Allied Auto Insurance Review: Features, Pros & Cons, and Costs
Allied auto insurance was founded in 1929, and through a series of acquisitions, is now a part of the Nationwide family of insurance companies. In addition to the auto insurance offerings, the Des Moines, Iowa, Allied provides a wide variety of other insurance products, including home insurance, renters insurance, life insurance, boat insurance, and even pet insurance.
With Allied being a part of such a huge insurance company like Nationwide, we wanted to take a closer look at what it’s all about. Is Allied right for you and your auto insurance? Let’s take a closer look and find out.
How does Allied auto insurance work?
Like other auto insurance companies, you can easily go online to obtain an insurance quote. If you’re more comfortable speaking with someone, you can call customer service or work with a local insurance agency.
Allied still uses a large network of local agents across the country, and the agents are expected to work with policyholders with everything from quotes to claims.
Currently, Allied offers car insurance coverage in 33 states. The most efficient way to check if coverage is offered where you live is to go directly to alliedinsurancequotes.com and click on the coverage map or by contacting customer service.
As you’d expect, Allied offers the typical coverage options for auto insurance:
- Liability
- Comprehensive and collision
- Medical payments
- Uninsured and underinsured motorists
- Personal injury protection
Where Allied begins to set itself apart from other carriers is with the variety of options you can add to your insurance policy. Options such as roadside assistance, accident forgiveness, and GAP coverage for instance.
How much does Allied cost?
Like all other auto insurance companies, Allied relies on your personal history and information in order to receive an exact quote. The best way to determine coverage options and cost is through an online or agent quote.
There are numerous factors influencing how much you pay for proper coverage. While some are out of your control, there are several you can influence. The biggest factors affecting the cost of your premiums are:
- Age
- Location
- Gender
- Marital status
- Credit score
- Driving history
- Vehicle
- Coverage options and insurance limits
- Additional features to your policy
- Amount of your deductible
Examples of premium costs
Insurance quotes vary heavily based on a number of factors. Here are examples of average rates with Allied for a single, college-educated male renting a home in Chicago driving an average of 11,000 to 13,000 miles a year in a 2018 Toyota Camry as of March 28, 2021.
Minimum coverage includes:
- Bodily Injury: $25k/$50k
- Property Damage: $20k
- Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25k/$50k
Full coverage includes:
- Bodily Injury: $100k/$300k
- Property Damage: $50k
- Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $100k/$300k
- Collision Deductible: $1k
- Comprehensive Deductible: $1k
| Type | 25-year-old | 35-year-old |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum coverage | $1,231 | $987 |
| Full coverage | $1,560 | $1,324 |
Features of Allied auto insurance
Allied has several features that make it worth considering.
Allied Extras
Allied features a few extra services that come standard with your policy. This includes bonuses such as:
- Free emergency locksmith services if you’re locked out of your car
- Free airbag replacement if your airbag is deployed in a crash
- One deductible if you have damage to your vehicle and home due to one incident
- Accident and minor violation forgiveness
This package of options is available for any age driver to add to their policy. Not only does this coverage keep your premium from increasing after your first accident, but it also covers you for minor incidents as well. So if you run a red light, have a fender bender, or whatever, if you have this option then your rates won’t go through the roof. An agent can work up the exact cost for you to add this option.
GAP coverage
For those who have a new car, you’ll be interested to know Allied offers GAP coverage. This means if you were to get in an accident, your car might not be valued as high as the amount you still owe on the loan. With this coverage, you’ll get paid enough to cover what you owe.
Numerous discounts
With Allied, chances are you can find several discounts to qualify for to help make your premium even lower. Allied offers discounts from policy bundling so if you have your homeowners insurance, renters insurance, or business insurance through the company you could save. From good student to good driver, and having multiple cars on a policy, there are a variety of insurance offers and Nationwdie will be "on your side." You can also get a discount for paying your annual premiums at once.
Allied vs. competitors
You have tons of choices when it comes to auto insurance providers. Here’s a quick look at how Allied compares to other well-known providers.
| Carrier | Discounts available | J.D. Power Rating | A.M. Best Rating | Average Annual Premium* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allied | 7 | N/A | A+ | $1,392 |
| MetLife | 5 | 3/5 | A+ | $2,457 |
| Geico | 16 | 3/5 | A++ | $1,218 |
| Amica Mutual | 18 | 5/5 | A+ | $1,631 |
| USAA | 12 | 5/5 | A++ | $963 |
| Progressive | 13 | 3/5 | A+ | $1,646 |
| State Farm | 12 | 3/5 | A++ | $1,585 |
| Erie | 7 | 3/5 | A+ | $1,108 |
| Farm Bureau | 7 | NR | A | $984 |
| Nationwide | 12 | 3/5 | A+ | $1,582 |
| American Family | 15 | 3/5 | A | $1,685 |
| Liberty Mutual | 17 | 3/5 | A | $1,942 |
| Allstate | 14 | 3/5 | A+ | $1,920 |
| average annual premium based on drivers in their thirties |
Read full reviews of each company by clicking on the links and see how the carriers compare.
Who is Allied best for?
Those who prefer working with local agents
While numerous auto carriers have moved to a model of operating online, app, or phone number, Allied offers a strong local network of agents. If you like the idea of picking up the phone to have someone help you file a claim or answer policy questions right away, then Allied can offer you this service.
If your credit is less than perfect
For those with very poor or fair credit, you can still likely get a policy with Allied. The best part is, according to The Zebra rate comparisons, the premiums for someone with very poor credit are about 35 percent higher versus someone with fair credit. Compare this to other big-name providers where rates may be double if your credit score falls in one of these categories.
Who shouldn’t use Allied?
Rideshare drivers
As of now, Allied does not offer rideshare coverage options for those who drive for companies such as Uber or Lyft.
If you want everything online
For those who prefer going online to conduct all your business with your auto insurance policies, then you may want to look elsewhere. You don’t have any option to finalize your policy other than through an agent or customer service. You should note, you’ll have access to the Nationwide Insurance app so you can access your policy information on your smartphone.
Pros & cons of Allied auto insurance
Pros
- Strong financial ratings. Allied has an A+ Superior rating from A.M. Best. Because Allied falls under the Nationwide umbrella, it has the same financial strength as its parent company.
- Access to the strength of Nationwide. Because it’s under Nationwide, you have access to the app to help manage your policy.
- Low amount of registered customer complaints. According to the NAIC consumer complaint index, Allied scores a .44. The national average is 1, so any score below one means the insurer received less than the average.
- Other high marks for customer service. Allied has an A+ rating from the BBB too.
Cons
- Only available in 33 states.
- Have to work through an agent for major questions such as quotes, coverage options, and claims
- Can’t complete the quote process online, again, you have to call an agent or customer service.
FAQs
Is Allied auto insurance good?
Like any auto insurance company, you have to decide exactly what you want from a carrier and what will work best for your budget. Allied offers many of the benefits of a larger company, but still keeps its personal customer service commitment through the agent network. With the superior financial strength and good customer service ratings. Allied can be a good choice for you.
Is Allied insurance expensive?
When you compare Allied to other carriers, Allied is neither the least expensive or the most. To get the best rate for your premiums, you can start by getting multiple quotes from multiple carriers. Then, take a look at the coverage limits and options you’re choosing — are there any adjustments you can make where you may have too much or too little coverage? Your deductible is another area of potential savings. The lower your deductible, the higher your premium. If you can afford a higher deductible (should an accident occur), then consider raising it. Finally, having a good credit score improves your rate too. By paying bills on time and monitoring your credit report for errors, you can improve your chances of having a lower premium.
The bottom line
Allied auto insurance has the local, in-person service that many consumers are looking for with their insurance agent. And because Allied’s parent company is Nationwide, you have the strength of a powerful insurance company backing you.
Allied gets high marks for its strong customer service ratings, but might not be ideal for those who want the complete digital experience while comparison shopping. Overall, it’s worth getting a quote from Allied — as long as you don’t mind picking up the phone and calling an agent for the information.
Additional reporting by Brent Ervin-Eickoff
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