Bristol West vs. Patriot: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for car insurance, Patriot offers significantly cheaper prices than Bristol West
• Bristol West may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Patriot Insurance
• Patriot offers more affordable rates for policyholders who live in urban areas

Bristol West or Patriot: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering huge savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might be considering Bristol West or Patriot for your next policy, but between the two, which one will save you the most?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Bristol West is quite a bit more expensive than Patriot, with premiums averaging $412 a month compared to just $191 with Patriot.

Even so, that doesn't mean Patriot will necessarily be less expensive than Bristol West for every single driver. Insurance companies vary their prices depending on things like how good your credit score is, how clean your driving record is, where you live, how old you are, and a variety of other factors, so rates will vary quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if Bristol West or Patriot 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.

Bristol West vs. Patriot: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Bristol West and Patriot only compete against each other in one states, with Patriot offering more affordable rates to the average driver in all of them. Maine has the most noticable difference, where Patriot premiums are $22 less expensive than car insurance prices at Bristol West.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your auto insurance bill than just where you live. Keep reading to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers generally pay a lot more for insurance than any group on the road. It's typically because teen 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 rates, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 45% less per month by choosing Patriot over Bristol West.

However, both carriers will lower premiums once you turn 25. Patriot offers the steepest decrease, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Bristol West's average rates drop almost 55% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll normally enjoy the lowest car 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 auto insurance.

When looking at Bristol West and Patriot specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Patriot gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older $236 cheaper than the national average for Bristol West.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance prices tend to be more affordable for married couples than they are for single policyholders. That's usually because married policyholders tend to own and insure more than one vehicle, which can often earn you a discount.

For single drivers, the difference in average premiums between these two companies is significant, with Patriot prices coming in at around half of Bristol West's. The advantage for married drivers with Patriot is also obvious, where drivers save about $200 a month.

Bristol West or Patriot: Average Rates by Gender

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

Surprisingly, with Bristol West, men generallypay around 0% less per month than women, and about 9% more with Patriot.

Looking at overall affordability, Patriot offers the most affordable average premiums for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $211 a month and women save around $230 with Patriot compared to the average Bristol West policyholder.

Bristol West vs. Patriot: 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.

Insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are multiple different coverages that account for a variety 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 that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (that covers property damage and bodily injury for other drivers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, in addition to liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, Patriot has the significant edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $80. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Patriot again has the edge, with policies averaging about $303 per month to Bristol West's $544.

Is Bristol West or Patriot 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.

You'll probably end up paying more with speeding tickets and collisions on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the cheapest prices to drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Bristol West for their insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up around 23% after getting a speeding ticket. Patriot policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of about 21%.

That being said, Patriot is normally the cheaper option for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent ticket, offering premiums that are 75% and 76% less expensive, respectively, compared to Bristol West.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will raise rates pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with Bristol West climbing by around 29%. Patriot has a less extreme increase, but you can still expect to pay nearly 20% more than you were prior to your first accident.

At the end of the day, Patriot offers the most affordable prices for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average premiums coming in at $103 compared to Bristol West's $479.

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 -- usually a lot more than a collision or speeding ticket. Patriot drivers usually see a 82% raise in their insurance rates after a DUI charge, while Bristol West will normally climb premiums by about 13%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable prices, Bristol West tends to be more affordable for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $390 to Patriot's $472.

How does Credit Score Impact Bristol West and Patriot Rates?

Did you know many car insurance carriers take your credit score into account when determining premiums? This isn't true for everyone (for example, California and Hawaii are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for lots of drivers.

Auto insurance companies argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, policyholders with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

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 a great credit score, Patriot will typically reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Patriot comes in just under 53.22 cheaper. Drivers with "good" credit scores generally save about 55% with Patriot compared to average rates from Bristol West.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Patriot typically offers lower premiums than Bristol West when it comes to drivers with less-than-stellar credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 55% a month less with Patriot compared to Bristol West, and those with "poor" scores normally save an average of about 56% per month.

Is Bristol West or Patriot 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 cost? Generally, those who drive fewer miles will end up with less expensive prices since there's less of a chance of causing an accident and filing an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Patriot charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly rates for Bristol West, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle annually paying around $3 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, for drivers in both categories, Patriot is the more affordable carrier.

Bristol West or Patriot: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your car can play a sizable role in how much you pay for insurance. Usually, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders since there are a lot more vehicles on the roads where they live.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Patriot typically comes out as the lowest option for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save about 41% with Patriot compared to Bristol West. People who live in suburban areas pay around 49% less with Patriot compared to Bristol West. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Patriot Insurance's average premiums are about 64% less than Bristol West.

Bristol West vs. Patriot Discounts

No matter 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 you can, and the best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many car insurance discounts as possible.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be difficult to nail down the carrier that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile and to find all the discounts you can take advantage of.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Bristol West and Patriot offer their customers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Bristol West knocks Patriot out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 18 different discounts to Patriot's 11.

There are a couple discounts both companies offer, but Bristol West also offers discounts for ABS, anti-theft, continuous insurance, and more.

On the other hand, Patriot has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like full coverage discounts, life policy discounts, and renewal discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Bristol West or Patriot Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the variables insurance carriers look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each company offers. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, which insurance carrier is the best company for you and your specific driver profile?

Patriot might be best for you if....

• You've been pulled over for speeding recently.
• You live in an suburban area.
• You and your spouse are buying auto insurance together.

Bristol West might be best for you if...

• Your driving record includes a DUI charge.
• You're looking for the company with the most discounts.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Bristol West and Patriot. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple companies, not just Bristol West and Patriot. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just 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.

Bristol West vs. Patriot FAQs

Is Bristol West or Patriot cheaper?

Patriot is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $191 per month with Patriot and $412 for Bristol West. But that doesn't mean Patriot will be the most affordable carrier for each policyholder, since there are a range of different factors that come into play when it comes to your auto insurance payment.

Who is better, Bristol West or Patriot?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". Neither company is necessarily "better" for every policyholder -- it all depends on what your unique insurance profile looks like. For example, Patriot is more affordable for drivers with excellent credit, while Bristol West offers less expensive premiums for drivers with a recent DUI.

Why do Bristol West and Patriot offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers use quite a few different variables when calculating the rates they charge. Factors like age, where you live, your driving record, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Bristol West and Patriot use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from many different companies.

How do I know if Bristol West or Patriot is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance company 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 do all the hard work for you. Just enter your information once 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 price. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Bristol West or Patriot 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.