American Select vs. Bristol West: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, American Select offers significantly cheaper prices than Bristol West
• American Select has less expensive rates for drivers who have below-average credit
• American Select offers more affordable premiums for drivers who have a speeding ticket on their driving record

American Select or Bristol West: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering hefty savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You might have narrowed it down to American Select or Bristol West for your next policy, but between the two, which company will offer you more affordable rates?

As you can see, American Select has average rates that are around 60% a month less expensive than those from Bristol West when looking at the national average rates for car insurance.

However, American Select may not be the most affordable or best option for each driver out there. Auto insurance carriers use a variety of complex algorithms to determine prices, so depending on how good your credit score is or where you live (among a bunch of other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

Wanting to know if American Select or Bristol West is really the right carrier for you? Keep on reading to see how average prices can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

American Select vs. Bristol West: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

American Select and Bristol West only compete against each other in one states, with American Select offering cheaper premiums to the average driver in all of them. Michigan has the most noticable difference, where American Select rates are $437 more affordable than car insurance prices at Bristol West.

There's a lot more that goes into your auto insurance payment than just where you call home. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive insurance premiums of any group out there on the road. That's usually because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in a car insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

But that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance prices. As you can see above, teens who use American Select save over 60% per month compared to those who use Bristol West.

Even so, with both companies, you'll see your premiums decrease significantly once you turn 25. For example, average rates for American Select policyholders drop more than 45% and Bristol West's premiums lower almost 55% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

When looking at American Select and Bristol West specifically, which company is best for retired drivers? American Select gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older $228 cheaper than the national average for Bristol West.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance rates tend to be more affordable for married policyholders than they are for single policyholders. That's normally because married drivers tend to own and insure multiple vehicles, which can often earn you a discount.

For those who are single, the difference in average prices between these two carriers is significant, with American Select premiums coming in at about a third of Bristol West's. The advantage is also clear for married couples - American Select offers the lowest average prices.

American Select or Bristol West: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into a collision or get pulled over for speeding, which means they'll typically end up paying more for auto insurance than women.

Generally, women see rates around $1 a month less expensive with American Select, but surprisingly, with Bristol West, women usually pay about $1 per month more than men.

When it comes to the cheapest premiums for each gender, American Select offers the most affordable average rates for both men and women, with average premiums $240 less for men and $242 cheaper for women.

American Select vs. Bristol West: 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.

Insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. There are many different coverages that account for a range of different things. Some protect you and your car, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

That being said, the most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (that covers property damage and bodily injury for other drivers and their passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- in addition to what you get with a liability policy).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, American Select has the significant edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $90. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, American Select again has the edge, with policies averaging around $251 a month to Bristol West's $544.

Is American Select or Bristol West Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

You'll probably end up paying more with at-fault collisions and speeding tickets on your record, but which of these two companies offers the cheapest premiums to drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use American Select for their auto insurance can generally expect their monthly bill to go up about 21% after getting a speeding ticket. Bristol West policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 23%.

But American Select is normally the more affordable option for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent ticket, offering prices that are 65% and 66% less expensive, respectively, compared to Bristol West.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their car insurance through American Select can expect to see about an $41 -- or around 26% -- rise in their insurance rates. Drivers who use Bristol West for their car insurance will see a monthly bill about $140 (or 29%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their insurance carrier.

At the end of the day, American Select offers the most affordable premiums for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average prices coming in at $158 compared to Bristol West's $479.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single accident or speeding ticket when it comes to your auto insurance bill. American Select drivers usually see a 55% climb in their car insurance rates after a DUI charge, while Bristol West will usually increase premiums by around 13%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable rates, American Select tends to be cheaper for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at about $258 to Bristol West's $390.

How does Credit Score Impact American Select and Bristol West Rates?

Did you know many insurance carriers take into account your credit score when determining prices? This isn't true for everyone (for example, Michigan and California are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for lots of drivers.

Auto insurance companies argue that those with poor credit scores are less likely to pay their bills on time every month, which raises the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with good credit.

So, which company offers the best rates for policyholders with poor, average, or good credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is American Select or Bristol West Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a pretty big impact on your monthly insurance cost. Typically, those who drive fewer miles will end up with more affordable prices 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 American Select charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly premiums for Bristol West, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their car yearly paying around $3 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, for drivers in both categories, American Select is the less expensive carrier.

American Select or Bristol West: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can play a considerable role in how much you pay for auto insurance. Generally, those who live in rural areas will pay less than drivers in urban areas due to the small number of vehicles that are on the roads where they live.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, American Select normally comes out as the cheapest 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 about 50% with American Select compared to Bristol West. People who live in suburban areas pay around 61% less with American Select compared to Bristol West. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, American Select Insurance Company's average prices are about 62% less than Bristol West.

American Select vs. Bristol West Discounts

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

The hard part is finding all of the discounts you qualify for, since it can feel sometimes like every carrier has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts American Select and Bristol West offer their customers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Looking at the total number of discounts, American Select has a slight advantage when it comes to total number of discounts. Bristol West offers a grand total of 18 discounts, while American Select has 20.

There are a couple discounts both companies offer, but American Select also offers discounts for account relationship, agency transfer, companion auto, and more.

On the other hand, Bristol West has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like continuous insurance discounts, EFT discounts, good driving discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is American Select or Bristol West Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your auto insurance premiums. We've broken down the different discounts each company offers, too. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, is American Select or Bristol West the best one for you and your specific needs?

American Select might be best for you if....

• You have an at-fault collision on your record.
• You're looking for the best prices on liability only coverage.
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower premiums.

Bristol West might be best for you if...

• You have a more unique driver profile than those we mentioned above.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between American Select and Bristol West. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple carriers, not just American Select and Bristol West. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best car insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

American Select vs. Bristol West FAQs

Is American Select or Bristol West cheaper?

American Select is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $170 per month with American Select and $412 for Bristol West. That being said, that doesn't mean American Select will be the most affordable carrier for every driver, since there are several different factors (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, American Select or Bristol West?

Sadly, the answer truly is "it depends.". No one company is "better" for everyone -- it all boils down to your unique insurance profile.

Why do American Select and Bristol West offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies use many different variables when calculating the premiums they charge. Things such as age, gender, your driving record, where you live, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both American Select and Bristol West use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from multiple different carriers.

How do I know if American Select or Bristol West is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of companies 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 information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top car insurance carriers for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the most affordable price. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't American Select or Bristol West 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.