4.8out of 3,000+ reviews
Updated August 11, 2022
AAA vs. Mercury: A Summary
Mercury and AAA both have plenty to offer drivers seeking car insurance coverage for their vehicles. Which insurer is better depends on an individual’s specific insurance needs. We’ve lined up the facts for both companies in this article to help you compare car insurance and decide which insurance provider is the best choice for you.
Insurance Company | Avg. Monthly Car Insurance Quote | Insurify Composite ScoreThe Insurify Composite Score is a proprietary rating calculated by a team of data scientists at Insurify, weighing multiple factors that reflect the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company. Inputs to the score include financial strength ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch; J.D. Power ratings; Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys and customer complaints; mobile app reviews; and user-generated company reviews. |
---|---|---|
AAA | $113 | 85 |
Mercury | $102 | 81 |
The Insurify Composite Score (ICS) is a proprietary rating calculated by a team of data scientists at Insurify, weighing multiple factors that reflect the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company.
Inputs to the score include financial strength ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch; J.D. Power ratings; Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys and customer complaints; mobile app reviews; and user-generated company reviews.
AAA
While AAA is mainly known for its roadside assistance services, it also offers a full complement of insurance coverage, including auto. This coverage is only available for current members of the auto club, but the company often bundles its roadside assistance perks with insurance for maximum protection.
Pros
Multiple discounts available
Agents tailor policies to their customers’ needs
Efficient claims process
Cons
Coverage is based on location and could vary depending on where you live
You must be a AAA member to get coverage
Mercury
Founded in 1961 and based in Los Angeles, Mercury Insurance similarly offers a variety of benefits to its customers, including 24/7 claims service, dedicated local agents, and guaranteed repairs when they’re done at an authorized shop. They utilize licensed agents in the 11 states they operate in to help with the claims process.
Pros
Mercury’s convenient customer portal lets you manage your car insurance policy from your smartphone
Easy claims process
Wide range of discounts and coverages to help you save money and protect your vehicle
Pros
Only available in 11 states
Limited car insurance policy customization options
Rating Factor | AAA | Mercury |
---|---|---|
J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Index Ranking (Overall) | 862 (CSAA), 834 (Automobile Club Group) | 829 |
Fitch Rating Insurer Final Strength | N/A | A |
Fitch LTR | N/A | A |
A.M. Best | A | A |
Moody’s | N/A | A2 |
S&P Financial Strength | N/A | NR |
The Best Car Insurance Companies in 2022
Rank | Company Name | Average Monthly Quote | Insurify Composite ScoreThe Insurify Composite Score is a proprietary rating calculated by a team of data scientists at Insurify, weighing multiple factors that reflect the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company. Inputs to the score include financial strength ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch; J.D. Power ratings; Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys and customer complaints; mobile app reviews; and user-generated company reviews. |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Clearcover Best Overall | $135 | 97 |
2 | Nationwide Best for Safe Drivers | $199 | 89 |
3 | American Family Best for Families with Teen Drivers | $234 | 89 |
4 | Safeco Best for Drivers with Poor Credit | $186 | 86 |
5 | Farmers Best for Rideshare Coverage | $239 | 85 |
6 | Foremost Best for Hassle-Free Claims | $159 | 82 |
7 | Liberty Mutual Best for Accident Forgiveness | $241 | 82 |
8 | Mercury Best for Face-to-Face Service | $232 | 81 |
9 | Progressive Best for Senior Drivers | $147 | 80 |
10 | Travelers Best for Young Drivers | $163 | 80 |
Mercury and AAA were not among the top 10 car insurance companies in 2021, but they still offer a number of benefits to their policyholders. For example, Mercury penalizes drivers only slightly when it comes to those who’ve received a ticket versus those who haven’t (there’s about a $26 per month difference on average). Meanwhile, AAA policyholders with excellent credit pay less than $100 per month on average for their insurance.
Compare AAA vs. Mercury: Which Is Cheaper?
Mercury is cheaper than AAA when it comes to average monthly rates, but the comparison varies from there depending on the demographic. For example, AAA is less expensive than Mercury for drivers ages 18–24 and drivers with excellent, good, and average credit scores. AAA drivers with clean records typically pay less per month on average for their insurance than Mercury policyholders.
The Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in 2022
Rank | Insurance Company | Average Cost Per Month | ICSThe Insurify Composite Score is a proprietary rating calculated by a team of data scientists at Insurify, weighing multiple factors that reflect the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company. Inputs to the score include financial strength ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch; J.D. Power ratings; Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys and customer complaints; mobile app reviews; and user-generated company reviews. |
---|---|---|---|
1 | USH&C | $44 | Not Rated |
2 | Metromile | $63 | Not Rated |
3 | Direct Auto | $64 | Not Rated |
4 | Travelers | $65 | 80 |
5 | Kemper | $71 | Not Rated |
6 | Progressive | $87 | Not Rated |
7 | Mile Auto | $91 | 85 |
8 | National General | $93 | 58 |
9 | Clearcover | $94 | 97 |
10 | GAINSCO | $94 | Not Rated |
Again, AAA and Mercury did not crack the top 10 in terms of the cheapest car insurance companies in 2021. Both companies can be inexpensive for various groups of people, however. Policyholders between the ages of 55 and 65 pay less than $100 a month on average for car insurance with both Mercury and AAA. Additionally, drivers without an accident can expect to pay $30 and $60 less per month on average with Mercury and AAA.
Compare AAA vs. Mercury Car Insurance by Age
Age is a key factor insurance companies use when deciding whether to provide coverage for a driver. Insurers are taking on a risk when they sell a policy and try to minimize that risk as much as possible. Providing coverage for more experienced, older drivers is one way for insurance companies to do so. Older drivers tend to pay less for insurance with AAA and Mercury.
Age Group | AAA | Mercury |
---|---|---|
Teen | $207 | $315 |
20s | $108 | $104 |
30s | $99 | $107 |
40s | $87 | $93 |
50s | $80 | $82 |
60s | $86 | $86 |
70s | $106 | $98 |
80s | $116 | $105 |
Compare AAA vs. Mercury Car Insurance by Gender
Gender is another key factor in determining insurance rates. The difference between men’s and women’s car insurance rates is not too large, but that variance depends on the insurer. Women often pay less for car insurance than men do, but there are no guarantees, as car insurance companies have different pricing methods.
The difference in AAA’s average monthly car insurance quote for men and women is very small ($109 for men and $108 for women). There is a slightly larger difference between what women and men are quoted at Mercury, however; women are quoted almost $6 a month more on average.
Which is cheapest for men?
Mercury car insurance is slightly less expensive for men than AAA, a difference of about $10 per month on average. Meanwhile, both Mercury and AAA’s average monthly cost for men exceeds the national average of $81 per month.
Gender | AAA | Mercury | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Men | $109 | $99 | $81 |
Which is cheapest for women?
Mercury car insurance is also cheaper for women compared to AAA, but the gap is a little smaller than it is for men; Mercury costs about $4 less per month than AAA. However, both insurers’ average monthly rates are well above the national average of $78 per month.
Gender | AAA | Mercury | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Women | $108 | $104 | $78 |
Compare AAA vs. Mercury Car Insurance by Mileage
When car insurance companies gather information to price your quote, they’ll ask about your mileage. This is because they’re trying to assess risk. The more miles you drive, the longer you’re on the road, which increases your chances of getting into a car accident.
For example, an insurer might view someone who has a five-mile commute to work as less of a coverage risk than someone who has to drive 20 miles each way to get to their office. Mileage is just one factor in determining a policy rate, of course; the driver with the shorter commute could have a poorer driving record, leading to the long commuter paying less for their policy.
Mercury and AAA policyholders can expect to pay similar monthly rates whether they drive 5,000 miles a year on average or 20,000 miles.
Which is cheapest for drivers with high mileage?
Both Mercury and AAA policyholders pay the same on average each month whether they drive 15,000 miles per year or 20,000. Meanwhile, Mercury drivers pay only a few dollars less per month than AAA policyholders who tally between 15,000 and 20,000 miles a year.
Annual Mileage | AAA | Mercury | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
15,000-20,000 | $108 | $104 | $78 |
Which is cheapest for drivers with low mileage?
Surprisingly, driving half as much as the chart above does not result in a lower monthly payment for AAA or Mercury policyholders. In fact, AAA drivers who drive 5,000 miles annually save only a little more than a dollar a month compared to those in the other categories.
Annual Mileage | AAA | Mercury | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
5,000 | $107 | $104 | $78 |
10,000 | $108 | $104 | $78 |
Compare AAA vs. Mercury Car Insurance by Credit Score
Much like with getting a car or home loan, the better your credit score is, the more favorable your car insurance terms are going to be. Insurers view good credit as a sign of responsibility, which is what they’re looking for when providing coverage for drivers.
Which is cheapest for good credit?
Drivers with excellent or good credit will pay about $10 less per month on average with AAA versus Mercury. Both insurers’ average monthly rates for drivers with good credit exceed the national average, but Mercury’s do so by a more significant margin in both categories.
Credit tier | AAA | Mercury | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Excellent | $69 | $79 | $60 |
Good | $86 | $96 | $71 |
Which is cheapest for bad credit?
AAA is slightly less expensive for drivers with average credit versus Mercury (a little less than $4 per month on average), while both insurers are more expensive than the national average. Meanwhile, Mercury drivers with poor credit can expect to pay much less per month than AAA policyholders— $125 less per month on average.
Credit Tier | AAA | Mercury | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Average | $100 | $104 | $78 |
Poor | $266 | $140 | $120 |
Compare AAA vs. Mercury Car Insurance by Driving Record
Your driving record will be a key factor in how much you pay for car insurance. The cleaner your record, the lower your car insurance premium will likely be. Car insurance companies will look to see how many driving tickets you’ve had, if you’ve ever been in a car accident (and if so, how many), and if you’ve had a DUI. Any of these violations will make you a risk in insurers’ eyes, and you’ll likely have to pay more for coverage.
Which is cheapest for good drivers?
On average, good drivers can expect to pay just about $4 less per month with AAA than with Mercury. Meanwhile, both insurers exceed the national average by a decent margin. AAA policyholders with good driving records pay approximately $22 more per month than the national average ($78), while Mercury drivers pay about $26 more.
Driver Type | AAA | Mercury | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Clean Record | $100 | $104 | $78 |
Which is cheapest after a speeding ticket?
Mercury drivers with a speeding ticket pay about $16 less on average per month than AAA policyholders who’ve suffered the same infraction. Again, both insurers’ monthly average rate for drivers with speeding tickets exceed the national average—AAA by over $40 per month.
Driver Type | AAA | Mercury | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Speeding Ticket | $145 | $129 | $104 |
Which is cheapest after an accident?
According to Insurify data, AAA has a lower monthly average rate for drivers who’ve been in a car accident than Mercury, but higher than the national average. Both insurers’ monthly average quote for drivers who have had a car accident exceeds the national average by more than $40 per month.
Driver Type | AAA | Mercury | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
At-Fault Accident | $158 | $164 | $114 |
Which is cheapest after a DUI?
Mercury’s average monthly insurance quote for drivers with a DUI is significantly lower than AAA’s, according to Insurify data. Additionally, Mercury’s average monthly rate is $13 less per month than the national average in this category.
Driver Type | AAA | Mercury | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
DUI | $223 | $142 | $155 |
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AAA vs. Mercury Car Insurance: What discounts does each offer?
AAA Discounts
AAA member
Multi-policy
Loyalty
Good student
Theft recovery device
Multi-car
Low-mileage
New car
Paperless
Paid in full
Safe driver
Safety feature
Safety inspection
Student away
Teen driver training
Mercury Discounts
Anti-theft
Autopay
Good student
Multi-policy
Multi-car
E-signature
Good driver
Paid in full
Discount | AAA | Mercury |
---|---|---|
Safe driver | ||
Multiple policy | ||
Multi-vehicle | ||
Paid in full | ||
Good student | ||
Student away at school | ||
New car/Anti-theft | ||
Automatic payments |
Our Methodology and How We Compared AAA and Mercury
The car insurance quotes provided in Insurify’s insurance company comparison guides are based on the analysis of over 50 thousand insurance quotes from 500 ZIP codes nationwide. Insurify’s data science team performs a comprehensive analysis of factors car insurance providers weigh to calculate rates, including driver demographics, driving record, credit score, desired coverage level, and more to give representative samples.
Insurify’s analysis also incorporates the Insurify Composite Score (ICS) assigned to each insurance provider. The ICS is a proprietary rating calculated by weighing multiple factors that reflect the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company.
Ratings used to calculate the ICS include Financial Strength Ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch; J.D. Power ratings; Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys and customer complaints; mobile app reviews; and user-generated company reviews.
With the above insights and ranking methods, Insurify is able to offer car insurance shoppers a window into how insurance providers compare to one another in terms of both cost and quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Looking solely at the insurers’ average monthly rates, Mercury car insurance is cheaper than AAA ($102 to $113, respectively). However, depending on your demographics and driving history, you may find AAA car insurance products to be cheaper than Mercury.
Which car insurance company between AAA and Mercury is “better” will depend on your individual insurance needs. Be sure to review customer satisfaction ratings and online customer complaints along with the company’s insurance rates. And keep in mind that you have to be a AAA member to be eligible for their car insurance, and Mercury only offers its product in a select number of states.
The best way to get cheap car insurance quotes from multiple insurance providers in one place is to use a car insurance comparison site. This will allow you to compare personalized quotes side by side, find discounts you can qualify for, and clearly see the differences between your coverage options.