The 5 Best And Worst Car Insurance Companies As Rated By Consumers

Every year, J.D. Power and Associates ranks consumer satisfaction across a variety of industries and services using information gathered through surveys, and one of their areas of expertise is the automotive world.

Their list is acclaimed for its accuracy and respectability.

They recently released their annual ratings of auto insurance providers determined by customer satisfaction. This year, the results are listed in a different format than what we are used to seeing.

Instead of listing a comprehensive countrywide findings, for 2016 J.D. Power and Associates broke down the Best and Worst Car Insurance Companies by region.

Let’s take a look at each region’s Top 5 Best and Top 5 Worst Car Insurance Companies.

If you’re with one of the companies that topped the list, congratulations; if you’re with one that’s lower down, it might be time to get a car insurance rate quote.

Take a look and see where you wind up!

The Best Auto Insurance Companies

California Region:

1. Ameriprise
2. Wawanesa
3. Auto Club of Southern California Insurance Group
4. State Farm
5. The Hartford

Central Region:

1. Shelter
2. The Hartford
3. State Farm
4. Safeco Insurance
5. American Family

Florida Region:

1. The Hartford
2. GEICO
3. Liberty Mutual
4. Metlife Insurance Co.
5. Progressive

Mid-Atlantic Region:

1. Erie Insurance Company
2. The Hartford
3. Allstate
4. Nationwide
5. Plymouth Rock Assurance

New England Region:

1. Amica Mutual
2. Allstate
3. Nationwide
4. GEICO
5. Progressive

New York Region:

1. GEICO
2. State Farm
3. Nationwide
4. Allstate
5. Metlife Insurance Co.

North Central Region:

1. Auto-Owners Insurance
2. COUNTRY Financial
3. The Hartford
4. State Farm
5. Erie Insurance Company

Northwest Region:

1. PEMCO Insurance
2. The Hartford
3. GEICO
4. Progressive
5. State Farm

Southeast Region:

1. Farm Bureau Insurance – Tennessee
2. Alfa Insurance
3. Kentucky Farm Bureau
4. Auto-Owners Insurance
5. GEICO

Southwest Region:

1. The Hartford
2. American Family
3. Liberty Mutual
4. State Farm
5. GEICO

Texas Region:

1. Texas Farm Bureau
2. Allstate
3. State Farm
4. Farmers
5. Progressive

The Worst Auto Insurance Companies

California Region:

1. Mercury
2. Esurance
3. Safeco Insurance
4. Farmers
5. Liberty Mutual

Central Region:

1. Nationwide
2. Farm Bureau Mutual
3. Allstate
4. Farmers
5. Travelers

Florida Region:

1. 21st Century
2. Nationwide
3. Safeco Insurance
4. Auto-Owners Insurance
5. Travelers

Mid-Atlantic Region:

1. Liberty Mutual
2. 21st Century
3. Progressive
4. Travelers
5. GEICO

New England Region: 

1. The Hanover
2. Safeco Insurance
3. MetLife Insurance Co.
4. MAPFRE Insurance
5. Arbella

New York Region:

1. Liberty Mutual
2. Progressive
3. The Hartford
4. Travelers
5. MetLife Insurance Co.

North Central Region:

1. Esurance
2. Safeco Insurance
3. The Hanover
4. MetLife Insurance Co.
5. Progressive

Northwest Region:

1. Nationwide
2. Safeco Insurance
3. Allstate
4. Liberty Mutual
5. American Family

Southeast Region:

1. Safeco Insurance
2. Travelers
3. Liberty Mutual
4. MetLife Insurance Co.
5. Progressive

Southwest Region:

1. CSAA Insurance Group
2. Farmers
3. Progressive
4. Allstate
5. Safeco Insurance

Texas Region:

1. Nationwide
2. Liberty Mutual
3. GEICO
4. Auto Club of Southern CA Insurance Group
5. Progressive

So what does all this mean? Well, it’s important to remember that customer satisfaction is a helpful way to gauge the quality of an insurance company, but the rankings leave out something important: price.

You might be able to find a lower cost auto insurance policy with your current company than with one of those at the top of the list. And if cost is your ultimate decider, then that will guide your decision. However, the intangibles that lead to customer satisfaction — kindness, responsiveness, willingness to go the extra mile for the consumer — have a way of balancing out pure price, or at least putting it in perspective.

When you shop around for quotes, use this list as a guide and try to find the most affordable insurance at the most-loved company. You might wind up paying a higher premium than you would elsewhere, but the gains in customer satisfaction and peace of mind will be worth it.