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Over 5 years of experience in financial writing
Certified in financial planning by Boston University
Erin is a writer and journalist specializing in personal finance. With more than five years of experience, Erin has covered topics such as credit cards, mortgages, insurance, and more.
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Licensed auto and home insurance agent
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
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7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
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At Insurify, our goal is to help customers compare insurance products and find the best policy for them. We strive to provide open, honest, and unbiased information about the insurance products and services we review. Our hard-working team of data analysts, insurance experts, insurance agents, editors and writers, has put in thousands of hours of research to create the content found on our site.
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Table of contents
When you’re shopping around for auto insurance, you should consider coverage from AAA and Liberty Mutual. AAA is a membership-based company that offers cheaper coverage than Liberty Mutual on average. Liberty Mutual has more coverage options and consistent offerings nationwide.
Before signing up for auto insurance, it’s a good idea to shop around and get quotes from multiple companies, including AAA and Liberty Mutual. By comparing rates, customer service, discounts, and coverage options, you can find the best car insurance company offering the cheapest coverage for you.
Here’s what you need to know about AAA and Liberty Mutual before you buy a new auto insurance policy.
Liability car insurance costs an average of $125 per month from AAA and $161 from Liberty Mutual.
A number of regional insurers, like CSAA and the Auto Club of Southern California, underwrite car insurance policies for AAA drivers.
Neither AAA nor Liberty Mutual lead in customer or claims satisfaction, but AAA companies rank better in J.D. Power customer satisfaction studies.
AAA vs. Liberty Mutual: The verdict
AAA and Liberty Mutual are popular insurance companies that provide quality coverage options. Overall, more customers may find AAA to be the better choice due to its affordable cost and higher customer satisfaction. But you may prefer working with a major insurer like Liberty Mutual due to the consistency in coverage offerings and reliability.
Ultimately, the best insurer for you will depend on your driving record, age, coverage needs, ZIP code, and more. When shopping around for coverage, always keep an open mind to find the best and cheapest insurer for you.
Here’s how AAA and Liberty Mutual compare.
Factor | AAA | Liberty Mutual |
|---|---|---|
| Insurify Quality (IQ) Score | 8.5 | 7.7 |
| J.D. Power customer satisfaction score | 820 out of 1,000 | 799 out of 1,000 |
| Average quote: liability only | $125 | $161 |
| Number of available discounts | 10 | 13 |
| Number of states where it operates | 50 | 50 |
Our editorial team spent more than 350 hours developing the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score and scoring insurance companies. The IQ Score objectively analyzes and calculates a score for insurers using more than 15 crucial criteria. The team weighted criteria by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings.
We rate each company on a 1 to 10 scale based on five categories: financial ratings, customer satisfaction, affordability, customer support and transparency, and availability. Insurify updates ratings once a year or as more recent information becomes available.
- Third-party financial ratings: Insurify uses data from AM Best, S&P, Moody’s, and more to compare insurance companies’ credit and ability to pay out future claims.
- Customer satisfaction: To calculate this score, Insurify analyzed more than 55,000 customer reviews across 155 car insurance companies. We also consider third-party ratings from J.D. Power, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Trustpilot.
- Affordability: Our data scientists analyzed more than 90 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partners across the U.S., as well as available discounts, to calculate an affordability score.
- Customer support and transparency: This measures coverage options, ease of claims filing, and the insurer's transparency surrounding discounts, coverages, and claims process.
- Availability and reach: Insurify scores availability and reach by identifying the number of states in which insurers offer coverage and company size by market share.
AAA
Founded more than 115 years ago, AAA offers roadside assistance services and auto insurance under an umbrella of different companies. Auto Club Enterprises Insurance Group holds 1.45% of the private-passenger auto market share, CSAA holds 1.11%, and Automobile Club Michigan Group holds 0.7%.[1]
| User Reviews | 4.5 |
|---|---|
| IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 8.5 /10 |
| Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $125/mo |
| Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $156/mo |
Drivers appreciate the professional customer service and quick claim handling but dislike the consistent rate increases and expensive premiums. Some also found the communication lacking and felt neglected.
Drivers appreciate the professional customer service and quick claim handling but dislike the consistent rate increases and expensive premiums. Some also found the communication lacking and felt neglected.
When AAA began in 1902, it was a small, members-only motor club. The organization introduced insurance coverage for members a few decades later. Other aspects of the club, like exclusive discounts, travel help, and emergency roadside assistance, have stayed the same throughout the years. Today, the company partners with regional insurance companies to offer insurance coverage for millions of members.
Unique membership perks like travel discounts and members only DMV locations
Standard extra coverage such as roadside assistance
High customer satisfaction
Limited company options
AAA membership is required to obtain coverage
Coverage varies based on location
Liberty Mutual
Liberty Mutual Insurance is the sixth-largest auto insurer in the country, with about 5% of the market share. Despite its popularity and a wide array of coverage and discount options, it has generally low satisfaction rankings among its customers and a high number of complaints.
| User Reviews | 3.5 |
|---|---|
| IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 7.7 /10 |
| Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $161/mo |
| Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $218/mo |
Drivers appreciate the ease of making payments and the company’s helpful customer service. But they dislike the frequent and unexplained rate increases, and some report difficulties in communication and claim handling.
Drivers appreciate the ease of making payments and the company’s helpful customer service. But they dislike the frequent and unexplained rate increases, and some report difficulties in communication and claim handling.
Liberty Mutual offers auto, homeowners, condo, renters, flood, life, and other insurance products. Auto policyholders can save with numerous discounts, including bundling, good student, military, student-away-at-school, claims-free, violation-free, and multi-car discounts. Liberty Mutual has an A rating for financial strength and credit from AM Best. The company often scores low for customer satisfaction and has more than three times the expected number of complaints from private auto policyholders, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Consumer Complaint Index.
Wide range of available discounts
Accident forgiveness available
Available in all 50 states and D.C.
Many negative reviews and customer complaints
Premiums are relatively high compared to industry average
Low customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power
AAA SMARTtrek vs. Liberty Mutual RightTrack
Both AAA and Liberty Mutual offer telematics programs that allow you to save on your premiums based on their driving habits.
AAA’s SMARTtrek program tracks driving habits — including smoothness, phone use, speed, and duration — using a mobile app. AAA members who participate will see all their driving results, along with feedback on how to drive more safely. You can save up to 10% on your premiums for signing up.
Similarly, Liberty Mutual’s RightTrack program tracks your trips for 90 days using a mobile app to receive a score and qualify for a discount. It tracks braking, acceleration, nighttime driving, rush-hour driving, low-speed driving, and distracted driving. You can save 10% on premiums for enrolling in the program and up to 30% based on your driving habits.
AAA vs. Liberty Mutual: Which is the cheapest?
AAA and Liberty Mutual both offer insurance premiums that are lower than the overall national average. It’s important to know that each insurance company uses its own formula to set insurance rates, taking into account information like your age, gender, driving history, location, credit score, and more.[2]
You may find that the insurer that offers the cheapest rates for you is different from the cheapest on average. Shop around with several companies to find the best rates for your unique situation, either by working with an insurance agent or broker or by shopping online.
AAA: Cheapest for drivers with a clean driving record
Good drivers with clean driving records free of violations generally pay the lowest rates. AAA offers slightly lower rates than Liberty Mutual for drivers with clean records.
Driver Type | AAA | Liberty Mutual |
|---|---|---|
| Clean driving record | $125 | $161 |
AAA: Cheapest for drivers with a speeding ticket
If you have a speeding ticket on your driving record, you may find cheaper rates through AAA than Liberty Mutual. Having a speeding ticket on your record will likely cause an increase in your premium either way.
Driver Type | AAA | Liberty Mutual |
|---|---|---|
| Drivers with a speeding ticket | $156 | $204 |
AAA: Cheapest for teen drivers
Young drivers, especially teenagers, pay the highest insurance premiums of any demographic due to a lack of driving experience and higher risk. Teen drivers can earn cheaper rates with AAA, on average.
Driver Type | AAA | Liberty Mutual |
|---|---|---|
| 18-year-old | $198 | $276 |
AAA: Cheapest for drivers with bad credit
Your credit score can have a significant effect on your insurance premiums. A bad credit score often results in higher premiums. Drivers with poor credit pay less on average with AAA.
Driver Type | AAA | Liberty Mutual |
|---|---|---|
| Drivers with bad credit | $143 | $186 |
AAA: Cheapest for senior drivers
Insurance premiums tend to decrease throughout your life but may increase again once you reach your 70s. AAA charges significantly lower rates for older drivers than Liberty Mutual.
Driver Type | AAA | Liberty Mutual |
|---|---|---|
| Senior drivers | $87 | $131 |
Compare coverages: AAA vs. Liberty Mutual
With a wide range of coverage offerings, AAA and Liberty Mutual stand out in the insurance industry. Both insurers offer standard types of car insurance coverage, including liability insurance, comprehensive insurance, and collision insurance. Both offer optional coverage add-ons like new-car replacement, gap insurance, and accident forgiveness.
Liberty Mutual offers teacher auto insurance, but AAA doesn’t. However, you’ll have almost every option available to you with either company.
Coverage | AAA | Liberty Mutual |
|---|---|---|
| New-car replacement | Yes | Yes |
| Rental car reimbursement | Yes | Yes |
| Gap coverage | Yes | Yes |
| Original parts replacement | Yes | Yes |
| Teachers auto insurance | No | Yes |
| Accident forgiveness | Yes | Yes |
| Vanishing deductible | Yes | Yes |
| Roadside assistance | Yes | Yes |
Compare discounts: AAA vs. Liberty Mutual
Discounts can help you save money on your auto insurance premiums, and both insurers have plenty of discounts you can qualify for with some variation. For example, Liberty Mutual offers a discount for military members, but AAA doesn’t.
Both companies provide the most standard discounts, including savings for earning good grades, setting up auto pay, and bundling your policy with other insurance products like home insurance, renters insurance, or life insurance. It’s important to note that AAA discount availability can vary by location and AAA car insurance company.
See how AAA and Liberty Mutual car insurance compare in popular discount offerings.
Discount | AAA | Liberty Mutual |
|---|---|---|
| Clean driving record | Yes | Yes |
| Defensive driving course | No | No |
| Multi-policy | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-car | Yes | Yes |
| Low mileage | No | No |
| Telematics (safe driving app) | Yes | Yes |
| Anti-theft device | Yes | No |
| New car | Yes | No |
| Military/affiliation | No | Yes |
| Good student | Yes | Yes |
| Loyalty | No | No |
| Auto pay | Yes | Yes |
| Student away at school | Yes | Yes |
| Homeowner | No | Yes |
| Alternative fuel | No | No |
AAA vs. Liberty Mutual FAQs
The following information should answer your remaining questions and help you decide which insurer works best for your insurance coverage needs. Before comparing quotes from AAA, Liberty Mutual, and other insurers, you should determine how much coverage you need.
Why is Liberty Mutual so cheap?
Though it’s more expensive on average than AAA, Liberty Mutual’s premiums are still below the national average. Liberty Mutual customers may earn affordable rates due to the company’s wide variety of discount options. Ultimately, how much you pay for coverage will depend on your driver profile and location.
Is AAA a good place to get auto insurance or are its rates too high?
AAA can be a great option for auto insurance. It has car insurance rates below the overall national average and solid discount offerings. But whether it’s a good insurer for you depends on your personal situation. It’s important to get a quote from AAA and several other auto insurance companies to determine how rates compare.
Does Liberty Mutual have good car insurance?
Liberty Mutual is one of the largest auto insurers in the U.S. It offers affordable policies with more coverage options than many competitors while maintaining excellent financial strength.
But each person has a unique situation and insurance needs. You should always determine the right types of insurance and coverage levels for you when shopping around for quotes.
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 500+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
- Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
- No additional coverage
- Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
- Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
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Allstate Insurance Review: 7,574+ User Ratings
Sources
- 2022 Property and Casualty Market Share. "National Association of Insurance Commissioners."
- Insurance Information Institute. "What determines the price of an auto insurance policy?."
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Erin Gobler is a personal finance writer and journalist based in Madison, Wisconsin. With more than five years of experience, Erin has covered topics such as investing, credit cards, mortgages, insurance, and more. Her work has been featured in major publications like Business Insider, Fox Business, and Time. Erin received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2013, studying journalism and political science. She also received a certificate of financial planning from Boston University in 2022.
)
Licensed auto and home insurance agent
3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing
NPN: 20564519
Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.
Featured in
)
7+ years experience in data analysis
Ph.D. in Computational Biology
Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.
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