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You can get Safeco and Geico in all 50 states, but deciding which car insurance provider to trust with your vehicle protection can be a difficult decision. In this review, we’re comparing Safeco vs. Geico side by side for a better understanding of how coverage, pricing, and the claims process varies by provider.
Safeco and Geico are two top choices for auto insurance, but it’s always smart to gather quotes from several different providers before making a final decision. That way, you can ensure you’re getting the best price for your coverage. To go ahead and start comparing free quotes, enter your zip code or call the number above.
In this article:
- Safeco And Geico Highlights
- Safeco Vs. Geico: Coverage
- Safeco Vs. Geico: Cost And Discounts
- Safeco Vs. Geico: Quotes And Claims
- Safeco Vs. Geico: Ratings And Reviews
- Our Take On Safeco Vs. Geico
- Top Recommendations For Car Insurance
- FAQ: Safeco Vs. Geico
Safeco And Geico Highlights
When we reviewed the best car insurance companies in the nation, Geico emerged as Best Overall. The second largest auto insurer in the market wrote over $34 billion in auto insurance premiums in 2019 alone. Safeco, on the other hand, is a great choice for families with teenage drivers. The company has been around since 1923 and works with independent agents.
Here’s how Safeco and Geico scored in our review categories and with industry experts:
| Safeco | Geico | |
|---|---|---|
| Motor1 Rating | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Availability | 45 states* | 50 states |
| Coverage | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Cost | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Customer Service | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| AM Best Financial Strength Rating | A | A++ |
| J.D. Power Claims Satisfaction | 870/1,000 | 871/1,000 |
| Mobile App Google Play Rating | 3.9 | 4.8 |
*Although Safeco advertises nationwide availability, the company is no longer taking on new customers in Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, Rhode Island, or the District of Columbia.
Learn more about the providers in our complete Safeco insurance review and Geico auto insurance review.
Safeco Vs. Geico: Coverage
Now that you have a bird’s eye view of our findings, let’s dive into coverage. Here are the types of auto insurance you can get with Safeco and Geico.
| Safeco | Geico | |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily Injury Liability (BI) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Property Damage Liability (PD) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Collision | ✔ | ✔ |
| Comprehensive | ✔ | ✔ |
| Personal Injury Protection (PIP) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Medical Payments (MedPay) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Roadside Assistance | ✔ | ✔ |
| Rental Car Reimbursement | ✔ | ✔ |
| Rideshare Insurance | ✔ | ✔ |
| Accident Forgiveness Insurance | ✔ | ✔ |
| Mechanical Breakdown Insurance (MBI) | ✔ | |
| Diminishing Deductible | ✔ | |
| Gap Insurance | ✔ | |
| First Aid Reimbursement | ✔ | |
| Electric Key and Lock Replacement | ✔ | |
| CD and DVD Replacement | ✔ | |
| New Car Replacement™ | ✔ | |
| Audio-Visual and Custom Parts Equipment Coverage | ✔ |
When comparing Safeco vs. Geico, Safeco has a greater variety of coverage options to choose from, but Geico has strengths that would make it the better choice for some drivers. For example, drivers with custom parts or those who are looking for extras like new car replacement will find better coverage with Safeco. Those with cars prone to breakdowns may prefer Geico.
Standout Coverage From Safeco
- Diminishing deductible: For every policy period that you go claim-free, your collision deductible will be lowered by $100 at renewal (up to $500).
- New car replacement: If you’re the original owner of the insured car and the car is less than a year old, your new car will be replaced with one of equal value in the event that your current vehicle is totaled in a covered event.
- Audio-visual and custom parts equipment coverage: This type of coverage applies to all custom aftermarket installation parts like modified or custom engines, lift kicks, decals, and more.
Standout Coverage From Geico
- Mechanical breakdown insurance: MBI covers the cost of repairs to your car for damage that is not sustained during a collision.
- Rideshare insurance: If you drive for a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft, this type of insurance could be a valuable addition to your basic car insurance plan.
Safeco Vs. Geico: Cost And Discounts
Our research indicates that Geico auto insurance is generally more affordable than Safeco. However, similarly to coverage options, the right provider for you may depend on which discounts you qualify for.
| Discounts And Savings Programs | Safeco | Geico |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-Based Program | ✔ | ✔ |
| Multi-policy | ✔ | ✔ |
| Multiple Vehicle | ✔ | ✔ |
| Anti-Theft Devices | ✔ | ✔ |
| Anti-Lock Brakes | ✔ | ✔ |
| Safe Driver | ✔ | ✔ |
| Good Student | ✔ | ✔ |
| Driver Training | ✔ | ✔ |
| Low Annual Mileage | ✔ | |
| Teen Safety Rewards | ✔ | |
| Accident Prevention Course | ✔ | |
| Distant Student | ✔ | |
| Newly Independent | ✔ | |
| New Teen Reward | ✔ | |
| Tenure Reward | ✔ | |
| Road Ahead Guide | ✔ | |
| Parent-Teen Contract | ✔ | |
| Vehicle Safety | ✔ | |
| Military Discount | ✔ | |
| Emergency Deployment | ✔ | |
| Federal Employee Discount | ✔ | |
| Defensive Driver | ✔ |
Safeco’s RightTrack® Vs. Geico’s DriveEasy®
Both Geico and Safeco have usage-based car insurance savings programs. We compared Safeco vs. Geico savings apps and found that drivers can save a significant amount on their premiums with either app. However, RightTrack has higher customer ratings than DriveEasy.
| RightTrack From Safeco | DriveEasy From Geico |
|---|---|
| Through mobile app or plug-in device | Through mobile app or plug-in device |
| Up to $513 off of your premium per year of safe driving | Up to 20 percent off your monthly bill for signing up |
| 4.1-star Google Play rating | 2.4-star Google Play rating |
Standout Discounts From Safeco
- Accident prevention course: Drivers older than 55 who complete an accident safety course can get a discount over the next three years of car insurance coverage.
- Newly independent: When a driver opens a new Safeco policy for themselves after previously being on their parent’s Safeco policy, they receive a discount.
- Teen Safety Rewards™: This comprehensive list of discounts is beneficial for teens who start their own policy, as well as parents of teens.
- Parent Teen Contract: Set clear rules and expectations for your teen behind the wheel through Safeco’s parent-teen contract and save on car insurance.
Standout Discounts From Geico
- Vehicle safety: If your vehicle is equipped with air bags, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft technology, and other safety features, you could qualify for various car insurance savings.
- Military discount: Members of the military can get up to 15 percent on their car insurance rates.
- Emergency deployment: If you are deployed, you could get up to 25 percent off the price of your auto insurance.
Safeco Vs. Geico: Quotes And Claims
Two things to consider when shopping for car insurance is how easy it is to sign up and, when the time comes, file claims. To get insight into the quotes process, we turned to J.D. Power’s 2020 U.S. Insurance Shopping StudySM, which measured car insurance customer satisfaction levels with policy offerings, policy price, and interaction.
- Safeco: 838/1,000
- Geico: 867/1,000
These numbers tell us that while both companies offer positive shopping experiences, Geico pulls slightly ahead of Safeco. To test out the quotes process for yourself, get free quotes from top providers by entering your zip code below.
To assess each company’s claims process, we looked to another J.D. Power study – the 2020 Auto Claims Satisfaction StudySM.
- Safeco: 870/1,000
- Geico: 871/1,000
These numbers tell us that Geico offers a slightly better claims experience than Safeco.
Safeco Vs. Geico: Ratings And Reviews
Finally, we’ll compare Safeco vs. Geico in terms of industry reputation and customer reviews. To measure business practices and financial stability, we look to sources like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and AM Best.
| Industry Ratings | Safeco | Geico |
|---|---|---|
| BBB Rating | A | A+ |
| BBB Complaints Closed in Last Year | 369 | 907 |
| AM Best Financial Strength Rating | A | A++ |
Safeco and Geico both scored highly, telling us that each company is a reliable choice. However, Geico earned the highest marks possible from both the BBB and AM Best.
If you search online for provider reviews, you’ll discover that there are many positive and negative reviews for both Safeco and Geico. This is common for auto insurance companies. We found that most positive Safeco reviews highlighted fast claims and satisfactory towing services, while negative reviews mentioned unprofessional insurance agents and unreliable claims adjusters.
Positive Geico reviews touch on reliable customer service and knowledgeable claims representatives. On the other hand, negative feedback focuses on poor communication and Geico not using original parts for covered repairs.
Our Take On Safeco Vs. Geico
| Coverage | Safeco |
| Cost and Discounts | Geico |
| Quotes and Claims Processes | Geico |
| Ratings and Customer Reviews | Geico |
| Overall | Geico |
Safeco and Geico are both strong choices for auto insurance, but between Safeco vs. Geico, we found Geico to have the better cost, quotes and claims processes, and customer service. If you’re looking for certain types of coverage though, you may want to get a quote from Safeco and compare plans side by side.
Whenever you shop for car insurance, we recommend comparing free quotes from multiple providers. When you’re ready to get started, enter your zip code or call the phone number below.
Top Recommendations For Car Insurance
It’s smart to shop around anytime you change over your car insurance policy. Along with Safeco and Geico, we recommend looking into Progressive and USAA. These providers scored highly in our market review and offer great coverage for high-risk drivers and military families, respectively.
Progressive: 4.5 Stars
Our Progressive auto insurance review named the company the best choice for risky drivers, like those in their 20s and those with a DUI on their record. When you get a quote, you can check out the Name Your Price® tool that matches you with policies to fit your budget. Progressive also has great discounts like the usage-based Snapshot® program that can save you money if you display safe driving habits over time.
USAA: 5.0 Stars
USAA is our top choice for military personnel. Auto insurance coverage is only available to active-duty or retired military and their family members. Along with standard coverage, there are options like accident forgiveness and roadside assistance. USAA also offers discounts including a military installation discount of up to 15 percent if you garage your vehicle on a military base.
Learn more about coverage in our full USAA auto insurance review, or compare the two providers directly in our USAA vs. Progressive review.
Methodology
In an effort to provide accurate and unbiased information to consumers, our expert review team collects data from dozens of auto insurance providers to formulate rankings of the best insurers. Companies receive a score in each of the following categories, as well as an overall weighted score out of 5.0 stars.
- Industry Standing: Insurers with strong financial ratings and customer-first business practices receive the highest scores in this category.
- Availability: We consider availability by state as well as exclusions for specific groups of drivers.
- Coverage: This rating is based on types of insurance available, maximum coverage limits, and add-on policies.
- Cost and Discounts: Our research team reviews sample quotes for a variety of drivers in every state. Companies with lower prices and many car insurance discount opportunities receive the best scores.
- Customer Service: We comb through customer reviews and consumer feedback studies from experts like J.D. Power.
- Technology: Auto insurers with mobile apps, advanced online services and telematics are more likely to meet consumer needs.
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