While cost is an important factor, the best auto insurers have a balance of affordability, coverage and customer service.

If your car insurance company has given you a big headache, you're not alone. Filing an insurance claim can be time-consuming, and getting the payout you deserve isn't always as simple as advertised.

The best car insurance companies provide the coverage you need, a smooth claims experience, and affordable rates -- and in this article, we at MarketWatch Guides offer a detailed review of these top providers according to our 2025 auto insurance study.

We found the following options to be the five best car insurance companies on the market:

In addition to nationally ranking the best car insurance companies, we've looked at more insurers to determine which is the best in each state.

Search the table below to find the best car insurance company in your state, according to our review.

Here are some tips for finding the best auto coverage for your needs:

There are a few things to consider at this step.

Every state except New Hampshire requires drivers to carry an auto policy that meets its minimum coverage requirements. While minimum coverage is all you're required to have, we recommend carrying full-coverage insurance. These policies add collision and comprehensive coverage to protect your assets and others' in an accident.

There are a few scenarios in which sticking with minimum coverage may make more sense. But generally speaking, if you can't afford to lose the entire value of your vehicle, full coverage is probably the right choice.

Car insurance providers also offer optional coverage items to customize your policy. These add-ons can help cover other costs related to filing an insurance claim. Some of the most popular add-ons include:

The more quotes you get, the more likely you are to find the lowest rates from the best car insurance companies. That said, we recommend getting quotes from at least three providers to find a good deal. You can compare more than that, of course, but we think three is a good starting number that gives you a few quotes to choose from.

While cost should be a key consideration when shopping for car insurance, getting a great price won't mean much if you aren't treated well when filing a claim.

It's important to compare other aspects, such as reputation, customer service and coverage options. Use resources such as J.D. Power studies, online customer reviews and the NAIC complaint index.

While most insurers offer at least a handful of discounts, they vary widely between providers and sometimes by location. We recommend asking an insurance agent directly which discounts are available to you.

Rates can change in an instant. While your current insurer may have offered you the lowest premiums the last time you shopped, that may not be the case when it's time to renew. Taking a few hours to shop around every renewal cycle could save you a lot of money.

The national average rates for car insurance are $60 per month for minimum coverage and $199 per month for full coverage. However, your rates will differ since insurance costs are customized to each driver, based on their age, driving record, location and more.

In the table below, we list the average minimum- and full-coverage rates for a few key categories of drivers.

Here are our answers to frequently asked questions about car insurance.

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: