Nationwide Vs Progressive: Which Is Best In 2021?

Nationwide and Progressive are two popular household names when it comes to car insurance. But is one a better choice? In this review, we’ll compare Nationwide vs Progressive over a variety of categories.

Both Nationwide and Progressive made our list of the best car insurance companies in the nation. In the end, you may decide that getting a quote from both is your best option.

After all, we always recommend getting several auto insurance quotes so you can compare coverage. Use our tool above to get started. You can also call Motor1's designated quotes team at (844) 246-8209 for free, personalized quotes.

In this article:

Nationwide And Progressive Highlights

We found Nationwide car insurance to be the best option on the market for seniors, while Progressive car insurance is our first choice for high-risk drivers. However, we think both would provide excellent coverage for most drivers.

Here’s a quick overview of our findings.

Nationwide Vs Progressive: Coverage Options

Car insurance companies offer many different types of coverage to give customers the peace of mind they need. Compare these options from Nationwide vs Progressive to see which company has more of what you want:

Standout Coverage From Both Providers

Deductible savings bank: Both Progressive and Nationwide offer deductible savings banks. With Progressive, $50 will be subtracted from your collision and comprehensive deductible for every claim-free policy period. With Nationwide, your deductible will be decreased by $100 for every year you drive safely (up to $500).

Accident forgiveness: Nationwide’s accident forgiveness is available for customers in select states. It protects your car insurance rates from increasing after your first at-fault accident.

When comparing Nationwide vs Progressive, we prefer Progressive’s accident forgiveness. You can get small accident forgiveness automatically when you sign up – it includes claims for less than $500.

Large accident forgiveness is available as an additional purchase for drivers who have been driving safely with Progressive for more than five years.

Standout Coverage From Nationwide

Towing and labor: Nationwide differentiates between its roadside assistance policy, which includes battery jumps, flat tire services, and towing, and its towing and labor policy that only covers the cost of a tow and labor for up to one hour.

Progressive’s roadside assistance policy includes towing and labor and more roadside help.

Total loss deductible waiver: If you add this coverage to your policy, you won’t have to pay the cost of your collision or comprehensive deductible if your car is totaled in an accident.

Standout Coverage From Progressive

Custom parts and equipment: This type of protection covers any aftermarket installation that is stolen or damaged, including your car’s stereo system, custom paint job, and more.

Rideshare insurance: This type of coverage is for people who drive for a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft. It covers the cost of medical expenses for you and your passenger, plus rental car reimbursement.

Nationwide Vs Progressive: Discounts

The cost of car insurance is a major factor when trying to decide what insurance company to choose and how satisfied you’ll be long-term.

We compared the cost of policies from Progressive vs Nationwide and found that both offer competitive rates.

Here’s the driver profile we used:

• 23-year-old female driver
• Located in North Carolina
• Unmarried
• Employed (not by the government)
• Not a homeowner

We kept the coverages the same from each provider. Let’s compare the car insurance quotes we got for Nationwide vs Progressive:

We found that car insurance rates from Progressive were more affordable for our driver than Nationwide.

Before making a final decision on cost, though, it’s important to consider each provider’s discounts. The number of discounts you qualify for will give you a better idea of which company will provide more affordable car insurance for your situation.

Standout Discounts From Nationwide

Affinity membership: Nationwide partners with multiple academic and professional organizations to give certain members and employees discounts on car insurance.

Standout Discounts From Progressive

Distant student discount: If a student on your policy goes to school 100 miles away from home or farther and doesn’t bring the insured car to school, you get a discount on your insurance.

Continuous insurance: You qualify for this discount if you haven’t had any lapses in insurance or cancellations in the past from any car insurance provider.

Name Your Price^® tool: While not technically a discount, Progressive’s Name Your Price tool can provide great savings. You can search for plans that fit your budget by choosing the price you want to pay for your car insurance first.

Comparing Usage-Based Discounts

Between Nationwide vs Progressive, both companies offer usage-based programs through mobile apps or plug-in devices. These offer discounts for good drivers based on current driving habits.

Here are some of the strengths we found in each program:

Nationwide Vs Progressive: Ratings And Reviews

Before you make your final decision, let’s see what experts and current customers have to say about Nationwide and Progressive.

Both auto insurers received high ratings from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and AM Best. The BBB rates a company’s transparency and business practices, among other things, and AM Best rates a company’s financial strength.

Looking at customer reviews, BBB reviewers praise Nationwide for knowledgeable, professional representatives but complain about the slow claims process.

Progressive policyholders, on the other hand, mention exceptional customer service but also talk about unexplained rate increases.

To give you a better idea of the service you can expect by region, here’s how Nationwide and Progressive performed in the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Auto Insurance Study℠. The study measured customer satisfaction with company interaction, policy offerings, the billing process, and other factors.

*All ratings are based on a 1,000-point scale.

Both Nationwide and Progressive offer online or over-the-phone quotes. To measure each company’s quotes processes, we looked to the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study℠ that measured customer satisfaction for policy price, distribution channel, and policy offerings. Here were the results:

• Nationwide: 846/1,000
• Progressive: 856/1,000

These numbers tell us that customers are slightly more pleased with the shopping experience provided by Progressive when comparing Nationwide vs Progressive.

According to the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study℠, Nationwide customers report higher satisfaction with claims servicing than Progressive customers. Nationwide earned 876 points out of a possible 1,000 in the study, and Progressive earned 856 points.

Our Take On Nationwide Vs Progressive

Between Nationwide vs. Progressive, we rate Progressive as the top provider. Progressive offers a better shopping experience, more affordable prices, and stronger options for coverage. However, we still rate Nationwide highly and consider the company another great option for coverage.

Our Recommended Car Insurance Providers

You can never have too many options for car insurance. It’s smart to get quotes from multiple sources and compare them, so you know you’re paying the best rates for your coverage.

In your search, we recommend checking out USAA and Geico, the two auto insurance companies that performed best in our industry review. Follow the link below or call to start comparing quotes from top insurers. 

USAA: Best For Military

USAA car insurance is available exclusively to military members and their immediate family members. If you qualify for USAA car insurance, it could be the best provider for you. We rate USAA at 5.0 stars, the highest of any provider we reviewed.

With USAA, you can get standard coverage and military-specific discounts to save money on your auto insurance. Plus, USAA has earned high marks from experts, topping the charts in multiple J.D. Power studies.

To learn more, read our full USAA auto insurance review.

Geico: Best Overall

We rank Geico auto insurance as the best choice overall. Although USAA performed better, Geico is available to all drivers and offers a great combination of extensive coverage and low rates. In addition to standard coverage, you have the option to add:

• Roadside assistance
• Rental car reimbursement
• Mechanical breakdown insurance
• And more

Geico also offers competitive discounts for groups like safe drivers, student drivers, military personnel, and accident-free drivers.

To learn more, read our full Geico auto insurance review.

To further compare these two providers, read our review of Geico vs. USAA.

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2020 Nationwide Vs Geico Review

What You Need To Know About DUI Insurance

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