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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, Auto-owners offers significantly more affordable premiums than Le Mars
• Auto-owners offers less expensive average rates for residents of rural areas
• Le Mars offers more affordable prices for residents in Iowa

Auto-owners vs. Le Mars: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching your auto insurance. After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering big discounts. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed your search down to Auto-owners or Le Mars, but between the two, which one will save you the most?

Looking at nationwide averages, Le Mars has average rates that are about 24% per month more expensive than those from Auto-owners.

Even so, that doesn't necessarily mean Auto-owners will be the cheaper option for every single driver. After all, insurance companies can offer drastically different rates to each driver depending on rating factors like your driving record, your age, where you call home, or even your credit score (among other things). So, at the end of the day, premiums from every company will differ quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Auto-owners or Le Mars is really the best for you, keep reading to see average rates for each carrier broken down by multiple different rate factors.

Auto-owners or Le Mars: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Auto-owners and Le Mars only compete against each other in Iowa, where Auto-owners offers the cheaper average premiums. For Iowa residents, Auto-owners offers car insurance for $118 a month on average. Le Mars's average rates come out to be over 70% more expensive, at $234 monthly.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance cost than just where you call home. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers normally pay a lot more for car insurance than any other group of drivers. It's 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 prices, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of nearly $30 less a month by choosing Auto-owners over Le Mars. It's worth noting that Auto-owners offers insurance in 23 different states compared to Le Mars's one, which can skew the average rates a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

However, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower prices by the time you turn 25. For example, average premiums for Auto-owners policyholders reduce almost $250 and Le Mars's rates decrease more than $200 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to auto insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the most affordable premiums you can find.

So, which company offers the best prices to retired drivers? Auto-owners gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older $63 less expensive than the national average for Le Mars.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that insurance prices are generally more expensive for those who are single than they are for married policyholders? That's usually because married couples tend to own and insure multiple cars, which can often earn you a discount.

When it comes to relationship status, Auto-owners is the clear winner for single policyholders, with rates around $55 per month more affordable than Le Mars, on average. The advantage for married drivers with Auto-owners is also obvious, where drivers save nearly 30% a month.

Auto-owners vs. Le Mars: Average Rates by Gender

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

Generally, men see prices about 6% per month higher with Auto-owners, and around 12% more with Le Mars.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, Auto-owners comes out as the lowest option for both genders, with average premiums 26% less for men and 21% cheaper for women.

Auto-owners or Le Mars: 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, car insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. Everyone needs insurance, but there are so many different limits and coverages that it can be hard to find the right policy.

But the most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which usually refers to having comprehensive and collision coverages alongside liability).

In this case, Le Mars offers the most affordable average rates for state minimum limits for liability insurance, while Auto-owners has the edge for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Drivers looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $20 with Le Mars Insurance Company, while full coverage comes out to be about $150 cheaper with Auto-Owners Insurance.

Is Auto-owners or Le Mars 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.

Tickets and at-fault accidents will most likely raise your prices, but is Auto-owners or Le Mars less expensive for 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 Le Mars generally raises rates around $42 per month, on average.

That being said, Auto-owners has more affordable premiums for drivers in both categories, offering prices that are 12% and 8% cheaper, respectively, compared to Le Mars Insurance Company.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Auto-owners policyholders who get in a collision can expect to see their rates climb by over $45, while those who have insurance through Le Mars will see about a $50 increase.

Overall, the more affordable prices come from Auto-owners, with monthly rates averaging $168 compared to Le Mars Insurance Company's $186.

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 speeding ticket or even an accident. Le Mars drivers usually see a 68% raise in their car insurance premiums after a DUI charge, while Auto-owners will normally climb rates by around 54%.

Auto-owners has the overall lowest prices for drivers with a DUI on their records at $264 per month, but it's worth noting that Auto-owners's average rates come from 23 states compared to just one for Le Mars, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Auto-owners and Le Mars Rates?

Did you know that many auto insurance companies take into account your credit score when calculating premiums? This isn't always the case (for example, Massachusetts and Hawaii are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for quite a few drivers.

The reasoning car insurance carriers use is that policyholders with good credit will be more likely to pay their bills on time; so they'll reward them with cheaper prices, while those with poor credit will typically be forced to pay more.

So, which company offers the best premiums for drivers with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have solid credit, you'll usually find a better deal with Auto-owners. Policyholders with "excellent" credit can save just under 30% compared to Le Mars, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- about $51 or 28% less expensive each month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Auto-owners typically offers lower rates than Le Mars when it comes to drivers with a below average credit score. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around $45 a month less with Auto-owners compared to Le Mars, and those with "poor" scores normally save an average of about $84 monthly.

Is Auto-owners or Le Mars Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a considerable impact on your monthly prices. That's because the more miles you drive, the more likely you are to get into a collision and cause an insurance claim.

For both drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicles yearly, as well as those who average twice that figure, Auto-owners offers cheaper premiums than Le Mars. Le Mars's average rates for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in around 18% more expensive than Auto-owners. Those who drive 12,000 miles every year can expect to pay about 28% more with Le Mars over Auto-owners.

Auto-owners vs. Le Mars: 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 large impact as well. Typically, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders because there are a lot more vehicles on the roads in those areas.

Auto-owners tends to offer the most affordable rates for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

If you live in a rural area, you can expect to pay around $164 per month with Auto-owners and $235 with Le Mars. People in suburban areas pay a monthly price of about $169 with Auto-owners compared to $179 with Le Mars. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Auto-owners's average prices are around $205 while Le Mars offers rates about $290.

Auto-owners vs. Le Mars Discounts

Regardless of 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 possible, and the best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many insurance discounts as you can.

The challenging 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.

In the table below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both Auto-owners and Le Mars so that you can find the carrier that has the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

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

A couple of those are overlapping for things like advance quote discounts, discounts for getting driver training, discounts for being a good driver, and discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company. Auto-owners also offers company car discounts, COVID-19 relief discount, defensive driver discounts, and more that Le Mars does not.

On the flip side, Le Mars has a couple unique discounts of its own -- family discounts, hybrid vehicle discounts, marital status discounts, and more.

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

So, we've broken down the average prices 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, is Auto-owners or Le Mars the best company for you and your specific driver profile?

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

• You already have plans to move to another state -- Le Mars Insurance Company only offers policies in Iowa.
• You have above-average credit.
• You're buying car insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

Le Mars might be best for you if...

• You're looking for the best rates in IA.
• You want basic auto insurance coverage at the state minimum limits.

We hope this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Auto-owners and Le Mars. 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 sure-fire 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 Auto-owners and Le Mars. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Auto-owners vs. Le Mars FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Le Mars cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Auto-owners is the less expensive of the two carriers, offering average rates of $179 per month compared to $234 for Le Mars. But Auto-owners won't necessarily be the lowest company for each policyholder, since there are a variety of different variables that are considered when it comes to your car insurance bill.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Le Mars?

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

Why do Auto-owners and Le Mars offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies take a look at many different factors when determining the rates they charge drivers. Things like your driving record, where your home is, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Auto-owners and Le Mars calculate premiums differently, so each one will most likely offer different prices. The only real way to see which company is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a bunch of different carriers.

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

The only way to find the car insurance carrier 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 area information and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best insurance carriers in your area. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Auto-owners or Le Mars 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.