MetLife vs. Pure: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, Pure offers slightly cheaper prices than MetLife
• MetLife offers more affordable rates for policyholders who are looking to purchase insurance with a spouse
• Pure offers more affordable average prices for policyholders who live in urban areas

MetLife or Pure: 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 big savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed your search down to MetLife or Pure as your top options, but between the two, which carrier has less expensive rates for insurance?

As you can see, MetLife is around $9 more a month than Pure when looking at the national average rates for car insurance.

That being said, that doesn't necessarily mean Pure will be the more affordable option for every driver. Auto insurance carriers use all sorts of complex algorithms to determine premiums, so depending on how good your credit score is or where you live (among multiple other factors), you could see wildly different prices from the ones above.

Wanting to know if MetLife or Pure is really the right carrier for you? Keep on reading to see how average rates can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

MetLife vs. Pure: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

MetLife and Pure only compete against each other in California, where Pure offers the cheaper average premiums. Pure drivers tend to pay about $31 per month less on average compared to drivers who use MetLife for their insurance.

There are plenty of other factors that go into your car 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?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive auto insurance prices of 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.

However, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high insurance rates. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of almost 25% less a month by choosing Pure over MetLife. It's worth noting that MetLife offers car insurance in 44 different states compared to Pure's one, which can skew the average premiums a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

But both companies will offer you dramatically lower rates once you turn 25. For example, average prices for MetLife policyholders drop about $500 and Pure's premiums lower over $400 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 rates out there.

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between MetLife and Pure? MetLife gets the edge here, with average prices coming in at around $205 a month compared to Pure's $234.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but car insurance rates tend to be cheaper for married drivers than they are for single policyholders. That's usually because married couples tend to own and insure more than one vehicle, which can often earn you a discount.

For single drivers, the difference in average prices between these two carriers is not very significant, with Pure premiums coming in at about 10% less than MetLife's. The advantage for married policyholders is more obvious, where drivers who use MetLife save nearly 15% per month.

MetLife or Pure: Average Rates by Gender

Women tend to pay less for insurance than men. This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get into a collision or get pulled over for speeding, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher rates.

Men generally pay almost 10% more a month than women with MetLife; men and women end up paying the same monthly premiums with Pure.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, MetLife is the most affordable carrier for women. Rates with MetLife are $5 cheaper for women, while with Pure, men can save around $5.

MetLife vs. Pure: 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, auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. Everyone needs car insurance, but there are so many different coverages and terms that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

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 and passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, alongside liability).

When it comes to state minimum liability insurance, Pure has the edge, while MetLife offers the lowest average prices for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Policyholders looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $80 with PURE Insurance, while full coverage comes out to be about $60 less expensive with MetLife.

Is MetLife or Pure 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 collisions and speeding tickets on your record, but which of these two companies offers the most affordable premiums to drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Drivers who use MetLife for their insurance can normally expect their monthly bill to go up around 21% after getting a speeding ticket. Pure policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of about 28%.

If you have gotten a ticket, MetLife tends to offer the best rates at around 1% more affordable, while Pure has the edge for drivers with a clean record.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

MetLife policyholders who get in a collision can expect to see their prices rise by over 40%, while those who have insurance through Pure will see about a 45% increase.

At the end of the day, Pure offers the cheapest premiums for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average prices coming in at $352 compared to MetLife's $368.

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 speeding ticket when it comes to your car insurance bill. On average, Pure will increase your rates around 59% after a DUI, while MetLife's average premiums increase by more than 55%.

Pure has the overall most affordable rates for drivers with a DUI on their records at $489 monthly, but it's worth noting that MetLife's average rates come from 44 states compared to just one for Pure, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact MetLife and Pure Rates?

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

Auto insurance companies argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, policyholders with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

Looking at MetLife and Pure specifically, which company has the best premiums for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

You'll often be rewarded if you have excellent credit. Improving your "good" credit score to an "excellent" one will usually save MetLife customers about 20%. Pure, on the other hand, doesn't have data available for credit scores, which means they most likely don't use credit to calculate your prices.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Having bad credit can cost you with MetLife. If your credit score is in the "poor" range, at MetLife, you may pay around $200 more per month compared to those with "fair" scores (and even more compared to drivers with good or excellent scores). Because Pure doesn't have data available for credit scores, they might have better rates for drivers with bad credit over MetLife.

Is MetLife or Pure Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a sizable impact on how much car insurance carriers will charge for coverage. That's because the more milage you put on your vehicle each year, the more likely you are to be in an accident and file an insurance claim.

Looking specifically at Pure and MetLife, MetLife is the less expensive option for people with short commutes, while MetLife has better prices for those who work from home. MetLife average rates for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in about $64 more expensive than Pure. Those who drive 12,000 miles every year can expect to pay around $45 more with Pure over MetLife.

MetLife or Pure: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

We've already mentioned how your home state can play a role in how much you pay for auto insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a considerable impact as well. Generally, policyholders who live in less densely populated rural areas will pay quite a bit less than urban drivers since there are a lot fewer cars on the road where they live, which reduces the chances of an accident.

Pure normally comes out as the cheaper option for drivers in urban and suburban areas, while MetLife wins in rural areas.

In urban areas, Pure's average prices are about $371 while MetLife offers rates around $389. People in suburban areas pay about $313 with Pure compared to MetLife's $333 per month. If you live in a rural area, you can expect to pay around $299 monthly with MetLife compared to Pure's $308.

MetLife vs. Pure 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, and the best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many auto insurance discounts as possible.

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be challenging to find all the ones you qualify for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and compared all of the different discounts offered by MetLife and Pure so that you can find the one that has the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

MetLife knocks Pure out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 36 different discounts to Pure's 10.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like ABS discounts, distant student discounts, discounts for being a good student, and multi-policy discounts. MetLife also offers discounts for AAA, academic, agency transfer, and more.

On the other hand, Pure has a proprietary discount of their own -- a occasional operator discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is MetLife or Pure Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the factors car insurance companies look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers. But, when it comes down to it, which insurance company is the right carrier for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

MetLife 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 money on your insurance after a collision.
• You live in an suburban area.

Pure might be best for you if...

• You have less-than-stellar credit.
• You live in a rural area.
• You are purchasing your auto insurance with a spouse.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between MetLife and Pure. 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 multiple carriers, not just MetLife and Pure. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple quotes from some of the best auto insurance companies in your area, all for free.

MetLife vs. Pure FAQs

Is MetLife or Pure cheaper?

Pure is the more affordable of the two carriers when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $331 a month with Pure and $340 for MetLife. Even so, that doesn't mean Pure will be the lowest carrier for everyone, since there are lots of different variables (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, MetLife or Pure?

Sadly, the answer truly is "it depends.". No single company is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like. For example, MetLife is cheaper for drivers who have already retired, while Pure offers less expensive rates for single policyholders.

Why do MetLife and Pure offer me different rates?

Insurance companies use lots of different factors when calculating the premiums they charge. Things such as gender, your driving record, where you live, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both MetLife and Pure use different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different carriers.

How do I know if MetLife or Pure is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from several 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 insurance carriers for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't MetLife or Pure 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.