Donegal Mutual vs. Metlife: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for insurance, Donegal Mutual offers less expensive premiums than Metlife
• Donegal Mutual offers cheaper average prices for policyholders who have a short commute
• Metlife tends to be a much more affordable option for policyholders who live in urban areas

Donegal Mutual or Metlife: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

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

You might have narrowed your search down to Donegal Mutual or Metlife as your top options, but between the two, which company will save you the most?

Looking at nationwide averages, Metlife has average rates that are around 15% a month more expensive than those from Donegal Mutual.

That being said, Donegal Mutual may not be the cheapest or best option for each driver out there. After all, car insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like your age, your driving record, where you call home, or even your credit score (among other things). So, at the end of the day, premiums from each carrier will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Luckily, we've broken down average rates from both Donegal Mutual and Metlife by a range of different rate factors, so read on to find out which company is the best for you.

Donegal Mutual vs. Metlife: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Donegal Mutual and Metlife compete against each other in four states, with Donegal Mutual offering cheaper prices to the average driver in all of them. Pennsylvania has the most noticable difference, where Donegal Mutual premiums are $352 more affordable than insurance prices at Metlife.

There's a lot more that goes into your auto insurance payment than just your home state. Keep reading to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive insurance rates of any group on the road. The reason is that teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in a car insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

Even so, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their auto insurance. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 35% less per month by choosing Donegal Mutual over Metlife.

But with both companies, you'll see your premiums decrease significantly by the time you turn 25. For example, average prices for Donegal Mutual policyholders drop about $400 and Metlife's rates reduce around $500 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age typically enjoy some of the most affordable car insurance premiums out there. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which generally lowers their chances of collisions and other infractions that can raise prices.

So, which carrier offers the best rates to retired drivers? In this case, Metlife has the slight edge, with prices about $7 a month less than Donegal Mutual. However, the difference is only around 5%, so other variables (like your driving record is or your credit score) will likely come into play when determining which company has the cheapest rates for you.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that auto insurance premiums are usually more expensive for those who are single than they are for married couples? That's normally because married policyholders tend to own and insure several vehicles, which can often earn you a discount.

For single policyholders, the difference in average rates between these two carriers is significant, with Donegal Mutual premiums coming in at a quarter less than Metlife's. But for married drivers, that advantage is much less clear - Metlife has the edge when it comes to average prices , but the difference is less than $5.

Donegal Mutual or Metlife: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but car insurance is typically more expensive for men than for women. That's because women are less likely to get into collisions and get speeding tickets, which lowers the chances of filing a claim with insurance.

Women generally pay about 6% per month less than men with Donegal Mutual, and around 8% less with Metlife.

Looking at overall affordability, Donegal Mutual comes out on top for both men and women. On average, women save about $45 a month and men save about $55 with Donegal Mutual compared to the average Metlife policyholder.

Donegal Mutual vs. Metlife: 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 can be a complicated subject for most people. There are several different coverages that account for a bunch 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.

That being said, most policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's injuries and property damage if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- in addition to what you get with a liability policy).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Donegal Mutual has the edge, with average monthly rates coming in at $170. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Donegal Mutual again has the edge, with policies averaging around $409 per month to Metlife's $466.

Is Donegal Mutual or Metlife Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

Speeding tickets and at-fault accidents will most likely raise your premiums, but is Donegal Mutual or Metlife less expensive for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Donegal Mutual for their auto insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up about 19% after getting a speeding ticket. Metlife policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 21%.

However, Donegal Mutual is normally the cheaper option for drivers both with clean records and with a ticket, offering prices that are $23 and $35 less expensive, respectively, compared to MetLife.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their insurance through Donegal Mutual can expect to see about an $48 -- or around 20% -- rise in their auto insurance premiums. Drivers who use Metlife for their car insurance will see a monthly bill about $148 (or 40%) more expensive after reporting a collision to their insurance carrier.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Donegal Mutual end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average rates coming in at $245 compared to MetLife's $368.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single collision or speeding ticket when it comes to your auto insurance bill. On average, Donegal Mutual will raise your premiums around 58% after a DUI, while Metlife's average rates climb by more than 55%.

How does Credit Score Impact Donegal Mutual and Metlife Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can come into play when carriers determine your monthly bill. Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as an auto insurance factor, but it does affect quite a few drivers out there.

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

Looking at Donegal Mutual and Metlife specifically, which carrier has the best prices for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Donegal Mutual or Metlife 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 rates. That's because the more milage you put on your car each year, the more likely you are to be in an accident and file an insurance claim.

For both remote workers and those taking short commutes, Donegal Mutual tends to be the more affordable option. Donegal Mutual's average premiums for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in nearly 20% less expensive than Metlife. Those who drive 12,000 miles each year can expect to pay just under 10% less with Donegal Mutual over Metlife.

Donegal Mutual or Metlife: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your vehicle can have a pretty big impact on your monthly car insurance cost. Typically, those who live in urban areas will pay more than drivers in rural areas since there are a lot more cars on the roads where they live.

When comparing these two companies side-by-side, Donegal Mutual normally comes out as the more affordable option for drivers in rural and suburban areas, while Metlife wins in urban areas.

For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, MetLife's average rates are about $56 less than Donegal Mutual Insurance Company. People who live in suburban areas pay around $93 less with Donegal Mutual compared to Metlife. Those in rural areas can expect to save about $115 with Donegal Mutual compared to Metlife.

Donegal Mutual vs. Metlife Discounts

You want to save as much money as you can, right? The best way to do that is by utilizing as many auto 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're eligible for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both Donegal Mutual and Metlife so that you can see which one offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Metlife blows Donegal Mutual away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 36 different discounts to Donegal Mutual's 20.

Both carriers offer quite a few of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a good driver, discounts for being a good student, and multi-policy discounts -- but Metlife also offers discounts for AAA, academic, agency transfer, and more.

On the other hand, Donegal Mutual has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like advance quote discounts, driver training discounts, family discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Donegal Mutual or Metlife Best for You?

You've seen the role certain factors have on your insurance and the different discounts companies offer. But, when it comes down to it, which insurance company is the best company for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

Donegal Mutual might be best for you if....

• You will be the only person on the car insurance policy.
• You're looking for the best prices on liability only coverage.
• You have a short drive to work everyday.

Metlife might be best for you if...

• You're looking for the carrier with the most discounts.
• You're of retirement age and want to take advantage of lower premiums.
• You are purchasing your auto insurance with a spouse.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Donegal Mutual and Metlife and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your 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 multiple carriers, not just Donegal Mutual and Metlife. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of top insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Donegal Mutual vs. Metlife FAQs

Is Donegal Mutual or Metlife cheaper?

Donegal Mutual is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $290 a month with Donegal Mutual and $340 for Metlife. But that doesn't mean Donegal Mutual will be the most affordable company for everyone, since there are a variety of different variables that come into play when it comes to your car insurance bill.

Who is better, Donegal Mutual or Metlife?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No one carrier is "better" for every policyholder -- it all depends on what your unique auto insurance profile looks like. For example, Metlife is more affordable for drivers who have already retired, while Donegal Mutual offers cheaper rates for single drivers.

Why do Donegal Mutual and Metlife offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies use several different factors when determining the premiums they charge. Variables such as gender, your driving record, age, where you live, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Donegal Mutual and Metlife calculate prices differently, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different carriers.

How do I know if Donegal Mutual or Metlife is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of companies 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 quotes from dozens of your local top insurance carriers for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the cheapest premium. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Donegal Mutual or Metlife 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.