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

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for car insurance, Auto-owners offers cheaper prices than National Mutual
• Auto-owners has more affordable premiums for residents of rural areas
• National Mutual offers more affordable rates for residents in Iowa, Indiana, and Ohio

Auto-owners vs. National Mutual: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you considering a new insurance policy? After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering big discounts. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Auto-owners or National Mutual for your next policy, but which one has less expensive premiums for insurance?

As you can see, National Mutual has average rates that are about 11% per month more expensive than those from Auto-owners when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean Auto-owners will be the more affordable option for each driver. Car insurance companies use a ton of complex algorithms to calculate prices, so depending on how old you are or how clean your driving record is (among a range of other factors), you could see wildly different premiums from the ones above.

Wanting to know if Auto-owners or National Mutual 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.

Auto-owners or National Mutual: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Auto-owners and National Mutual only compete against each other in two states, with Auto-owners offering cheaper prices to the average driver in all of them. Iowa has the most noticable difference, where Auto-owners premiums are over 70% less expensive than insurance prices at National Mutual.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your car insurance payment than just where you live. 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 insurance than any other group of drivers. That's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

Even so, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their auto insurance. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Auto-owners for their insurance pay nearly $85 less than those who use National Mutual. It's worth noting that Auto-owners offers auto insurance in 23 different states compared to National Mutual's three, which can skew the average rates a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

That being said, both carriers will lower premiums once you turn 25. National Mutual offers the steepest decrease, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, Auto-owners still has the cheapest rates at $164 monthly.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age typically enjoy some of the most affordable car insurance prices you can find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which usually decreases their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase premiums.

But who has the best rates for retired drivers between Auto-owners and National Mutual? Auto-owners gets the slight edge here, with average prices coming in at around $133 per month compared to National Mutual's $134. But the difference is only about 5%, so other factors (such as your driving record or where you live) will likely come into play when determining which carrier has the cheapest rates for you.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married drivers tend to get slightly more affordable auto insurance prices than those who are single. That's generally because married policyholders tend to own and insure more than one car, which can often earn you a discount.

When it comes to relationship status, Auto-owners is the clear winner for single policyholders, with premiums around $29 a month less expensive than National Mutual, on average. It's not quite so glaring for married couples, where drivers who use Auto-owners save almost 10% per month.

Auto-owners vs. National Mutual: Average Rates by Gender

Men usually pay more for insurance than women. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get into collisions and file an insurance claim, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher prices.

With Auto-owners, women typically pay more than $10 a month less than men, and about $20 cheaper with National Mutual when compared to their male counterparts.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Auto-owners comes out on top for both men and women, with average premiums $27 less for men and $17 cheaper for women.

Auto-owners or National Mutual: 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 car insurance can be pretty complicated. There are a bunch of different coverages that account for several different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

The two most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (that covers property damage and bodily injury for other drivers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, alongside liability coverage).

In this case, National Mutual 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 $5 with National Mutual Insurance, while full coverage comes out to be around $50 cheaper with Auto-Owners Insurance.

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

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

It's no secret secret that tickets and accidents lead to higher prices, but which carrier -- Auto-owners or National Mutual -- has the lowest rates for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Auto-owners policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $44 per month if they get a ticket, while National Mutual generally raises rates about $11 a month, on average.

If you have a clean record, Auto-owners tends to offer the best premiums at around 8% more affordable, while National Mutual has the edge for drivers with a speeding ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both carriers will raise prices pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault accident with National Mutual climbing by over $75. Auto-owners has a less extreme rise, but you can still expect to pay more than $45 more than you were prior to your first collision.

Overall, Auto-owners offers the most affordable rates for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly premiums averaging $168 compared to National Mutual Insurance's $207.

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 car insurance bill -- normally a lot more than an accident or ticket. On average, National Mutual will raise your rates about 60% after a DUI, while Auto-owners's average prices increase by just under 55%.

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

How does Credit Score Impact Auto-owners and National Mutual Rates?

Did you know that many auto insurance companies take into account your credit score when calculating prices? This isn't always the case (for example, California and Hawaii are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect quite a few policyholders 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.

So, which company offers the cheapest rates for drivers with poor, average, or good 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 nearly 25% compared to National Mutual, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- around $32 or 20% cheaper every month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have a below average credit score, it can be somewhat of a toss-up as far as which company offers you the best premiums. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about $45 less with Auto-owners than National Mutual, but those whose credit is considered "poor" have it flipped -- saving around $20 per month with National Mutual.

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

The amount of time you spend behind the wheel of your car plays a big role in how much car insurance companies will charge for coverage. Generally, those who drive less will end up with less expensive rates since there's less of a chance of getting into a collision and causing an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much National Mutual charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly prices for Auto-owners, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their car each year paying about $1 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, Auto-owners is the more affordable option for drivers in both categories.

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

Where you live can play a sizable role in how much you pay for auto insurance. Normally, those who live in urban areas will pay more than drivers in rural areas due to the number of vehicles that are on the roads in those areas.

Auto-owners boasts the lowest average premiums for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

Policyholders in rural ZIP codes see the most affordable rates from both carriers, but Auto-owners comes out on top with average premiums around $164 monthly. Auto-owners also has cheaper average prices for drivers in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a 4% and 16% a month respective difference when compared to National Mutual policyholders in similar areas.

Auto-owners vs. National Mutual 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.

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 qualify for.

In the table below, we've taken a look at all of the different discounts Auto-owners and National Mutual 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.

Overall, Auto-owners comes out ahead with 24 discounts to National Mutual's 19.

Both companies offer quite a few of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, discounts for getting driver training, education discounts, and discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company -- but Auto-owners also offers ABS discounts, company car discounts, COVID-19 relief discount, and more that National Mutual does not.

On the flip side, National Mutual has a couple unique discounts of its own -- claim free discounts, continuous insurance discounts, EFT discounts, and more.

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

You've seen the effect certain variables have on your auto insurance and the different discounts carriers offer. But, at the end of the day, which insurance company is the best carrier for you and your specific needs?

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

• You have a DUI charge on your record.
• You're looking for more protection with "full coverage" insurance.
• You drive fewer than 12,000 miles yearly.

National Mutual might be best for you if...

• You're looking for the best rates in IA, IN, and OH.
• You've been pulled over for speeding recently.
• You want basic car insurance coverage at the state minimum limits.

We hope this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Auto-owners and National Mutual and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your auto insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your car insurance policy is to compare quotes from a handful of companies, not just Auto-owners and National Mutual. 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 carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Auto-owners vs. National Mutual FAQs

Is Auto-owners or National Mutual cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Auto-owners is the less expensive of the two companies, offering average rates of $179 per month compared to $201 for National Mutual. That being said, Auto-owners won't necessarily be the cheapest carrier for everyone, since there are multiple different factors (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Auto-owners or National Mutual?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No single company is "better" for everyone -- it all depends on what your unique auto insurance profile looks like. For example, Auto-owners offers cheaper rates for drivers with an at-fault collision on their record, while National Mutual is less expensive for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores.

Why do Auto-owners and National Mutual offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers take a look at many different variables when determining the prices they charge policyholders. Factors like your driving record, gender, age, where your home is, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Auto-owners and National Mutual use different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different companies.

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

The only way to find the auto insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from several 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 insurance companies in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Auto-owners or National Mutual 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.