Auto-owners vs. Gainsco: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Auto-owners offers less expensive premiums than Gainsco
• Auto-owners offers more affordable prices for couples purchasing car insurance together
• Gainsco tends to be a much more affordable option for drivers with a DUI charge on their record

Auto-owners vs. Gainsco: 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 large discounts, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You might be considering Auto-owners or Gainsco for your next policy, but between the two, which company will save you the most?

Looking at nationwide averages, Gainsco is about $26 more per month than Auto-owners.

However, Auto-owners may not be the lowest or best option for every single driver out there. Insurance companies use tons of complex algorithms to calculate premiums, so depending on how good your credit score is or how old you are (among a whole range of other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

Luckily, we've broken down average prices from both Auto-owners and Gainsco by lots of different rate factors, so read on to find out which carrier is the best for you.

Auto-owners or Gainsco: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Auto-owners and Gainsco only compete against each other in Arizona, where Auto-owners offers the cheaper average rates. For Arizona residents, Auto-owners offers car insurance for $198 monthly on average. Gainsco's average premiums come out to be more expensive, at $205 per month.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance bill 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 insurance prices of any other group of drivers. Usually, that's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

But that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high car insurance rates. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Auto-owners for their auto insurance pay more than $65 less than those who use Gainsco. It's worth noting that Auto-owners offers insurance in 23 different states compared to Gainsco's one, which can skew the average premiums a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

Even so, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower prices once you turn 25. For example, average rates for Auto-owners policyholders reduce nearly $250 and Gainsco's premiums lower around $300 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll normally enjoy the cheapest car insurance prices 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 auto insurance.

So, which company offers the best premiums to retired drivers? Auto-owners gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older over 15% cheaper than the national average for Gainsco.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but insurance premiums tend to be more affordable for married policyholders than they are for single policyholders. That's because policies for married drivers typically cover multiple cars, which lots of companies will offer you a discount for.

When it comes to relationship status, Auto-owners is the clear winner for single drivers, with prices about $33 a month cheaper than Gainsco, on average. But for married couples, that advantage is much less clear - Auto-owners has the edge when it comes to average rates.

Auto-owners vs. Gainsco: Average Rates by Gender

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

On average, women see premiums more than $10 per month less expensive with Auto-owners, while with Gainsco, the difference is closer to $14 a month.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, Auto-owners comes out as the most affordable option for both genders, with average prices 13% less for men and 12% cheaper for women.

Auto-owners or Gainsco: 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 auto insurance can be pretty complicated. Everyone needs car insurance, but there are so many different terms and limits that it can be hard to find the right policy.

That being said, the 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 their passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- comprehensive and collision -- alongside liability coverage).

If you're looking for state minimum liability insurance, Auto-owners normally offers cheaper rates of $99 compared to Gainsco's $125. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Auto-owners again has the edge, with policies around $25 per month less expensive than Gainsco, on average.

Is Auto-owners or Gainsco Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their auto 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 tickets and accidents on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the cheapest prices to drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Auto-owners policyholders can expect their premiums to go up an average of $44 a month if they get a ticket, while Gainsco usually raises prices about $18 per month, on average.

Even so, Auto-owners is typically the more affordable option for drivers both with a speeding ticket and with a clean record, offering premiums that are 35% and 19% less expensive, respectively, compared to GAINSCO.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will increase rates pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault accident with Auto-owners increasing by over $45. Gainsco has a less extreme increase, but you can still expect to pay more than $40 more than you were prior to your first collision.

Overall, Auto-owners offers the most affordable premiums for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly rates averaging $168 compared to GAINSCO's $227.

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 -- generally a lot more than a collision or ticket. Auto-owners drivers usually see a 54% climb in their car insurance prices after a DUI charge, while Gainsco will typically raise rates by around 9%.

Gainsco has the overall lowest prices for drivers with a DUI on their records at $203 a month, but it's worth noting that Auto-owners's average rates come from 23 states compared to just one for Gainsco, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Auto-owners and Gainsco Rates?

Did you know that many auto insurance carriers take into account your credit score when calculating premiums? Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as a rating factor, but it does affect a lot of drivers out there.

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.

Looking specifically at Gainsco and Auto-owners, which one has the most affordable prices for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, you'll usually find a better deal with Auto-owners. Drivers with "excellent" credit can save just under 55% compared to Gainsco, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- about $76 or 37% more affordable every month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have less-than-stellar credit, it can be somewhat of a toss-up as far as which company offers you the best premiums. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around $29 less with Auto-owners than Gainsco, but those whose credit is considered "poor" have it flipped -- saving about $112 a month with Gainsco.

Is Auto-owners or Gainsco 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, the more miles you put on your vehicle, the more you can expect to pay for car insurance.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Gainsco charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly prices for Auto-owners, with policyholders who drive the least paying around $1 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, Auto-owners is the cheaper option for drivers in both categories.

Auto-owners vs. Gainsco: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your car can have a substantial impact on your monthly insurance payment. Normally, those who live in rural areas will pay less than policyholders in urban areas because there are a lot fewer vehicles on the road in those areas, which lowers the chances of an accident.

Looking at these companies side-by-side, Auto-owners generally comes out as the less expensive option for drivers in urban and suburban areas, while Gainsco wins in rural areas.

In urban areas, Auto-Owners Insurance's average prices are about 31% less than GAINSCO. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay around 6% less with Auto-owners compared to Gainsco. If you live in a rural area, you can expect to save about 17% with Gainsco compared to Auto-owners.

Auto-owners vs. Gainsco Discounts

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

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

Below, we've taken a look at all of the different discounts Auto-owners and Gainsco offer their customers so that you can see which carrier offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Auto-owners blows Gainsco away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 20 more discounts than Gainsco.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like advance quote discounts, discounts for being a homeowner, and paid in full discounts. Auto-owners also offers ABS discounts, anti-theft discounts, company car discounts, and more that Gainsco does not.

On the flip side, Gainsco has a unique discount of its own -- a renewal discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Auto-owners or Gainsco Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average rates for many of the factors insurance carriers look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each company offers. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, which insurance carrier is the right one for you and your specific needs?

Auto-owners might be best for you if....

• You have a speeding ticket on your driving record.
• Your home is in a busy urban area.
• Your home is located in the suburbs.

Gainsco might be best for you if...

• You like the personalized touch of a small, regional company.
• You have a DUI charge on your record.
• Your neighborhood is in a rural area.

We hope this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Auto-owners and Gainsco and that it aids in making a more informed 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 Auto-owners and Gainsco. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best auto insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Auto-owners vs. Gainsco FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Gainsco cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Auto-owners is the cheaper of the two companies, offering average rates of $179 per month compared to $205 for Gainsco. However, Auto-owners won't necessarily be the cheapest carrier for everyone, since there are many different variables that are considered when it comes to your car insurance cost.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Gainsco?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". No one company is "better" for every driver -- it all depends on what your unique insurance profile looks like. For example, Auto-owners offers more affordable prices for drivers with an at-fault collision on their record, while Gainsco is less expensive for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores.

Why do Auto-owners and Gainsco offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers take a look at several different factors when determining the rates they charge policyholders. Variables such as age, gender, where you call home, your driving record, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Auto-owners and Gainsco calculate premiums using different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different prices. The only real way to see which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different companies.

How do I know if Auto-owners or Gainsco is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance company 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 make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your information once and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance companies in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the cheapest rate. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Auto-owners or Gainsco 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.