Esurance vs. Western Reserve Group: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for auto insurance, Western Reserve Group offers significantly more affordable premiums than Esurance
• Esurance may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Western Reserve Group
• Western Reserve Group offers more affordable prices for policyholders who have a clean driving record, free of collisions, tickets, or DUIs

Esurance or Western Reserve Group: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're thinking about switching to a new insurance policy. You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering hefty savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might be considering Esurance or Western Reserve Group, but which carrier will save you the most?

Looking at nationwide averages, Western Reserve Group has average rates that are around 55% a month cheaper than those from Esurance.

But Western Reserve Group may not be the lowest or best option for each driver out there. Insurance carriers use a ton of complex algorithms to determine rates, so depending on how clean your driving record is or where you live (among a multitude of other factors), you could see wildly different prices from the ones above.

So, if you want to find out which of Esurance or Western Reserve Group is really the best for you, keep reading to see average premiums for each carrier broken down by a bunch of different rate factors.

Esurance vs. Western Reserve Group: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Esurance and Western Reserve Group only compete against each other in one states, with Western Reserve Group offering less expensive rates to the average driver in all of them. Ohio has the most noticable difference, where Western Reserve Group premiums are $107 more affordable than car insurance prices at Esurance.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your insurance bill than just where you call home. Continue reading to learn more about how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers usually pay a lot more for auto insurance than any group out there on the road. It's typically because 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.

That being said, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their car insurance. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of almost 65% less per month by choosing Western Reserve Group over Esurance. It's worth noting that Esurance offers auto insurance in 11 different states compared to Western Reserve Group's two, which can skew the average premiums a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

Even so, with both companies, you'll see your rates lower significantly by the time you turn 25. For example, average prices for Esurance policyholders decrease over 65% and Western Reserve Group's premiums reduce nearly 50% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age generally enjoy some of the most affordable insurance rates you'll ever find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which normally lowers their chances of accidents and other infractions that can raise prices.

So, which company offers the best rates to retired drivers? Western Reserve Group gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older $125 cheaper than the national average for Esurance.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married couples tend to get slightly less expensive auto insurance prices than single drivers. That's usually because married policyholders tend to own and insure more than one vehicle, which can often earn you a discount.

For those who are single, the difference in average premiums between these two carriers is significant, with Western Reserve Group prices coming in at about half of Esurance's. The advantage for married drivers with Western Reserve Group is also obvious, where drivers save around $100 a month.

Esurance or Western Reserve Group: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but men generally pay more for car insurance than women do. 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.

On average, women see premiums more than $20 per month cheaper with Esurance, but surprisingly, with Western Reserve Group, women usually pay about $2 a month more than men.

When it comes to the cheapest prices for each gender, Western Reserve Group offers the lowest average rates for both men and women. On average, women save about $150 per month and men save around $173 with Western Reserve Group compared to the average Esurance policyholder.

Esurance 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.

For most people, insurance can be pretty complicated. There are so many different coverages and terms that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

However, most policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (that covers property damage and bodily injury for other drivers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which normally refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, Western Reserve Group has the significant edge, with average monthly premiums 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 a month to Esurance's $396.

Is Esurance 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 auto 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 at-fault collisions on your record, but which of these two companies offers the most affordable prices to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Esurance for their car insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up around 16% 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 64% and 57% more affordable, respectively, compared to Esurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their insurance through Esurance can expect to see around an $122 -- or about 34% -- rise in their car insurance premiums. Drivers who use Western Reserve Group for their auto insurance will see a monthly bill around $32 (or 27%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their 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 Esurance's $364.

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. For example, Western Reserve Group increases average rates by nearly $150 per month -- that's nearly a 60% increase.

Western Reserve Group has the overall cheapest premiums for drivers with a DUI on their records at $218 a month, but it's worth noting that Esurance's average rates come from 11 states compared to just two for Western Reserve Group, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Esurance and Western Reserve Group Rates?

Did you know many insurance carriers take your credit score into account when determining rates? This isn't true for everyone (for example, Michigan and Hawaii are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect lots of drivers out there.

Car insurance companies argue that someone with good credit is more likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them less risky to insure. Because of that, policyholders with good credit will often be rewarded with less expensive prices.

So, which company offers the most affordable rates for drivers with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, Western Reserve Group will normally reward you the most. For policyholders with "excellent" credit scores, Western Reserve Group comes in more than 51.87 more affordable. Drivers with "good" credit scores generally save about 56% with Western Reserve Group compared to average premiums from Esurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Western Reserve Group typically offers lower prices than Esurance when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 54% a month less with Western Reserve Group compared to Esurance, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of about 55% per month.

Is Esurance or Western Reserve Group Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a considerable impact on your monthly auto insurance cost. That's because the more milage you put on your car each year, 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 rates for Esurance, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle annually paying around $1 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, for drivers in both categories, Western Reserve Group is the less expensive carrier.

Esurance or Western Reserve Group: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can play a sizable role in how much you pay for insurance. Usually, drivers who live in less densely populated rural areas will pay quite a bit less than urban policyholders since there are a lot fewer cars on the roads where they live.

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

Those in rural areas can expect to save about 41% with Western Reserve Group compared to Esurance. People who live in suburban areas pay around 52% less with Western Reserve Group compared to Esurance. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Western Reserve Group's average rates are about 63% less than Esurance.

Esurance 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, 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 nail down the carrier that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile and to find all the discounts you qualify for.

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

Esurance knocks Western Reserve Group out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 13 more discounts than Western Reserve Group.

Both carriers offer lots of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, and discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company -- but Esurance also offers discounts for ABS, DRL, education, and more.

On the other hand, Western Reserve Group has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like company car discounts, distant student discounts, and renewal discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Esurance or Western Reserve Group Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the factors insurance companies look at, and walked through the different discounts each company offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, which carrier is the right fit for you?

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

• Your driving record contains an at-fault accident.
• You have above-average credit.
• You live in a rural neighborhood.

Esurance might be best for you if...

• You value the experience that comes with a large national car insurance company.
• You're looking for the carrier with the most discounts.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Esurance and Western Reserve Group. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your auto insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from several carriers, not just Esurance and Western Reserve Group. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best car insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Esurance vs. Western Reserve Group FAQs

Is Esurance or Western Reserve Group cheaper?

Western Reserve Group is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average premiums, with policies averaging $137 per month with Western Reserve Group and $299 for Esurance. Even so, that doesn't mean Western Reserve Group will be the lowest company for each driver, since there are lots of different variables (things like age, driving record, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Esurance or Western Reserve Group?

Sadly, the answer truly is "it depends.". Neither carrier is "better" for everyone -- it all depends on what your unique auto insurance profile looks like.

Why do Esurance and Western Reserve Group offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies use a lot of different factors when calculating the rates they charge. Variables such as where you call home, where you park your vehicle, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Esurance and Western Reserve Group calculate premiums using different factors, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which company is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different carriers.

How do I know if Esurance or Western Reserve Group is right for me?

The only way to find the 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, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top car insurance carriers for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest premium. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Esurance 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.