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

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for car insurance, AAA offers slightly more affordable rates than Pure
• AAA offers cheaper average prices for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit
• Pure offers more affordable premiums for drivers who have received a ticket within the last few years

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

So, you're considering switching your auto insurance. With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering huge discounts, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed it down to AAA or Pure, but which company will save you the most?

Looking at nationwide averages, AAA is about $17 per month less expensive than Pure.

But AAA may not be the most affordable or best option for each driver out there. Auto insurance companies use a ton of complex algorithms to calculate prices, so depending on how old you are or how good your credit score is (among a lot of other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

Luckily, we've broken down average premiums from both AAA and Pure by many different rate factors, so read on to find out which company is the best for you.

AAA or Pure: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

AAA and Pure only compete against each other in California, where AAA offers the cheaper average rates. For California residents, AAA offers car insurance for $215 a month on average. Pure's average prices come out to be over 50% more expensive, at $331 per month.

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

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive insurance prices of any group out there on the road. That's generally 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 rates, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. As you can see above, teens who use AAA save nearly $35 a month compared to those who use Pure.

That being said, both companies will reduce prices by the time you turn 25. For example, average premiums for AAA policyholders decrease more than $400 and Pure's rates drop around $400 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to car insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the lowest premiums you'll ever find.

When looking at AAA and Pure specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Pure gets the slight edge here, with average rates coming in at about $234 monthly compared to AAA's $238. Even so, the difference is only around 5%, so other factors (such as your credit score or your driving record) will likely come into play when determining which company has the most affordable prices for you.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Those who are single tend to get offered slightly more expensive insurance rates than married couples. This usually boils down to married drivers having several cars on their policy -- something lots of auto insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

If you're in the market for car insurance, AAA tends to have the lowest average prices regardless of marital status, with prices about 5% cheaper for married policyholders and around 6% less expensive for single drivers.

AAA vs. Pure: Average Rates by Gender

Because men are more likely to get tickets and get into collisions, they have a higher chance of filing a claim with insurance. Therefore, insurance companies will tend to charge men more than women.

Typically, women see premiums over 10% per month less with AAA; men and women get the same monthly rates with Pure.

When it comes to the cheapest prices for each gender, AAA comes out as the lowest option for both genders. On average, women save about $34 a month and men save about $0 with AAA compared to the average Pure policyholder.

AAA or Pure: 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.

For most people, auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are a bunch of different coverages that account for lots of different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

The two most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (that covers bodily injury and property damage for other drivers and passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which usually refers to having comprehensive and collision coverages in addition to liability coverage).

In this case, Pure offers the cheapest average premiums for state minimum liability insurance, while AAA has the edge for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Drivers looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $35 with PURE Insurance, while full coverage comes out to be around $70 more affordable with AAA Insurance.

Is AAA or Pure 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.

You'll probably end up paying more with accidents and tickets on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the most affordable prices to drivers with spotty 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 Pure typically raises rates about $80 a month, on average.

However, Pure is normally the less expensive option for drivers both with a speeding ticket and with a clean record -- their rates are around 5% more affordable for drivers with clean records and 6% cheaper for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will increase premiums pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault accident with Pure climbing by $150. AAA has a less extreme climb, but you can still expect to pay just under $150 more than you were prior to your first collision.

Overall, AAA offers the lowest rates for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly prices averaging $339 compared to PURE Insurance's $352.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge, you can expect some pretty significant increases in your monthly insurance bill -- usually a lot more than an accident or ticket. For example, Pure increases average rates by nearly $300 per month -- that's just under a 60% increase.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable prices, AAA tends to be the much more affordable option with average premiums of $403 per month compared to $489 from Pure.

How does Credit Score Impact AAA and Pure Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can be used as one of the variables to calculate your monthly car insurance prices. Certain states and carriers do not allow for credit score to be used as a rating factor, but it might come into play for a lot of policyholders.

Insurance companies argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, drivers with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

So, which carrier offers the most affordable premiums for policyholders with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Usually, if you have excellent credit, you can expect to be rewarded. Jumping from a "good" credit score to an "excellent" one will normally save AAA Insurance customers around 25%. On the other hand, because undefined doesn't have data available for credit scores, they most likely don't use credit to calculate your rates.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have bad credit, it can cost you with AAA Insurance. As you can see, AAA Insurance customers with poor credit scores pay about $250 a month more than those with fair scores (and even more compared to drivers with good or excellent scores). On the other hand, because undefined doesn't have data available for credit scores, they could have better premiums for drivers with bad credit over AAA Insurance.

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

How much you drive can have a big impact on your monthly auto insurance cost. That's because the fewer miles you put on your vehicle, the less likely you are to get into a collision and cause an insurance claim.

Looking specifically at AAA and Pure, Pure is the cheaper option for people who work from home, while Pure has better rates for those with short commutes. AAA's average prices for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in over $30 more expensive than Pure. Those who drive 12,000 miles each year can expect to pay more than $65 more with Pure over AAA.

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

Where you park your car can play a sizable role in how much you pay for car insurance. Typically, those who live in rural areas will pay less than drivers in urban areas because there are a lot fewer vehicles on the roads in those areas.

AAA tends to offer the cheapest option for drivers in rural and suburban areas, while Pure wins in urban areas.

Those in rural areas can expect to pay around $256 monthly with AAA and $308 with Pure. People in suburban areas pay a monthly premium of about $301 with AAA compared to $313 with Pure. In urban areas, Pure's average premiums are around $371 per month compared to AAA's $384.

AAA vs. Pure Discounts

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

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

Below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both AAA and Pure so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

AAA blows Pure away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 33 different discounts to Pure's 10.

Both carriers offer quite a few of the same discounts -- like discounts for being a good driver, discounts for being a good student, and multi-policy discounts -- but AAA also offers AAA discounts, academic discounts, advance quote discounts, and more that Pure does not.

On the flip side, Pure has a couple unique discounts of its own -- ABS discounts and occasional operator discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is AAA or Pure Best for You?

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your auto insurance prices. We've broken down the different discounts each carrier offers, too. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, is AAA or Pure the best one for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

AAA might be best for you if....

• Your credit is less-than-stellar.
• You already have a great credit score.
• You're buying insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

Pure might be best for you if...

• You have a clean record.
• You want basic auto insurance coverage at the state minimum limits.
• You are over 65 years old and want to save some money on your car insurance.

We hope this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare AAA and Pure. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your auto 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 car insurance -- comparing quotes from a handful of companies, not just AAA and Pure. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make 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. Pure FAQs

Is AAA or Pure cheaper?

Looking just at the national average rates, AAA is the less expensive of the two companies, offering average rates of $314 a month compared to $331 for Pure. Even so, AAA won't necessarily be the lowest company for every policyholder, since there are multiple different variables (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, AAA or Pure?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". No one carrier is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique car insurance profile. For example, AAA offers more affordable premiums for single policyholders, while Pure is less expensive for drivers who have already retired.

Why do AAA and Pure offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers take a look at many different factors when calculating the rates they charge drivers. Things like gender, age, where your home is, your driving record, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both AAA and Pure calculate prices using different variables, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which company is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different companies.

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

The only way to find the auto insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best insurance companies in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the most affordable rate. And who knows, the best company for you might not be AAA or Pure 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.