The verdict
Travelers takes it, 2–0 on rounds.
On averages GEICO is cheaper by about $95 a year — but get your own quote from both, because the published averages disagree with each other by nearly as much as they differ from one another.
Choose Travelers if…
- • You want Travelers's particular strengths
- • You drive well and will accept being monitored
Choose GEICO if…
- • You want GEICO's lower average rate
- • You drive well and will accept being monitored
Round by round
- Round 1Being tracked for a discountTravelers winsTravelers5/10
20% max
IntelliDrive — can increase your rate
- Advertised up to 20%
- Opt-in
- Bad driving can increase your premium
- Typical real saving is nearer 10%
Source: https://www.insuremojo.com/telematics-insurance-discount-programs/
GEICO5/1010% max
DriveEasy — can increase your rate
- Advertised up to 10%
- Opt-in
- Bad driving can increase your premium
- Typical real saving is nearer 10%
Source: https://www.insuremojo.com/telematics-insurance-discount-programs/
Both can raise your rate for bad driving. Read that twice.
- Round 2What happens when you claimTravelers winsTravelers8/10
clean complaint record
among the cleanest NAIC complaint records
- Among the better records on the public data
Source: https://www.carinsurance.com/trends-and-insights/auto-insurers-ranked-by-naic-complaint-data/
GEICO6/10see note
undercuts the market on premium but does not reach the top three on claims satisfaction
- Large enough to have a mature claims operation
- Not a leader on claims satisfaction
Source: https://www.jdpower.com/business/insurance/auto-claims-satisfaction-study
The cheap ones are rarely the ones you want on the phone after a crash.
- Round 3Size, reach and who you deal withTieTravelers7/10
large national insurer
market position
- Established national carrier
Source: https://www.usnews.com/insurance/auto/cheapest-car-insurance-companies
GEICO7/10second-largest auto insurer by market share
market position
- Established national carrier
Source: https://www.usnews.com/insurance/auto/cheapest-car-insurance-companies
Both are big enough to pay a claim. That is the floor, not a feature.
Side by side
- Advertised up to 20%
- Opt-in
- Among the better records on the public data
- Established national carrier
- Rates vary widely by driver
- Figures from independent rate studies
- Advertised up to 10%
- Opt-in
- Bad driving can increase your premium
- Typical real saving is nearer 10%
- About $334/yr more on average
- Bad driving can increase your premium
- Typical real saving is nearer 10%
- Not a leader on claims satisfaction