4.8out of 3,000+ reviews
Updated August 5, 2022
Erie vs. The Hartford: A Summary
If you’re over 50 and looking for an affordable car insurance policy, two auto insurance companies you may consider are Erie and The Hartford. Keep in mind that Erie insurance is only available in select states. Compare car insurance quotes from these two companies and more with the Insurify quote-comparison tool.
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. |
---|---|---|
Erie | $49 | 85 |
The Hartford | $92 | 93 |
ICS Score Explanation:
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.
Erie
Erie is a Pennsylvania-based insurance provider that was founded in 1925 and offers multiple insurance products in 12 states. In addition to auto insurance, the company also offers homeowners insurance, life insurance, and business insurance. Erie has superior financial strength ratings from A.M. Best and is recognized by J.D. Power for customer satisfaction.
Erie was one of the top-ranked midsize insurance companies in the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study and is also highly rated for claims satisfaction. However, Erie had more complaints with the NAIC than expected in 2021 given the insurer’s size. Complaints about Erie have been trending upward in recent years.
Erie offers some unique coverage options in addition to comprehensive and collision coverage. You can add the Erie rate lock option, roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, new car or better car protection, and rideshare coverage. Erie also offers several appealing discounts and a telematics rewards program for safe drivers.
Pros
First accident forgiveness included after three years
Offers rideshare coverage
Premiums beat the industry average cost
Cons
More complaints than expected with the NAIC in 2021
Only available in 12 states
Mixed mobile app reviews
The Hartford
The Hartford is a financial services company that has been around since 1810. The company offers auto, RV, and home insurance to AARP members aged 50 or older, but coverage is not available in all states. The Hartford has superior financial strength ratings from multiple rating agencies and a 24/7 insurance claims hotline. Mobile app reviews are mixed.
The insurer also ranks above average in the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study and is top-ranked for claims satisfaction. Furthermore, the company had far fewer complaints than expected with the NAIC in 2021 given its size. However, customer reviews on rating websites such as Trustpilot are mixed.
The Hartford offers a robust policy that includes coverages not typically standard at other insurers. For example, you’ll get roadside assistance and new car replacement coverage included. You’ll also get RecoverCare, which helps pay for assistance if you’ve been injured in an accident. You can also add accident forgiveness and disappearing deductible.
Pros
Roadside assistance
New car replacement coverage
Bundling discount available
Cons
Mixed mobile app reviews
Mixed online customer reviews
Not available in all states
Rating Factor | Erie | The Hartford |
---|---|---|
Fitch | NR | NR |
A.M. Best | A+ | A+ |
Moody’s | NR | A1 |
S&P | NR | A+ |
J.D. Power | 882 | 868 |
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 |
The Hartford is one of the best insurance companies we reviewed based on a variety of data. Robust coverage options, superior financial strength ratings, and excellent customer satisfaction rankings are a few reasons why we recommend The Hartford. Erie may not be one of the best, but it’s still a reputable provider that offers some of the lowest premiums in the industry.
Compare Erie vs. The Hartford: Which Is Cheaper?
Erie is cheaper than The Hartford for all types of drivers. Drivers with all credit scores and all types of infractions on their driving records are likely to find cheaper rates at Erie. In most cases, premiums with The Hartford are more than double Erie’s premiums. However, keep in mind that The Hartford policies include more coverage.
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 |
Erie is one of the cheapest insurance companies we reviewed. GEICO, USAA, and State Farm are all close competitors when it comes to average rates. The Hartford charges higher premiums than the national average, but we believe the company provides good value due to the extra coverage included with a standard policy.
Compare Erie vs. The Hartford Car Insurance by Age
Young drivers have the least experience on the road, and that leads to more claims. Teen drivers are more likely to be in a car accident than any other age group, so they pay the most for car insurance coverage. Drivers in their 50s and 60s pay the lowest auto insurance rates, while premiums increase slightly for older drivers.
Keep in mind that The Hartford only offers car insurance to drivers aged 50 and older. Here’s what you can expect from each company based on age.
Age Group | Erie | The Hartford |
---|---|---|
Teen | $85 | N/A |
20s | $49 | N/A |
30s | $43 | N/A |
40s | $38 | N/A |
50s | $36 | $52 |
60s | $39 | $64 |
70s | $45 | $93 |
80+ | $51 | $122 |
Erie offers cheaper insurance premiums to drivers of all ages, but the difference is especially significant for older drivers. Elderly policyholders at The Hartford pay more than twice as much for insurance coverage as elderly policyholders at Erie. Even motorists in their 50s pay about $16 less per month at Erie.
Compare Erie vs. The Hartford Car Insurance by Gender
Car insurance companies typically consider your gender when setting your car insurance rates. Women pay slightly lower rates over the course of their lives, but especially when they’re young. That’s because teen males are more than twice as likely to be in a fatal crash as teen females. Find the average rates by gender from Erie and The Hartford in the chart below.
Which is cheapest for men?
Erie is cheaper than The Hartford for men. In fact, The Hartford’s premiums are nearly double Erie’s premiums for men. The Hartford is also $16 more expensive than the national average, while Erie insurance costs $32 less than the national average for men.
Gender | Erie | The Hartford | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Men | $49 | $97 | $81 |
Which is cheapest for women?
While The Hartford offers lower premiums to women than men, Erie is still cheaper for women by $38. Average car insurance rates from Erie are lower than the national average by $29. The Hartford, on the other hand, is $9 more expensive than the national average rate for women.
Gender | Erie | The Hartford | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Women | $49 | $87 | $78 |
Compare Erie vs. The Hartford Car Insurance by Mileage
Auto insurance companies ask for your estimated annual mileage when you apply for a policy. While this has a minimal effect on rates, some companies offer cheaper premiums to low-mileage drivers. If you don’t drive often, you may save even more by enrolling in a usage-based safe driving program that tracks your mileage.
The Hartford offers this option in some states, so ask your insurance agent if you’re eligible. Erie offers rewards for safe driving behavior, which can also save you money. But if you’re curious what each company charges based on estimated mileage, here are the average premiums at Erie and The Hartford based on policyholder mileage.
Which is cheapest for drivers with high mileage?
Erie is cheaper than The Hartford for high-mileage drivers. Erie also beats the national average by $29. The Hartford, on the other hand, is $9 more expensive than the national average rate for high-mileage drivers.
Annual Mileage | Erie | The Hartford | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
15,000-20,000 | $49 | $87 | $78 |
Which is cheapest for drivers with low mileage?
Neither Erie nor The Hartford reduce rates for policyholders with a low estimated mileage. But Erie is cheaper than The Hartford for low-mileage drivers. Erie’s rates are lower than the national average rate by $29, while The Hartford is $9 more expensive than the industry average.
Annual Mileage | Erie | The Hartford | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
5,000 | $49 | $87 | $78 |
10,000 | $49 | $87 | $78 |
Compare Erie vs. The Hartford Car Insurance by Credit Score
In most states, car insurance companies consider your credit-based insurance score when determining your rates. That score is based on information in your credit report, such as your payment history. The reason for this isn’t that insurers are worried about you paying your bill. Rather, research shows a correlation between poor credit and high claims-filing.
Since drivers with bad credit file more claims, car insurance companies charge them higher rates. Keep in mind that some states, such as California, prohibit this practice. That said, here’s what you can expect on average from Erie and The Hartford based on your credit tier.
Which is cheapest for good credit?
On average, drivers with good credit pay cheaper rates at Erie than at The Hartford. For drivers with excellent credit, rates at Erie are half as costly as The Hartford premiums. Erie offers rates lower than the national average by $26 for drivers with excellent credit, while The Hartford offers drivers with excellent credit rates that are $11 more expensive than the national average.
Credit Tier | Erie | The Hartford | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Excellent | $34 | $71 | $60 |
Good | $42 | $80 | $71 |
Which is cheapest for bad credit?
While both companies hike up rates for policyholders with poor credit, The Hartford charges them particularly high premiums, costing $22 more than the national average and $47 more than Erie coverage. Erie offers rates lower than the national average for drivers with poor and average credit scores.
Credit Tier | Erie | The Hartford | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Poor | $95 | $142 | $120 |
Average | $48 | $87 | $78 |
Compare Erie vs. The Hartford Car Insurance by Driving Record
Insurance companies look at your driving record to determine whether you’re a safe driver. If you have infractions such as speeding tickets or DUIs on your record, auto insurers will view you as a high-risk driver and charge you higher rates. Drivers with a clean record, on the other hand, get the best deals.
Most car insurance companies offer a variety of discounts you can use to offset high rates if you have violations on your record. These include discounts for taking a driving course or enrolling in a telematics program. Also, bear in mind that every insurer will assess your record differently. Here’s what Erie and The Hartford are charging drivers based on the violations they’ve incurred.
Which is cheapest for good drivers?
Safe drivers pay much cheaper rates at Erie on average, considering the company offers rates cheaper than the national average. The Hartford, on the other hand, is $9 more expensive than the national average.
Driver Type | Erie | The Hartford | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Clean Record | $48 | $87 | $78 |
Which is cheapest after a speeding ticket?
Erie offers very generous rates to drivers with a recorded speeding ticket, while The Hartford increases rates to be around $15 more expensive than the national average. If you have a speeding ticket on your record, you could pay more than double if you choose The Hartford over Erie.
Driver Type | Erie | The Hartford | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
Speeding Ticket | $55 | $119 | $104 |
Which is cheapest after an accident?
Erie charges less than half of what The Hartford charges drivers who have a recorded at-fault accident. Erie also offers rates lower than the national average by $48. The Hartford, on the other hand, charges drivers with accidents on their records $32 more than the industry average.
Driver Type | Erie | The Hartford | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
At-Fault Accident | $65 | $145 | $113 |
Which is cheapest after a DUI?
A DUI is a serious offense that typically requires your insurance company to file an SR-22 on your behalf, so it makes sense why insurers charge higher rates to drivers with a recorded DUI. Erie is more lenient with drivers with past DUIs than The Hartford, charging $69 less than the national average. The Hartford charges $20 less than the national average.
Driver Type | Erie | The Hartford | National Average |
---|---|---|---|
DUI | $86 | $135 | $155 |
If you have a DUI on your record, you may also consider getting an auto insurance quote from State Farm, which charges less than both Erie and The Hartford on average. If you want to see your individual rate with all three companies, you can easily get customized car insurance quotes from Insurify in just a few minutes.
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Erie vs. The Hartford Car Insurance: What discounts does each offer?
Erie Discounts
Multi-policy
Multi-car
Reduced usage
Safe driving
Safety features (airbags, etc.)
Young driver
Student away
Vehicle storage
Full pay
The Hartford Discounts
Multi-policy
Telematics program
Safety features
Vehicle fuel type
Driver training course
Defensive driving course
Discount | Erie | The Hartford |
---|---|---|
Multi-policy | ||
Multi-car | ||
Safety features | ||
Reduced usage | ||
Vehicle fuel type | ||
Vehicle storage | ||
Young driver | ||
Safe driver | ||
Student away | ||
Driver training course | ||
Defensive driving course | ||
Full pay |
Our Methodology and How We Compared Erie and The Hartford
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
Erie is cheaper than The Hartford for all types of drivers. Drivers of all ages with all credit scores and all types of infractions pay cheaper premiums at Erie on average. In some cases, Erie charges less than half of what The Hartford charges for car insurance. However, The Hartford offers more robust coverage, which explains the higher cost.
The Hartford is one of the best insurance companies we reviewed and, based on our analysis, is a better insurer than Erie. However, that doesn’t mean The Hartford is the right choice for everyone, and Erie is still a reputable company with excellent coverage options and cheap rates. Erie is also open to drivers of all ages.
This insurance review covers the similarities and differences between these two companies in regards to rates, coverage options, ratings, and discounts. But if you want to check your customized rate with Erie and The Hartford, you can compare quotes side by side with Insurify. You can also compare rates from other insurers to ensure you find the best available deal.