Why We Chose It
With more than 100 years in the industry, Auto-Owners Insurance is one of the longest-standing car insurance providers in the United States. Although coverage is available in only 26 states, its student discounts and add-ons provide a useful option for college kids still on their parents’ insurance plans.
Pros and Cons
Overview
Auto-Owners offers the standard car insurance products most drivers are seeking, plus a number of coverage perks, such as roadside assistance, towing coverage, rental car reimbursement, and diminished car value coverage.
In particular, Auto-Owners offers an add-on policy called the Personal Automobile Plus Package. It includes coverage for stolen personal items in your vehicle, identity theft, cell phones lost or damaged during a wreck, and more. For families worried about theft or damage to a car sitting on campus, this can be a helpful add-on.
Like most other car insurance companies on this list, Auto-Owners offers several discounts. What’s more, some of its biggest discounts apply directly to college students. The company’s Good Student Discount saves students with a B average or better up to 20%, and the Student Away at School Discount offers additional savings for students who attend school more than 100 miles from home without a vehicle.
In addition to useful coverage and multiple discounts, Auto-Owners also has decent customer satisfaction ratings. J.D. Power places it above the industry average for claims satisfaction in the 2021 Insurance Shopping Study and above average in four regions in which it operates in the 2021 Auto Insurance Study. It was rated below average in the Florida region. The company is rated A+ by AM Best for financial health.
One area in which Auto-Owners doesn’t shine is its tech options. The company has a decent website with some customer access, but it doesn’t offer a smartphone app. Auto-Owners also operates in only 26 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Read our full Auto-Owners car insurance review.