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

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, Wolverine Mutual offers significantly cheaper rates than Pioneer State Mutual
• Pioneer State Mutual offers more discounts than Wolverine Mutual
• Wolverine Mutual offers more affordable premiums for drivers with a DUI charge on their record

Pioneer State Mutual vs. Wolverine 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 discounts, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might be considering Pioneer State Mutual or Wolverine Mutual as potential options, but between the two, which one has less expensive rates for insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, Wolverine Mutual is quite a bit cheaper than Pioneer State Mutual, with prices averaging $224 per month compared to $310 with Pioneer State Mutual.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean Wolverine Mutual will be the more affordable option for every single driver. After all, car insurance carriers can offer drastically different rates to each driver depending on rating factors like your credit score, where you call home, your age, or even your driving record (among other things). So, at the end of the day, premiums from every carrier will differ quite a bit from person to person.

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

Pioneer State Mutual or Wolverine Mutual: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Both Pioneer State Mutual and Wolverine Mutual only offer auto insurance in Michigan, so you'll see that the average figures here will mirror the ones we mentioned above. For Michigan residents, Wolverine Mutual offers car insurance for $224 monthly on average. Pioneer State Mutual's average premiums come out to be over 30% more expensive, at $310 a month.

Typically, the state you live in will play a hefty role in how much you pay for insurance, but since both companies only do business in Michigan, a bunch of other factors will come into play when you compare Pioneer State Mutual and Wolverine Mutual. Continue reading to see 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 rates of any group on the road. That's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

But that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high insurance prices. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Wolverine Mutual for their auto insurance pay more than $100 less than those who use Pioneer State Mutual.

That being said, both companies will drop premiums by the time drivers turn 25. Wolverine Mutual offers the steepest reduction, with 25-year-olds paying a third less what 18-year-old drivers are charged. Pioneer State Mutual's average rates lower nearly 45% during that same period.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll usually enjoy the lowest car insurance premiums you can find. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly rates for insurance.

But who has the best prices for retired drivers between Pioneer State Mutual and Wolverine Mutual? Wolverine Mutual gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older over 50% less expensive than the national average for Pioneer State Mutual.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single policyholders tend to get offered slightly more expensive auto insurance prices than married policyholders. That's because policies for married couples typically cover multiple cars, which several carriers will offer you a discount for.

When it comes to relationship status, Wolverine Mutual is the clear winner for single drivers, with premiums about $90 a month more affordable than Pioneer State Mutual, on average. The advantage is also clear for married drivers - Wolverine Mutual offers the cheapest average prices.

Pioneer State Mutual vs. Wolverine Mutual: Average Rates by Gender

Because men are more likely to get tickets and get into collisions, they have an increased chance of filing a claim with insurance. Therefore, insurance companies will tend to charge men more than women.

Women and men end up paying same monthly premiums with Pioneer State Mutual; everyone gets the same monthly rates regardless of gender with Wolverine Mutual.

Looking at overall affordability, Wolverine Mutual comes out on top for both men and women, with average prices $86 less for men and $86 cheaper for women.

Pioneer State Mutual or Wolverine 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.

Car insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are several different coverages that account for a bunch 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.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- comprehensive and collision -- in addition to what you get with a liability policy).

If you're looking for state minimum limits for liability insurance, Wolverine Mutual normally offers significantly cheaper rates of $114 compared to Pioneer State Mutual's $182. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Wolverine Mutual again has the edge, with policies around $100 per month less expensive than Pioneer State Mutual, on average.

Is Pioneer State Mutual or Wolverine Mutual Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their auto insurance. But even if you have a spotty record, you can still find plenty of ways to save some cash on your monthly bill.

Accidents and tickets will most likely raise your premiums, but is Pioneer State Mutual or Wolverine Mutual cheaper for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Pioneer State Mutual policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $152 a month if they get a ticket, while Wolverine Mutual generally raises premiums about $29 per month, on average.

Even so, Wolverine Mutual has more affordable rates for drivers in both categories, offering prices that are $62 and $185 less expensive, respectively, compared to Pioneer State Mutual.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their car insurance through Pioneer State Mutual can expect to see around an $39 -- or about 16% -- increase in their insurance premiums. Drivers who use Wolverine Mutual for their car insurance will see a monthly bill around $42 (or 22%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their insurance carrier.

Overall, Wolverine Mutual offers the most affordable rates for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly prices averaging $188 compared to Pioneer State Mutual's $247.

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. On average, Wolverine Mutual will climb your premiums about 62% after a DUI, while Pioneer State Mutual's average rates climb by over 50%.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable prices, Wolverine Mutual tends to be the much more affordable option with average rates of $389 per month compared to $425 from Pioneer State Mutual.

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

You may not have known, but your credit score can come into play when carriers calculate your monthly bill. This isn't always the case (Michigan, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it will come into play for lots of drivers.

The reasoning auto insurance companies use is that policyholders 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 cheaper premiums.

So, which company offers the cheapest rates for drivers with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

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

How much you drive can have a pretty big impact on your monthly insurance bill. That's because the fewer miles you put on your vehicle, the less likely you are to get into an accident and cause an insurance claim.

In this case, neither Pioneer State Mutual or Wolverine Mutual report increasing prices for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. Still, Wolverine Mutual comes out as the most affordable for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their car yearly, with average premiums of $224 a month for both.

Pioneer State Mutual vs. Wolverine Mutual: 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 large impact as well. Usually, if you live in an urban area with more cars on the road, you'll pay a little more for car insurance, while the opposite is true for people in rural areas.

Wolverine Mutual tends to offer the most affordable rates for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Wolverine Mutual offers prices around $344 monthly compared to Pioneer State Mutual's $395. People who live in suburban ZIP codes can expect to pay about $192 per month for Wolverine Mutual and $304 for Pioneer State Mutual. Lastly, those in rural areas tend to get the lowest premiums from both carriers, with average monthly rates coming in at $137 and $231 for Wolverine Mutual and Pioneer State Mutual respectively.

Pioneer State Mutual vs. Wolverine Mutual Discounts

Regardless of why you might be in the market for a new insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as possible. That's where car insurance discounts comes into play.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be hard to nail down the company that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile and to find all the discounts you can take advantage of.

In the section below, we've compared all of the different discounts offered by Pioneer State Mutual and Wolverine 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.

Looking at the total number of discounts, Pioneer State Mutual comes out ahead with 12 discounts to Wolverine Mutual's nine.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like ABS discounts, discounts for being a good student, and passive restraint discounts. Pioneer State Mutual also offers affiliation policy experience discounts, anti-theft discounts, comp only discounts, and more that Wolverine Mutual does not.

On the flip side, Wolverine Mutual has a couple unique discounts of its own -- discounts for being a good driver, military discounts, discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company, and more.

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

You've seen the effect certain factors have on your auto insurance and the different discounts companies offer. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, which insurance carrier is the right carrier for you and your specific driver profile?

Wolverine Mutual might be best for you if....

• You're single and purchasing insurance by yourself.
• You want basic auto insurance coverage at the state minimum limits.
• You are over 65 years old and want to save some money on your car insurance.

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

• You want to save extra money with discounts.

We hope this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Pioneer State Mutual and Wolverine Mutual and that you can now make a more informed 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 auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from a handful of carriers, not just Pioneer State Mutual and Wolverine Mutual. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get free quotes from dozens of top car insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Pioneer State Mutual vs. Wolverine Mutual FAQs

Is Pioneer State Mutual or Wolverine Mutual cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Wolverine Mutual is the less expensive of the two carriers, offering average rates of $224 a month compared to $310 for Pioneer State Mutual. That being said, Wolverine Mutual won't necessarily be the cheapest company for each policyholder, since there are many different variables (things like age, gender, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Pioneer State Mutual or Wolverine Mutual?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". No single carrier is "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique insurance profile looks like.

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

Auto insurance companies take a look at quite a few different factors when calculating the rates they charge drivers. Variables such as where you park your vehicle, where you call home, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Pioneer State Mutual and Wolverine Mutual calculate prices using different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different rates. The only real way to see which company is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from multiple different carriers.

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

The only way to find the car insurance carrier 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 area information 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 rate. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Pioneer State Mutual or Wolverine Mutual 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.