Nationwide and Erie are both well-known options for car insurance. Erie tends to offer lower rates than Nationwide. In general, customers report a better experience with Erie than with Nationwide.1 But since Erie is only available in a dozen states, many drivers aren’t able to work with the insurer.
The best car insurance company for you varies based on your unique situation and coverage needs. Explore what you should consider when comparing coverage from Erie and Nationwide.
In terms of overall coverage, Erie wins out over Nationwide. Erie offers lower rates and higher customer satisfaction scores. The catch is that Erie is only available in a dozen states, which limits who can work with this insurer.
Erie is only available in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
Nationwide offers coverage on a larger scale across the U.S., except in Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Massachusetts.
Both insurers offer competitive rates. Each company also offers many other insurance products, including life insurance, home insurance, and renters insurance.
Take a look at the table below to see how Erie and Nationwide compare.
Over almost 100 years, Erie has built a reputation as a reliable insurer with top-tier customer satisfaction in the 12 states it covers.
Although Nationwide earned below-average marks in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study, it boasts financial stability in spades, with an AM Best financial strength rating of A (Excellent).
Erie and Nationwide each offer telematics programs. Both require drivers to download a mobile app that tracks their driving behaviors. Based on metrics like speeding, braking smoothness, and phone usage, the company will send feedback on how enrolled drivers can improve their driving safety.
In exchange for signing up, Erie offers monetary bonuses, including redemptions for gift cards or charitable donations. In contrast, Nationwide offers a discount of up to 40% for safe driving habits, plus an instant 10% discount just for signing up for SmartRide.
Erie tends to offer cheaper rates than Nationwide. But your rates will vary based on your age, location, ZIP code, gender, driving record, credit history, and more.2
Explore how average rates vary across different driver profiles in the following sections.
Generally, drivers with clean records lock in the best rates because insurers don’t consider them as high risk. Compared to Nationwide, Erie offers the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers with a clean record.
Your insurer will likely increase your rates after a speeding ticket because companies consider speeding a high-risk driving behavior. Even if you have a speeding ticket, you can still find affordable rates. Compared to Nationwide, Erie offers cheaper rates for drivers with a speeding ticket.
Age plays a big role in determining your rates. Teen drivers pay more for car insurance than more experienced drivers because they lack experience and engage in risky behaviors. Young drivers looking for the cheapest rates often find a better option through Erie than Nationwide.
Erie offers senior drivers cheaper rates than Nationwide, on average. Seniors pay some of the cheapest rates because they’re more experienced. As a mature driver, don’t hesitate to shop around to find the best rates for your situation.
Drivers with a poor credit history often receive higher rates. Insurers view poor credit as an indicator that you’re more likely to submit a claim in the future. Besides improving your credit, drivers can secure affordable rates from Erie.
Both Nationwide and Erie offer liability and full-coverage policies including standard car insurance coverage such as bodily injury liability, property damage liability coverage, personal injury protection coverage, collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
Additionally, both insurers offer a wide range of coverages beyond the standard options. For example, Erie allows pet owners to opt into pet coverage to help pay for injuries to their dog after an accident.
Add-ons to a standard car insurance policy can help you build the right policy for your situation. But keep in mind that a full-coverage policy with optional add-ons will likely be more expensive than a minimum-coverage policy.
The table below highlights some additional coverage options available through each insurer.
Both Nationwide and Erie offer various discounts to meet the needs of different drivers. Overall, Nationwide offers more discount opportunities, including an auto-pay discount that provides a straightforward way to lock in the lowest rates, and good student discounts. Neither offers a discount to military members.
If you’re unsure which company is better for you, it’s a good idea to get car insurance quotes from both.
Use the table below to determine which discounts each insurance company offers.
Choosing the right insurer can be a difficult decision. Check out the additional information about Erie and Nationwide below to help make your decision.
Erie Insurance Group offers affordable rates and many great discounts. But Erie’s key money-saving feature is its Rate Lock option, which allows drivers to lock in affordable rates over the long term and avoid rising insurance bills. Drivers who are interested can talk to an Erie agent to learn more about Rate Lock.
Yes. Erie offers drivers a good experience, which shows up in the company’s top-tier customer satisfaction ratings. The company’s overall financial status is rock solid based on its AM Best financial strength rating of A+ (Superior).3 If you need help after an accident, you can rely on Erie’s customer service and ability to pay out claims.
In terms of customer satisfaction, Nationwide ranks below the industry average, scoring an 875 from J.D. Power. But Nationwide has an AM Best financial strength rating of A (Excellent).4 In terms of cost, the insurance company’s average rates are below the national average.
On average, Erie offers drivers lower premiums than Nationwide and has better customer service. But Erie’s limited coverage area of 12 states is a dealbreaker for many.
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7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
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