AARP vs. AAA 2024

AARP vs. AAA comparison

AARP pros and cons

AAA pros and cons

Is AARP cheaper than AAA?

Because car insurance rates are highly personalized and based on a range of factors that are unique to each individual, it's a good idea to compare rates across various insurers to see which company can offer you the most affordable rate on a policy that best matches your needs and circumstances. Average rates are not currently available for AARP car insurance, so you will have to reach out to them directly for a quote. The table below shows annual premiums for AAA for a variety of driver profiles. For comparison’s sake, the national average cost for car insurance is $2,458 for full coverage, which includes collision and comprehensive insurance, and $678 for state-mandated minimum coverage, based on pricing data from Quadrant Information Services.

AARP vs AAA: discounts

AARP offers several benefits and discounts exclusively for its senior member base. AAA also caters to its members with many discounts and benefits that go beyond car insurance, including a strong focus on assisting members with travel plans and reservations. Both AARP and AAA discounts are extensive, with standard discounts including potential savings for vehicle safety features, bundling and paying your premium in full.

Discounts available from both carriers

Common discounts carried by both insurers include one for bundling your car insurance with another type of policy, such as homeowner; both also feature a telematics discount program. AARP's program is called TrueLane and could net you as much as 40 percent off, depending on your driving habits. AAA offers several telematics programs depending on the group you are insured by, including AAADrive, SmartTrek or OnBoard. 

AARP discounts

• Vehicle fuel type discount: Hybrid and electric vehicles may earn policyholders a discount.
• AARP membership discount: The Hartford underwrites AARP auto insurance policies and offers a discount of up to 10 percent to AARP members.
• Online quoting discount: Getting a quote online may save you money on your premium, but this discount is only available in select states.
• Paid-in-full discount: You may receive a discount if you pay your entire bill at one time rather than making monthly or quarterly payments.

AAA discounts

• AAA membership discount: AAA members may be eligible for automatic discounts.
• Loyalty discount: This discount is for policyholders who maintain continuous AAA car insurance for a designated period of time.
• Advanced shopping discount: You may save with AAA if your auto insurance quote is initiated at least a week before the effective date.
• Good student discount: Full-time high school and college students may earn a discount based on their grade point average. This discount is usually available for drivers aged 24 and under.
• Education and occupation discount: You may earn savings if you have reached a certain level of education or if you are employed in a qualifying field. 

AARP and AAA telematics programs

Telematics programs are becoming increasingly common as a way to save money — and potentially improve your driving skills. These programs use a mobile app to monitor your driving in real time, awarding a discounted premium to drivers who demonstrate safe and careful driving habits. For AARP policies, The Hartford uses a program called TrueLane. AAA groups offer several telematics programs, but one of the most common is AAADrive.

AARP vs. AAA: customer experience comparison

Customer satisfaction is a priority for many drivers when looking for auto insurance. For many, two of the most important factors are the handling of claims and how viable an insurer’s digital tools are. We’ve compiled app ratings from the App Store and Google Play Store, along with insurance claims satisfaction scores from the 2023 J.D. Power Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. Data under AARP is from The Hartford's app and J.D. Power rating, and we have included ratings for three of AAA’s largest auto clubs that were included in the study.

Customer complaints

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) manages a complaint index that monitors the number of complaints earned by insurance companies. The industry standard is 1.0; any number higher than that indicates a company that receives more than the average number of complaints, while anything under 1.0 indicates fewer complaints than average. Knowing your insurer's complaint index number can give you a sense of the quality of the company's customer service and its responsiveness to policyholder needs. 

AARP auto insurance customer complaints

AAA auto insurance customer complaints

Frequently asked questions

Methodology

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze November 2024 rates for all ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region. Quoted rates are based on a single, 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $50,000 property damage liability per accident
• $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
• $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
• $500 collision deductible
• $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2022 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually. 

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes. 

Credit-based insurance scores: Rates were calculated based on the following insurance credit tiers assigned to our drivers: “poor, average, good (base) and excellent.” Insurance credit tiers factor in your official credit scores but are not dependent on that variable alone. Four states prohibit or limit the use of credit as a rating factor in determining auto insurance rates: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan. 

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), at-fault accident, single speeding ticket and single DUI conviction.

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 25-70 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts due to state regulations.

Bankrate Scores 

Our Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impact policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.

Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlighting where they fall short.