GEICO vs. The Hartford: Which Is the Best? (2024)

GEICO’s low rates, robust discounts, and wide availability earn it an IQ Score of 4.2, which is higher than The Hartford’s score of 0.0.

Emily Guy Birken
Emily Guy Birken
  • Plutus Award winner

  • 12+ years writing about insurance and personal finance

Emily is a widely recognized expert on personal finance and has authored several personal finance books. She’s a frequent guest on national and regional media.

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Courtney Mikulski
Courtney MikulskiSenior Editor, Auto
  • 3+ years producing insurance and personal finance content

  • Main architect of the Insurify Quality Score

Courtney’s deep personal finance knowledge extends beyond insurance to credit cards, consumer lending, and banking. She thrives on creating actionable content.

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Konstantin Halachev
Data reviewed byKonstantin Halachev
Headshot of Konstantin Halachev, VP of Engineering at Insurify
Konstantin HalachevVice President of Engineering
  • 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.

Updated March 26, 2024

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GEICO is one of the largest auto insurance companies in the United States by market share, and its long-running advertisements suggest that a call to GEICO can save drivers 15% or more on their insurance.[1]

The Hartford doesn’t have as large a market share, but it’s offered auto insurance since 1913, a full 23 years before GEICO’s founding. The Hartford offers specialty insurance that caters to drivers older than 50.

To determine if The Hartford or GEICO is the best car insurance company for you, take the time to compare quotes, discounts, customer service, and coverage options from each company so you can make an informed decision.

Quick Facts
  • Hybrid and electric vehicle drivers are eligible for a discount with The Hartford’s AARP Auto Insurance Program.

  • The Hartford’s average rates for drivers in their 60s are higher than GEICO’s rates for the same age group.

  • GEICO has a high complaint index score with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), meaning it receives more complaints than expected for its size.[2]

GEICO vs. The Hartford: The verdict

While both GEICO and The Hartford offer similar auto insurance coverages, senior drivers may find exclusive services with The Hartford’s partnership with AARP.

Drivers of any age can get insurance through GEICO, while The Hartford specializes in auto insurance products for drivers 50 years and older. GEICO’s average monthly rates are also significantly cheaper than The Hartford’s for all drivers, whether they have clean records or spotty driving histories.

GEICO insurance may have the best rates, but it has a much worse record for customer satisfaction. GEICO’s National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index is 1.35, meaning it has a higher rate of complaints compared to the average.[2] In other words, GEICO receives nearly one and a half times the number of complaints as the national average. The Hartford’s NAIC index of 0.78 means it receives fewer complaints than expected.[3]

FactorGEICOThe Hartford
IQ Score4.24.0
Customer satisfaction score3.33.5
Average quote: liability only$54$116
Number of discounts168
Number of states where it operates5050
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
  • Insurify uses an in-house, proprietary method to rate and review the best car insurance companies. The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 crucial criteria, including average premiums, customer satisfaction, discounts, third-party ratings, and more, to calculate a final score for a company.

    Criteria are weighted by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings. With the IQ Score, Insurify is able to provide quantitative ratings for drivers to better compare car insurance companies and make informed decisions to meet their coverage needs.

GEICO

GEICO is the third-largest auto insurance company by market share, according to the NAIC, and it offers competitive rates and a long list of potential discounts. While it’s a nationally known insurer, it also has a lower-than-average J.D. Power rating for claims satisfaction.[4]

Compare personalized, real-time quotes
IQ Score
The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-five scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores.
4.3
JD Power
J.D. Power data measures overall customer satisfaction and claims satisfaction based on a 1,000-point scale.
835
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.
$54/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.
$119/mo

A highly recognizable name in car insurance, GEICO is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. The company started out as the Government Employees Insurance Company, serving U.S. government workers and military personnel. In addition to auto insurance, GEICO also sells homeowner, flood insurance, life insurance, business insurance, and identity protection, among other products. A.M. Best gives GEICO its highest rating for financial stability and credit. However, GEICO has nearly twice as many complaints as expected in the National Association of Insurance Commissioner’s Consumer Complaints Index.

Pros
  • Good rates for good drivers, seniors, and young drivers

  • Accident forgiveness available

Cons
  • High rates for drivers with certain violations, like DUIs

  • No rideshare or new car replacement coverage available

Radera - March 26, 2024
Verified

Don't Recommend

I wouldn't recommend them. They seem to look for any reason to cancel your policy.

Jan - March 25, 2024
Verified

Average

Rigid on pricing.

Linda - March 23, 2024
Verified

Best for the Money

They were helpful in trying to lower my bill.
Read our GEICO review

The Hartford

Only AARP members can qualify for car insurance policies with The Hartford, but the company offers a number of benefits to customers, including customer support via local agents, disappearing deductibles, discounts for hybrid or electric cars, and new car replacement coverage.

Compare personalized, real-time quotes
IQ Score
The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-five scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores.
JD Power
J.D. Power data measures overall customer satisfaction and claims satisfaction based on a 1,000-point scale.
837
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.
$116/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.
$181/mo

Michael - March 23, 2024
Verified

Excellent

They are always very polite and straightforward to deal with.

Cathy - March 12, 2024
Verified

Pick Hartford for Your Reliable Car Insurance Company

The Hartford Company has been a reliable and trusted service for my car insurance. Good customer service goes a long way.

Sharon - March 5, 2024
Verified

Greed

First of all, unlike other major insurers, they conduct a credit check. For me, this meant unfreezing my accounts with all three credit agencies so that the Hartford could check my credit. Either they don’t have the same connections as other insurers, or the others don’t check, which I find hard to believe. Secondly, when states allowed insurers to raise their rates, the Hartford increased their rates to the maximum amount allowed. Third, the Hartford is owned, I believe, by AARP, and although they are no longer a company exclusively for retirees, retirement remains their primary focus. If so many Hartford customers are retirees, isn't raising their rates to the highest possible amount somewhat harsh? I understand that there are plenty of retirees who have substantial savings, but there are also many who are living on a fixed income. The rate increase I experienced was nearly double what I’d been paying. This seems like pure greed to me.
Read our The Hartford review

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GEICO DriveEasy vs. The Hartford TrueLane

GEICO and The Hartford both offer telematics programs that could potentially help safe drivers save money on their premiums.

The GEICO DriveEasy program is in the insurer’s main mobile app, and drivers can sign up for it by logging into their accounts on their phones. Once you sign up for DriveEasy, the mobile app uses your phone’s sensors to track various driving behaviors, including distracted driving, hard braking, cornering, and smoothness. It also tracks factors like distance driven, time of day, route regularity, and weather. The program assigns you a driving score based on this information.

Each time you renew your policy, GEICO partly determines your premiums based on your DriveEasy score. This means it’s possible to lower or raise your premiums with DriveEasy, and there’s no guaranteed discount. Additionally, every driver on your policy must enroll in DriveEasy if you sign up for the program.

The Hartford’s telematics program, TrueLane, offers an automatic discount of up to 12% when you enroll. The app automatically collects information about your driving behavior, including your speed, phone usage, cornering, braking, and acceleration.

When it’s time to renew your policy with The Hartford, your new policy premium will depend partly on your driving behavior. Good drivers can potentially save up to 25% at renewal. Not every driver on your policy has to enroll in TrueLane for you to take advantage of this program.

See Next: How Does Usage-Based Car Insurance Work?

See Next: How Does Usage-Based Car Insurance Work?

GEICO vs. The Hartford: Which is the cheapest?

GEICO has cheaper car insurance rates than The Hartford, based on Insurify data. GEICO’s average rates are cheaper for every type of driver, including senior drivers, drivers with good credit, drivers with a DUI, and other high-risk drivers.

Because insurance companies use different factors to determine your car insurance rates, including your age, marital status, credit, ZIP code, and driving history, your rates with GEICO and The Hartford may vary.

Here’s what you need to know about both insurers’ average rates.

GEICO: Cheapest for drivers with a clean driving record

Keeping a clean driving record is a major factor in lowering your average annual premium, but GEICO’s rates for both full-coverage insurance and liability-only insurance are cheaper than The Hartford’s rates.

Driver TypeGEICOThe Hartford
Clean driving record$54$116
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

GEICO: Cheapest for drivers with a speeding ticket

GEICO has lower rates for both full-coverage and liability insurance than The Hartford for drivers with a speeding ticket on their record.

Driver TypeGEICOThe Hartford
Drivers with a speeding ticket$62$187
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

GEICO: Cheapest for teen drivers

Considering The Hartford specializes in insuring drivers older than 50 rather than young drivers, it’s not surprising that GEICO offers much lower average rates for teenage drivers.

Driver TypeGEICOThe Hartford
18-year-old$74$247
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

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GEICO: Cheapest for drivers with bad credit

Drivers with bad credit generally pay more for their auto insurance than drivers with good or excellent credit. GEICO’s premiums for drivers with bad credit are cheaper than The Hartford’s premiums for the same drivers.

Driver TypeGEICOThe Hartford
Drivers with bad credit$63$147
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

GEICO: Cheapest for senior drivers

Even though The Hartford specializes in senior drivers, GEICO’s premium rates are lower for drivers in their 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Driver TypeGEICOThe Hartford
Senior drivers$41$70
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

Compare coverages: GEICO vs. The Hartford

Drivers looking for liability-only policies can get the coverage they need from either GEICO or The Hartford. Liability insurance policies usually include bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage, which together pay for damages to another party if you cause an accident.

Both insurers also offer additional coverages, like personal injury protection, medical payments, uninsured/underinsured motorist, comprehensive, and collision insurance.

Drivers looking for add-on coverage will find similar options at both GEICO and The Hartford.

CoverageGEICOThe Hartford
Gap insuranceYesYes
Rental coverageYesYes
Roadside assistanceYesYes
New-car replacementNoNo
Accident forgivenessYesYes
Mechanical breakdownYesNo

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Compare discounts: GEICO vs. The Hartford

GEICO offers a more robust list of car insurance discounts than The Hartford. Drivers with GEICO who insure multiple cars, install anti-theft devices, drive a new car, and get good grades may be able to access savings on their insurance bill. The Hartford doesn’t offer any of these types of discounts.

However, The Hartford does beat GEICO when it comes to alternative fuel discounts. Hybrid and electric car drivers can save with The Hartford and help the environment at the same time.

DiscountGEICOThe Hartford
Clean driving recordYesYes
Defensive driving courseYesYes
Multi-policyYesYes
Multi-carYesNo
Low mileageNoNo
Telematics (safe driving app)YesYes
Anti-theft deviceYesNo
New carYesNo
Military/affiliationYesYes (AARP members)
Good studentYesNo
LoyaltyNoNo
Auto payNoNo
Student away at schoolNoNo
HomeownerNoNo
Alternative fuelNoYes

GEICO vs. The Hartford FAQs

Use Insurify’s guide to the best and worst comparison sites while you shop for insurance, and check out the answers to common questions about GEICO and The Hartford below.

  • Is The Hartford good at paying claims?

    The 2023 J.D. Power U.S. Claims Satisfaction Survey found that The Hartford scored 877 out of 1,000 points for customer satisfaction with the insurance claim process. This is only one point below the study average of 878, which indicates that policyholders with The Hartford were reasonably satisfied with the insurer’s claims process.[4]

  • Is GEICO the most expensive car insurance?

    GEICO’s auto insurance rates aren’t the most expensive, according to Insurify data. They’re within the top 10 cheapest rates of the insurers Insurify analyzed. While several insurers have cheaper rates than GEICO, this company’s rates are quite competitive.

  • How is The Hartford auto insurance rated?

    The Hartford generally rates well in a number of areas. It has a 0.78 complaint index with the NAIC, which means it receives fewer complaints than expected for a company of its size. It also scored 877 in claims satisfaction for J.D. Power, meaning its satisfaction rating is about average.[3] [4] The Hartford enjoys the highest customer satisfaction rating from J.D. Power in the Northwest region, as well as above-average ratings in several other regions.

Sources

Emily Guy Birken
Emily Guy Birken

Emily Guy Birken is a former educator, lifelong money nerd, and a Plutus Award-winning freelance writer who specializes in the scientific research behind irrational money behaviors. Her background in education allows her to make complex financial topics relatable and easily understood by the layperson.

Her work has appeared on The Huffington Post, Business Insider, Kiplinger's, MSN Money, and The Washington Post online.

She is the author of several books, including The 5 Years Before You Retire, End Financial Stress Now, and the brand new book Stacked: Your Super Serious Guide to Modern Money Management, written with Joe Saul-Sehy.

Emily lives in Milwaukee with her family.

Courtney Mikulski
Edited byCourtney MikulskiSenior Editor, Auto
Courtney Mikulski
Courtney MikulskiSenior Editor, Auto
  • 3+ years producing insurance and personal finance content

  • Main architect of the Insurify Quality Score

Courtney’s deep personal finance knowledge extends beyond insurance to credit cards, consumer lending, and banking. She thrives on creating actionable content.

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Konstantin Halachev
Data reviewed byKonstantin HalachevVice President of Engineering
Headshot of Konstantin Halachev, VP of Engineering at Insurify
Konstantin HalachevVice President of Engineering
  • 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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