AAA vs. Erie: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, Erie offers significantly more affordable rates than AAA
• AAA offers more discounts than Erie Insurance
• Erie offers more affordable prices for residents of urban areas

AAA vs. Erie: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering pretty big discounts. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might be considering AAA or Erie for your next policy, but which carrier will offer you less expensive premiums?

Looking at nationwide averages, Erie has average rates that are about 50% per month cheaper than those from AAA.

However, Erie may not be the lowest or best option for each driver out there. Insurance companies use all sorts of complex algorithms to calculate rates, so depending on how old you are or how clean your driving record is (among a bunch of other factors), you could see wildly different prices from the ones above.

Luckily, we've broken down average rates from both AAA and Erie by a bunch of different rate factors, so read on to find out which carrier is the best for you.

AAA or Erie: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

AAA and Erie only compete against each other in two states, with Erie offering more affordable prices to the average driver in all of them. Wisconsin has the most noticable difference, where Erie premiums are over 70% less expensive than auto insurance prices at AAA.

But there's more to car insurance than just your home state. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how auto insurance carriers determine your rates. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive insurance premiums of any other group of drivers out there on the road. That's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high prices, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of more than $350 less a month by choosing Erie over AAA.

That being said, both companies will drop premiums by the time you turn 25. For example, average rates for AAA policyholders decrease nearly 60% and Erie's premiums lower almost 55% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age typically enjoy some of the cheapest car insurance prices you'll ever find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which generally reduces their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase rates.

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between AAA and Erie? Erie gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older over 50% cheaper than the national average for AAA.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married drivers tend to get slightly more affordable auto insurance rates than those who are single. That's usually because married policyholders tend to own and insure multiple cars, which can often earn you a discount.

When it comes to relationship status, Erie is the clear winner for single drivers, with prices around $193 per month cheaper than AAA, on average. The advantage for married couples with Erie is also obvious, where drivers save nearly 50% a month.

AAA vs. Erie: Average Rates by Gender

Because men are more likely to get tickets and get into accidents, they raise the chances of filing a claim with insurance. Therefore, insurance carriers will tend to charge men more than women.

With AAA, women normally pay more than 10% per month less than men, and about 7% less with Erie.

When it comes to the most affordable premiums for each gender, Erie comes out as the lowest option for both genders, with average rates $173 less for men and $150 cheaper for women.

AAA or Erie: Compare State Minimum vs. Full Coverage Rates

*State minimum value indicates liability-only policies at each state's minimum bodily injury and property damage (BI/PD) limits

**Full coverage indicates state minimum BI/PD limits with collision and comprehensive coverages added to policy.

It's no secret that insurance can be pretty complicated. There are so many different coverages and limits that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (which covers the other party's injuries and property damage if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- comprehensive and collision -- in addition to what you get with a liability policy).

If you're looking for state minimum limits for liability insurance, Erie generally offers significantly less expensive prices of $91 compared to AAA's $169. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Erie again has the edge, with policies around $250 a month more affordable than AAA, on average.

Is AAA or Erie Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their car insurance. But even if you have a spotty record, you can still find plenty of ways to save some cash on your monthly bill.

It's no secret secret that tickets and at-fault collisions lead to higher premiums, but which company -- AAA or Erie -- has the cheapest rates for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

AAA policyholders can expect their premiums to go up an average of $86 per month if they get a ticket, while Erie typically raises prices about $18 a month, on average.

But Erie tends to offer the best prices for drivers both with a speeding ticket and with a clean record. Drivers with a clean record can save around $94 per month and drivers with a ticket can save about $162 a month with Erie Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

AAA drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their rates rise by just under $150, while those who have insurance through Erie will see around a $40 increase.

Overall, Erie offers the most affordable premiums for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly prices averaging $157 compared to AAA Insurance's $339.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single collision or speeding ticket when it comes to your auto insurance bill. For example, AAA increases average rates by just under $200 per month -- that's over a 45% increase.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable premiums, Erie tends to be the much cheaper option with average rates of $198 a month compared to $403 from AAA.

How does Credit Score Impact AAA and Erie Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can come into play when companies calculate your monthly bill. This isn't always the case (Michigan, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it will come into play for quite a few policyholders.

Car insurance carriers argue that those with poor credit scores are less likely to pay their bills on time each month, which increases the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with good credit.

So, which carrier offers the cheapest prices for drivers with poor, average, or good credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, you'll usually find a better deal with Erie. Policyholders with "excellent" credit can save more than 50% compared to AAA, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- about $136 or 55% less expensive every month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Erie typically offers lower premiums than AAA when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around $154 a month less with Erie compared to AAA, and those with "poor" scores normally save an average of about $281 per month.

Is AAA or Erie Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

Did you know that the amount of time you spend in your car have a sizable impact on your monthly rates? Usually, those who drive less will end up with cheaper prices since there's less of a chance of getting into an accident and causing an insurance claim.

For both drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicles yearly, as well as those who average twice that figure, Erie tends to be the less expensive option. AAA's average rates for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in around 52% more expensive than Erie. Those who drive 12,000 miles annually can expect to pay about 51% more with AAA over Erie.

AAA vs. Erie: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can play a substantial role in how much you pay for insurance. Typically, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders due to the number of vehicles that are on the roads in those areas.

Erie boasts the lowest average premiums for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Erie offers prices around $194 monthly compared to AAA's $384. People who live in suburban ZIP codes can expect to pay about $145 per month for Erie and $301 for AAA. Lastly, those in rural areas tend to get the most affordable rates from both companies, with average monthly premiums coming in at $115 and $256 for Erie and AAA respectively.

AAA vs. Erie Discounts

You want to save as much money as possible, right? The best way to do that is by utilizing as many auto insurance discounts as you can.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be difficult to nail down the carrier that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile and to find all the discounts you can take advantage of.

In the table below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both AAA and Erie so that you can see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

AAA blows Erie away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 12 more discounts than Erie.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, distant student discounts, and mature driver discounts. AAA also offers AAA discounts, academic discounts, drivesharp discounts, and more that Erie does not.

On the flip side, Erie has a couple unique discounts of its own -- ABS discounts, DRL discounts, farm discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is AAA or Erie Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the factors car insurance carriers look at, and walked through the different discounts each company offers, too. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, which carrier is the best one for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

Erie might be best for you if....

• You're single and purchasing insurance by yourself.
• You live in an suburban area.
• You are over 65 years old and want to save some money on your car insurance.

AAA might be best for you if...

• You care about discounts (Aaa offers the most).

We hope this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between AAA and Erie. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your insurance.

But, at the end of the day, there's only one way to know for sure that you're getting the best possible deal on auto insurance -- comparing quotes from multiple companies, not just AAA and Erie. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple quotes from some of the best insurance carriers in your area, all for free.

AAA vs. Erie FAQs

Is AAA or Erie cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Erie is the more affordable of the two companies, offering average rates of $153 a month compared to $314 for AAA. Even so, Erie won't necessarily be the cheapest company for each policyholder, since there are several different variables that come into play when it comes to your car insurance cost.

Who is better, AAA or Erie?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". One carrier is not "better" for every driver -- it all boils down to your unique auto insurance profile.

Why do AAA and Erie offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers take a look at lots of different factors when calculating the rates they charge policyholders. Variables such as your driving record, where you park your car, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both AAA and Erie calculate premiums using different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different prices. The only real way to see which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different companies.

How do I know if AAA or Erie is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from several carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best car insurance companies in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And who knows, the best company for you might not be AAA or Erie at all!

Methodology

All of the data referenced in this article has been gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. We analyzed more than 2.5 million rows of carrier-reported data to calculate the average rates referenced above. All rates are based on an insurance profile of a single-vehicle policy for a driver that owns a 2016 Honda Accord. For more information on how we calculate rates, please reference our data methodology.