Auto-owners vs. Western Reserve Group: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Western Reserve Group offers significantly cheaper prices than Auto-owners
• Auto-owners may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Western Reserve Group
• Western Reserve Group offers more affordable premiums for drivers who have below-average credit

Auto-owners or Western Reserve Group: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're thinking about switching to a new insurance policy. After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering huge savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to Auto-owners or Western Reserve Group as your top options, but which company will offer you less expensive rates?

As you can see, Auto-owners is around $42 more a month than Western Reserve Group when looking at the national average rates for insurance.

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

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

Auto-owners vs. Western Reserve Group: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Auto-owners and Western Reserve Group only compete against each other in one states, with Auto-owners offering less expensive rates to the average driver in all of them. Indiana has the most noticable difference, where Auto-owners premiums are $33 cheaper than insurance rates at Western Reserve Group.

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

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- typically pay a lot for car insurance compared to older drivers. The reason is that teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

Even so, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high insurance premiums. As you can see above, teens who use Western Reserve Group save almost 35% per month compared to those who use Auto-owners. It's worth noting that Auto-owners offers auto insurance in 23 different states compared to Western Reserve Group's two, which can skew the average prices a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

However, both companies will drop rates by the time drivers turn 25. Western Reserve Group offers the steepest drop, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Auto-owners's average prices reduce nearly 60% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to car insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the cheapest premiums you'll ever see.

So, which carrier offers the best prices to retired drivers? Western Reserve Group gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older $26 more affordable than the national average for Auto-owners.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single drivers tend to get offered slightly more expensive insurance rates than married drivers. That's because policies for married policyholders generally cover several vehicles, which lots of carriers will give you a discount for.

For those who are single, the difference in average prices between these two companies is significant, with Western Reserve Group premiums coming in at a quarter less than Auto-owners's. The advantage for married couples with Western Reserve Group is also obvious, where drivers save almost 20% a month.

Auto-owners or Western Reserve Group: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but car insurance is normally cheaper for women than it is for men. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get into accidents and get tickets, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher rates.

Women usually pay about $10 per month less than men with Auto-owners, but surprisingly, with Western Reserve Group, women usually pay around $2 a month more than men.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Western Reserve Group comes out as the lowest option for both genders, with average prices 26% less for men and 21% cheaper for women.

Auto-owners vs. Western Reserve Group: 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.

Auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are many different coverages that account for lots of different things. Some protect you and your car, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause a collision.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which typically refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages alongside liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, Western Reserve Group has the slight edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $94. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Western Reserve Group again has the edge, with policies averaging about $180 per month to Auto-owners's $260.

Is Auto-owners or Western Reserve Group Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their car insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

Speeding tickets and collisions will most likely raise your premiums, but is Auto-owners or Western Reserve Group cheaper for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Auto-owners for their auto insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up around 27% after getting a speeding ticket. Western Reserve Group policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of about 28%.

But Western Reserve Group tends to offer the best prices for both drivers who have a recent ticket and those with clean records, offering rates that are $33 and $43 more affordable, respectively, compared to Auto-Owners Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their insurance through Auto-owners can expect to see around an $47 -- or about 28% -- rise in their auto insurance premiums. Drivers who use Western Reserve Group for their insurance will see a monthly bill around $32 (or 27%) more expensive after reporting a collision to their car insurance carrier.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Western Reserve Group end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average prices coming in at $120 compared to Auto-Owners Insurance's $168.

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 auto insurance bill -- normally a lot more than an accident or speeding ticket. Auto-owners drivers usually see a 54% increase in their car insurance premiums after a DUI charge, while Western Reserve Group will generally climb prices by about 60%.

Western Reserve Group has the overall cheapest rates for drivers with a DUI on their records at $218 a month, but it's worth noting that Auto-owners's average rates come from 23 states compared to just two for Western Reserve Group, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Auto-owners and Western Reserve Group Rates?

Did you know many insurance carriers take into account your credit score when determining premiums? This isn't true for everyone (California, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an auto insurance factor) but it does affect many drivers out there.

The reasoning auto insurance companies use is that policyholders with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so usually, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with less expensive rates.

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have great credit, Auto-owners will generally reward you the most for an "excellent" credit score. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Auto-owners comes in nearly 8% cheaper. Drivers with "good" credit scores typically save around 9% with Western Reserve Group compared to average premiums from Auto-owners.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Western Reserve Group typically offers lower rates than Auto-owners when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 21% a month less with Western Reserve Group compared to Auto-owners, and those with "poor" scores normally save an average of around 40% per month.

Is Auto-owners or Western Reserve Group 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 substantial impact on your monthly car insurance payment? That's because the more milage you drive, the more likely you are to be in a collision and file an insurance claim.

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

Auto-owners or Western Reserve Group: 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 considerable impact as well. Generally, those who live in urban areas will pay more than drivers in rural areas because of the number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

Western Reserve Group boasts the lowest average rates for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save around $39 with Western Reserve Group compared to Auto-owners. People who live in suburban areas pay about $30 less with Western Reserve Group compared to Auto-owners. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Western Reserve Group's average prices are around $58 less than Auto-Owners Insurance.

Auto-owners vs. Western Reserve Group Discounts

No matter 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 you can. That's where insurance discounts comes into play.

The hard 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.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Auto-owners and Western Reserve Group offer their customers so that you can find the carrier that has the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Auto-owners blows Western Reserve Group away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 24 different discounts to Western Reserve Group's 11.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Auto-owners also offers discounts for ABS, COVID-19 relief, driver training, and more.

On the other hand, Western Reserve Group has a few proprietary discounts of their own like agency transfer discounts and renewal discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Auto-owners or Western Reserve Group Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your auto insurance premiums. We've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers, too. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which insurance company is the right one for you and your specific profile and needs?

Western Reserve Group might be best for you if....

• You've received a ticket for speeding recently and don't want to see your rates increase.
• You're worried about the impact your credit score will have on your prices.
• You drive fewer than 6,000 miles yearly.

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

• You're planning on moving to another state soon -- Western Reserve Group only offers policies in Indiana and Ohio.
• You want to save extra money with discounts.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Auto-owners and Western Reserve Group and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from a handful of companies, not just Auto-owners and Western Reserve Group. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. 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. Western Reserve Group FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Western Reserve Group cheaper?

Western Reserve Group is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $137 per month with Western Reserve Group and $179 for Auto-owners. That being said, that doesn't mean Western Reserve Group will be the most affordable carrier for every policyholder, since there are several different factors (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Western Reserve Group?

Unfortunately, the answer truly is "it depends.". No one company is necessarily "better" for each policyholder -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like. For example, Auto-owners is less expensive for drivers with excellent credit, while Western Reserve Group offers more affordable rates for drivers with a recent DUI.

Why do Auto-owners and Western Reserve Group offer me different rates?

Insurance carriers use quite a few different variables when calculating the prices they charge. Things such as your driving record, age, gender, where your home is, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Auto-owners and Western Reserve Group calculate premiums differently, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different companies.

How do I know if Auto-owners or Western Reserve Group is right for me?

The only way to find the auto 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, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Auto-owners or Western Reserve Group at all, but another you hadn't even thought of!

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.