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

Quick Facts

• In general, American Select offers significantly more affordable premiums than Southern
• American Select offers more affordable rates for drivers who have below-average credit
• American Select has less expensive prices for policyholders whose driving record contains an at-fault collision

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

So, you're considering switching to 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've maybe even narrowed it down to American Select or Southern as your top options, but which one will offer you cheaper rates?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, American Select is quite a bit cheaper than Southern, with premiums averaging $170 a month compared to $322 with Southern.

But that doesn't necessarily mean American Select will be the more affordable option for each driver. After all, auto insurance companies can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like your age, where you call home, your credit score, or even your driving record (among other things). So, at the end of the day, prices from each carrier will differ quite a bit from person to person.

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

American Select vs. Southern: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

American Select and Southern only compete against each other in one states, with American Select offering cheaper premiums to the average driver in all of them. Tennessee has the most noticable difference, where American Select rates are $123 less expensive than car insurance premiums at Southern.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your insurance bill than just the state you live in. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- usually pay a lot for car insurance compared to older drivers. The reason is that teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an auto insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high prices, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have American Select for their auto insurance pay almost 55% less than those who use Southern.

That being said, with both carriers, you'll see your premiums reduce significantly once you turn 25. For example, average prices for American Select policyholders drop over 45% and Southern's rates lower more than 60% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

But who has the best prices for retired drivers between American Select and Southern? American Select gets the edge here, with average rates coming in at around $136 monthly compared to Southern's $254.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but auto insurance prices tend to be cheaper for married policyholders than they are for those who are single. That's because policies for married drivers generally cover multiple vehicles, which a lot of companies will give you a discount for.

For single policyholders, the difference in average premiums between these two carriers is significant, with American Select rates coming in at about half of Southern's. The advantage for married couples with American Select is also obvious, where drivers save around $100 per month.

American Select or Southern: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get speeding tickets and get into accidents. That means when it comes to car insurance men will normally end up paying a little more.

Men usually pay about 1% more a month than women with American Select, but with Southern, the difference is closer to 11% per month.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, American Select comes out on top for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $169 a month and women save around $134 with American Select compared to the average Southern policyholder.

American Select vs. Southern: 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 can be pretty complicated. There are so many different limits and coverages that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

Even so, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, alongside liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, American Select has the significant edge, with average monthly premiums 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 about $251 per month to Southern's $452.

Is American Select or Southern Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from insurance companies offering great prices for good drivers, but that doesn't mean people with less-than-perfect driving records can't save money, too.

You'll probably end up paying more with speeding tickets and at-fault collisions on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the cheapest rates to drivers with spotty 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 around 21% after getting a speeding ticket. Southern policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 7%.

However, American Select is normally the less expensive option for drivers both with clean records and with a ticket -- their rates are around 46% more affordable for drivers with clean records and 36% cheaper for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will raise prices pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault accident with Southern climbing by around 26%. American Select has a less extreme increase, but you can still expect to pay more than 25% more than you were prior to your first collision.

At the end of the day, the more affordable premiums come from American Select, with average prices coming in at $158 compared to Southern Insurance Company of Virginia's $293.

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 -- typically a lot more than an accident or speeding ticket. On average, Southern will climb your rates about 61% after a DUI, while American Select's average premiums climb by nearly 55%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable prices, American Select tends to be less expensive for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $258 to Southern's $548.

How does Credit Score Impact American Select and Southern Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can be used as one of the variables to determine your monthly car insurance premiums. This isn't true for everyone (for example, Hawaii and Michigan are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it might come into play for many drivers.

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

So, which company offers the best prices for drivers 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 Southern 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 large impact on your monthly car insurance cost? That's because the fewer miles you drive, the less likely you are to be in a collision and file 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 Southern, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle yearly paying about $30 less every 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 Southern: 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 insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a sizable impact as well. Typically, policyholders who live in less densely populated rural areas will pay quite a bit less than urban drivers since there are a lot fewer cars on the roads where they live.

American Select tends to offer the lowest rates for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around $142 with American Select compared to Southern. People who live in suburban areas pay about $129 less with American Select compared to Southern. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, American Select Insurance Company's average prices are around $185 less than Southern Insurance Company of Virginia.

American Select vs. Southern Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new car 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 taking advantage of as many insurance discounts as possible.

The difficult part is finding all of the discounts you're eligible for, since it can feel sometimes like every company 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 Southern offer their customers so that you can find the company that has the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

They both offer great discounts like advance quote discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for getting driver training, and group discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is American Select or Southern Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average rates for many of the factors auto insurance companies look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which insurance company is the right carrier for you and your specific profile and needs?

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

• You will be the only person on the car insurance policy.
• You have above-average credit.
• You drive often but have a short commute.

Southern 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 better idea of the difference between American Select and Southern and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your auto 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 several carriers, not just American Select and Southern. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple quotes from some of the best car insurance companies in your area, all for free.

American Select vs. Southern FAQs

Is American Select or Southern cheaper?

American Select is the more affordable of the two carriers when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $170 a month with American Select and $322 for Southern. But that doesn't mean American Select will be the cheapest carrier for each policyholder, since there are several different variables that come into play when it comes to your insurance payment.

Who is better, American Select or Southern?

Sadly, the answer truly is "it depends.". One company is not necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique auto insurance profile.

Why do American Select and Southern offer me different rates?

Insurance companies use quite a few different factors when determining the prices they charge. Variables such as gender, your driving record, where you call home, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both American Select and Southern calculate rates using different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from multiple different carriers.

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

The only way to find the car 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 makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance carriers for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't American Select or Southern 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.