Great Northern vs. Michigan: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Michigan offers slightly cheaper prices than Great Northern
• Great Northern tends to be a much more affordable option for drivers with a DUI
• Michigan has less expensive rates for policyholders who drive fewer than 6,000 miles annually

Great Northern or Michigan: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

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

You might have narrowed it down to Great Northern or Michigan as your top options, but which one will offer you cheaper prices?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Great Northern is around $16 more a month than Michigan.

However, Michigan may not be the most affordable or best option for every driver out there. Auto insurance companies use all sorts of complex algorithms to determine rates, so depending on how good your credit score is or how old you are (among numerous other factors), you could see wildly different premiums from the ones above.

So, if you want to find out which of Great Northern or Michigan is really the best for you, keep reading to see average rates for each company broken down by a range of different rate factors.

Great Northern vs. Michigan: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Both Great Northern and Michigan only offer insurance in Michigan, so you'll see that the average figures here will mirror the ones we mentioned above. Michigan drivers tend to pay about $16 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Great Northern for their auto insurance.

Typically, where you call home will play a big role in how much you pay for car insurance, but since both companies only do business in Michigan, an array of other variables will come into play when you compare Great Northern and Michigan. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive insurance premiums of any other group of drivers out there on the road. That's generally 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 auto insurance. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Great Northern for their car insurance pay almost 25% less than those who use Michigan.

Even so, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower prices once you turn 25. For example, average premiums for Great Northern policyholders drop nearly 50% and Michigan's rates reduce over 70% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the cheapest prices you'll ever see.

When looking at Great Northern and Michigan specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Michigan gets the slight edge here, with average premiums coming in at about $326 a month compared to Great Northern's $346.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

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

For those who are single, the difference in average prices between these two carriers is not very significant, with Great Northern premiums coming in at around 5% less than Michigan's. But for married policyholders, the advantage is clear - Michigan offers the lowest average rates.

Great Northern or Michigan: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get pulled over for speeding or get into a collision. That means when it comes to insurance men will usually end up paying a little more.

Everyone gets the same monthly prices regardless of gender with Great Northern; and with Michigan, both genders end up paying the same monthly premium.

When it comes to the cheapest rates for each gender, Michigan comes out on top for both men and women, with average premiums $16 less for men and $16 cheaper for women.

Great Northern vs. Michigan: 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, car insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are lots 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 an accident.

But the 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 a collision) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, alongside liability).

When it comes to state minimum liability insurance, Great Northern has the edge, while Michigan offers the lowest average prices for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Policyholders looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $55 with Great Northern Insurance, while full coverage comes out to be about $90 less expensive with Michigan Insurance Company.

Is Great Northern or Michigan 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 collisions on your record, but which of these two companies offers the most affordable rates to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Drivers with Great Northern insurance policies don't report seeing their prices increase after getting a ticket, but Michigan policyholders can expect to see their monthly bill increase by around $200.

Even so, Michigan tends to offer the best prices for drivers both with a speeding ticket and with a clean record. Drivers with a clean record can save about 43% a month with Michigan Insurance Company, and the same can be said for those with a ticket, too.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both carriers will raise premiums pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with Michigan raising by around 35%. Great Northern has a less extreme rise, but you can still expect to pay 0% more than you were prior to your first accident.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Michigan end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average rates coming in at $431 compared to Great Northern Insurance's $496.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge, you can expect some pretty significant increases in your monthly car insurance bill -- typically a lot more than an accident or speeding ticket. For example, Michigan increases average prices by nearly $450 per month -- that's more than a 60% increase.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable premiums, Great Northern tends to be cheaper for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at about $496 to Michigan's $723.

How does Credit Score Impact Great Northern and Michigan Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can come into play when companies calculate your monthly bill. Certain states and carriers do not allow for credit score to be used as an insurance factor, but it does affect a lot of policyholders out there.

The reasoning insurance companies use is that drivers with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so normally, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with more affordable rates.

Looking at Great Northern and Michigan specifically, which company has the lowest premiums 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 Great Northern or Michigan Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a large impact on your monthly auto insurance bill. That's because the more milage you drive, 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 Great Northern charges. However, there's a pretty significant difference in monthly prices for Michigan, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles yearly paying around $59 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles each year.

Great Northern or Michigan: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can have a sizable impact on your monthly car insurance payment. Usually, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders because of the number of vehicles that are on the roads where they live.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Great Northern normally comes out as the less expensive option for drivers in rural and suburban areas, while Michigan wins in urban areas.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Michigan Insurance Company's average rates are about $77 less than Great Northern Insurance. People who live in suburban areas pay around $2 less with Great Northern compared to Michigan. Those in rural areas can expect to save about $28 with Great Northern compared to Michigan.

Great Northern vs. Michigan Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as you can. That's where auto insurance discounts comes into play.

But where do you even start? With so many discounts out there, it may seem hard to find all the of the ones you're eligible for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Great Northern and Michigan offer their customers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Michigan knocks Great Northern out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 17 different discounts to Great Northern's 17.

Both companies offer a lot of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a good student, and multi-policy discounts -- but Michigan also offers discounts for advance quote, COVID-19 relief, family car, and more.

On the other hand, Great Northern has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like driver training discounts, occasional operator discounts, and vehicle ownership discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Great Northern or Michigan Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the factors car insurance carriers look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each company offers. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, is Great Northern or Michigan the best one for you and your specific needs?

Michigan might be best for you if....

• You don't have any speeding tickets, DUIs, or at-fault accidents on your record.
• You want to save extra money with discounts.
• You and your spouse are buying auto insurance together.

Great Northern might be best for you if...

• Your driving record includes a DUI charge.
• You live in a rural area.
• You have a short commute.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Great Northern and Michigan. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to 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 companies, not just Great Northern and Michigan. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top auto insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Great Northern vs. Michigan FAQs

Is Great Northern or Michigan cheaper?

Michigan is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $480 a month with Michigan and $496 for Great Northern. That being said, that doesn't mean Michigan will be the cheapest carrier for every policyholder, since there are a variety of different variables (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Great Northern or Michigan?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No single company is necessarily "better" for each policyholder -- it all depends on what your unique insurance profile looks like. For example, Michigan is less expensive for drivers who have already retired, while Great Northern offers cheaper rates for single policyholders.

Why do Great Northern and Michigan offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers use many different factors when determining the premiums they charge. Things like where your home is, where you park your car, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Great Northern and Michigan calculate prices using different variables, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from multiple different companies.

How do I know if Great Northern or Michigan is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple carriers 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 information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Great Northern or Michigan 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.