AARP vs. AAA: Compare Reviews and Quotes
AARP vs. AAA
If you're searching for auto insurance or a roadside assistance program, AARP and AAA are both worth considering. Both insurance companies have a strong financial record and offer excellent customer service.
For drivers looking for the cheapest rates, we recommend AAA, which offered cheaper auto insurance quotes for most drivers.
AAA also has greater roadside assistance coverage and discounts, as well as superior overall policyholder satisfaction. However, rates vary depending on your circumstances and driver profile, so we always recommend comparing quotes from multiple insurers to find the best savings on car insurance.
Best for | AAA | AARP |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ||
| Coverages and discounts | ||
| Shopping experience | ||
| Claims | ||
| Customer satisfaction | ||
| Editor's rating | ||
| AAA review | AARP review |
AARP vs. AAA: Who offers cheaper car insurance?
On average, AAA offers cheaper car insurance than AARP.
For example, for a 50-year-old male in Arizona, average annual auto insurance rates at AAA for a minimum coverage policy are $1,360, or $113 per month, compared to AARP's annual rate of $2,572 or $214 per month. There was a similar difference in rates for a 60-year-old male driver.
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AAA vs AARP: Auto Insurance Rate Comparison
Age | AAA | AARP (The Hartford) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 year old male | $1,360 | $2,572 |
| 60 year old male | $1,324 | $2,510 |
Given the wide range of rates across driver profiles, shoppers should always compare quotes from multiple insurers when buying car insurance.
AARP vs. AAA: Compare discounts, roadside assistance and coverages
AAA offers a greater variety of discounts and a more robust roadside assistance and service program than AARP.
AARP vs AAA: Discounts
AAA offers more discounts to car insurance policyholders than AARP, including for telematics, new vehicles and annual mileage. Overall, however, both insurance companies offered similar discounts.
Discount | AAA (Auto Club) | AARP (Hartford) |
|---|---|---|
| Advance purchase | ||
| Airbags | ||
| Anti-lock brakes | ||
| Anti-theft device | ||
| Defensive driving course | ||
| Good driver | ||
| Good student | ||
| Mileage | ||
| Multiple policies | ||
| Multiple vehicles | ||
| New vehicle | ||
| Pay-in-full |
The discount frequently differs based on location, driver profile and other variables. Insurance companies may also cap the total reduction in annual premiums, and some discounts may apply only to specific coverages rather than the entire policy.
AARP vs AAA: Roadside assistance and towing
AAA's roadside assistance service is slightly more robust than that of AARP.
AARP offers both emergency roadside assistance services, such as for flat tires or dead batteries, and towing coverage, which helps pay for the towing service and costs of repairs at a car repair shop.
AAA's roadside assistance program, however, is more comprehensive and includes tiered membership levels: Basic, Plus and Premier. All tiers include towing, battery and locksmith service, among other roadside assistance benefits. AAA's coverage tiers primarily differ in the amount of miles available for towing, coverage limits for particular services and a few other perks related to rental car and travel benefits.
AARP vs AAA: Coverages
Both AARP and AAA offer full-coverage car insurance policies that include the standard coverages required or recommended in most states.
The standard coverages at both AARP and AAA include:
Coverage | AARP | AAA |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | ||
| Property damage liability | ||
| Personal injury protection (PIP) | ||
| Medical payments | ||
| Comprehensive and collision | ||
| Uninsured and underinsured motorist |
AARP vs. AAA: Customer service, reviews and satisfaction
We explore how customers rate their AARP and AAA car insurance policies based on the insurance shopping experience, claims processing satisfaction and overall complaints.
AAA car insurance receives better customer service reviews than AARP
When examining the car insurance shopping experience, including how customers rate their overall satisfaction, policy offerings, price and local agent experience, AAA performed better than AARP.
Results are from J.D. Power's 2019 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study, which used a large customer survey to rate the largest car insurers in the country. Ratings are based on a 5-point scale.
For J.D. Power's purchase experience customer satisfaction index, AAA also received higher marks than AARP. Scores are based out of 1000.
- AAA (Auto Club of Southern California): 867
- AAA (Auto Club Group): 857
- AARP (Hartford): 846
Features | AAA (Auto Club of Southern California) | AAA (Auto Club Group) | AARP (Hartford) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall satisfaction | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Policy offerings | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Price | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Local agent | 3 | 3 | 2 |
The Auto Club of Southern California and The Auto Club Group are AAA affiliate organizations that underwrite its car insurance policies. Hartford auto insurance underwrites policies for AARP.
AARP beats AAA car insurance for claims satisfaction
Regarding claims satisfaction, customers gave AARP slightly better reviews than AAA, though there are crucial differences across individual categories including first notice of loss (FNOL), repair services, claim processing and settlement.
Results are from J.D. Power’s 2018 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. Ratings are based on a 5-point scale.
Features | AARP (Hartford) | AAA (Auto Club of Southern California) | AAA (Auto Club Group) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satisfaction | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| FNOL | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Estimation | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Repair | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Rental | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Service | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Settlement | 3 | 4 | 3 |
The Auto Club of Southern California and The Auto Club Group are AAA affiliate organizations that underwrite its car insurance policies. Hartford underwrites car insurance policies for AARP.
AAA receives fewer complaints than expected, compared to AARP
AAA (Auto Club) received better customer service ratings than AARP (Hartford), based on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' (NAIC) complaint index.
AAA received a complaint index of 0.74 in 2018, which was lower than the national median of 1.00, as well as AARP's 0.90. Both companies' complaint index indicates the insurer received a lower frequency of complaints than expected for a company of its size.
Methodology
To compare AAA and AARP auto insurance rates, we collected sample quotes for two driver profiles for a minimum coverage policy in Arizona. Our sample drivers were a 50-year-old and 60-year-old male with a clean driving history.
ValuePenguin's analysis used insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes may be different.
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.