Consumer Reports' auto insurance rankings show the little guy is the best guy (again)

Consumer Reports has conducted two recent surveys on the subject of auto insurance. The first was limited to CR subscribers, more than 40,000 of the magazine's readers providing nearly 50,000 responses on some aspect of their car insurance experience with 36 companies. The biggest takeaway is that giant ad spends work, but flooding the airwaves and fiber optic cables with commercials doesn't equate to the best customer experience. The insurers ranked in the top four, with scores above 80 out of 100, are USAA Group, NJM Insurance Group, Amica Mutual Group, and Erie Insurance Group. The first large, non-restrictive national insurer that everyone would know from 60-second spots is State Farm in 14th place.

Three of the four chart leaders limit their customer base. USAA isn't shy about its ad spend, either, but only sells policies to active duty military service members, veterans, and family members of veterans including children and some descendants. It was the only insurance company to ace the test, scoring five out of five in all seven categories: Premiums, claims, service, help & advice, policy review, coverage, and policy clarity. No other insurer scored the highest for policy review or policy clarity, which make sure customers understand the options and how customers would be covered.