Travelers vs State Farm
Travelers is the cheaper of these two on the published averages. Whether that makes it the better buy depends on three things the price never tells you.
The verdict
Rounds split 1–1; State Farm edges it on total score.
On averages Travelers is cheaper by about $68 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 lower average rate
- • You drive well and will accept being monitored
Choose State Farm if…
- • You want State Farm's particular strengths
- • You want a telematics programme that cannot raise your rate
Round by round
- Round 1Being tracked for a discountState Farm 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/
State Farm8/1030% max
Drive Safe & Save — discount only, never an increase
- Cannot be used to raise your rate
- Opt-in
- Advertised maximum is rarely reached
- Typical real saving is nearer 10%
Source: https://www.insuremojo.com/telematics-insurance-discount-programs/
State Farm can only discount you. The other one can charge you more.
- 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/
State Farm6/10no standout record
nothing notable in the published studies
- 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
State Farm7/10largest auto insurer in the US, agent-based
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.
State FarmSide 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
- Anyone can buy it
- Established national carrier
- Bad driving can increase your premium
- Typical real saving is nearer 10%
- About $497/yr more on average
- Advertised maximum is rarely reached
- Typical real saving is nearer 10%
- Not a leader on claims satisfaction