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Why You Can Trust the MarketWatch Guides Team
Here’s a breakdown of how we reviewed and rated the top auto insurance providers
130
Providers ReviewedOur team looked at over 100 of the top auto insurance providers in the U.S., from national providers like USAA, Travelers and State Farm to regional providers like Erie Insurance.
8,500
Data Points AnalyzedTo properly score each auto insurance provider, we looked at cost data, claims processes, customer review scores, industry standing, available discounts, coverages and add-ons.
800
Research HoursOur team put in the time so you don’t have to, evaluating cost data, reading customer reviews and researching companies to determine the most reliable options for coverage.
8,500
Customers SurveyedWe asked thousands of customers to describe their experience with their auto insurance provider to understand how real customers feel about their insurers.
Learn more about our methodology and editorial guidelines.
USAA vs. Progressive Reviews
Based on our methodology, our team has USAA rated higher overall than Progressive. USAA scores 9.2 out of 10.0 while Progressive scores 9.0 out of 10.0. Both companies score very well in the coverage, cost and customer experience categories, with USAA having an edge in all three.
However, even though it scored lower overall, Progressive is more accessible. USAA is only available for military members and their immediate families, while Progressive is available to all.
Progressive vs. USAA Car Insurance
Progressive and USAA are two large players in the car insurance industry, and they have strong reputations because of that. Both companies have great financial strength scores from AM Best, with USAA receiving a perfect A++ and Progressive receiving an A+. Progressive scores an A from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), but USAA is currently not rated by the organization.
In the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study℠, even though USAA wasn’t counted because it didn’t meet certain criteria, it still scored in the top five insurers for its claims service. The same cannot be said for Progressive, which scored far below the industry average — underneath 15 other insurers.
Our review team reached out to USAA and Progressive for a comment on their scores but did not receive a response.
Compare Progressive and USAA Insurance
Below you’ll find a quick side-by-side comparison on customer and industry reputations for both USAA and Progressive.
USAA | Progressive | |
---|---|---|
Years in Business | 101 years | 86 years |
AM Best Financial Strength Rating | A++ | A+ |
BBB Rating | NR | A |
J.D. Power Claims Satisfaction Rating | 900 out of 1,000 | 870 out of 1,000 |
Our Award | Best for Military Members | Best for Tech-Savvy Drivers |
Progressive: Highlights
Here are a few quick highlights for Progressive car insurance:
- Wide selection of coverage options and opportunities to save on premiums
- Highly rated mobile app on the App Store and Google Play
- A+ financial strength rating from AM Best
- Name Your Price Tool® allows you to find the right coverage for your budget
Read more in our Progressive insurance review.
USAA: Highlights
Here are some quick highlights for USAA car insurance:
- Excellent customer service scores on J.D. Power surveys and consumer studies
- Low rates for military members and their families
- A++ financial strength rating from AM Best
- Usage-based insurance program (USAA SafePilot®)
Read more in our USAA insurance review.
Source: Automoblog
USAA vs. Progressive: Coverage
If you need full coverage, USAA or Progressive can help with that. Both companies score impressively in our coverage section, each offering the six standard types of car insurance:
- Liability car insurance: Liability insurance is required in most states and covers the bodily injuries and property damages to other parties from an accident that you’re found at fault for. This coverage doesn’t apply to your injuries or car damages.
- Collision insurance: Collision coverage takes care of repair costs for your vehicle after a car accident, regardless of who’s at fault.
- Comprehensive insurance: Comprehensive pays for vehicle damages that aren’t related to car accidents, such as from animals, falling objects, fire, floods or other natural disasters. This also pays to replace a stolen or vandalized vehicle.
- Medical payments coverage (MedPay): MedPay will cover the medical expenses of you and your passengers after a crash, but it won’t cover lost wages.
- Personal injury protection (PIP): PIP pays for medical expenses for yourself and your passengers, but will also cover lost wages. This type of insurance isn’t required in all states.
- Underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage (UIM/UM): UIM/UM covers you if you get into an accident with a driver who has little or no car insurance.
We recommend that every driver gets a full-coverage insurance policy to protect themselves, their vehicle and others on the road. However, many drivers only carry the minimum coverage required by their state.
In our 2022 survey that polled 1,000 car insurance customers, we found that about 23% of drivers carry minimum coverage and about 67% carry full coverage. Of those who have full-coverage policies, about 46% have high limits and 55% have low limits.
Additional Car Insurance Coverage Options: USAA and Progressive
On top of the standard car coverage options, USAA and Progressive offer alternative coverages that can be added onto your plan. You can find these add-on insurance products in the table below.
USAA Coverage | Progressive Coverage | |
---|---|---|
Accident forgiveness | ✓ | ✓ |
Car replacement insurance | ✓ | |
Classic car insurance* | ✓ | ✓ |
Commercial auto insurance | ✓ | ✓ |
Custom parts and equipment value | ✓ | |
Glass coverage | ✓ | ✓ |
Gap insurance (guaranteed asset protection) | ✓ | ✓ |
Rental car reimbursem*nt | ✓ | ✓ |
Rideshare insurance | ✓ | ✓ |
Roadside assistance | ✓ | ✓ |
*Both USAA and Progressive offer classic car coverage through separate companies: American Collectors Insurance (USAA) and Hagerty (Progressive).
USAA and Progressive: Usage-Based Insurance Comparison
When you look for car insurance coverage, telematics insurance can be a great way to save money on your premiums. Both Progressive and USAA have usage-based insurance that utilize telematics to give you a safe-driving score. High scores can get you discounts on premiums. In the table below, you can compare each program and see if it’s right for you.
USAA SafePilot | Progressive Snapshot® | |
---|---|---|
Discount | 10% upon signing up and up to 30% based on driving score | Average of $47 at signup and $156 total at completion |
Device | Mobile app | Plug-in device or mobile app |
Behaviors tracked | BrakingTime of dayPhone useLocationHours drivenPassenger or driver | BrakingAccelerationTime of dayMileage drivenPhone use |
Can premiums go up? | No | Yes |
Availability | Not available in: CaliforniaDelawareNew JerseyNew York | Snapshot isn’t available in California. Only the plug-in device is available in New York. |
Both USAA SafePilot and Progressive Snapshot can be huge perks if you’re a safe driver or if you don’t drive often. Each program tracks similar driving behaviors, but they don’t take into account your overall driving history — only your driving habits during the tracking period.
However, both SafePilot and Snapshot have their drawbacks. If you do drive unsafely, Progressive can raise your rates through Snapshot. Some customers have also complained that SafePilot is not the most user-friendly experience, especially when it comes to tracking phone use.
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Is USAA Cheaper Than Progressive?
USAA has the lowest average full-coverage rates of the major auto insurance companies at $1,512 per year, but this provider isn’t available to everyone. Both Progressive and USAA are below the national average of $2,008 when it comes to annual car insurance premiums.
USAA vs. Progressive: Auto Insurance Quote Averages
In the table below, you can compare the annual and monthly averages for full coverage from USAA and Progressive.
Average Annual Cost | Average Monthly Cost | |
---|---|---|
USAA | $1,512 | $126 |
Progressive | $2,030 | $169 |
Your premium will vary based on several factors, including your:
- Driving history: If your driving record has multiple speeding tickets, any DUIs or other serious traffic violations on it, your rates will be significantly higher.
- Age: If you’re under the age of 25, you’ll get higher rates from insurers because you have less experience behind the wheel and a higher chance of getting into a car accident.
- Marital status: If you’re married, you’ll pay lower rates than a single driver.
- Location: If you live in a densely-populated area with high rates of theft or car accidents, you’ll pay higher rates.
- Vehicle: Luxury vehicles, sports cars and vehicles that would cost more to repair get higher insurance rates.
- Credit score: If you have a poor credit history, expect to pay higher rates in some states.
USAA vs. Progressive: Discounts
Both USAA and Progressive offer a wide variety of opportunities to get discounts on your car insurance rates, which may make Progressive a more affordable option for some. In the table below, you’ll find a summary of the car insurance discounts that each company offers.
USAA Discounts | Progressive Discounts | |
---|---|---|
Accident-free driver | ✓ | ✓ |
Air bag | ✓ | |
Anti-lock brakes | ✓ | |
Anti-theft system | ✓ | ✓ |
Automatic payment | ✓ | |
Continuous insurance | ✓ | ✓ |
Daytime running lights | ✓ | |
Defensive driving | ✓ | ✓ |
Driver’s education | ✓ | |
Full payment | ✓ | |
Good student | ✓ | ✓ |
Homeowner | ✓ | |
Low annual mileage | ✓ | |
Military installation | ✓ | |
Multi-car | ✓ | ✓ |
Multi-policy | ✓ | ✓ |
New car | ✓ | |
Online purchase | ✓ | |
Paperless policy | ✓ | |
Seat belt use | ✓ | |
Student-away-at-school | ✓ | |
Vehicle storage | ✓ |
Progressive has some additional money-saving features on top of the discounts above. These include a deductible savings bank where you can get $50 subtracted from your collision and comprehensive deductibles for every policy period without an accident or violation. However, this requires an additional fee to opt-in.
Progressive also offers small accident forgiveness and large accident forgiveness for at-fault accidents. With small accident forgiveness, the company won’t raise your rates after the first claim if it’s at or below $500. If you have a Progressive policy for five years and stay accident-free for three, your rates will not increase with large accident forgiveness, even if the claim exceeds $500.
USAA vs. Progressive: Bundling Options
Bundling home and auto insurance policies is another way to save money with both USAA and Progressive, on top of the other discounts each company offers. When you bundle with USAA or Progressive, you can combine homeowners or renters insurance with your auto insurance to save money.
Bundling your insurance coverage saves you money, helps eliminate the hassle of you paying separate policies and gives you flexibility when your insurance needs changes.
Progressive vs. USAA: Customer Experience
USAA is known for exceptional customer service, and that shows from the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study℠, where it has the second-highest score. Progressive also scores well in customer experience, especially with its mobile app.
USAA Ratings | Progressive Ratings | |
---|---|---|
BBB score | Not rated | A |
BBB customer review rating | 1.2 out of 5.0 | 1.1 out of 5.0 |
J.D. Power Insurance Shopping Study score | 874 out of 1,000 | 853 out of 1,000 |
Google Play mobile app rating | 4.0 out of 5.0 stars | 4.8 out of 5.0 stars |
App Store mobile app rating | 4.8 out of 5.0 stars | 4.7 out of 5.0 stars |
While Progressive has good mobile app ratings and J.D. Power scores, it has a higher number of BBB complaints with over 4,900 in the last three years compared to USAA’s over 3,700. But according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), Progressive is the third largest insurance company, with over $35 billion in car insurance premiums written in 2021.
Our review team reached out to Progressive for a comment on their BBB complaints but did not receive a response.
USAA is the fifth largest car insurance company, with just over $15 billion in premiums written in 2021. The difference in size could be one reason why Progressive’s complaint total is so much higher.
Progressive vs. USAA: Consumer Surveys
On top of the available customer experience information, our team did its own research to gauge customer satisfaction for car insurance. We surveyed about 7,000 policyholders in 2022, and overall, USAA scored a bit higher, but Progressive was within 0.2 points in every category.
In the table below, you can see how both companies scored out of 5.0 points each across categories in our survey.
Category | USAA Score | Progressive Score |
---|---|---|
Overall Satisfaction | 4.3 | 4.1 |
Affordability | 3.8 | 3.7 |
Coverage Selection | 3.9 | 3.9 |
Customer Service from Agents | 4.2 | 4 |
Claims Service | 4.3 | 4.1 |
When asked how likely they would be willing to recommend their insurance provider, customers gave Progressive a 7.5 out of 10.0, while USAA scored a 7.8.
USAA vs. Progressive: The Bottom Line
Our team chooses USAA auto insurance as an overall better choice than Progressive. However, USAA is only available if you’re active military, a veteran or the spouse or child of one. If you do qualify, the company is an affordable option with great coverage and customer service.
Progressive is also a company that is worth looking into for a car insurance policy, especially if you can’t qualify for USAA. In fact, if you’re a teen driver, a driver over 50 or someone with a DUI on their record, Progressive may even be cheaper than USAA. We recommend getting a quote from each company to find the best insurance coverage for you.
USAA and Progressive: Top Alternative Picks for Car Insurance
Both USAA and Progressive are great options for car insurance coverage, but it’s always a smart choice to take a look at multiple companies to get the best price and coverage that fits your insurance needs. We recommend State Farm and Nationwide as two additional companies to take a look at.
State Farm: Best Customer Experience
State Farm has some of the best rates for young drivers. It also features a strong selection of car insurance coverages that fit your insurance needs. On top of great discount opportunities for students and young drivers, State Farm has a usage-based insurance plan called ™ to help you save on premiums.
Read more: State Farm insurance review
Nationwide: Best for Usage-Based Insurance
Nationwide offers some of the most affordable rates on average for most drivers alongside multiple discounts to save money, including a usage-based program calledSmartRide®. Drivers can save up to 40% with Nationwide for maintaining safe driving habits.
Keep reading:Nationwide insurance review
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USAA vs. Progressive: FAQ
Below are frequently asked questions about USAA vs. Progressive.
USAA has better reviews than most providers due to its exceptional customer service and amazing rates. Our team ranks USAA as the second-highest rated company on the market. However, unlike other car insurance providers, USAA is exclusively for military members and their immediate family members.
USAA is considered a good insurance company. The provider typically ranks highly in customer satisfaction across several J.D. Power studies. It also has some of the lowest full-coverage car insurance rates among major providers in the country, with an average of $1,512 per year. USAA provides many savings opportunities, such as an up to 30% discount from its usage-based safe driving program, SafePilot.
USAA has cheaper rates than Progressive on average. USAA’s average rate for full coverage is $1,512 per year, and Progressive’s is $1,611. However, USAA’s services are limited to military members, veterans and their families.
Progressive’s annual estimate of $2,030 for full coverage is about 1% above the national average of $2,008. Progressive also offers other ways to lower insurance premiums, such as its usage-based insurance discount program Snapshot. Another saving method is Progressive’s Name Your Price Tool that helps insurance shoppers get the best price on car insurance.
Our Methodology
Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best car insurance companies. We collected data on dozens of auto insurance providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the insurers that scored the most points topping the list.
Here are the factors our ratings take into account:
- Cost: Auto insurance rate estimates generated by Quadrant Information Services and discount opportunities were both taken into consideration.
- Coverage: Companies that offer a variety of choices for insurance coverage are more likely to meet consumer needs.
- Reputation and experience: Our research team considered market share, ratings from industry experts and years in business when giving this score.
- Availability: Auto insurance companies with greater state availability and few eligibility requirements scored highest in this category.
- Customer experience: This score is based on volume of complaints reported by the NAIC and customer satisfaction ratings reported by J.D. Power. We also considered the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of each insurance company’s customer service team based on our own shopper analysis.
Our credentials:
- 800 hours researched
- 45 companies reviewed
- 8,500+ consumers surveyed
*Data accurate at time of publication.
If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email the MarketWatch Guides team ateditors@marketwatchguides.com.