Liberty Mutual vs USAA Auto Insurance: Which should you buy in 2024?

It’s nice to have options in life, and there are so many auto insurance companies to consider.

You probably know the basics now that you have landed here ready to narrow down your two best contenders and choose the auto insurance company that will have your back when you need it: Liberty Mutual or USAA auto insurance.

Liberty Mutual and USAA are both on the big list of the best auto insurance companies, but how do they stack up when it comes to rates, discounts, consumer satisfaction, complaints, mobile apps, and financial strength?

USAA’s auto insurance rates are cheaper than Liberty Mutual’s rates through all of our comparison points; however, USAA only offers auto insurance to active, inactive, and retired military members and their immediate family members.

Keep reading to compare USAA quotes and Liberty Mutual quotes on auto insurance, or enter your ZIP code to start comparing multiple companies in your area.

Is Liberty Mutual or USAA cheaper based on age?

Wouldn’t you agree that as we age, we become more experienced?

Auto insurance companies believe this, especially when it comes to determining your auto insurance rates. They believe the more years of driving experience we have, the more cautious and safe we are as drivers.

I think we can all agree on that.

However, I doubt we will all agree that it’s fair to base auto insurance rates on gender and marital status. Some states have outlawed this discriminatory practice, but not all.

Liberty Mutual vs USAA Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates by Age, Gender, and Marital Status

USAA’s auto insurance rates are 57 percent cheaper than Liberty Mutual’s auto insurance rates for drivers 25 and older.

Coming in at 57 percent cheaper than Liberty Mutual, USAA is the better choice if you have a teen driver on your policy.

Is Liberty Mutual or USAA cheaper based on driving record?

No matter what auto insurance company you select, it’s a widely accepted fact that your auto insurance rates will increase if you get a speeding ticket, cause an accident, or get a DUI. The riskier a driver you are, the more of a liability you are. Liberty Mutual and USAA are no exception.

Liberty Mutual vs USAA Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates by Driving Record

In general, USAA has cheaper auto insurance rates than Liberty Mutual for drivers with any type of driving record.

However, USAA is less punitive with their customers if they get a speeding ticket.

If you get a speeding ticket while with USAA, expect your rates to increase by only 13 percent. Causing an accident will increase your USAA auto insurance rates by 30 percent, and if you get a DUI, your rates will increase by more than 80 percent.

Liberty Mutual and USAA increase their rates by the same amount if you get cause an accident: 30 percent. But, if you get a speeding ticket while with Liberty Mutual, your rates will increase by 19 percent, which is more than USAA will increase your rates.

Both USAA and Liberty Mutual take DUIs very seriously, but Liberty Mutual will increase your rates by only 59 percent compared to USAA’s 81 percent.

Is Liberty Mutual or USAA auto insurance cheaper based on credit score?

Your credit score reflects your prior ability to manage your finances and make good choices as well as pay your bills on time. Auto insurance companies assume that the more financially responsible you are, the safer driver you are.

We can all agree that a traumatic financial life event like a divorce or unexpected medical costs is likely to decrease your credit score.

Are those always personal choices? not exactly.

Just the same as gender and marital status, some states have banned auto insurance companies from basing rates on credit history. Let’s take a look at how Liberty Mutual and USAA compare when it comes to rates based on credit score.

Liberty Mutual vs USAA Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates by Credit History

Again, USAA comes in cheaper than Liberty Mutual if you have bad credit.

If your credit score tanks while with either company, expect to pay more than twice as much as drivers with good credit.

When it’s time to renew your six-month policy and you notice your rate has gone up, it could be because your credit score dropped.

Use your Liberty Mutual login or USAA login to make adjustments to your deductible and coverage levels, temporarily, if needed, to reduce your rate for the next six months while you work to improve your credit score.

It’s good practice to check your credit report every six months anyway. Otherwise, it may be a good time to consider a different insurance provider.

State laws determine much of how you will experience obtaining auto insurance coverage, so where you live is a very influential factor in determining your auto insurance rates.

Be sure to check your state auto insurance guide before judging Liberty Mutual and USAA auto insurance rates based on credit score alone.

Does Liberty Mutual or USAA have better auto insurance discounts?

Every auto insurance company has its brand, and this tends to stem from its history. Similarly, the values and philosophies of an auto insurance company can influence what discounts an auto insurance company will offer.

This is why it pays to shop around. Let’s take a look at Liberty Mutual auto insurance discounts and USAA auto insurance discounts.

Liberty Mutual vs USAA Auto Insurance Discounts

When comparing all discounts that each company offers, Liberty Mutual has a total of 24 auto insurance discounts while USAA has only 14 discounts.

Even though USAA has cheaper rates, they don’t have as many or as high discounts. USAA’s best auto insurance discounts are 75 percent for young drivers and 90 percent for garaging your vehicle while deployed.

On the other hand, Liberty Mutual offers solid discounts ranging from 20 to 35 percent for having anti-theft technology or a vehicle recovery system in your car, having multiple policies like home insurance in addition to auto insurance, and using their driving app or driving device.

What types of auto insurance coverages are offered by Liberty Mutual and USAA?

Since both Liberty Mutual and USAA are on the big contender list for market share, they both likely offer the standard six coverages that are listed below in addition to much more.

• Liability auto insurance coverage – bodily injury and property damage
• Comprehensive auto insurance coverage
• Collision auto insurance coverage
• Uninsured/Underinsured auto insurance coverage
• Medical Payments (MedPay) auto insurance coverage – particularly important in states that require no-fault auto insurance
• Personal Injury Protection (PIP) auto insurance coverage

However, be sure to take a closer look at any specialty coverages such as rental reimbursement, roadside assistance, guaranteed auto protection (GAP), mechanical breakdown, and insurance for recreational vehicles such as ATVs or boats.

Does Liberty Mutual or USAA have better mobile apps?

Most of the top 10 auto insurance companies have mobile apps to make payments, adjust coverage levels, or show electronic verification of auto insurance coverage. However, most auto insurance companies have a separate app that is used for their usage-based auto insurance programs.

Usually, your Liberty Mutual insurance login or USAA insurance login will work with both the general app and the driving app.

Since Liberty Mutual offers such a high discount for participating in their usage-based auto insurance program called RightTrack (For more information, read our “Liberty Mutual RightTrack Review: Should you buy?“), be sure to compare it to USAA’s SafePilot before making your choice.

Read more about USAA and other military and veteran auto insurance discounts.

How do Liberty Mutual and USAA  compare in financial strength and customer satisfaction?

If auto insurance companies can judge their customers based on gender, marital status, and credit score, then it’s only fair customers get to judge them. We list ratings for Liberty Mutual and USAA from the top agencies that judge the credibility of all auto insurance companies.

A.M. Best scores companies based on their ability to meet ongoing insurance obligations such as balancing premiums collected and claims paid. The highest score A.M. Best awards is Superior A++.

Consumer Reports collects annual data from its subscribers regarding customer satisfaction of the Liberty Mutual claims process and USAA claims process, step by step. In their 2017 survey, 27 insurance companies were rated, and scores ranged between 86 to 96.

And the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) calculates a complaint ratio based on total number of customers against total number of complaints. In 2017, the national average complaint ratio was 1. The lower the ratio, the better.

Liberty Mutual vs USAA Company Ratings

Liberty Mutual and USAA are on top of things when it comes to external financial rating agencies. In fact, USAA holds the highest score from A.M. Best.

USAA has one of the best reviews of customer satisfaction through the claims process, but Liberty Mutual’s customer service is still fairly good, hovering around the same score as most other auto insurance companies.

USAA has a much lower complaint ratio than Liberty Mutual, but be sure to get more details on the NAIC website, call the Liberty Mutual phone number to make an inquiry.

When you’re unsure which company to choose, you can always use our free comparison tool to compare Liberty Mutual vs. USAA auto insurance to other companies in your area.