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Nationwide is a national car insurance company that stands out for its high customer satisfaction ratings and extensive coverage options. Its rates are mostly just fine, and it lacks some discounts, but certain drivers may enjoy better premiums with Nationwide than with other large insurers. I would most recommend the company to seniors, especially those who qualify for defensive-driving discounts, but I've seen much better rates for liability-only and full-coverage car insurance for people with imperfect and perfect driving records.
I'd also recommend Nationwide for usage-based programs as it offers a very attractive potential discount for its safe driving program, SmartRide, and a solid pay-per-mile program, SmartMiles. Here's what you need to know about Nationwide car insurance, including what it costs, what it covers, and what might make it the right (or wrong) option for you.
How we rate products
FinanceBuzz researches a number of factors in each auto insurance provider to create our reviews. These factors include cost and discounts, complaints and customer satisfaction, coverage, and ease of use. We also gather information from sources such as Insurify, J.D. Power, AM Best, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), and the Better Business Bureau to ensure we provide the most useful information to our readers.
Nationwide pros and cons
- Many options for specialty coverage, including GAP insurance
- Decent discounts
- Great usage-based and telematics programs
- Not available in all 50 states
- Premiums are roughly average for many driver profiles
- Fewer independent agents than top companies
How much does Nationwide cost?
You're always going to pay less for liability-only car insurance than you would for full-coverage, no matter what an insurer might find in your driving history, but Nationwide is interesting for having wider price gaps between the two than you might typically see. This makes its prices more competitive for liability-only coverage. The following figures from AutoInsurance.com offer a general idea of what Nationwide policyholders may pay on average, though your actual premium will depend on several personal and policy-related factors.
| Average full coverage | $166 |
| Average liability-only | $60 |
| Average after DUI | $398 |
| Average for teen driver | $555 |
Nationwide's premiums tend to be higher than many of its competitors, but its rates are far from the highest I've seen.
Compared to the national average rates, provided below, Nationwide's costs are lower for most coverage for many drivers. Teens aren't likely to save a lot by choosing Nationwide, but the rates can be affordable for seniors looking to save on car insurance.
| Driver type | National average liability-only monthly premium | National average full coverage monthly premium |
| Clean driving record | $105 | $192 |
| Speeding ticket on driving record | $141 | $265 |
| At-fault accident on driving record | $146 | $274 |
| DUI on driving record | $166 | $313 |
| Teen driver | $194 | $364 |
| Senior driver | $85 | $160 |
| Data sourced from Insurify | ||
Is Nationwide car insurance good?
Company ratings:
- AM Best: A
- J.D. Power claims satisfaction: 729/1,000
- BBB: A+
- NAIC complaints: 0.39
Nationwide is, by all accounts, a good, trustworthy company for car insurance.
Nationwide is the 10th largest car insurance provider by market share in the U.S., according to the NAIC Market Share Report, which is important to keep in mind when looking at data. The bigger the company, the more customers it has, so a very high satisfaction rating means more because it comes from more people. The flip side is also true.
For Nationwide to have an NAIC complaint index of just 0.39, the lowest I've seen for an auto insurance company, means that Nationwide customers are filing complaints with their state insurance departments far less than other customers … nationwide.
I would personally like to see a higher AM Best grade for an insurance company I'm considering (the scale goes up to A++), but A still indicates financial stability. You shouldn't have cause for concern.
Get rewarded with savings for having a clean driving record.
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Drivers who switch their auto insurance and save with State Farm save $764 on average!
Discounts
Nationwide is missing some discounts that have become all but commonplace among popular insurers, including student-away-from-home discounts and discounts for some safety features. It has fewer discounts than Progressive, which is a bit light on them among the biggest insurers.
Put another way, if you're looking for ways to save money on car insurance with Nationwide, you won't be able to rely on a massive range of discounts. Some of the discounts it does offer, however, are quite competitive (like its SmartRide and SmartMiles programs).
| Discount | Does Nationwide have it? | State Farm | Progressive |
| Loyalty | No | Yes | No |
| Multi-policy/bundling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple vehicle | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Airbag | No | Yes | No |
| Anti-lock brakes | No | Yes | No |
| Anti-theft | Yes | Yes | Yes (select states) |
| Safe driver | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Good student | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Away-from-home student | No | Yes | Yes |
| New car | No | No | No |
| Pay in full | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic payments | Yes | No | Yes |
| Senior | No | No | No |
| Military | No | Yes (select states) | No |
| Defensive driving course | Yes | Yes | Yes (select states) |
SmartRide and SmartMiles
Telematics or usage-based programs are a good option for lowering your car insurance rates if your driving habits put you at a lower risk of accidents and incidents. Nationwide's SmartRide program is a telematics program that measures how safely you drive. It can shave up to 40% off your premium, which is staggeringly high compared to some other companies.
SmartMiles is a usage-based program built on pay-per-mile coverage. You'll pay a base rate each month, plus a per-mile rate that depends on how much you drive. Rates vary, but this may help you cut costs if you have a short or infrequent commute. I wouldn't recommend this type of policy to people who drive a lot, but I'd consider it myself as someone who drives once or twice a week and doesn't put more than around 10 miles on my car each time.
Coverage
While Nationwide's discounts and rates fall a bit flat, its coverage is another story. The company provides more options for car insurance policies than many others, with unique insurance add-ons I don't often see. A few types of coverage that stand out are GAP insurance, a vanishing deductible (not terribly uncommon but a great option for accident-avoidant drivers), and a total loss deductible waiver.
The vanishing deductible allows for trimming $100 off your deductible every year you're claim-free, up to $500 total, which is pretty standard. The total loss deductible waiver would lead to having your physical damage deductible waived if your car is entirely totaled and you had comprehensive or collision coverage.
Nationwide provides the following types of coverage:
- Bodily injury liability
- Property damage liability
- Personal injury protection (PIP)
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist protection
- Medical payments
- Collision coverage
- Comprehensive coverage
- Towing and labor
- Rental car expense
- GAP coverage
- New car replacement
- Vehicle value upgrade
- Accident forgiveness
- Vanishing deductible
- Roadside assistance
- Total loss deductible waiver
Nationwide vs. competitors
Nationwide falls somewhere in the low-middle of the pack when you compare its car insurance rates to those from the top car insurance companies.
| Company name | Average monthly full coverage | Average monthly liability-only coverage |
| USAA | $99 | $46 |
| GEICO | $118 | $55 |
| State Farm | $119 | $55 |
| Allstate | $132 | $62 |
| Progressive | $148 | $101 |
| American Family | $157 | $72 |
| Nationwide | $181 | $85 |
| Travelers | $191 | $90 |
| National average | $199 | $105 |
| Farmers | $236 | $110 |
| Liberty Mutual | $250 | $169 |
| Data sourced from Insurify | ||
I want to take a closer look at how Nationwide compares to Travelers, an insurer that's similar in size; State Farm, the country's largest insurer; and Progressive, a close competitor in terms of pricing.
Nationwide vs. Travelers
Travelers is just a little larger than Nationwide by market share, and the two offer pretty comparable car insurance rates and coverage overall. Travelers takes the lead over Nationwide for being available in all 50 states and offering more discounts, but it receives a lot more complaints.
If I were between the two myself, I would consider Travelers only if I lived in a state where Nationwide wasn't available or specifically wanted a discount or type of policy not offered by Nationwide.
Nationwide vs. State Farm
Average car insurance premiums aren't close between Nationwide and State Farm, as State Farm beats Nationwide pretty handily on rates. State Farm is not only known for providing more discounts than most companies but also for having lower base rates than many insurers, although Nationwide scores better for trustworthiness if you're looking at BBB grades, the J.D. Power claims satisfaction study, and NAIC complaints. State Farm, however, wins for national availability, being offered in every state.
Learn more in our Nationwide vs. State Farm comparison.
Nationwide vs. Progressive
If you want to compare Nationwide to Progressive, take a close look at the difference in premiums between liability-only and full-coverage because that's where things get interesting. For liability coverage, you could be offered better rates with Nationwide than with Progressive. But for full-coverage car insurance, Progressive's premiums are mostly lower.
Progressive also has more independent agents than Nationwide, but it also operates in all 50 states.
Learn more in our Nationwide vs. Progressive comparison.
FAQs
How do I contact Nationwide?
You can get in touch with a Nationwide agent by calling 1-877-669-6877 when you need help with your insurance or 1-877-669-6877 if you're interested in a policy (this is the number for the sales team). To file a claim, call 1-800-421-3535.
You can also live chat with an agent through the Nationwide website, whether you're an existing customer or not, which might offer quicker response times.
Is Nationwide cheaper than GEICO?
No, Nationwide is not generally going to be cheaper than GEICO for car insurance for many drivers. It'll always depend on who you are, how you drive, and what you drive, but GEICO's average rates are quite a bit lower, and the company is often considered to be one of the cheapest. It's important to always get quotes from multiple companies when comparing insurers to see where you might find the best rates.
What is Nationwide On Your Side?
Nationwide gives drivers free policy reviews every year and calls this program On Your Side. While the intent might be to upsell you on more coverage, it could also let you know if you're paying for more coverage than you need or missing out on a discount. I suggest taking advantage of On Your Side reviews if you're a current customer.
Bottom line
Nationwide car insurance might be right for you if you want to pick from multiple standard and specialty policies, and I would most strongly recommend it to seniors and people interested in saving on their insurance with usage-based policies. Nationwide customers are more satisfied with their claims than most, and that's an important consideration when you're looking for any type of insurance.
As you search for auto insurance, I recommend including Nationwide in the mix of quotes you compare, although you may find better car insurance rates with one of its competitors. Check out our list of the best car insurance companies for more options.
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