Grange vs. Pioneer State Mutual: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for auto insurance, Grange offers less expensive prices than Pioneer State Mutual
• Grange tends to be a much more affordable option for policyholders who drive a short distance to work everyday
• Pioneer State Mutual offers cheaper average rates for policyholders whose driving record contains an at-fault collision

Grange or Pioneer State Mutual: 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 big savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

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

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Grange has average rates that are around 20% a month more affordable than those from Pioneer State Mutual.

That being said, that doesn't necessarily mean Grange will be the less expensive option for every driver. After all, car insurance companies can offer drastically different rates to every driver depending on rating factors like your age, where you call home, your driving record, or even your credit score (among other things), so premiums will differ quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Grange or Pioneer State Mutual is really the best for you, keep reading to see average rates for each company broken down by multiple different rate factors.

Grange vs. Pioneer State Mutual: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Grange and Pioneer State Mutual only compete against each other in Michigan, where Pioneer State Mutual offers the cheaper average prices. Pioneer State Mutual drivers tend to pay about $385 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Grange for their insurance.

But there's more to auto insurance than just where you live. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how car insurance carriers determine your rates. 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 group on the road. The reason is that teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

However, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their car insurance. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Pioneer State Mutual for their insurance pay 0% less than those who use Grange.

Even so, with both companies, you'll see your prices lower significantly once you turn 25. For example, average premiums for Grange policyholders drop about $350 and Pioneer State Mutual's rates decrease almost $250 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to auto insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the cheapest premiums you can find.

But who has the best prices for retired drivers between Grange and Pioneer State Mutual? Grange gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older nearly 20% cheaper than the national average for Pioneer State Mutual.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance prices tend to be less expensive for married drivers than they are for those who are single. This usually boils down to married couples having more than one vehicle on their policy -- something quite a few insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

For single drivers, the difference in average premiums between these two companies is significant, with Grange prices coming in at around 15% less than Pioneer State Mutual's. For married policyholders, the advantage is clear again - Grange has the edge when it comes to average rates.

Grange or Pioneer State Mutual: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to cause a collision and get into accidents, which means they'll normally end up paying more for auto insurance than women.

On average, men see premiums about 5% a month higher with Grange; men and women end up paying the same monthly prices with Pioneer State Mutual.

Looking at the data for each carrier specifically, Grange comes out as the most affordable option for both genders, with average premiums 18% less for men and 22% cheaper for women.

Grange vs. Pioneer State Mutual: 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 a variety of different coverages that account for many 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 (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- collision and comprehensive -- alongside what you get with a liability policy).

When it comes to state minimum limits for liability insurance, Pioneer State Mutual has the edge, while Grange offers the lowest average rates for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Policyholders looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $3 with Pioneer State Mutual, while full coverage comes out to be around $150 more affordable with Grange Insurance.

Is Grange or Pioneer State Mutual 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 at-fault collisions on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the cheapest prices to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Drivers who use Grange for their auto insurance can generally expect their monthly bill to go up about 23% after getting a speeding ticket. Pioneer State Mutual policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 42%.

But Grange tends to offer the best prices for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent ticket -- their rates are around 13% less expensive for drivers with clean records and 35% cheaper for those with a ticket.

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 Grange climbing by about 32%. Pioneer State Mutual has a less extreme climb, but you can still expect to pay more than 15% more than you were prior to your first collision.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Pioneer State Mutual end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average rates coming in at $247 compared to Grange Insurance's $266.

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. Pioneer State Mutual drivers usually see a 51% raise in their car insurance prices after a DUI charge, while Grange will usually increase premiums by around 43%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable rates, Grange tends to be more affordable for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at about $314 to Pioneer State Mutual's $425.

How does Credit Score Impact Grange and Pioneer State Mutual Rates?

You may not realized it, but your credit score can come into play when carriers calculate your monthly bill. This isn't true for everyone (California, for example, has banned the use of credit score as an insurance factor) but it will come into play for several policyholders.

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, drivers with good credit will often be rewarded with less expensive premiums.

Looking at Grange and Pioneer State Mutual specifically, which one has the best rates for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Michigan is one of a handful of states that bans car insurance carriers from using credit scores to determine prices. And since Pioneer State Mutual is only available in Michigan, there is no data available on how credit score impacts premiums because it's not a factor at all. This may be a good thing, since Grange and other companies tend to increase rates quite a bit in other states if you don't have excellent credit.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have less-than-perfect credit and live in Michigan, the good news is it won't cost you extra when it comes to insurance. As you can see, poor credit can really cost Grange drivers in other states, but no need to worry if you live in Michigan.

Is Grange or Pioneer State Mutual Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a substantial impact on your monthly prices. Generally, the more milage you drive, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Pioneer State Mutual charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly premiums for Grange, with policyholders who drive the least paying around $2 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles every year. Still, for drivers in both categories, Grange is the more affordable company.

Grange or Pioneer State Mutual: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can play a sizable role in how much you pay for auto insurance. Normally, if you live in a rural area with fewer cars on the road, you'll pay a little less for car insurance, while the opposite is true for people in urban areas.

Grange boasts the lowest average prices for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Grange Insurance's average rates are about $103 less than Pioneer State Mutual. People who live in suburban areas pay around $69 less with Grange compared to Pioneer State Mutual. Those in rural areas can expect to save about $11 with Grange compared to Pioneer State Mutual.

Grange vs. Pioneer State Mutual 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. That's where insurance discounts comes into play.

The challenging part is finding all of the discounts you qualify for, since it can feel sometimes like every carrier has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

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

Grange blows Pioneer State Mutual away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 28 different discounts to Pioneer State Mutual's 12.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like ABS discounts, distant student discounts, discounts for being a good student, and passive restraint discounts. Grange also offers discounts for advanced safety feature, agency transfer, annual mileage, and more.

On the other hand, Pioneer State Mutual has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like affiliation policy experience discounts, comp only discounts, and non-affiliation experience discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Grange or Pioneer State Mutual Best for You?

You've seen the role certain variables have on your car insurance and the different discounts carriers offer. But, when it comes down to it, which company is the right carrier for you and your specific needs?

Grange might be best for you if....

• You will be the only person on the insurance policy.
• You're looking for discounts -- Grange has the most.
• You're married and plan to have both of your names on the vehicle's auto insurance policy.

Pioneer State Mutual might be best for you if...

• You have an at-fault accident on your record.
• You're looking for the best premiums on liability only coverage.
• You want to save money while purchasing insurance for a teenager.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Grange and Pioneer State Mutual and that you can now make a more informed 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 Grange and Pioneer State Mutual. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Grange vs. Pioneer State Mutual FAQs

Is Grange or Pioneer State Mutual cheaper?

Grange is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $249 per month with Grange and $310 for Pioneer State Mutual. Even so, that doesn't mean Grange will be the most affordable carrier for each driver, since there are lots of different factors (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Grange or Pioneer State Mutual?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No single company is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all boils down to your unique auto insurance profile. For example, Grange is less expensive for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores, while Pioneer State Mutual offers more affordable prices for policyholders with an at-fault collision on their record.

Why do Grange and Pioneer State Mutual offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers use a lot of different variables when determining the rates they charge. Things such as where you call home, gender, where you live, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Grange and Pioneer State Mutual calculate prices differently, 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 several different companies.

How do I know if Grange or Pioneer State Mutual is right for me?

The only way to find the 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 ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Grange or Pioneer State Mutual 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.