Key Takeaways:
- Esurance was purchased by rival insurance company Allstate in 2011, yet these two companies still operate independently of one another.
- While it has been reported that Allstate was planning to drop Esurance in 2019 and then again in 2020, this hasn’t happened yet.
- Esurance was originally envisioned as a low-cost insurance provider that may be able to compete with GEICO and Progressive.
- The company makes it easy to get an online quote for car insurance, and multiple discounts can help you save big on premiums.
Esurance was originally envisioned as an online auto insurance provider that could provide cheaper premiums than other big players in the industry.
While originally founded in 1999, the company was purchased by Allstate in 2011. To this day, Esurance is still part of the Allstate family, which brings more than 90 years of experience in the insurance industry along with it.
Unfortunately, Esurance was not rated in the most recent auto insurance study from J.D. Power, so it’s somewhat difficult to gauge customer service satisfaction ratings among customers with this company.
With that being said, Esurance does boast an average star rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars across more than 1,300 reviews on Consumer Affairs.
If you’re in the market for a new auto insurance policy, you may be wondering if Esurance is worth considering. Read on to learn how this company’s car insurance policies are structured and whether you should consider it.
Table of Contents
- Key Takeaways:
- About the Company
- Esurance Car Insurance Sample Rates
- Unique Features
- Esurance Car Insurance Discounts
- Who Esurance Is Best For
- Esurance vs. Other Insurance Companies
- What to Know About Esurance Car Insurance
- Esurance Auto Insurance Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- The Bottom Line – Esurance Car Insurance Review
About the Company
- Esurance was founded in 1999 before being purchased by Allstate Insurance in 2011.
- A.M. Best, an independent insurance rating organization, awarded Esurance an A+ rating for its financial strength.
- Currently, Esurance is licensed to offer auto insurance in 43 states.
- Esurance claims to offer auto quotes online in as little as six minutes and that customers who switch save an average of $462 on their policies.
In addition to auto insurance, Esurance also offers homeowners insurance, renter’s insurance, motorcycle insurance, and more.
Esurance Car Insurance Sample Rates
| Coverage / Driver Profile | Male, 23 | Female, 23 | Male, 53 | Female, 53 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30/60/25– Liability Only | $186.43 per month | $171.10 per month | $145.78 per month | $142.78 per month |
| With Un/Under-insured Motorist and Collision & Comprehensive | $485.31 per month | $418 per month | $290.05 per month | $283.98 per month |
| 100/300/100 – Liability Only | $260.40 per month | $245.74 per month | $180.26 per month | $174.93 per month |
| With Un/Under-insured Motorist and Collision & Comprehensive | $464.97 per month | $417.17 per month | $324.54 per month | $315.54 per month |
To come up with the sample auto insurance premiums for the chart above, we sought quotes for Houston, Texas, drivers ages 23 and 53.
Each quote is for a single insured driver who owns a 2018 Toyota Camry and drives approximately 12,000 miles per year. Quotes in the chart are for fully-employed male and female drivers with a clean driving record.
Note:
The second number is the coverage limit for all injured parties in a single accident, while the third is coverage for property damage to other people’s property.
Unique Features
Esurance does offer some unique features that help them stand out, including the following:
- Rideshare Coverage: Esurance offers specialized ShareSmart® coverage for customers who drive for Uber or Lyft.
- Esurance Mobile App: You can use the Esurance mobile app to check the details of your policy, update your coverage, pay your car insurance bill, file a claim, and more.
- DriveSense Savings Program: This program lets you download an app and save on car insurance premiums based on how you drive.
- Flexible Coverage Options: You can tailor your auto insurance coverage options and limits to your needs and your budget.
- Photo Claims: The Esurance mobile app lets you file claims using your mobile device, often by taking a photo of the damage with your phone.
Esurance Car Insurance Discounts
Like other major car insurance providers, Esurance offers a range of discounts that can help you pay less for your premiums overall.
Also, be aware that Esurance makes it possible to “stack” multiple discounts for even more savings. For example, you can save money with one of the discounts below while also using their DriveSense savings app and program.
If you’re planning to get a quote for auto insurance from Esurance, make sure to see if you’re eligible for the following discounts:
- Full Payment Discount: Pay less for your policy when you pay for six months of premiums upfront instead of on a monthly basis.
- Good Student Discount: Score lower premiums if you’re a student with good grades or an excellent GPA.
- Multiple Policy Discount: You can save on auto insurance with Esurance if you also use this company for your homeowner’s insurance or renter’s insurance coverage.
- New Customer Discount: Esurance says new customers qualify for special savings that work out to an average of $462 when they switch insurance providers.
- Safety Features: Pay less for your auto insurance coverage if you have safety features like anti-lock brakes and airbags.
- Low Mileage Discounts: Customers often pay less for auto insurance when they work at home or drive their cars infrequently.
- Multiple Vehicle Discounts: Insure more than one car within your Esurance policy, and you can get a discount on your overall premiums.
- Safe Driving Discounts: You’ll pay less for premiums if you have a safe driving record without any tickets or accidents.
- PayPal Discount: Some customers are eligible for a discount if they have a PayPal account and have made an eligible transaction in the last 12 months.
- Online Shopper Discount: Get a discount just for shopping for car insurance with Esurance online.
Who Esurance Is Best For
If your goal is getting a good deal on car insurance, you should shop around and compare premiums with at least three or four different insurance companies.
With that being said, you should make sure you’re comparing premiums for the same level of coverage and the same policy limits.
While Esurance auto insurance may or may not offer better premiums than other providers when you enter your information, we still believe this company is better for certain types of consumers than others.
For example, Esurance may be ideal for:
- Rideshare drivers who want additional protection when they drive for Uber or Lyft
- Anyone who plans to bundle their car insurance with renter’s insurance or another policy in order to save money
- Consumers who want to manage their car insurance and make claims using a mobile app
- People who can qualify for multiple Esurance discounts to save big on premiums
- Anyone who wants to try the Esurance DriveSense program for even more savings
- People who want insurance “extras” added to their policy, such as roadside assistance, loan/lease gap coverage, and rental car coverage
To find out if Esurance is right for your insurance needs, you’ll want to start the process by getting a free quote.
From there, you can play around with coverage options and policy limits to see how much you would need to pay for the amount of coverage you need to sleep well at night.
Esurance vs. Other Insurance Companies
As we mentioned already, we also suggest comparing auto insurance premiums among at least three or four different providers. This exercise will help you determine which company offers the best coverage for a price you can afford.
To help in your search, we picked a few top providers that offer similar coverage options to Esurance. The following chart highlights the basic details of three other auto insurance companies — GEICO, Liberty Mutual, and Allstate.
| New car discounts, Multi-policy discounts, Good student discounts, Equipment discounts, Payment discounts, Safe driving discounts | Liberty Mutual | Allstate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discounts offered | Vehicle equipment discounts, Discounts for driving history and habits, Homeowner discounts, Military discounts, Multiple-policy discounts, Student discounts, Early shopper discounts | Multi-policy discounts, Multi-vehicle discounts, Good driver discounts, Good student discounts, Distant student discounts, Car safety features discounts | New car discounts, Multi-policy discount, Good student discounts, Equipment discounts, Payment discounts, Safe driving discounts |
| Ratings for customer service in J.D. Power’s 2021 U.S. Auto Insurance Study | Scored above average in 3 out of 11 regions nationwide | Scored above average in 2 out of 9 regions where offered nationwide | Scored above average in 1 out of 11 regions nationwide |
| Customer star rating (Consumer Affairs) | 3.7 out of 5 stars | 4 out of 5 stars | 3.8 out of 5 stars |
| Financial strength rating (A.M. Best) | A++ | A | A+ |
What to Know About Esurance Car Insurance
Esurance offers robust auto insurance coverage with plenty of ways to customize your policy.
With that being said, they note that their insurance coverage is mostly aimed at protecting you in the following three areas:
- Coverages that protect your car
- Coverages that protect you and your passengers (medical)
- Coverages that protect your wallet (liability)
Within these three categories, the main types of auto insurance coverage you can purchase through Esurance include the following:
- Collision coverage that helps repair or replace your car in the event of an accident
- Comprehensive coverage that protects your car from damage not caused by an accident
- Emergency roadside assistance can be there for you if you run out of gas, your car breaks down, or you need other types of help
- Rental car coverage that reimburses you if your car is being fixed and you need a rental car
- Loan or lease gap coverage that kicks in to pay the difference when your car is totaled, and you owe more than it’s worth
- Medical payment coverage for you and the passengers in your car
- Personal injury protection (PIP) covers your medical expenses regardless of who was at fault in an accident
- Bodily injury liability coverage that protects the driver against financial losses when another person is injured in an accident
- Property damage liability coverage that protects the driver when another person’s property is damaged in an accident
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage kicks in to pay for bodily injury and property damage claims when the other party in an accident is uninsured or underinsured
Note:
Esurance Auto Insurance Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Are Esurance and Allstate the Same?
Allstate purchased Esurance in 2011, and rumors have swirled over the last few years that the insurance giant plans to drop the brand. However, Allstate still owns Esurance as of August 2021. While one company owns the other, the two insurance companies operate independently.
How Do I Pay Esurance?
You can pay Esurance premiums over the phone, on the company website, or using the Esurance mobile app.
How Do I Contact Esurance?
You can call Esurance 24 hours a day at 1-800-378-7262. You can also contact the company through their online email form, reach out to Esurance on Facebook, or tweet the company at @Esurance.
What Kinds of Insurance Can I Get Through Esurance?
Esurance offers auto insurance, homeowners insurance, renter’s insurance, and motorcycle insurance.
The Bottom Line – Esurance Car Insurance Review
Esurance is a highly-rated auto insurance provider that offers coverage in 43 different states. You may be able to save money on premiums with the many auto insurance discounts they offer, and you can find out in six minutes or less by getting a free quote from Esurance online.
With that being said, it never hurts to compare coverage options from other auto insurance providers, including ones that may have more reviews, as well as ratings from third parties like J.D. Power.
How We Review Insurance Companies
Good Financial Cents systematically reviews U.S. insurance companies, emphasizing policy offerings, customer experiences, and overall reliability.
Our goal is to present a balanced and comprehensive perspective to potential policyholders. Editorial transparency remains a cornerstone of our approach.
We actively collect information from insurance companies and place significant weight on customer feedback. By integrating this feedback with our research, we can offer a well-rounded evaluation.
Each company is then rated based on multiple criteria, resulting in a star rating from one to five.
For a deeper understanding of the criteria we use to rate insurance companies and our evaluation approach, please refer to our editorial guidelines and full disclaimer.
Product Name: Esurance Car Insurance Product Description: Esurance, an online auto insurance provider founded in 1999, was later acquired by Allstate in 2011. While the two companies operate separately, Esurance is renowned for offering competitive insurance premiums and a variety of discounts, supported by Allstate's vast experience in the industry. Summary Established with the vision of delivering more affordable auto insurance in the digital realm, Esurance has grown under the Allstate umbrella, capitalizing on over 90 years of insurance industry expertise. Known for its easy-to-use online quote system, the company claims customers can save an average of $462 upon switching. Additionally, Esurance is not just limited to car insurance; it also provides homeowners, renters, and motorcycle insurance, among other products. With features such as DriveSense and an efficient mobile app for claims, Esurance continues to cater to the needs of modern consumers. Pros Cons
Esurance Car Insurance Review
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