Esurance vs. The General: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, The General offers cheaper premiums than Esurance
• Esurance may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than The General
• The General offers more affordable rates for policyholders who have a clean record

Esurance or The General: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching to a new insurance policy. With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering huge savings, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Esurance or The General for your next policy, but which company will offer you less expensive prices?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, The General has average rates that are around 19% a month more affordable than those from Esurance.

Even so, that doesn't mean The General will necessarily be cheaper than Esurance for every single driver. Insurance companies vary their premiums depending on things like how clean your driving record is, how old you are, where you live, how good your credit score is, and all sorts of other factors. So, at the end of the day, rates from every company will differ quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Esurance or The General is really the best for you, keep reading to see average prices for each carrier broken down by a range of different rate factors.

Esurance vs. The General: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Esurance and The General only compete against each other in two states, with Esurance offering less expensive rates to the average driver in all of them. Missouri has the most noticable difference, where Esurance premiums are $106 more affordable than auto insurance rates at The General.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your insurance bill than just the state you live in. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- generally 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.

But that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance prices. As you can see above, teens who use The General save over 35% per month compared to those who use Esurance. It's worth noting that Esurance offers insurance in 11 different states compared to The General's three, which can skew the average premiums a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

However, both carriers will reduce rates by the time drivers turn 25. The General offers the steepest reduction, with 25-year-olds paying less than half what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, Esurance still has the most affordable prices at $233 monthly.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll usually 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.

But who has the best rates for retired drivers between Esurance and The General? The General gets the edge here, with average premiums coming in at about $195 a month compared to Esurance's $232.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married policyholders tend to get slightly less expensive insurance prices than single policyholders. This usually boils down to married couples having more than one vehicle on their policy -- something several auto insurance companies will reward with discounts.

For single drivers, the difference in average rates between these two carriers is significant, with The General premiums coming in at a quarter less than Esurance's. For married drivers, the advantage is clear again - The General has the edge when it comes to average prices.

Esurance or The General: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get pulled over for speeding or get into a collision, which means they'll typically end up paying more for car insurance than women.

Generally, men see premiums around $20 a month higher with Esurance, and more than $30 with The General.

When it comes to the cheapest rates for each gender, The General comes out as the most affordable option for both genders. On average, women save about $63 per month and men save about $52 with The General compared to the average Esurance policyholder.

Esurance vs. The General: 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. Everyone needs auto insurance, but there are so many different limits and terms that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

That being said, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers and their passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, alongside what you get with a liability policy).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, The General has the edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $154. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, The General again has the edge, with policies averaging around $329 a month to Esurance's $396.

Is Esurance or The General 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.

At-fault collisions and speeding tickets will most likely raise your premiums, but is Esurance or The General cheaper for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Esurance for their insurance can normally expect their monthly bill to go up about 16% after getting a speeding ticket. The General policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 20%.

But The General has more affordable rates for drivers in both categories. With The General, drivers with a clean record can save about $50 per month and drivers with a ticket can save around $47 a month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will raise prices pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with Esurance climbing by about 34%. The General has a less extreme climb, but you can still expect to pay more than 30% more than you were prior to your first accident.

At the end of the day, the less expensive premiums come from The General, with average rates coming in at $279 compared to Esurance's $364.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge on your record, it's probably going to cost you more than a simple speeding ticket or even a collision. On average, The General will raise your prices around 24% after a DUI, while Esurance's average rates increase by nearly 20%.

The General has the overall lowest premiums for drivers with a DUI on their records at $254 per month, but it's worth noting that Esurance's average rates come from 11 states compared to just three for The General, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Esurance and The General Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can come into play when carriers determine your monthly bill. This isn't true for everyone (California, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an auto insurance factor) but it might come into play for lots of drivers.

Auto insurance companies argue that those with good credit scores are more likely to pay their bills on time each month, which reduces the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with bad credit.

Looking at Esurance and The General specifically, which one has the best rates for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, The General will usually reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, The General comes in just under 17.76 cheaper. Drivers with "good" credit scores normally save about 18% with The General compared to average prices from Esurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

The General typically offers lower premiums than Esurance when it comes to drivers with bad credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 19% per month less with The General compared to Esurance, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of about 23% monthly.

Is Esurance or The General Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a substantial impact on your monthly rates. Generally, the more milage you put on your vehicle, the more you can expect to pay for car insurance.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much The General charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly prices for Esurance, with policyholders who drive the least paying around $1 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, for drivers in both categories, The General is the more affordable company.

Esurance or The General: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can have a pretty big impact on your monthly insurance cost. Usually, those who live in urban areas will pay more than policyholders in rural areas since there are a lot more cars on the roads where they live.

The General tends to offer the most affordable rates for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save about 10% with The General compared to Esurance. People who live in suburban areas pay around 22% less with The General compared to Esurance. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, The General's average premiums are about 22% less than Esurance.

Esurance vs. The General 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, and 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 hard to find all the ones you're eligible for or to nail down the company that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by Esurance and The General so that you can see which carrier can save you the most money each month.

Esurance blows The General away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 18 more discounts than The General.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for being a homeowner, and paid in full discounts. Esurance also offers discounts for ABS, advance quote, agency transfer, and more.

On the other hand, The General has a few proprietary discounts of their own like liability only discounts and star level discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Esurance or The General Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the variables car insurance carriers look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers. But, at the end of the day, which company is the best one for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

The General might be best for you if....

• You have a clean driving record, free of accidents, tickets, or DUIs.
• Your credit score is high.
• You want to save money while purchasing insurance for a teenager.

Esurance might be best for you if...

• You're thinking about moving to another state -- The General only offers policies in three states.
• You want to save extra money with discounts.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Esurance and The General and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your auto 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 car insurance -- comparing quotes from a handful of companies, not just Esurance and The General. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make 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.

Esurance vs. The General FAQs

Is Esurance or The General cheaper?

The General is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $241 a month with The General and $299 for Esurance. That being said, that doesn't mean The General will be the cheapest carrier for everyone, since there are multiple different factors that come into play when it comes to your auto insurance payment.

Who is better, Esurance or The General?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No single company is "better" for each policyholder -- it all comes down to what your unique insurance profile looks like.

Why do Esurance and The General offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers use a lot of different variables when determining the premiums they charge. Things like gender, where you live, your driving record, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Esurance and The General use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different companies.

How do I know if Esurance or The General is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from several carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com does 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. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the cheapest rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Esurance or The General 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.