Allstate Review: Usually expensive, but decent service

Based on the profiles we studied, we would suggest most drivers explore other companies before checking out Allstate. While the company is the third largest auto insurer in the country, we've found that it is relatively more expensive for our profiled drivers, and has average customer satisfaction and claims handling.

You want the service you get from your auto insurer to exceed or equal the price you are paying for it, but at Allstate that balance can be challenging to find.

You can see how Allstate compares on quotes per year across four different profiles of driver below.

While the "In Good Hands" and "Mr. Mayhem" insurance company advertises several popular features like accident forgiveness, vanishing deductibles and other various discounts, the savings they bring usually will not make Allstate cheaper than other auto insurers like Geico and Progressive on an absolute basis. Customer surveys report that Allstate typically provides better service, but it usually is not that significantly better than competitors like State Farm, especially for the price.

Allstate's best feature is its extensive agent network that lets people who want to buy insurance through an agent do so easily. We would say however, that drivers who want Allstate's agent network consider a State Farm policy first instead. State Farm is cheaper in most of the cases in our analyses, and while its service is not highly regarded either, at least you won't be breaking the bank for it.

Allstate car insurance

Whether you're a senior looking for best-in-class service or a young driver going off to college, Allstate provides a personalized touch, but rates can also be expensive. In this review, we review Allstate's car insurance coverage options and discounts, and compare its rates to other industry-leading competitors.

Allstate coverage options

Allstate offers all the standard coverages you need from an auto insurer. It doesn't have as many bells and whistles as Progressive or Geico, but Allstate offers rideshare insurance for Uber and Lyft drivers. Where Allstate distinguishes itself from its competitors is the Your Choice Auto program which adds several coverages to drivers that are uncommon at other insurers.

Coverages from Allstate

Allstate's Your Choice Auto®

Accidents can happen to anyone, and Allstate has an optional program called Your Choice Auto® in place that recognizes and rewards safe driving. We calculate that it costs about 12 - 18% on top of the standard policy premium, but can be a net 7 - 13% increase when factoring in the safe-driving bonus. Your Choice Auto allows qualified customers to save with the following features:

Safe driving bonus check: receive a check of up to 5% of your previous 6-month premium cost for every 6 months of accident free driving nationally (except for policies in New York, where the Safe Driving Bonus is offered in the form of a discount).

Accident forgiveness: Allstate waives the typical premium increase and accident surcharge when you get into an accident. The scope of forgiveness (major vs. minor accident) varies by the insured’s driving history and number of years as an Allstate customer. Depending on the level of the plan and the driver's accident-free record, this can mean one to several accidents forgiven over the course of three years without an increase in rates nor removal of the Good Driver Discount. However, for drivers insured in California, the Accident Forgiveness feature is limited, and you could still lose the Good Driver Discount.

Deductible rewards: Allstate shaves $100 off your collision deductible when you sign up, and takes an additional $100 every year you're accident-free, up to $500 off in total.

New car replacement: if you bought your new car in or after 2012, and it got totaled within its first three model years, Allstate will send the main policyholder a check at the vehicle's purchase price – as opposed to the depreciated value which can be significantly lower.

Allstate auto insurance quote comparison

Of the four major auto insurers, Allstate is by far the least affordable for the driver profiles we explored. In the 2,150 cities we surveyed, we found Allstate mostly falls between the 6th and 10th most affordable insurer for our sample profile 30 year-old driver. Allstate was the cheapest insurance company in less than 3% of those 2,150 cities.

You can see in further detail below, how Allstate prices were expensive for all four sample driver profiles we compared. Your own rates may vary depending on your driver profile, which is why its important to compare quotes from at least three insurers.

Allstate's car insurance rate hikes

While insurance premium hikes typically vary from state-to-state, since 2012 Allstate has cumulatively raised its rates by about 25.2% nationally. Premiums have been hiked for every major auto insurer across the country--even for drivers without claims--due to an uptick in accidents and inclement weather.

Auto insurance discounts at Allstate

Another aspect we like about Allstate's offering is its plethora of discounts, which can range up to the higher end compared to other insurance companies we've reviewed.

In a comparison of 12 major national companies, we found that Allstate tended to offer the most number and different types of auto insurance discounts. The Drivewise Program from Allstate is also noteworthy, as it rewards low mileage drivers similar to Progressive's SnapShot program.

Be sure to ask your agent if you qualify for any of these discounts when getting your quote from Allstate, and how many of them you can stack together.

Allstate Drivewise program

Allstate’s version of a usage-based discount program, the Drivewise® program rewards policyholders based on their actual driving collected through Allstate's device. Allstate agents claim that drivers could receive premium reductions up to 40% by: A. Signing up with the program and getting a 10% policy discount and B. driving safely for six months (i.e., staying below 80mph and avoid driving late at night). Of course, how much you save with Drivewise® is subject to your driving behavior.

Furthermore – and this is why we called it double rewards – by downloading the Drivewise® mobile app, drivers will simultaneously earn "safe-driving" points and can redeem them for different merchandise, products, and gift cards through the Allstate Rewards program. Unfortunately for New Yorkers, we could not find Allstate Rewards available in the Empire State.

Allstate Drivewise is only available in 28 states at the moment, consisting of: Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington.

To find out more, click on the previous link, or call the Allstate Drivewise Program Customer Service telephone number: 1-877-431-7670.

Allstate Milewise pay-per-mile Program

Allstate's pay-per-mile service, which charges drivers a base rate plus a per-mile rate, is known as Allstate Milewise. The base rate will be charged similarly to traditional car insurance policies by taking into account your driver profile and driving record. The per-mile rate is usually a few cents per mile.

Allstate Milewise is currently only available in 13 states, including: Arizona, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.

Allstate's claim satisfaction guarantee

Another great feature from Allstate, though technically not a discount, is the claims satisfaction guarantee. If for any reason policyholders are unhappy with their claims payout or experience, Allstate aims to make good on their guarantee and grant a six-month credit towards the insured's premiums. The requirements include:

There are some particulars in terms of which six months the credit gets applied to, and various states were phased in from 2011 - 2012, but otherwise the guarantee appears straightforward. Be sure to check with your agent to make sure this guarantee applies to your policy.

It is rare to not obtain a payout within the first six months. But even if, for example, the insured vehicle is parked at an auto repair shop waiting for extra parts past the six month period, customers can still submit letters. Allstate agents say that the guarantee is on the more flexible side when there is sound cause for dissatisfaction.

Buying an Allstate auto policy

Buying auto insurance through Allstate is most similar to buying insurance from State Farm. You can start a quote online and then finalize it with an agent, or you can call or go to an agent directly to get a policy. Allstate requires everything to go through an agent, which can be less desirable for people wanting a quick transaction and process.

If you want a total online experience, we'd suggest Geico, Progressive or Esurance (which is actually a subsidiary of Allstate). All 15,000 Allstate agents only work for Allstate--they do not sell products from other insurance companies--and they are meant to give you a superior customer experience.

Allstate does have a "Bumper to Bumper Basics" tool which lets you fill in some information about yourself to determine how much coverage you should purchase. While the tool will be helpful for those new to auto insurance, because your quote ultimately will go through an agent, they will probably be better at assessing how much coverage you should have.

Where is Allstate available?

Allstate is the third largest auto insurer in the country and is available in all 50 states. You are likely to be able to find an Allstate agent close to your town. Below are the five states with the most Allstate policyholders.