Which is better – USAA or Erie?
USAA is a fantastic pick for car insurance for individuals in the military community who want great premiums, excellent customer satisfaction and other benefits. While USAA is a solid choice, it was not included in Insure.com’s top auto insurance companies because it is unavailable to people outside the military community.
Erie Insurance was included on Insure.com’s list of top auto insurance providers, and ranked sixth overall, receiving 3.2 stars. Erie’s high rating for renewals speaks volumes about the auto insurance provider, which offers excellent customer service and superior auto claims service.
To find out more about how USAA and Erie compare in Insure.com’s top auto insurance companies survey, keep reading.
Pros – USAA vs. ErieUSAA Pros
- Excellent choice for military members and their families
- High customer satisfaction levels
- Affordable premiums
Erie Pros
- Excellent customer satisfaction rankings
- High renewal rates
- Superior J.D. Power score for auto claims satisfaction
How USAA and Erie score on customer satisfaction
Both USAA and Erie received high rankings for customer satisfaction. Although USAA ranked four points higher than Erie, Erie still had a great showing overall for customer satisfaction.
Insurance Company | Percent of customers that are satisfied |
|---|---|
| USAA | 96% |
| Erie | 92% |
Do USAA and Erie customers plan to renew?
USAA and Erie both have renewal rates of 100%, which are the highest scores in the survey, along with Amica. So, USAA and Erie are both winners in the renewal category.
| Insurance Company | Percent of customers who plan to renew with the company |
|---|---|
| USAA | 100% |
| Erie | 100% |
How USAA and Erie score on policy offerings
The data from the Insure.com study indicate that policy offerings are another category in which USAA and Erie have similar results, but USAA’s score was 5 points higher than Erie’s.
| Insurance Company | Percent of customers satisfied with the company’s policy offerings |
|---|---|
| USAA | 96% |
| Erie | 91% |
Which is cheaper, USAA or Erie?
It’s a close call between USAA and Erie for cheap insurance rates. Across the board, USAA is the more affordable insurance, but Erie is also a great option for cheap car insurance. Read on for a greater in-depth look comparing USAA and Erie’s rates based on various driver profiles.
Which is cheaper at various ages?
USAA is more affordable in every age group than Erie – except when it comes to rates for teen drivers. See rates for teens, young adults and senior drivers in the table below.
| Age Group | USAA | Erie |
|---|---|---|
| National Avg (40) | $1,192 | $1,254 |
| Teen (16-19) | $3,888 | $3,664 |
| Young Adult (20-24) | $1,894 | $2,244 |
| Avg for seniors (65) | $1,115 | $1,253 |
Which is cheaper with a ticket?
USAA remains more affordable than Erie even when taking a ticket into consideration, although USAA rates increase more than 20% and Erie’s rates increase less than 14% with a ticket.
| Insurance Company | Average Annual Rates | Average Rates After Ticket | $ Increase | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | $1,263 | $1,516 | $253 | 20.09% |
| Erie | $1,339 | $1,524 | $185 | 13.87% |
USAA vs. Erie car insurance discounts
Regarding car insurance discounts, USAA offers more than 5% in savings overall. USAA and Erie both offer discounts like multi-vehicle and multi-policy.
USAA vs. Erie available discounts
| Discount | USAA | Erie Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | Yes | Yes |
| Anti-Theft Device | Yes | Yes |
| Daily Commute | – | Yes |
| Days Advanced Purchase | Yes | Yes |
| Days Per Week Driven | – | – |
| Education | – | – |
| Electronic Funds Transfer | Yes | – |
| Electronic Signature | – | – |
| Homeowner | – | – |
| Lower Annual Mileage | Yes | Yes |
| Loyalty – Years Renewal With Company | Yes | Yes |
| Marital Status | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Policy | Yes | Yes |
| Paperless/Electronic Documents | – | – |
| Payment Type | – | Yes |
| Primary Use | Yes | Yes |
| Profession | – | – |
| Purchase Status | – | – |
| Safety Devices | Yes | Yes |
| Telematics | – | – |
| Vehicle Ownership | – | – |
USAA vs. Erie: AM Best credit rating
AM Best, which rates insurance companies on their financial strength, gave USAA an A++ rating and Erie an A+ rating, both fantastic scores, although USAA’s rating is superior.
USAA vs. Erie: J.D. Power auto claims satisfaction score
According to a 2022 auto claims satisfaction study from J. D. Power, Erie received a high score of 893 for auto claims satisfaction, which is well above the industry average of 873. USAA also ranked above the industry average of 873 with a fantastic score of 890, but it did not receive an indexed rating since it did not meet study award criteria, according to J.D. Power.
FAQ: USAA vs. Erie
Can I buy USAA car insurance online?
Military service members and family members can get an online quote using the USAA website. Just enter your background information, including your name, job and military service details, and start the online quote process.
Can I buy Erie car insurance online?
Yes, by providing details about yourself, any vehicles for which you want coverage and who the drivers are in your household, you can get a free insurance quote online with Erie.
Who should get USAA car insurance?
USAA is available to individuals in the military community who want great premiums, excellent customer satisfaction and an auto insurance provider that is highly ranked for financial strength.
Who should get Erie car insurance?
Erie is the better choice of the two for individuals who are not military members and want fantastic customer satisfaction, great auto claims satisfaction and good discounts, including a discount for reduced vehicle usage.
What other types of insurance does USAA offer?
USAA also offers:
- Life
- Renters
- Homeowners
- Valuable personal property (VPP)
- Flood
- Life
- Annuities
- Umbrella
- Dental
- Accidental injury
- Mobile home
- Farm and ranch
- Collectibles
- Pet
- Travel
- Special event
What other types of insurance does Erie offer?
Erie also offers:
- Home
- Renters
- Condo
- Mobile home
- Personal valuables
- Flood
- Life
- Business
Resources & Methodology
Sources
J.D. Power. “Insurers Struggle to Manage Expectations in Auto Claims Process as Repair Times Increase, J.D. Power Finds.” Accessed March 2023.
Methodology
Insure.com, which is CarInsurance.com’s sister site surveyed more than 1,500 insurance consumers (1,080 people with auto insurance). Online market research company Slice MR conducted the survey.
Respondents were asked to name their auto insurer and grade it in the following categories – customer satisfaction, ease of service and policy offerings. The percentage of respondents who said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their insurer is presented in the results.
Respondents ranked their insurer’s top three attributes out of more than a dozen presented – including claims satisfaction, digital experience, discounts, military discounts, best for young drivers and teens, best for college students, best for senior drivers, best for drivers with a ticket, best for high-risk drivers and best for auto/home bundling.
For a number one choice, five points were given; for a second choice, three points; and for a third choice, a single point. The total points for each choice – first, second and third – were then divided by the number of each company’s customers who responded to that survey question to create a percentage. Those percentages are presented in the results as survey scores.
Respondents were then asked if they would recommend their auto insurer to someone else and whether they would renew with their company. The percentage who said yes is presented in the results.
Finally, respondents were given the statement “I trust my insurance company” and asked if they strongly agreed, agreed, disagreed or strongly disagreed with it. The percentage of those who said they agreed or strongly agreed is presented in the results.
The editors compiled the survey results and then selected – based on the number of survey responses – the top companies for further evaluation.
They then collected National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ complaint data, which ranks a company by the number of customer complaints it receives, and A.M. Best data, which measures financial strength.
They also collected insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services.
With the help of Prof. David Marlett, Ph.D., Managing Director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center at Appalachian State University, the editors created a rating system to determine which insurance companies were best in each sector.
For auto insurers, we took the following and gave each a weight.
- Survey: 40% of the total score (10% customer satisfaction, 10% recommended, 10% renewal rate and 10% claims handling)
- Annual premium: 20% of total score
- AM Best: 25% of total score
- NAIC: 15% of total score
- Each insurer was awarded from 1 to 5 stars. No insurer in our star ranking received less than 1 star and 5 stars was the most any insurer could receive.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Laura Longero
Executive Editor
Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.
Ask the Insurance Expert
John McCormick
Editorial Director
John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Leslie Kasperowicz
Managing Editor
Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Nupur Gambhir
Managing Editor
Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.