BestCar InsuranceBaltimoreThe Best Car Insurance in Baltimore, MD, for 2023
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MoneyGeek found that the overall best car insurance company in Baltimore is Erie. However, the best insurance for you varies, depending on your age and background.
To help you find the one that fits you best, MoneyGeek laid out the best options for young and older drivers, drivers with violations and military drivers. If you’re looking for the cheapest car insurance in Baltimore, MoneyGeek has resources for you as well.
BestCar InsuranceBaltimoreThe Best Car Insurance in Baltimore
Overall - Erie
Minimum Coverage - Erie
Young Drivers - Erie
Senior Drivers - Erie
Driving Violations - Erie
Military - USAA
Best Car Insurance Companies in Baltimore: Overall
MoneyGeek ranked the best car insurance companies in Baltimore. Our basis for our scores and rankings are each company’s rates, claims ratings and customer satisfaction scores.
The two companies that received the highest MoneyGeek scores are the following:
- Erie: 90 out of 100
- Travelers: 83 out of 100
This analysis does not include USAA. Nevertheless, USAA received a MoneyGeek score of 100 out of 100, making it the best insurance provider in Baltimore for military members and their families.
The Top Car Insurance Companies in Baltimore
1
ErieOverall
Score:90
Of the companies evaluated, Erie was ranked highly for affordability, claims and customer satisfaction. On average, the annual cost of a policy for a 40-year-old driver is $1,545. The insurer also offers unique coverages, like better car replacement.
More About Erie
The rarest coverage Erie offers is better car replacement or auto security which replaces your totaled car with a newer model. You’ll either get the latest model of your car or a model that’s two years newer than the one that was totaled, depending on the length of time you’ve owned the car. Other unique coverages offered by this company include new car replacement and accident forgiveness.
Read MoneyGeek's Erie auto Insurance Review2
Travelers
Score:83
Travelers received a perfect score in financial stability and claims but ranks low for customer satisfaction. The insurer ranks second for affordability based on average quoted rates for a 40-year-old driver of $1,710 per year. Policies include unique coverages, such as new car replacement.
More About Travelers
Also known as premier new car replacement, the new car replacement coverage replaces your totaled car with a brand new one of the same make and model. However, this can only apply if your car has been totaled in the first five years of ownership.
Other protections that you can get from Travelers are accident forgiveness and gap insurance coverages, both of which are not commonly offered by other car insurance companies in Baltimore.
Read MoneyGeek's Travelers auto Insurance ReviewRESOURCES ON CAR INSURANCE IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
MoneyGeek found the cheapest car insurance companies in Baltimore for drivers who prioritize saving money. If you’re searching for more information on car insurance in Maryland, MoneyGeek has the following resources to guide you:
Best Cheap Car Insurance for Minimum Coverage in Baltimore
In ranking the best companies for this category, we based the MoneyGeek score on the minimum requirements set by car insurance laws in Maryland.
The companies that received the best MoneyGeek scores for minimum car insurance in Maryland are the following:
- Erie: 89 out of 100
- Travelers: 84 out of 100
We analyzed drivers with a variety of backgrounds. These backgrounds include young drivers, older drivers as well as drivers with DUIs and other traffic violations.
MoneyGeek’s Pick: Erie
pros
Minimum coverage policy costs $926 per year
Offers discounts for bundling, airbags, legacy policies and young safe driver
Received MoneyGeek ratings of 4.79 and 4.71 for claims and customer satisfaction, respectively
cons
Does not offer Multiple Car, Good Student and Safe Driving discounts
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Erie helps you save money when you bundle your car insurance with other policies. This bundling discount applies when you purchase Erie policies for life, home or auto insurance together. It also applies when you have different cars insured by Erie.
You can also get discounts when your car has factory-installed safety measures. Erie offers discounts for airbags, anti-theft systems and anti-lock brakes. These discounts are not always offered by other insurers, giving you more chances of saving money with an Erie car insurance policy.
Best Car Insurance for Young Drivers in Baltimore
MoneyGeek’s rankings on the best companies under this category are based only on the profiles of young drivers shopping for car insurance in Baltimore.
The best-rated companies for young drivers in Baltimore are the following:
- Erie: 90 out of 100
- State Farm: 77 out of 100
These MoneyGeek scores are from a mix of policy coverages and driving histories of 18-year-old drivers. The cost of car insurance for teens and car insurance for students are often more expensive compared to other drivers.
MoneyGeek’s Pick: Erie
pros
An affordable full-coverage policy for a safe driver costs $3,975 per year
Offers discounts for young safe drivers, distant students and driver’s education
Received a MoneyGeek rating of 4.71 for claims and 4.79 for customer satisfaction
cons
Claims cannot be filed online
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
It might be expensive to add young drivers to your policy but it’s important to have an added level of protection for teens and students. Fortunately, Erie offers affordable policies paired with excellent service.
Young Erie policyholders can save money through several discounts including those for distant students, driver’s education and young safe drivers. The distant student discount allows students who move away from home for school and only use their car when they return home to save money on car insurance. Discounts are also offered for drivers who take a driver’s education course and have a clean driving record.
Erie also has accident forgiveness coverage. Drivers with this coverage will not have a surcharge on their first at-fault accident as long as they are claims-free for the past three years.
Best Car Insurance for Senior Drivers in Baltimore
To generate MoneyGeek scores for car insurance companies in Baltimore, we used different profiles of senior drivers seeking car insurance in Baltimore.
The companies that received the highest MoneyGeek scores are the following:
- Erie: 91 out of 100
- MetLife: 79 out of 100
The basis of these scores is a combination of policy coverages and driving histories of 70-year-old drivers. Also, it’s best to consider that car insurance for seniors is more expensive compared to car insurance for middle-aged drivers.
MoneyGeek’s Pick: Erie
pros
A budget-friendly full coverage policy for a safe driver costs $1,587 per year
MoneyGeek claims rating of 4.71 out of 5
MoneyGeek customer satisfaction rating of 4.79 out of 5
cons
Does not offer senior driver or defensive driving discounts
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Car insurance providers typically charge more to senior drivers for car insurance policies. Erie offers affordable car insurance that includes several perks.
Erie offers four common coverages, namely rental car and/or travel reimbursement, accident forgiveness, new car replacement and better bar replacement. Aside from these, it offers better car replacement coverage which is rare among other insurers.
Best Car Insurance With a Driving Violation in Baltimore
MoneyGeek's scores are based on the profiles of drivers with records of at-fault accidents in Baltimore.
The best car insurance companies in Baltimore for drivers with violations, based on their MoneyGeek scores, are the following:
- Erie: 90 out of 100
- State Farm: 78 out of 100
These scores come from a combination of a variety of policy coverages and drivers of different ages. Drivers may have to pay more for car insurance when they have a bad driving record.
MoneyGeek’s Pick: Erie
pros
A full-coverage policy costs $1,994 per year for a 40-year-old driver with an accident on their record
Numerous discounts offered to help you save money
MoneyGeek claims rating of 4.71 out of 5
MoneyGeek user satisfaction rating of 4.79 out of 5
Better car replacement or new car replacement coverage offered
cons
Offers a few coverages, compared to other companies
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Erie allows drivers with accidents and violations on their records to save money through discounts and affordable policies. On top of this, it offers good customer service and useful coverages.
Erie has better car replacement coverage and new car replacement coverage. With better car replacement coverage, your insurance can replace your car with the latest model if it has been totaled within two years of use. If it is over two years old, you can still get a replacement model that is two years newer.
This company has common discounts, such as bundling, anti-theft system, pay-in-full and airbag. The pay-in-full discount helps you save money when you pay for the annual cost of your insurance at once.
Best Car Insurance With a Military Background in Baltimore
USAA offers the best car insurance in Baltimore for drivers with a military background. It balances affordability and customer service for military members. Take note, however, that USAA only offers car insurance to members of the military, veterans and their family members.
It has a MoneyGeek score of 100 out of 100. To get this score, we analyzed a variety of driver backgrounds and coverage levels. It includes young drivers, older drivers and drivers with violations.
MoneyGeek’s Pick: USAA
pros
A full-coverage policy costs $1,217 annually for a 40-year-old driver
Offers five of the most common discounts, including bundling
Received a perfect score for claims and user satisfaction
cons
Only offers three common coverages — missing deductible modification
Does not offer better car replacement and new car replacement coverages
Available for military members and veterans only
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
USAA is an excellent option for car insurance for military drivers. Because of its consistency, it has garnered a perfect score for financial stability, claims, customer service and affordability.
It offers three common coverages. Roadside assistance covers fees for towing, vehicle unlocking, battery jump starting, flat tire changing and gasoline delivery. Rental car and/or travel reimbursement pays for your rental car after a covered loss. Accident forgiveness does away with the surcharge on your policy, as long as you have not been in an accident for five years at USAA.
USAA has five common discounts and several other rare ones. Rare discounts include those for legacy policyholders, insurer loyalty, mileage and military members.
Methodology
MoneyGeek uses data from industry-leading evaluations like J.D. Power, AM Best and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) to generate each company’s score. The companies with the highest MoneyGeek score were considered the best car insurance companies in Baltimore. We also based our analysis on data specifically from Baltimore, Maryland and for a specific driver profile in Baltimore.
MoneyGeek used the following weighted categories to generate MoneyGeek scores for car insurance companies in Baltimore, Maryland:
- Affordability (70%): The affordability score of a company is based on a combination of different driver profiles, taking into consideration age, driving record and coverage level.
- Satisfaction and claims (20%): To generate a score, satisfaction and claims are weighted equally at 10% each. MoneyGeek used the results from J.D. Power customer satisfaction and claims satisfaction surveys.
- Stability (10%): Our basis for the stability scores of each company is the ratings from AM Best. The financial stability of the company signifies its capability to meet its obligations and fulfill claims.
The overall MoneyGeek score has a total of 100 points. However, for each factor, the score only scales up to five points. Driver profiles used for the rankings change depending on the category.
In general, MoneyGeek’s car insurance methodology calculates average rates of car insurance on a full coverage policy. A full-coverage policy has the following limits:
- $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $100,000 property damage liability.
- Comprehensive and collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
About Mark Fitzpatrick
sources
- Erie Insurance. "How to File and Monitor Your Claim." Accessed May 11, 2022.