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

Quick Facts

• In general, GEICO offers significantly more affordable premiums than The General
• GEICO tends to be a much cheaper option for policyholders who have a short commute
• The General offers more affordable prices for residents in Arizona, Missouri, and Utah

GEICO vs. The General: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering big discounts. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed it down to GEICO or The General as your top options, but between the two, which company has less expensive premiums for insurance?

Looking at nationwide averages, GEICO is about $56 per month more affordable than The General.

But that doesn't mean GEICO will necessarily be cheaper than The General for each driver. Car insurance companies use a ton of complex algorithms to calculate rates, so depending on how clean your driving record is or how good your credit score is (among multiple other factors), you could see wildly different prices from the ones above.

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

GEICO or The General: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

GEICO and The General only compete against each other in two states, with GEICO offering less expensive rates to the average driver in all of them. Arizona has the most noticable difference, where GEICO prices are over 70% cheaper than auto insurance rates at The General.

But there's more to calculating insurance premiums than just the state you live in. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers typically pay a lot more for auto insurance than any other group of drivers out there on the road. That's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

However, 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 more than $75 less a month by choosing GEICO over The General. It's worth noting that GEICO offers insurance in 50 different states compared to The General's three, which can skew the average prices a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

That being said, with both carriers, you'll see your premiums decrease significantly once you turn 25. For example, average rates for GEICO policyholders lower over 55% and The General's prices reduce more than 45% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age normally enjoy some of the lowest auto insurance premiums out there. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which usually decreases their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase rates.

When looking at GEICO and The General specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? GEICO gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older $47 more affordable than the national average for The General.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Those who are single tend to get offered slightly more expensive car insurance premiums than married drivers. This usually boils down to married couples having more than one car on their policy -- something quite a few insurance companies will reward with discounts.

When it comes to relationship status, GEICO is the clear winner for single drivers, with rates around $71 per month less expensive than The General, on average. The advantage for married policyholders with GEICO is also obvious, where drivers save over $35 a month.

GEICO vs. The General: Average Rates by Gender

Because men are more likely to get into collisions and get speeding tickets, they have a higher chance of filing a claim with insurance. Therefore, insurance carriers will tend to offer men more expensive prices.

With GEICO, men generally pay about 4% more per month than women., while with The General, the difference is closer to 12% a month.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, GEICO comes out on top for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $68 per month and women save around $44 with GEICO compared to the average The General policyholder.

GEICO or 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.

Auto insurance can be a complicated subject for most people. There are many different coverages that account for a variety of different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

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

If you're looking for state minimum liability insurance, GEICO typically offers significantly more affordable rates of $101 compared to The General's $154. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, GEICO again has the edge, with policies about $60 a month cheaper than The General, on average.

Is GEICO or The General 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.

You'll probably end up paying more with at-fault collisions and tickets on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the most affordable premiums to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

GEICO policyholders can expect their rates to go up an average of $35 per month if they get a ticket, while The General generally raises premiums around $48 a month, on average.

But GEICO is usually the less expensive option for drivers both with clean records and with a speeding ticket, offering prices that are $77 and $90 more affordable, respectively, compared to The General.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will raise premiums pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault accident with The General raising by over $85. GEICO has a less extreme rise, but you can still expect to pay $85 more than you were prior to your first collision.

Overall, drivers who use GEICO end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with monthly rates averaging $200 compared to The General's $279.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single accident or ticket when it comes to your insurance bill. For example, GEICO increases average prices by more than $150 per month -- that's just under a 60% increase.

The General has the overall lowest rates for drivers with a DUI on their records at $254 per month, but it's worth noting that GEICO's average rates come from 50 states compared to just three for The General, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact GEICO and The General Rates?

Often times, your credit score can be used as one of the factors to determine your monthly car insurance premiums. This isn't always the case (for example, Michigan and Massachusetts are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect lots of drivers out there.

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

So, which carrier offers the best prices for policyholders with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, you'll usually find a better deal with GEICO. Drivers with "excellent" credit can save over 25% compared to The General, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- about $53 or 24% cheaper every month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

GEICO typically offers lower premiums than The General when it comes to drivers with less-than-stellar credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around $49 a month less with GEICO compared to The General, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of about $72 a month.

Is GEICO or The General 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 how much auto insurance companies will charge for coverage. That's because the more miles you put on your vehicle each year, the more likely you are to get into an accident and cause an insurance claim.

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 rates for GEICO, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their car each year paying around $8 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, GEICO is the less expensive option for drivers in both categories.

GEICO vs. The General: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your vehicle can play a substantial role in how much you pay for car insurance. Generally, those who live in rural areas will pay less than policyholders in urban areas due to the small number of cars that are on the roads in those areas.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, GEICO normally comes out as the most affordable option for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Drivers in rural ZIP codes see the cheapest premiums from both companies, but GEICO comes out on top with average rates about $159 monthly. GEICO also has more affordable average prices for policyholders in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a 32% and 18% per month respective difference when compared to The General drivers in similar areas.

GEICO vs. The General Discounts

Regardless of 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 possible. That's where insurance discounts comes into play.

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.

Below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both GEICO and The General so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

GEICO blows The General away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 28 different discounts to The General's six.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but GEICO also offers ABS discounts, anti-theft discounts, commercial drivers license discounts, and more that The General does not.

On the flip side, The General has a couple unique discounts of its own -- discounts for being a homeowner, liability only discounts, and star level discounts.

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

So, we've broken down the average rates for many of the variables auto insurance companies look at, and walked through the different discounts each company offers, too. But, at the end of the day, which carrier is the best carrier for you and your specific driver profile?

GEICO might be best for you if....

• You are considering moving to another state -- The General is only available in three states.
• You want basic car insurance coverage at the state minimum limits.
• You live in a rural neighborhood.

The General might be best for you if...

• You like the personalized touch of a small, local company.
• You have a DUI charge on your record.

We hope this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between GEICO and The General. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best 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 several carriers, not just GEICO and The General. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best auto insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

GEICO vs. The General FAQs

Is GEICO or The General cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, GEICO is the cheaper of the two carriers, offering average rates of $185 a month compared to $241 for The General. Even so, GEICO won't necessarily be the lowest carrier for everyone, since there are lots of different factors (things like age, driving record, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, GEICO or The General?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No one company is "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique insurance profile looks like. For example, The General offers less expensive prices for drivers with a recent DUI, while GEICO is cheaper for drivers with excellent credit.

Why do GEICO and The General offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies take a look at many different variables when calculating the premiums they charge policyholders. Factors such as where you live, where your home is, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both GEICO and The General calculate rates differently, so each one will most likely offer different prices. The only real way to see which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different carriers.

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

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple companies 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 free quotes from dozens of the best insurance carriers in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be GEICO or The General at all!

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.