AFR vs. Metlife: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for auto insurance, AFR offers significantly cheaper prices than Metlife
• AFR tends to be a much less expensive option for policyholders who are looking to purchase insurance with a spouse
• Metlife may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than AFR Insurance

AFR or Metlife: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching to a new insurance policy. You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering huge savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed your search down to AFR or Metlife as your top options, but between the two, which company has more affordable premiums for car insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, AFR is quite a bit cheaper than Metlife, with prices averaging $137 a month compared to $340 with Metlife.

That being said, that doesn't necessarily mean AFR will be the cheaper option for every single driver. After all, insurance companies can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like your credit score, your age, your driving record, or even where you call home (among other things), so rates will differ quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of AFR or Metlife is really the best for you, keep reading to see average premiums for each company broken down by several different rate factors.

AFR vs. Metlife: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

AFR and Metlife only compete against each other in Oklahoma, where AFR offers the cheaper average rates. Undefined drivers tend to pay about undefined per month less on average compared to drivers who use undefined for their auto insurance.

But there's more to calculating car insurance premiums than just the state you live in. Keep reading to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive auto insurance prices of any group on the road. The reason is that teen drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high rates, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have AFR for their car insurance pay over 80% less than those who use Metlife.

However, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower prices once you turn 25. Metlife offers the steepest drop, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, AFR still has the cheapest premiums at $135 monthly.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll typically enjoy the lowest insurance rates you'll ever find. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly prices for car insurance.

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between AFR and Metlife? AFR gets the edge here, with average prices coming in at around $124 a month compared to Metlife's $205.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single drivers tend to get offered slightly more expensive auto insurance premiums than married couples. This usually boils down to married drivers having multiple vehicles on their policy -- something several insurance companies will reward with discounts.

For those who are single, the difference in average rates between these two carriers is significant, with AFR prices coming in at about a third of Metlife's. The advantage is also clear for married policyholders - AFR offers the most affordable average premiums.

AFR or Metlife: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but car insurance is normally cheaper for women than it is for men. That's because women are less likely to get into accidents and get tickets, which lowers the chances of filing a claim with insurance.

Usually, women see rates around 3% a month less with AFR, and almost 10% less with Metlife when compared to their male counterparts.

Looking at overall affordability, AFR comes out as the cheapest option for both genders. On average, women save about $191 per month and men save about $215 with AFR compared to the average Metlife policyholder.

AFR vs. Metlife: 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 a range of different coverages that account for lots of different things. Some protect you and your car, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause a collision.

But the most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (that covers bodily injury and property damage for other drivers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- in addition to what you get with liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, AFR has the significant edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $65. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, AFR again has the edge, with policies averaging around $209 a month to Metlife's $466.

Is AFR or Metlife Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their auto insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

At-fault collisions and speeding tickets will most likely raise your premiums, but is AFR or Metlife less expensive for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use AFR for their insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up about 26% after getting a speeding ticket. Metlife policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 21%.

Even so, AFR has more affordable rates for drivers in both categories -- their rates are around 55% less expensive for drivers with clean records and 52% more affordable for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their car insurance through AFR can expect to see about an $0 -- or around 0% -- rise in their auto insurance premiums. Drivers who use Metlife for their car insurance will see a monthly bill about $148 (or 40%) more expensive after reporting a collision to their auto insurance carrier.

At the end of the day, the cheaper rates come from AFR, with average prices coming in at $98 compared to MetLife's $368.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge on your record, it's probably going to cost you more than a simple ticket or even an accident. On average, Metlife will climb your rates around 55% after a DUI, while AFR's average premiums increase by more than 55%.

How does Credit Score Impact AFR and Metlife Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can come into play when companies determine your monthly bill. This isn't true for everyone (Hawaii, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an auto insurance factor) but it does affect lots of drivers out there.

The reasoning insurance carriers use is that policyholders with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so generally, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with less expensive prices.

So, which company offers the most affordable rates for drivers with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is AFR or Metlife Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a substantial impact on your monthly prices. Usually, those who drive fewer miles will end up with more affordable premiums since there's less of a chance of causing a collision and filing an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much AFR charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly prices for Metlife, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their car yearly paying about $3 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, for drivers in both categories, AFR is the cheaper carrier.

AFR or Metlife: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

We've already mentioned how your home state can play a role in how much you pay for car insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a large impact as well. Normally, policyholders who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural drivers since there are a lot more vehicles on the roads where they live.

When comparing these two companies side-by-side, AFR typically comes out as the most affordable option for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around 64% with AFR compared to Metlife. People who live in suburban areas pay about 58% less with AFR compared to Metlife. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, AFR Insurance's average premiums are around 58% less than MetLife.

AFR vs. Metlife Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as you can, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many auto insurance discounts as possible.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be challenging 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.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by AFR and Metlife so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Metlife blows AFR away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 27 more discounts than AFR.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for being a good driver, and discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company. Metlife also offers discounts for AAA, ABS, academic, and more.

On the other hand, AFR has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like driver training discounts, good payer discounts, and paid in full discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is AFR or Metlife Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your car insurance rates. We've broken down the different discounts each company offers, too. But, at the end of the day, which carrier is the best fit for you?

AFR might be best for you if....

• You have a speeding ticket on your driving record.
• Your credit score is high.
• You live in a rural area.

Metlife might be best for you if...

• You're planning on moving to another state soon -- undefined only offers policies in.
• You're looking for the company with the most discounts.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare AFR and Metlife. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision about your insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from a handful of carriers, not just AFR and Metlife. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

AFR vs. Metlife FAQs

Is AFR or Metlife cheaper?

AFR is the less expensive of the two carriers when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $137 per month with AFR and $340 for Metlife. But that doesn't mean AFR will be the cheapest carrier for every policyholder, since there are a bunch of different factors (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, AFR or Metlife?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". No single company is "better" for each policyholder -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique auto insurance profile.

Why do AFR and Metlife offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies use quite a few different variables when determining the prices they charge. Factors like gender, age, your driving record, where your home is, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both AFR and Metlife calculate rates using different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from many different carriers.

How do I know if AFR or Metlife is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple companies and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance carriers for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the cheapest price. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't AFR or Metlife at all, but another you hadn't even thought of!

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.