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

Quick Facts

• In general, Auto-owners offers significantly more affordable prices than Pioneer State Mutual
• Auto-owners offers more affordable premiums for policyholders who have a clean driving record, free of accidents, tickets, or DUIs
• Pioneer State Mutual offers more affordable rates for residents in Michigan

Auto-owners vs. Pioneer State 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 might be considering Auto-owners or Pioneer State Mutual for your next policy, but which carrier will offer you cheaper prices?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, Auto-owners has average rates that are about 40% per month less expensive than those from Pioneer State Mutual.

That being said, that doesn't mean Auto-owners will necessarily be more affordable than Pioneer State Mutual for each driver. Insurance carriers vary their premiums depending on things like where you live, how good your credit score is, how clean your driving record is, how old you are, and all sorts of other factors. So, at the end of the day, prices from each carrier will differ quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Auto-owners or Pioneer State Mutual is really the best for you, keep reading to see average rates for each company broken down by a bunch of different rate factors.

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

Auto-owners and Pioneer State Mutual only compete against each other in Michigan, where Auto-owners offers the cheaper average prices. For Michigan residents, Auto-owners offers auto insurance for $244 a month on average. Pioneer State Mutual's average rates come out to be over 20% more expensive, at $310 monthly.

But there's more to car insurance than just where you live. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how insurance companies calculate your premiums. Keep reading to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive auto insurance rates of any other group of drivers out there on the road. The reason is that young, inexperienced 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 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 more than $150 less a month by choosing Auto-owners over Pioneer State Mutual. It's worth noting that Auto-owners offers insurance in 23 different states compared to Pioneer State Mutual's one, which can skew the average premiums a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

However, with both carriers, you'll see your rates decrease significantly by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average premiums for Auto-owners policyholders reduce nearly $250 and Pioneer State Mutual's prices lower around $250 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

So, which carrier offers the best prices to retired drivers? Auto-owners gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older over 45% less expensive than the national average for Pioneer State Mutual.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married couples tend to get slightly cheaper car insurance prices than those who are single. That's because policies for married drivers usually cover several cars, which many companies will offer you a discount for.

When it comes to relationship status, Auto-owners is the clear winner for single drivers, with premiums about $129 per month less expensive than Pioneer State Mutual, on average. For married policyholders, the advantage is clear again - Auto-owners has the edge when it comes to average prices.

Auto-owners vs. Pioneer State Mutual: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but auto insurance is generally more expensive for men than for women. This is because men are more likely to get tickets and get into accidents, which increases the chances of an insurance claim.

With Auto-owners, men normally pay more than $10 a month more than women; everyone gets the same monthly rates regardless of gender with Pioneer State Mutual.

Looking at overall affordability, Auto-owners offers the cheapest average premiums for both men and women, with average prices 40% less for men and 44% cheaper for women.

Auto-owners or Pioneer State 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.

Car insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. Everyone needs insurance, but there are so many different terms and limits that it can be hard to find the right policy.

Even so, most policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers and their passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, alongside liability).

If you're looking for state minimum liability limits, Auto-owners generally offers significantly cheaper premiums of $99 compared to Pioneer State Mutual's $182. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Auto-owners again has the edge, with policies around $200 per month more affordable than Pioneer State Mutual, on average.

Is Auto-owners or Pioneer State Mutual 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 collisions and tickets on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the most affordable rates to drivers with spotty 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 Pioneer State Mutual normally raises rates about $152 per month, on average.

But Auto-owners is typically the cheaper option for drivers both with a speeding ticket and with a clean record, offering prices that are 42% and 54% less expensive, respectively, compared to Pioneer State Mutual.

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. Pioneer State Mutual has a less extreme climb, but you can still expect to pay just under $40 more than you were prior to your first collision.

Overall, Auto-owners offers the cheapest premiums for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly prices averaging $168 compared to Pioneer State Mutual's $247.

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 -- usually a lot more than a collision or ticket. Pioneer State Mutual drivers usually see a 51% increase in their auto insurance premiums after a DUI charge, while Auto-owners will typically raise 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 Pioneer State Mutual, so the data may be skewed slightly.

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

Did you know that many 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 might come into play for a lot of 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 normally be forced to pay more.

Looking at Auto-owners and Pioneer State Mutual specifically, which company has the best rates for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Michigan is one of a few states that does not allow auto insurance companies from using credit scores to determine prices. And since Pioneer State Mutual is only available in Michigan, there is no data available on how credit score impacts rates because it's not a factor at all. This may be a good thing, since Auto-owners and other carriers tend to raise premiums quite a bit in other states if you don't have excellent credit.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have less-than-perfect credit and live in Michigan, the good news is it won't cost you extra when it comes to insurance. As you can see, poor credit can really cost Auto-owners drivers in other states, but no need to worry if you live in Michigan.

Is Auto-owners or Pioneer State 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 your monthly car insurance bill. Generally, the more miles you drive, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Pioneer State Mutual charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly rates for Auto-owners, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their car yearly 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. Pioneer State Mutual: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you live can have a large impact on your monthly insurance payment. Usually, policyholders who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural drivers because of the number of vehicles that are on the roads in those areas.

Auto-owners boasts the lowest average rates for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Auto-owners offers premiums around $205 monthly compared to Pioneer State Mutual's $395. People who live in suburban ZIP codes can expect to pay about $169 a month for Auto-owners and $304 for Pioneer State Mutual. Lastly, those in rural areas tend to get the cheapest prices from both companies, with average monthly rates coming in at $164 and $231 for Auto-owners and Pioneer State Mutual respectively.

Auto-owners vs. Pioneer State Mutual Discounts

Regardless of why you might be in the market for a new auto 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 where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be difficult to find all the ones you're eligible for.

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

Auto-owners knocks Pioneer State Mutual out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 24 different discounts to Pioneer State Mutual's 12.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a good student, and group discounts. Auto-owners also offers advance quote discounts, company car discounts, COVID-19 relief discount, and more that Pioneer State Mutual does not.

On the flip side, Pioneer State Mutual has a couple unique discounts of its own -- affiliation policy experience discounts, comp only discounts, employee discounts, and more.

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

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

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

• You're single and purchasing auto insurance by yourself.
• You're worried about the impact your credit score will have on your premiums.
• You are purchasing your insurance with a spouse.

Pioneer State Mutual might be best for you if...

• You live in one of the following states: Michigan.

We hope this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Auto-owners and Pioneer State Mutual 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 car insurance policy is to compare quotes from several companies, not just Auto-owners and Pioneer State Mutual. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple quotes from some of the best auto insurance carriers in your area, all for free.

Auto-owners vs. Pioneer State Mutual FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Pioneer State Mutual cheaper?

Looking just at the national average prices, Auto-owners is the cheaper of the two companies, offering average rates of $179 per month compared to $310 for Pioneer State Mutual. That being said, Auto-owners won't necessarily be the most affordable company for each policyholder, since there are lots of different variables (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Pioneer State Mutual?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". Neither carrier is "better" for every driver -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like.

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

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

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

The only way to find the car insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of 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 area information and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance companies 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 Pioneer State 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.