Esurance Auto Insurance Review: Should you buy in 2024?

What You Should Know About Esurance, Inc.

Yes, Esurance is a good auto insurance company, especially when it comes to cost and product offerings. As an Allstate company, Esurance has a high financial strength rating of  A+ by A.M. Best. Customers have their choice between standard coverage and add-ons for additional protection, and they can enjoy competitive rates. 

Not as many discounts are available through Esurance compared to other auto insurance companies. However, customers have a few discounts that can lower their insurance rates, including DriveSense, a usage-based insurance program that awards a discount for good driving habits. 

The Esurance mobile app has made it easy for customers to manage their policies, file claims, and update their personal information. When filing a claim, 69% of customers eligible for photo claims are said to have received approval and payment in one day. The company also claims that it takes an average of six minutes to complete a claim online. 

Esurance, Inc. Insurance Coverage Options

Esurance offers the following standard and add-on insurance coverage options: 

• Liability coverage. This coverage pays for bodily injury and property damage for other drivers and passengers following an accident you caused. 
• Collision coverage. This coverage pays for your vehicle damage following an accident. 
• Comprehensive coverage. This coverage pays for property damage resulting from vandalism, theft, or extreme weather. 
• Medical payments coverage. This coverage pays for medical bills for you and your passengers following an accident. 
• Personal injury protection. This coverage pays your medical bills following an accident.
• Emergency roadside assistance. This coverage covers the cost of professional assistance for a roadside emergency, such as a flat tire, lockout, empty fuel tank, or dead battery, up to $75. 
• ShareSmart coverage. This coverage pays for passengers’ bodily injury following an accident while you’re driving for Uber or Lyft. 
• Loan/lease coverage. This coverage pays the difference between your vehicle’s value and the remaining loan or lease balance. 
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. This coverage pays for damages resulting from an accident with a driver who is uninsured, underinsured, or flees the scene of the accident. 
• Rental car insurance. This coverage pays for your damages following an accident while driving a rental car.
• Rental car reimbursement. This coverage pays for a rental car while your vehicle is being repaired after an accident. 
• CarMatch rental. This coverage offers drivers in 35 states a higher coverage limit for car rentals for no more than 45 days or $3,000.

Are there any additional Esurance insurance products?

In addition to car insurance, Esurance offers the following insurance products through Allstate or its affiliates: 

• All-terrain vehicle
• Boat/personal watercraft
• Business
• Classic car
• Condo
• Commercial auto
• Flood
• Golf cart
• Health
• Home
• Life
• Mexico driving
• Motorcycle
• Pet
• Renter’s
• RV
• Scooter
• Segway
• Snowmobile
• Travel
• Travel trailer
• Umbrella

You can visit the Esurance website to get a quote for the above-mentioned insurance products. 

How much car insurance do I need from Esurance? 

Now that you know your coverage options, you’ll want to figure out how much car insurance you need. Since liability is often the minimum requirement, depending on where you live, this is where you can start. The goal is to ensure you have sufficient coverage to keep potential out-of-pocket costs low in the event of an accident. 

Here’s what to consider when deciding how much car insurance coverage to purchase: 

• Vehicle value. Drivers who own higher-value vehicles can benefit from more coverage because it can be costly to repair or replace these vehicles out of pocket. Collision and comprehensive coverage can save you from high out-of-pocket costs for repairs or replacement.
• Income. Your annual premium will ideally fit perfectly into your budget, but you also want to ensure you can cover your deductible if you opt for collision and/or comprehensive coverage. 
• Coverage costs. The type of coverage, coverage limit, and/or deductible you choose will affect the cost of your policy. 
• Ownership: Ownership status impacts how much coverage you need because in some cases, you are required to carry full coverage. For example, when you finance or lease a vehicle, the dealership or lender wants to ensure the vehicle will be covered if damaged or totaled. These drivers must carry collision, comprehensive, and/or GAP insurance, which ensures the vehicle will be repaired or replaced or the remaining loan balance can be paid off. 

As mentioned, additional coverage can drive up the cost of your policy. It can also save you thousands in the event of an accident. 

What else should I know about Esurance Insurance?

In the sections below you will learn more about the Esurance mobile app, how to contact their customer service representatives, how to get car insurance quotes, how to pay for your auto insurance policy and how to file a claim. 

What does the Esurance mobile app offer?

Drivers can download and complete the following tasks using the Esurance mobile app:

• Manage payments
• View ID cards
• Update contact information
• Add a new vehicle
• Request roadside assistance
• File a claim

The Esurance mobile app is available to iPhone and Android users. 

How to Contact Esurance Customer Service

New and current Esurance customers can reach out to customer service in the following ways: 

• Online contact form at www.esurance.com 
• Phone at 800-378-7262 
• Mail to Esurance Customer Service, C/O Allstate Insurance Company, PO Box 660637, Dallas, TX 75266-0637
• Email at [email protected]
• Message on Facebook or Twitter
• Fax at 1-800-926-2869

Esurance customer service can provide assistance with quotes, policy management, claims, and more. 

How to Get a Car Insurance Quote from Esurance

Customers can submit an auto insurance claim online or over the phone by calling 800-378-7262. 

The following information is required to complete a quote: 

• Name
• Address
• Date of Birth
• Email address
• Vehicle information (VIN, make, model, and year)
• Additional drivers’ information

Once customers review their quotes, adjustments can be made to coverages and limits. Changes will impact the cost of the policy, but once their customizations are complete, customers can decide if they want to move forward with purchasing auto insurance coverage from Esurance. 

How to Pay for Esurance Car Insurance

Customers have a few different payment options for their Esurance auto insurance policies, including: 

• Checking or savings account
• Debit card
• Credit card

Customers can choose to pay for their policies in one payment, which will earn them a discount, or they can pay in installments. When opting to pay in installments, customers must submit a down payment between 20% and 30% of their premium, depending on the location and policy type. Monthly payments will then be deducted on the same date using your chosen payment method. 

When renewing your policy, a renewal notice is sent 45-65 days before the next policy term begins. Unless you cancel your policy, it will be renewed and the payment will be automatically withdrawn using the established payment method. 

If you wish to cancel your policy, you can contact customer service at 800-378-7262. Please note that customers canceling before their policy term ends may be charged an early cancellation fee equal to 10% of their remaining premium balance or $40 to $50.

How to File a Claim with Esurance

Esurance claims can be filed online, by phone at 800-378-7262, or through the Esurance mobile app. 

You’ll be asked to submit the following information:

• Names, license plates, addresses, phone numbers, and insurance information for all drivers involved 
• Number of people in each vehicle involved
• Year, make, and model of the vehicles involved
• Names and phone numbers of witnesses 
• Images of the damage
• Name and badge number of the responding police officer 

Once started, the claims process can be monitored online or through the mobile app. Depending on the extent of the damage to your vehicle, you may be able to complete the process virtually, which doesn’t require an inspection. As mentioned, approval and payment have been submitted in one day for 69% of customers with eligible photo claims. 

A claims representative will contact you if you are ineligible for the virtual claims process and will schedule an appointment for your vehicle to be examined by an appraiser. Following the examination, the claims representative will confirm the estimated cost of repairs. 

You can then have your car repaired at your auto shop of choice or take it to an Esurance preferred agency. If you have rental reimbursement, you can use a rental car until repairs are completed. 

Esurance, Inc. Insurance Rates Breakdown

Below you can see how the cost of car insurance from Esurance compares to competitors. 

Esurance Auto Insurance Rates for Teen Drivers

Teen drivers are inexperienced, making it likely they will be involved in an accident. With a higher likelihood of filing a claim, teenage drivers have higher premiums. 

Esurance offers a discount to high school and college students with good grades, so younger drivers can get a break from their high premiums.

Esurance Insurance Rates for Adult Drivers

As drivers gain experience, they are less likely to file a claim. Typically, at age 20, drivers see a 20% decrease in the cost of insurance.

In addition to a 20% decrease in rates, drivers between ages 20 and 24 who attend college can continue to enjoy a discount for their good grades.

Drivers 25 and over are considered more experienced, so their rates can be lower by hundreds of dollars compared to younger drivers with less experience under their belt.

Receiving a traffic violation or getting into an accident signals to insurance companies that you are a risky driver, so you’ll likely see an increase in rates. Since Esurance doesn’t offer accident forgiveness, even if a driver has never been involved in an accident before, they may not be able to avoid a rate increase. 

Esurance Auto Insurance Rates for Senior Drivers

Senior drivers aged 60 and up are viewed as risky, so insurance rates can often increase at this age.  

Depending on the insurance company, senior drivers who don’t get behind the wheel often could save by opting for pay-per-mile insurance, but this option isn’t offered by Esurance. 

Esurance Rates After a Speeding Ticket

Speeding tickets are considered violations, so drivers with speeding tickets on their records have higher premiums than drivers with no speeding tickets. 

By avoiding additional speeding tickets, you can lower your rates, but your initial speeding ticket can impact your rates for up to five years. 

Esurance Insurance Rates After an Accident 

Similar to speeding tickets, accidents can negatively impact your insurance premium for up to five years. 

Many auto insurance companies offer accident forgiveness, which ensures rates don’t increase following an accident. However, this add-on coverage isn’t offered by Esurance. 

Esurance Car Insurance Rates After a DUI

Drivers will DUIs see high rates Generally, drivers can maintain insurance with their current auto insurer after a DUI or switch to another company. Nonetheless, a DUI negatively impacts your rates no matter who insures you. 

Upon policy renewal, your rates may increase once your insurer discovers your DUI.

Esurance Rates for Drivers With Poor Credit

Credit checks are often run to assess drivers, specifically how risky it may be to insure them. Drivers with poor credit have a higher likelihood of filing a claim than a driver with good credit.

Drivers concerned about how their credit can impact their rates can work to improve their scores. Additionally, there are car insurance companies that don’t check your credit. However, there is no guarantee your insurance rates will be cheaper than rates at a company that checks credit. 

How much is minimum coverage with Esurance?

The required liability coverage varies by state. Here’s what you can expect to pay for minimum liability insurance with Esurance compared to competitors. 

Drivers who want additional coverage get greater protection than those with minimum coverage, but it comes at a price.

How much is full coverage with Esurance?

Full coverage can be a combination of liability, collision, comprehensive, rental reimbursement, roadside assistance, or any coverage in addition to liability. 

Liability coverage, which is the minimum required coverage in most states, can be enough coverage for certain drivers, so full coverage isn’t always necessary. 

Esurance, Inc. Discounts Available

Esurance offers the following discounts: 

• Online quote
• Bundling auto insurance with homeowner’s or renter’s
• Multiple vehicles
• Up-front payment of premium
• Claim-free for five years
• Good grades for full-time high school or college students under 25
• Defensive driving course, available to drivers 50 and up
• Vehicle safety features
• Roadside assistance coverage through AAA or another provider
• DriveSense, a usage-based discount program

Depending on your location, certain Esurance auto insurance discounts are unavailable. 

Usage-Based Car Insurance: DriveSense

Esurance offers drivers a free usage-based car insurance program known as DriveSense. Available in 35 states, DriveSense uses a mobile app or device to monitor speed, time of driving, and hard brakes. Depending on their driving habits, drivers can earn a discount.  

A participation discount is earned when drivers sign up for DriveSense. Drivers must log a minimum of 50 driving trips every policy term to receive a further discount, which will be recalculated and customized to reflect driving habits. 

How can I save money on my Esurance car insurance?

If you’re a new or current customer interested in lowering your Esurance car insurance rate, here’s how you can save:  

• Bundle insurance policies. If you are purchasing auto insurance, you can save by purchasing additional policies.
• Remove coverage. Car insurance needs can change, so you can remove coverage anytime you want so you only pay for what you need, which can shave a few dollars off your rate. 
• Adjust your deductible. Selecting a higher deductible for comprehensive and/or collision coverage lowers your rate; however, you want to select a deductible you can easily pay in the event of an accident. 
• Improve your credit score. Improving your credit score makes you look like a responsible driver, and responsible drivers get lower rates. 
• Take advantage of discounts. Discounts are a common way to lower insurance rates.  Review the available discounts offered, and see which you qualify for. 

If Esurance doesn’t offer you an affordable rate, remember you have the option to shop around and purchase insurance from a different auto insurance company. 

What factors impact my Esurance Insurance rates?

According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), when determining insurance rates, insurance companies may use the following information:

• Age. Drivers between ages 16 and 25 have less experience than older drivers, so they are more likely to file a claim. 
• Gender. Male drivers are more likely to be involved in an accident or drive under the influence than female drivers, so their insurance rates are higher. 
• Credit score. Credit scores are used to predict the likelihood of a driver filing a claim.
• Location. Your state’s minimum coverage requirements, your vehicle storage, the type of area where you live (urban or rural), and the rates of accidents, vandalism, and theft in your area all determine your insurance rates.. 
• Driving record. Your driving record reveals details about your driving experience and history, including traffic violations and accidents.
• Vehicle. Insurers take into account your vehicle make, model, year, safety features, ownership, and repair costs. 
• Mileage. Drivers with lower annual mileage are less likely to file a claim.
• Type of coverage. The coverage type, limits, and deductible you choose will impact your insurance rates.