Omni vs. Southern: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for car insurance, Omni offers significantly cheaper rates than Southern
• Omni has more affordable prices for policyholders who live in rural neighborhoods
• Southern may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Omni Insurance

Omni or Southern: 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've maybe even narrowed your search down to Omni or Southern as your top options, but which one has less expensive premiums for insurance?

As you can see, Omni is quite a bit cheaper than Southern, with rates averaging $181 a month compared to $322 with Southern when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

That being said, Omni may not be the lowest or best option for every driver out there. Car insurance carriers vary their prices depending on things like where you live, how old you are, how good your credit score is, how clean your driving record is, and tons of other factors, so rates could change drastically from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Omni or Southern is really the best for you, keep reading to see average premiums for each company broken down by lots of different rate factors.

Omni vs. Southern: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Omni and Southern only compete against each other in one states, with Omni offering cheaper prices to the average driver in all of them. Alabama has the most noticable difference, where Omni rates are $50 more affordable than insurance premiums at Southern.

But there's more to calculating car insurance prices than just your home state. Keep reading to learn 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. It's normally because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

Even so, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high insurance premiums. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Omni for their car insurance pay almost 35% less than those who use Southern.

But both companies will offer you dramatically lower rates once you turn 25. For example, average prices for Omni policyholders lower over 70% and Southern's premiums decrease more than 60% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age generally enjoy some of the cheapest auto insurance rates out there. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which usually decreases their chances of collisions and other infractions that can raise prices.

When looking at Omni and Southern specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Omni gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older $122 less expensive than the national average for Southern.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single drivers tend to get offered slightly more expensive insurance premiums than married policyholders. That's normally because married drivers tend to own and insure several vehicles, which can often earn you a discount.

For those who are single, the difference in average prices between these two carriers is significant, with Omni rates coming in at around half of Southern's. The advantage for married couples with Omni is also obvious, where drivers save nearly 50% per month.

Omni or Southern: Average Rates by Gender

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

With Omni, men generally pay almost 10% more a month than women., but with Southern, the difference is closer to 11% per month.

When it comes to the most affordable premiums for each gender, Omni offers the cheapest average prices for both men and women, with average rates 44% less for men and 43% cheaper for women.

Omni vs. Southern: 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 limits that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

However, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, alongside liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, Omni has the significant edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $104. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Omni again has the edge, with policies averaging about $258 a month to Southern's $452.

Is Omni or Southern 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 accidents and speeding tickets on your record, but which of these two companies offers the lowest premiums to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Omni for their insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up around 4% after getting a speeding ticket. Southern policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of about 7%.

That being said, Omni is typically the more affordable option for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent ticket, offering prices that are $48 and $58 cheaper, respectively, compared to Southern Insurance Company of Virginia.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Omni drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their rates rise by over 15%, while those who have insurance through Southern will see around a 25% increase.

At the end of the day, the less expensive premiums come from Omni, with average rates coming in at $203 compared to Southern Insurance Company of Virginia's $293.

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 -- normally a lot more than an accident or speeding ticket. Southern drivers usually see a 61% raise in their auto insurance premiums after a DUI charge, while Omni will generally increase prices by about 6%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable premiums, Omni tends to be more affordable for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at around $178 to Southern's $548.

How does Credit Score Impact Omni and Southern Rates?

Did you know many car insurance carriers take into account your credit score when determining rates? Certain states and companies do not allow for credit score to be used as an auto insurance factor, but it might come into play for many policyholders.

The reasoning auto insurance carriers use is that drivers with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so usually, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with cheaper prices.

Looking at Omni and Southern specifically, which carrier has the best premiums for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, Omni will typically reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Omni comes in more than 26.03 less expensive. Drivers with "good" credit scores usually save about 33% with Omni compared to average rates from Southern.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Omni typically offers lower prices than Southern when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay around 44% per month less with Omni compared to Southern, and those with "poor" scores generally save an average of about 58% a month.

Is Omni or Southern Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

Did you know that the amount of time you spend in your car have a substantial impact on your monthly 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 Omni charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly rates for Southern, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle annually paying around $30 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles each year. Still, for drivers in both categories, Omni is the cheaper company.

Omni or Southern: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can play a sizable role in how much you pay for auto insurance. Normally, policyholders who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural drivers due to the number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

Omni tends to offer the cheapest prices for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save about 55% with Omni compared to Southern. People who live in suburban areas pay around 49% less with Omni compared to Southern. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Omni Insurance's average rates are about 32% less than Southern Insurance Company of Virginia.

Omni vs. Southern 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 insurance discounts as possible.

The hard part is finding all of the discounts you're eligible for, since it can feel sometimes like every company has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Omni and Southern 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.

Southern blows Omni away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 20 different discounts to Omni's 13.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like advance quote discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, discounts for being a homeowner, and passive restraint discounts. Southern also offers discounts for ABS, driver training, experienced operator, and more.

On the other hand, Omni has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like agency transfer discounts, cellphone safety discounts, non-owner discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Omni or Southern Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your auto insurance premiums. We've broken down the different discounts each carrier offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, which insurance company is the right one for you and your specific needs?

Omni might be best for you if....

• You've been pulled over for speeding recently.
• Your home is in a busy urban area.
• Your neighborhood is in a rural area.

Southern might be best for you if...

• You care about discounts (Southern offers the most).

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Omni and Southern and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your car 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 companies, not just Omni and Southern. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple quotes from some of the best car insurance carriers in your area, all for free.

Omni vs. Southern FAQs

Is Omni or Southern cheaper?

Omni is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $181 a month with Omni and $322 for Southern. However, that doesn't mean Omni will be the lowest carrier for everyone, since there are many different factors that are considered when it comes to your auto insurance payment.

Who is better, Omni or Southern?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No one company is necessarily "better" for every policyholder -- it all boils down to your unique insurance profile.

Why do Omni and Southern offer me different rates?

Car insurance carriers use several different variables when calculating the premiums they charge. Things such as age, your driving record, gender, where you park your vehicle, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Omni and Southern calculate rates differently, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different companies.

How do I know if Omni or Southern 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, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance companies 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 Omni or Southern 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.