comparison site that’s best for you. Here’s some additional information on how car insurance comparison sites work.

• Why should you use car insurance comparison sites?

• While you may want to think twice before using a lead-generation site, car insurance search engines can help you compare policies side by side and customize your coverage. They can also provide expert advice on how to lower your car insurance costs.

• What are the best car insurance comparison sites?

• Insurify, Compare.com, and Policygenius are the best websites for comparing car insurance rates. Insurify and Compare show instant quotes and both sites allow users to complete their purchases online or with an agent. While Policygenius may not show instant quotes for all users, clicking on an offer from an insurance company may show an actual quote on the insurer’s site.

• Lead generation sites like ValuePenguin and NerdWallet don’t display any real-time quotes, and could lead to unwanted emails or phone calls.

• How many car insurance quotes should you get?

• Get at least three car insurance quotes before buying a policy. This helps ensure you find a good deal and gives you a better idea of policy perks that different companies offer. An insurance-comparison site can help you save time by showing you real-time, accurate quotes from a number of insurers.

• Who has the cheapest car insurance?

• COUNTRY Financial, NJM, and Auto-Owners are the cheapest national car insurance companies for liability coverage, according to Insurify data. But the cheapest option for you depends on many factors, including your driving record, age, gender, and where you live. For example, you may live in an area where a regional insurance company offers cheaper rates than national insurers.

• What are the best car insurance companies?

• State Farm is the best overall car insurance company for low prices and good customer service, according to Insurify data. The national insurer leads with its competitive rates and high customer satisfaction. It’s also the largest U.S. car insurance company by market share. USAA is also a top car insurance company, providing low rates and good customer service – but you’ll have to be active-duty military, a veteran, or a family member to qualify for coverage through USAA.

• How can you cut car insurance costs?

• Comparison shopping is the best way to reduce your car insurance costs, as it can help you find the lowest rates and the best coverages for your needs. You can also trim car insurance costs by maintaining a clean driving record, choosing a vehicle that’s less expensive to insure, and opting for a higher deductible if you have full-coverage insurance.

• If you don’t drive much, choosing a pay-per-mile insurer, like Mile Auto, or an on-demand company, like Hugo, could help reduce your car insurance costs.

• Sources

• Evelyn Pimplaskar is Insurify’s director of content. With 30-plus years in content creation – including 10 years specializing in personal finance – Evelyn’s done everything from covering volatile local elections as a beat reporter to building fintech content libraries from the ground up.

• Before joining Insurify, she was editor-in-chief at Credible, where she launched and developed the lending marketplace’s media partnership’s content initiative and managed the restructuring of the editorial team to enhance content production efficiency. Formerly, as tax editor for Credit Karma, Evelyn built a library of more than 300 educational articles on federal and state taxes, achieving triple-digit year-over-year growth in e-files from organic search.

• Her early career included work as a content marketer, vice president and managing officer of a boutique public relations agency, chief copy editor for 14 weekly Forbes publications, reporting for large and mid-sized daily newspapers, and freelancing for the Associated Press.

• Evelyn is passionate about creating personal finance content that distills complex topics into relatable, easy-to-understand stories. She believes great content helps empower readers with the information they need to make important personal finance decisions.

• 3+ years producing insurance and personal finance content

• Main architect of the Insurify Quality Score

• Courtney’s deep personal finance knowledge extends beyond insurance to credit cards, consumer lending, and banking. She thrives on creating actionable content.

• Read Editorial Guidelines

• Featured in

• Corporate communications director for Insurance Information Institute

• 20+ years in insurance and communications

• As Director, Corporate Communications for Triple-I, Mark serves as the non-profit’s national spokesperson, sharing information and education on a wide array of insurance issues.

• Read Editorial Guidelines

• 7+ years experience in data analysis

• Ph.D. in Computational Biology

• Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

• Read Editorial Guidelines

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