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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for auto insurance, Root offers significantly less expensive premiums than Auto-owners
• Auto-owners offers more discounts than Root Insurance
• Root has more affordable rates for policyholders who have a short commute

Auto-owners vs. Root: 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 huge discounts. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed your search down to Auto-owners or Root for your next policy, but between the two, which one has cheaper premiums for insurance?

As you can see, Root is quite a bit cheaper than Auto-owners, with rates averaging $65 per month compared to $179 with Auto-owners when looking at the national average rates for car insurance.

That being said, that doesn't necessarily mean Root will be the more affordable option for every driver. Auto insurance companies vary their prices depending on things like how old you are, how clean your driving record is, how good your credit score is, where you live, and tons of other factors. So, at the end of the day, rates from each company will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if Auto-owners or Root is really the right carrier for you? Keep on reading to see how average prices can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

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

Auto-owners and Root only compete against each other in Arizona, where Root offers the cheaper average premiums. For Arizona residents, Root offers car insurance for $65 monthly on average. Auto-owners's average prices come out to be over 70% more expensive, at $198 a month.

But there's more to calculating auto insurance rates than just your home state. Continue reading to learn more about how other factors will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers typically pay a lot more for insurance than any group out there on the road. It's because 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 premiums, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of more than $250 less a month by choosing Root over Auto-owners. It's worth noting that Auto-owners offers auto insurance in 23 different states compared to Root'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 premiums once you turn 25. Root offers the steepest reduction, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Auto-owners's average prices decrease nearly 60% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

So, which company offers the best rates to retired drivers? Root gets the edge here, with average premiums coming in at about $57 per month compared to Auto-owners's $133.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that auto insurance prices are usually more expensive for single drivers than they are for married policyholders? That's because policies for married drivers generally cover multiple cars, which lots of companies will offer you a discount for.

When it comes to relationship status, Root is the clear winner for single policyholders, with rates around $135 per month cheaper than Auto-owners, on average. For married couples, the advantage is clear again - Root has the edge when it comes to average prices.

Auto-owners vs. Root: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to cause a collision and get into accidents, which means they'll typically end up paying more for insurance than women.

With Auto-owners, men usually pay over $10 a month more than women, and about $2 with Root.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, Root comes out as the cheapest option for both genders, with average premiums $119 less for men and $110 cheaper for women.

Auto-owners or Root: 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 can be pretty complicated. There are multiple different coverages that account for lots of 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 (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which normally refers to having comprehensive and collision coverages in addition to what you get with liability coverage).

If you're looking for state minimum liability limits, Root generally offers significantly less expensive rates of $46 compared to Auto-owners's $99. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Root again has the edge, with policies around $200 per month cheaper than Auto-owners, on average.

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

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Auto-owners policyholders can expect their rates to go up an average of $44 a month if they get a ticket, while Root typically raises premiums about $10 per month, on average.

But Root is normally the less expensive option for drivers both with clean records and with a speeding ticket, offering rates that are $64 and $98 more affordable, respectively, compared to Auto-Owners Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Auto-owners drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their prices rise by just under 30%, while those who have insurance through Root will see around a 30% increase.

Overall, the less expensive premiums come from Root, with monthly prices averaging $79 compared to Auto-Owners Insurance's $168.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single accident or ticket when it comes to your auto insurance bill. On average, Auto-owners will raise your premiums about 54% after a DUI, while Root's average rates increase by 0%.

Root has the overall lowest premiums for drivers with a DUI on their records at $57 a month, but it's worth noting that Auto-owners's average rates come from 23 states compared to just one for Root, so the data may be skewed slightly.

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

In many cases, your credit score can be used as one of the variables to calculate your monthly car insurance rates. Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as a rating factor, but it does affect quite a few policyholders out there.

Insurance carriers argue that those with good credit scores are more likely to pay their bills on time every month, which decreases the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with bad credit.

Looking at Auto-owners and Root specifically, which carrier has the best prices for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, you'll usually find a better deal with Root. Policyholders with "excellent" credit can save just under 45% compared to Auto-owners, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- around $69 or 53% cheaper each month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Root typically offers lower rates than Auto-owners when it comes to drivers with bad credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about $110 a month less with Root compared to Auto-owners, and those with "poor" scores generally save an average of around $238 per month.

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

How much you drive can have a sizable impact on your monthly car insurance bill. Usually, 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 Root charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly prices for Auto-owners, with policyholders who drive the least paying about $1 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, Root is the more affordable option for drivers in both categories.

Auto-owners vs. Root: 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 auto insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a pretty big impact as well. Typically, if you live in a rural area with fewer cars on the road, you'll pay a little less for car insurance, while the opposite is true for people in urban areas.

When comparing these two companies side-by-side, Root usually comes out as the most affordable option for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Root offers rates around $77 monthly compared to Auto-owners's $205. People who live in suburban ZIP codes can expect to pay about $60 per month for Root and $169 for Auto-owners. Lastly, those in rural areas tend to get the cheapest premiums from both carriers, with average monthly rates coming in at $58 and $164 for Root and Auto-owners respectively.

Auto-owners vs. Root Discounts

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

But where do you even start? With so many discounts out there, it may seem difficult to find all the of the ones you qualify for.

In the section below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both Auto-owners and Root so that you can see which company can save you the most money each month.

Auto-owners knocks Root out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 24 different discounts to Root's five.

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

On the flip side, Root has a unique discount of its own -- a auto-steer discounts.

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

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the factors auto insurance companies look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers. But, when it comes down to it, which insurance company is the right carrier for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

Root might be best for you if....

• You want to save money on your insurance after a collision.
• You're looking for more protection with "full coverage" auto insurance.
• You're buying car insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

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

• You value the experience that comes with a large national auto insurance carrier.
• You care about discounts (Auto-owners offers the most).

We hope this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Auto-owners and Root and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your car 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 insurance -- comparing quotes from several carriers, not just Auto-owners and Root. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best car insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Auto-owners vs. Root FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Root cheaper?

Looking just at the national average prices, Root is the cheaper of the two carriers, offering average rates of $65 a month compared to $179 for Auto-owners. Even so, Root 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 insurance cost.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Root?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". One carrier is not necessarily "better" for every driver -- it all boils down to your unique auto insurance profile.

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

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

How do I know if Auto-owners or Root 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 does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance carriers in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the most affordable price. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Auto-owners or Root 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.