Allstate is one of the largest insurance companies in the country, and it’s been around for 90 years. That means it’s secure and able to pay your car insurance claims. That doesn’t mean it’s stodgy, though. It has introduced innovations like Drivewise, which allows you to save on your insurance based on your driving habits, and Milewise, which is pay-per-mile insurance.
You can purchase insurance online or through an Allstate agent. Allstate offers several options for discounts that can bring down your policy costs significantly. It also offers several types of insurance so you can have all or most of your policies with 1 insurer.
Overall, Allstate is a good choice and worth comparing with other insurers to see if it’s right for you. It’s available in all 50 states and has an A+ rating from AM Best.
- Personalized service
- Pay-per-mile insurance from an established company
- Buying multiple types of insurance
- Extensive agent network
- Easy sign-up process
- Many customer service options
- Drivewise and Milewise aren’t available in all states
Allstate Ratings at a Glance
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Allstate has a variety of auto coverage options, including some specialized ones that you don’t find with every company.
Liability Coverage
Liability coverage helps with your costs if you’re in an accident and found to be at fault. It helps to cover the medical costs of anyone injured who wasn’t in your vehicle. It also helps repair or rebuild the property of others who were involved in the accident, including their vehicles. It doesn’t cover the costs involved with repairing your vehicle, however. This coverage is required in almost every state.
Collision Coverage
This coverage helps to pay for damage to your vehicle if you’re involved in an accident. It covers accidents involving other vehicles as well as hitting a stationary object like a stop sign. It also covers you if someone hits your parked car.
Comprehensive Coverage
There’s more that can happen to your vehicle than accidents. Weather, vandalism, theft and more can all damage your vehicle. Comprehensive coverage helps to repair or replace your vehicle in these situations.
Personal Injury Protection
Personal injury protection covers the medical expenses of those involved in an accident, regardless of who is at fault. It may help with other costs like lost income as well. It’s required in some states.
Medical Payments Coverage
Medical payments coverage pays for the medical expenses of you and your passengers. It’s optional coverage. States offer personal injury protection or medical payments coverage, not both.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage
This feature covers expenses related to an accident if the other driver is at fault and doesn’t have insurance. It also kicks in when the driver doesn’t have enough insurance to cover the accident.
Roadside Assistance
This optional coverage from Allstate helps with tows, tire changes, jump starts, lockouts and fuel delivery. Allstate offers a pay-per-use option and 2 membership plans. The Roadside Advantage plan offers up to 3 rescues per year and up to a $150 benefit per tow. The Roadside Elite plan offers up to 5 rescues per year and a $250 benefit per tow. Roadside Elite covers motorcycles and RVs as well as cars and trucks. These plans are not available in California.
Rental Reimbursement Coverage
It’s extremely difficult to go without a vehicle. This optional coverage offers financial assistance to rent a vehicle if it’s being repaired for an issue covered by your insurance.
Classic Car Insurance
Classic cars have value beyond the sum of their parts. That means you need insurance that recognizes the real value of your vehicle. Classic car insurance bases its coverage on the agreed value of your vehicle. These policies may come with mileage restrictions, however, and may prescribe storage requirements.
Car Insurance for Travel to Mexico
Your auto insurance coverage may not cover you if you drive in Mexico. Allstate offers Mexico tourist auto insurance to help cover medical bills and car repair bills if you’re involved in an accident while driving a vehicle with U.S. or Canadian plates. You can tailor the policy to the length of your stay.
Rideshare Insurance
Some policies may not cover you when you’re driving for a rideshare service. Allstate’s Ride for Hire coverage can help cover those gaps. This coverage varies by state and is not available in New York.
Drivewise
Drivewise is a unique program from Allstate that rewards you for safe driving. You get cash back every 6 months for driving safely. You can also earn reward points that you can spend at retailers. You can use Drivewise by downloading the mobile app or by requesting a device to plug into your car. The plug-in device is available in New York and Alaska.
Milewise
Milewise is pay-per-mile car insurance. You pay a low daily rate and a per-mile rate. This choice could save you money if you don’t drive often. It’s available in several states, and you use a plug-in device to track your mileage.
You have several ways to get in touch with customer service. Your best point of contact is your Allstate agent. Your agent can help you make changes to your policy and file a claim. You can also contact Allstate directly by phone at 1-800-255-7828, by logging into your online account or through the mobile app.
While you can get a quote online, your best bet is to work with an agent to ensure you get all the discounts you’re entitled to. Allstate offers several discounts to bring your costs down:
- Multiple-policy discount for having more than 1 policy with Allstate
- Discount for paying for your policy in full
- Discount for signing up for automatic withdrawal
- New car discount for having a vehicle that’s the current model year or 1 year before
- Discount for responsible payers who didn’t receive a cancellation notice for non-payment in the past year
- Anti-lock brake discount
- Anti-theft device discount
- Discount for signing your new policy at least 7 days before its effective date
- Discount for going paperless with your policy documents
Allstate also offers a smart student discount. To qualify, one or more of these qualifications apply:
- Unmarried
- Under age 25
- Have a GPA of 2.7 or higher or have a B- average or above
- Have successfully completed the teenSMART driver education program
- Attend school at least 100 miles away from where your car is garaged
Allstate Car Insurance has a fully featured mobile app that makes it easier to pay your bills, file claims and get assistance when you need it. The app offers digital ID cards and a feature called QuickFoto Claim, which allows you to use your phone to take pictures of damage and upload them using the app.
You can also contact roadside assistance through the app as well as through your agent.
Users can get a lot out of their Allstate policy. It has multiple discounts, a useful mobile app and local agents for support. One of the advantages of working with a national company is that it is readily available so you can get the assistance you need when you need it.
A user’s experience will vary depending on the quality of their agent. It will also vary depending on whether Drivewise or Milewise are available in their area. The website and mobile apps are easy to navigate. If you have a good agent, they’re an invaluable resource.
Allstate vs. Competitors
Here’s how Allstate stacks up against its competitors.
Allstate Car Insurance Overall Rating
Allstate car insurance offers several coverage options, including some unique offerings like rideshare insurance, Drivewise and Milewise. You have several customer service options and a useful mobile app. Overall, Allstate is worth getting a quote from to see if its coverage is right for you.
Allstate Drivewise Tutorial
You have 2 options for using Drivewise. The first is by activating it in the Allstate mobile app. The other option is by requesting a device that plugs into your car (available in New York and Alaska). Even if you request the plug-in device, you can use the mobile app to view your trips and driving habits. Learn more about Drivewise below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Allstate car insurance good?
Allstate has an A+ rating from AM Best, which means it’s financially stable. It has a variety of insurance options and a national presence. It’s a good insurance company for many people, but whether it’s right for you depends on how it compares to your other coverage options.
Why is Allstate so inexpensive?
Allstate offers a variety of discounts that can help bring down the costs of coverage. Additionally, your coverage will be cheaper depending on where you live, your age, your driving history and the type of coverage you purchase. It’s always best to get multiple quotes for auto insurance (and other financial products).