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J.J. Starr is an insurance and personal finance expert who has been writing for Compare.com since 2022. Her work has been published across the web, appearing on sites such as Insurify.
Prior to writing for Compare.com, J.J. was a registered banker and life insurance consultant, holding a Series 6, FINRA, and life insurance license. She also earned a master’s degree in writing from New York University.
J.J. has a passion for helping people save money by explaining complex topics like car insurance in a way that is simple and easy to understand.
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Nick Versaw leads Compare.com's editorial department, where he and his team specialize in crafting helpful, easy-to-understand content about car insurance and other related topics. With nearly a decade of experience writing and editing insurance and personal finance articles, his work has helped readers discover substantial savings on necessary expenses, including insurance, transportation, health care, and more. As an award-winning writer, Nick has seen his work published in countless renowned publications, such as the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and U.S. News & World Report. He graduated with Latin honors from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Digital Journalism.
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At Compare.com, it’s our mission to give you the tools to find the best (and most affordable) insurance for your unique needs and budget. We strive to provide information that’s helpful, clear, and unbiased, and we believe that comparing insurance companies should never put you at risk of spam. Our editorial team — which is made up of experienced writers, editors, insurance agents, and data analysts — has spent thousands of hours researching and creating the coverage overviews, side-by-side comparisons, and detailed reviews you see across our site.
While we make money through partnerships with some of the brands we discuss in our articles, our editorial team operates 100% independently, and these partners never influence or affect the topics, reviews, ratings, or recommendations we provide. We never guarantee favorable reviews or mentions in exchange for compensation from any brands or partners, and we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure our content is always independent, truthful, and unbiased.
Elephant Insurance Company is noteworthy for its technology-centered approach and competitive pricing. The company offers a broad discount program, including multi-car, safe driver, and pay-in-full discounts. Standout features include its robust online quoting, buying, and management process, plus rare coverage options, like upgraded accident forgiveness, diminishing deductibles, pet injury coverage, and the YourMechanic program, which connects you with qualified mechanics willing to make home visits.
These benefits make Elephant Insurance a compelling choice for cost-conscious drivers seeking high-end coverage. Read on to learn more about how Elephant fares among real-life customers and how it compares to the best in the business.
Short answer — yes, Elephant can be a solid choice for many drivers. The company excels in terms of cost and ease of use — which should be expected of a technological leader. But the company falls behind in customer satisfaction.
We’ve summarized Elephant’s performance across five key metrics in the table below.
Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Cost | 4.7/5 |
| Customer satisfaction | 1/5 |
| Ease of use | 3.6/5 |
| Availability | 3.3/5 |
| Industry reputation | 3/5 |
| Overall Score* | 3.36/5 |
Elephant Insurance offers an excellent online buying process and several additional insurance products (including legal assistance coverage) to help you get fully insured at a reasonable price. Costs are also lower than average in every state the company operates in.
Despite relatively positive online reviews, the company has earned more customer complaints than other insurers of a similar size, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Without additional evaluation from industry standards like J.D. Power, it’s somewhat difficult to know how the company’s customer service truly stacks up.
Unlike many competitors, Elephant doesn’t offer 24/7 customer or claims service. Instead, the company relies on its website and mobile tools to service customers. Despite this, online customer reviews of Elephant are generally favorable. The company earns high marks from Trustpilot reviewers and from users on other online spaces, including Reddit.
Positive reviews tend to discuss an easy online buying process, low prices, and a responsive customer service team.
Those themes dominate both of the below five-star reviews.
“Signing up was fast, easy, and straightforward. I had a little issue with starting my policy, but I was able to get a representative on the phone live immediately. It was a minor error on my end but easily corrected and [my] policy started 30 seconds later. Highly recommend, got a better price than my last company and more coverage.”
-Trustpilot reviewer, May 27, 2024
“Being able to use chat to get a quote and issue a policy was very convenient. I didn’t have a lot of time but still had to work. I wasn’t able to actually talk on the phone while working so the chat option was a lifesaver! And not to mention the rate was lower than the competition.”
-Trustpilot reviewer, May 28, 2024
But not every reviewer is happy, especially the ones on Yelp and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The main issue I found was around issues with billing and fees.
“I was given a fee after canceling my services, because I did not want to leave my card on file. My bill was up-to-date, and yet because I did not feel comfortable with my card being on their files after my service was ended, I was told I get a fee because I don’t want to leave my card on file so, in other words, in case of fee is incurred, which legally I should be allowed 30 days to pay.I received a fee because they didn’t want to allow me those 30 days to pay. Keep in mind, I was not behind, nor have I ever paid late and have been with Elephant for years. So this was [a] little disheartening to say the least. In the future, I will not be using their service.”
-BBB reviewer, April 2, 2024
Customers appear generally happy with Elephant, but you’re probably wondering how the company fares as far as pricing.
Here’s Elephant’s average monthly cost of two of the most popular types of car insurance policies — liability and full coverage.
Liability Only | Full Coverage |
|---|---|
$100 | $171 |
Liability-only policies cover injuries, property damage, and anything else your state requires to legally drive. On the other hand, full coverage typically includes collision and comprehensive coverage in addition to liability.
Elephant’s rates hover around the industry average — $92 per month for liability insurance and $176 for full coverage. That said, broad averages aren’t the best indicator of what you’ll pay since many factors affect your personal car insurance premiums.
We’ll cover Elephant’s average rates for a few of the most significant factors later in this article.
While Elephant fares pretty well compared to the national average auto insurance rates, several of its competitors offer even lower premiums, as shown in the table below.
Company | Compare.com Rating | Average Monthly Rate | Average Monthly Savings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elephant | 3.36/5 | $136 | -$1 |
| Erie | 4.75/5 | $79 | $56 |
| GEICO | 4.65/5 | $88 | $47 |
| Progressive | 4.73/5 | $119 | $16 |
| State Farm | 4.90/5 | $85 | $50 |
Competitors also outperform Elephant in terms of customer service, availability, and claims management. GEICO, Progressive, and State Farm offer functionally similar but better-designed mobile apps and websites. And Erie offers a similar level of coverage options and policy perks.
But keep in mind that these averages don’t tell the whole story. Just because a competitor is generally cheaper doesn’t mean it will be cheaper for you. The best way to find out is to compare personalized quotes from as many insurers as possible.
Several factors affect your car insurance costs, especially your driving record and credit history. The table below shows how those factors affect rates at Elephant and how its average costs compare to the national average.
Driver Type | Elephant Average Monthly Rate | National Average Monthly Rate | Average Monthly Savings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean driving record, good credit | $141 | $138 | -$3 |
| Clean driving record, poor credit | $163 | $162 | -$1 |
| Recent speeding ticket, good credit | $159 | $171 | $12 |
| Recent at-fault accident, good credit | $171 | $181 | $10 |
| Recent DUI, good credit | $211 | $203 | -$8 |
Average rates for drivers with clean records and various credit scores are about average at Elephant Insurance compared to national costs. Drivers with a speeding ticket or at-fault accident can also save money with Elephant, while drivers with DUIs will likely pay more.
But driving history isn’t the only major factor that influences your rate. Let’s look at the other significant influences in the next few sections.
Your age also has a significant effect on car insurance rates. Young drivers — especially teens — pay more than other age groups because they’re statistically more likely to cause a serious car accident, according to research from the AAA Foundation. Senior drivers cause fewer accidents, which earns them some of the best rates available, on average.
The table below illustrates how age affects Elephant’s premiums.
Age Group | Elephant Average Monthly Rate | National Average | Average Monthly Savings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teens | $208 | $232 | $24 |
| 20s | $152 | $156 | $4 |
| 30s | $129 | $124 | -$5 |
| 40s | $121 | $117 | -$4 |
| 50s | $111 | $104 | -$7 |
| 60s | $102 | $99 | -$3 |
| 70s | $110 | $103 | -$7 |
Teens stand to save the most with Elephant, followed by drivers in their 20s. This is significant because rates are often frustratingly high for these groups. They’ll also be able to access student-based discounts and other savings opportunities that young drivers with other companies might not enjoy.
Older drivers tend to pay a little more than the national average with Elephant, while drivers in their 50s and 70s pay the most compared to the national average. Still, drivers in these age brackets can lower their rates by leveraging Elephant’s mature driver discount (where available).
Your location is the final highly significant factor affecting car insurance rates. State laws, local claim rates, weather patterns, and area crime rates affect how insurance companies calculate risk and decide what to charge you for car insurance.
Elephant is currently available in eight states — we’ve highlighted its average rates and how each compares to the statewide average in the table below.
State | Elephant Average Monthly Rate | Statewide Average Monthly Rate | Average Monthly Savings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $171 | $191 | $20 |
| Illinois | $125 | $128 | $3 |
| Indiana | $100 | $105 | $5 |
| Maryland | $205 | $227 | $22 |
| Ohio | $73 | $111 | $38 |
| Tennessee | $108 | $125 | $17 |
| Texas | $165 | $184 | $19 |
| Virginia | $116 | $133 | $17 |
Notably, Elephant offers cheaper-than-average rates in every state. This illustrates the importance of looking beyond national averages and drilling down into the details to fully understand car insurance costs.
One of the easiest ways to save money on your auto insurance policy is to take advantage of discounts. Nearly every company offers a slew of discounts — both common and unique — and Elephant is no different.
Elephant customers can save up to 40% off their premiums by combining the following discounts:
Claims-free: Save on premiums for being accident-free for five or more years.
Early bird: Get up to 10% savings by buying your policy five or more days before your current one expires.
Electronic signature: Save around 18% for signing documents electronically.
Homeowner: Save up to 10% for owning a home.
Mature driver: Older drivers can save on their premiums by completing an accident-prevention course (age restrictions vary by state).
Multi-car: Save a maximum of 39% for insuring all household vehicles on one policy.
Multi-policy: Bundling auto and home insurance can save you 12% (4% if you bundle with motorcycle, condo, renters, or life insurance).
Online quote: Save 3% by getting your quote online.
Paperless: Save up to 3% for receiving documents via email.
Pay in full: Save up to 15% for paying your annual or biannual premiums up front.
Good student: Students younger than 25 can save for earning a B average in school.
Student-away-at-school: Students can earn a discount for living 100 or more miles away while at school.
Work from home: Earn a discount for working from home part- or full-time.
Nearly every state mandates liability insurance, but most companies offer coverages far more robust and expansive to cover all sorts of potential risks.
Elephant offers the following coverage options:
Bodily injury liability: Covers medical costs for injuries you cause to other people.
Property damage liability: Covers damage you cause to other people’s property.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist: Covers damages caused by a driver without enough or any car insurance.
Collision coverage: Covers damage to your vehicle from an accident you caused.
Comprehensive coverage: Covers non-collision damage to your vehicle, including from storms, animals, theft, and vandalism.
Medical payments (MedPay) or personal injury protection (PIP): Helps cover your medical bills after an accident, regardless of fault. No-fault states typically require PIP insurance.
Loan/lease payoff coverage: Often called gap insurance, this pays the remaining loan or lease balance if your car is stolen or totaled.
Rental reimbursement: Helps cover the cost of a rental car after a covered accident.
Non-owner car insurance: Provides secondary coverage after an at-fault accident while you’re driving another person’s vehicle.
Custom parts and equipment (CPE): Covers permanently installed enhancements to your vehicle, like custom wheels or audio systems.
Roadside assistance: Covers tows, jump-starts, and other roadside services.
YourMechanic: Covers home visits from a mechanic.
Legal resources: Reduces attorney and legal fees after an accident or other claim.
Accident forgiveness and upgraded accident forgiveness: Waives increased premiums after an accident if you’re three years accident-free (standard accident forgiveness) or right away (upgraded).
Diminishing deductible: Reduces your deductibles by $100 for every claim-free year.
Pet injury: Covers up to $1,000 of vet bills after a covered accident.
It’s easy to get a quote and buy a policy entirely online with Elephant — the company boasts a fairly extensive online form that produces an accurate quote.
To begin my quote, I went to the car insurance quote home page and entered my ZIP code.
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Next, I entered my vehicle details and driving habits, plus details about my ownership status and how I use my car.
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Next, I offered my personal information, including my address and homeowner status. This is where the form asked if I wanted to add a renters insurance quote. I declined and continued.
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I also filled out my gender, relationship status, education, and employment status.
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Next, I filled in my driving history and insurance history.
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Finally, I received my quote. The quote page was easy to understand and customize.
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I liked that I could see which discounts I qualified for.
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To customize my quote, I had to click on the “edit” button, which opened sliders to adjust coverage levels and deductibles, when applicable. It also opened boxes I could click to add optional coverage.
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Each option had an icon I could click that opened a pop-up window with an explanation of what it covered.
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Once customized, I could recalculate my premium and continue to enter additional information, like my driver’s license number, VIN, and payment information.
Overall, this was a thorough and straightforward process. I was happy that it was simple to understand and customize and took about 10 minutes to complete.
You can file a claim and track its status using your online account. Alternatively, you can submit and track your claim over the phone, but only during business hours. There’s an expedited process for auto glass claims.
In practice, many customers report an easy and quick claims process. The below review is short and sweet, explaining that when they had to make a claim, the process was issue-free.
“When I switched to Elephant a year ago, I loved the price. After having to file a claim, I can also say that I love their commitment to customer service. The claim process was easy and the agent knowledgeable and efficient.”-WalletHub reviewer, August 17, 2022
But this experience wasn’t universal. The primary complaints were either a long wait for claims processing or, as illustrated in the reviews below, inexplicably denied claims.
“Horrible. I made a horrible mistake getting insured with them. I had someone hit my car and run. My limit for uninsured property damages was 50k. They are refusing to pay the 16k for repairs, covering 12k and leaving me with the rest of the bill. I ’ve never experienced this with other insurance companies … Buyer beware of Elephant products/insurance.”-BBB reviewer, February 8, 2024
“Been with them for 4 years. My car was hit Nov. 15, 2023, so this is the 1st claim I have filed with them. My car still is not fixed. I go today to get my rental, and the rental was canceled. Last week they told us to wait for the rental place to call us but never got a call, so this week we get a call, set up rental, just to find out it’s been canceled. I’m switching.”-BBB reviewer, February 3, 2024
Apart from car insurance, Elephant offers a solid line of other insurance products, including:
Homeowners: Protects against damages to your home and belongings, plus liability coverage.
Renters: Covers personal property within a rented home, plus liability protection.
Condo: Covers personal property, interior structural improvements, and liability within a condo unit.
Motorcycle: Protects motorcycles against accidents, theft, and damage.
Life: Provides payouts to beneficiaries if you die.
Umbrella: Provides liability coverage for major claims and lawsuits beyond your existing auto or home insurance policies.
ATV: Covers all-terrain vehicles against accidents, theft, and damage.
If you’re considering Elephant auto insurance, you probably have questions about what to expect and how it works. We’ve answered the most common questions below.
Generally, yes. Elephant’s car insurance rates are in line with the national average, according to Compare.com data. The average Elephant policyholder pays around $136 per month for coverage. Teens and young drivers earn cheaper-than-average rates with Elephant.
It depends on your needs. Elephant is a good insurer for drivers who want to manage their policies entirely online and for people who desire a wide variety of coverage options.
Yes. Customers give Elephant relatively good reviews online, and the company earns an A+ (Superior) rating from AM Best, which indicates reliability and a strong ability to pay out claims.
Admiral Group, a British financial services and insurance company, is the parent company of Elephant Insurance.
Rating Methodology:
Compare.com’s mission is to help our readers make more informed decisions about their personal finances. Our editorial staff has crafted a proprietary, objective rating formula — the Compare.com Rating — to make it easier for our readers to analyze and compare many of the industry’s most well-known insurers. The score you see referenced in this article is based on several factors, including:
Cost: How the insurer’s average rates compare to its direct competitors and the industry as a whole. This includes available savings opportunities, such as discounts and other factors.
Customer satisfaction: How satisfied existing customers are with the service they receive. This includes the insurer’s scores among various third-party studies, such as the J.D. Power U.S. Insurance Shopping and Claims Satisfaction studies, and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Complaint Index, among others.
Ease of use: How easy it is for policyholders to utilize their policies. This includes mobile app availability, customer service availability, payment flexibility, and other related factors.
Availability: The overall scope of the company’s insurance offerings. This includes available coverage types, national footprint, and other related factors.
Industry reputation: A measure of the insurer’s overall standing within the industry. This includes its AM Best financial strength rating, BBB accreditation, and other related factors.
Sources:
National Association of Insurance Commissioners, “Elephant Ins Co. National Complaint Index Report,” accessed June 11, 2024.
WalletHub, “Elephant Insurance,” accessed June 11, 2024.
Reddit, “Anybody have any experience using Elephant Insurance for their car insurance?,” accessed June 11, 2024.
BBB, “Elephant Insurance Services, LLC,” accessed June 11, 2024.
Trustpilot, “Elephant Insurance,” accessed June 11, 2024.
AAA Foundation, “Rates of Motor Vehicle Crashes, Injuries and Deaths in Relation to Driver Age, United States, 2014-2015,” accessed June 11, 2024.
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J.J. Starr is an insurance and personal finance expert who has been writing for Compare.com since 2022. Her work has been published across the web, appearing on sites such as Insurify.
Prior to writing for Compare.com, J.J. was a registered banker and life insurance consultant, holding a Series 6, FINRA, and life insurance license. She also earned a master’s degree in writing from New York University.
J.J. has a passion for helping people save money by explaining complex topics like car insurance in a way that is simple and easy to understand.
Nick Versaw leads Compare.com's editorial department, where he and his team specialize in crafting helpful, easy-to-understand content about car insurance and other related topics. With nearly a decade of experience writing and editing insurance and personal finance articles, his work has helped readers discover substantial savings on necessary expenses, including insurance, transportation, health care, and more. As an award-winning writer, Nick has seen his work published in countless renowned publications, such as the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and U.S. News & World Report. He graduated with Latin honors from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Digital Journalism.
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