Allstate Auto Insurance Review

Overall, Allstate is best for drivers with a clean record who will take advantage of its extensive coverage options.

Allstate Is Best for Those Who:

• Prefer to do your shopping online
• Own your home and will benefit from Allstate’s bundling discount
• Need or want extra coverage options, like rideshare coverage, sound system protection, or immediate accident forgiveness
• Don’t drive much and are considering pay-per-mile insurance

Allstate Is Not Best for Those Who:

• Are looking for the absolute cheapest auto insurance rates
• Have a DUI, as Allstate may cancel your coverage after a DUI conviction
• Individuals with a speeding ticket on their record

Personally, I am shopping with Allstate because I am driving less since moving back to a major city. Right now, I have a traditional unlimited-mileage policy with State Farm, but since I average only 500 miles per month, I’m hoping to save money with a pay-per-mile policy. Allstate is one of only two major insurers — along with Nationwide — that offers pay-per-mile insurance.

Below, check out Allstate’s average prices by driver profile. As you can see, the company’s prices tend to be above average, even for drivers with a good driving history and credit score.

Allstate’s full coverage auto insurance premiums are higher than the national average by about 37 percent, or $715 annually. Its rates for minimum coverage are 9 percent above the national average, or $50 more annually.

Reflecting this trend, my quote from Allstate (for a traditional unlimited-mileage policy) came in around 15 percent higher than my State Farm renewal. However, if I pay for the Allstate policy in full, the discount brings it closer to State Farm’s price.

Below, you can see how Allstate compares to the other insurers for both full and minimum coverage.

Allstate has a big list of discounts, and the only way to keep your premium reasonable is to take advantage of as many of them as possible. For example, paying in full for the policy would save me 10 percent.

You’ll save on auto insurance with Allstate for the following:

• Being a safe driver
• Being a student driver
• Buying another policy with Allstate, like home or life insurance
• Buying your policy at least seven days before it becomes effective
• Going paperless
• Paying your policy in full upfront
• Setting up an automatic withdrawal to pay your premiums
• Tracking your driving habits with Drivewise
• Having a car that is the current model year or one year older (and you’re the first owner)
• Not receiving a cancellation notice for nonpayment in the past year
• Having a car with anti-lock brakes
• Having a car with an anti-theft device

Highlighted Discount: Smart Student Discount

While I personally don’t qualify for this discount, I want to highlight it because insurance for young drivers is expensive, and I know families with teens are always on the lookout for young driver discounts.

You earn Allstate’s student discount if you’re under age 25, unmarried and fulfill just one of the following requirements:

• Full-time student with a 2.7 GPA or higher
• Complete the teenSMART driving program
• Attend school at least 100 miles away from where the car is kept

From what I see, this discount stands out for a couple reasons. It has a lower grade threshold than most other insurers, which require a 3.0 GPA. It also doesn’t require you to be a full-time student, since you can earn the discount for completing the teenSMART driving program.

Highlighted Discount: DriveWise

Like most major insurers, Allstate has a discount for tracking your driving habits. You save 10 percent for signing up and up to 40 percent at your next renewal depending on your driving. When I spoke to an Allstate agent, he explained that Drivewise measures two factors:

1. Speeding over 80 mph
2. Hard braking

As long as you’re consistently not doing either of those two things, you should see a discount. Keep in mind, if you are speeding or braking hard, Drivewise can increase your premium (unlike State Farm, which promises that its discount Drive Safe & Save will only ever reduce your premium, not increase it).

Allstate offers all the standard car insurance coverages — like liability, uninsured/underinsured motorist, collision, comprehensive, personal injury protection, and medical payments  — as well as a few extras.

Below is a breakdown of how much each coverage added to my quote. Next, I’ll walk through the quote and where you might be able to save on your own policy.

* Sample quote for a 30-year-old driver (me) in Pennsylvania, where liability minimum limits are $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident for bodily injury, $5,000 per accident for property damage, and $5,000 minimum in medical payments is required.

If you’re looking to save on your policy, there are a few coverages you could drop or lower compared to what I have.

While I always recommend raising your liability limits above the state-required minimum (increasing your limits will protect your assets if you get into a serious accident), you could probably drop your uninsured/underinsured motorist limits to $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident. I like to keep them high because they also protect you as a pedestrian or cyclist, and my city unfortunately sees a lot of hit-and-runs.

Another big expense is collision coverage — the most expensive coverage on my quote. Part of the reason for the expense is that I drive a hybrid vehicle, and hybrids tend to cost more to repair than gas-powered cars. If collision coverage is hiking up your bill, you can raise your deductible — the amount you pay toward repairs before your insurance kicks in. I did this myself — raising my deductible from $500 to $1,000 — and saved about $20 monthly.

You can also save by dropping extras like rental reimbursement, towing, and accident forgiveness, but given they add only a few dollars each to your monthly premium and can save you money in the event of an accident, I think it makes more sense to keep them.

Additional Coverages

Allstate also sells classic car insurance if you own an antique or classic car, as well as Mexico car insurance if you take a trip to Mexico.

You can also buy a personal umbrella policy (PUP), which provides liability coverage above standard auto insurance. Allstate’s optional PUPs give you an extra layer of protection anywhere in the world for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage.

You can file a claim on Allstate’s website or mobile app. Here’s how:

1. Log in to your MyClaim account.
2. Fill out the requested information and add photos of the accident.
3. Allstate will provide a damage assessment and a repair estimate.
4. When Allstate approves the claim, it will pay the repair shop. You will be responsible for paying your deductible. Alternatively, you have the option for the company to reimburse you.

Because I don’t have Allstate insurance, I can’t speak to the claims process. However, some customers report that Allstate makes it difficult to file a claim by phone. You may need to start the claim online, which won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. If you have questions or need help with an existing claim, you can call 1-800-255-7828 to speak with an agent.

Here’s the other thing that gave me pause: CRASH Network, an independently published newsletter that reports on collision repair and auto insurance, gave Allstate an unfavorable rating in its most recent report. Companies with higher grades don’t pressure shops to cut corners, install lower-quality parts, or add red tape that slows the process. Allstate received a B- score from its in-network repair shops, a D from out-of-network shops, and an overall D+ rating. Only 5 percent of surveyed shops said that Allstate was likely to pay for quality parts. To me, that does not bode well for Allstate’s claims process.

Because a review would be incomplete without third-party data, I have pulled together independent assessments about Allstate’s service.

Allstate scores well in terms of financial strength, meaning you can count on its ability to pay for a claim.

The company’s claims satisfaction scores were mixed. J.D. Power ranked Allstate just above average, with a score of 882 compared to the 878 average. However, Allstate received subpar grades from CRASH Network, meaning some collision repair shops find the company difficult to work with and it may pressure shops to use cheaper parts.

Allstate scored slightly below average on J.D. Power’s insurance shopping study, likely due to its higher-than-average premiums.

Given Allstate’s mixed to negative claims reviews, I wanted to speak to someone about their personal experience with the company. Here’s what a friend of mine had to say. Our conversation gave me a little more confidence in Allstate.

Customer Profile

• Allstate customer for 13 years
• Filed an auto claim this year

How would you describe the experience of filing a claim? Are you satisfied with how Allstate handled the claim?

They make it very easy. The app guides you on how to take photos and how to angle them. After I filed the claim, Allstate got back to me fairly quickly — between 24 to 48 hours — and my car went into the shop about a month later. The shop asked for the claim to be readjusted, which took about a week, and that was the only frustration I encountered. But eventually, it was updated and the work was finished.

Would you recommend Allstate to a friend?

Absolutely. They have worked with my family for so long and have always answered any questions we’ve ever had.

Allstate’s website and mobile app allow you to pay your bill, view your ID cards, file a claim, and get roadside assistance. If you sign up for Drivewise to track your driving habits and earn a discount, you will also manage that through the app.

You might have a better experience on an iPhone rather than an Android phone. Allstate’s app holds higher ratings for iOS than Android, and some Android users report issues with the Drivewise functionality in the app.

Our comprehensive review of auto insurance companies is based on an evaluation process designed to provide consumers with accurate and unbiased insights. We use the following methodology to assess companies:

1. Cost and coverage: We evaluate competitive pricing, discounts, and affordability relative to the coverage provided.
2. Claims process: Fulfilling claims is the core offering of an insurance company. We assess claims processes through third-party data and customer feedback.
3. Shopping experience: We personally obtain a quote, offering a look into the process and how easy it is to shop with a provider.
4. Industry ratings and reviews: We gather data from independent agencies to assess factors like financial strength, complaints, and customer satisfaction.
5. Online tools and technology: We assess the user-friendliness of websites, mobile apps, and online account management features.