Most American states require some form of insurance when you are driving on public roads. Even those who don’t ask for a standard policy per se will require some alternative ways of showing financial responsibility. Given that car insurance is a major part of the budget in a lot of American households, this article will show you 10 of the best auto insurance companies you can choose in 2013.

With an operation history of more than a century, AAA is one of the oldest insurance companies on today’s market. They are longstanding advocates of traffic safety and are always lobbying at local and national levels for improved roads and vehicle safety standards. They have the largest network of approved auto repair shops around the country, and have great offers for travel and car rental deals. All in all, you can’t go wrong with AAA.

Allstate is a major player on today’s market but, unfortunately, their overall quality isn’t what it used to be in the late 1990s. They are an average bet between great and terrible insurance providers, with areas where they excel – such as policy flexibility and area coverage – and areas where they underperform, such as timeliness of solving claims.

Liberty Mutual is a solid insurance company, with a proven track record of solving claims on time, every time. Their customer support service is responsive, and every time you are on the phone with someone from Liberty Mutual you feel like those people really enjoy their jobs. The company’s services address all details of having a car repaired, from chipped windshields to totaled limousines.

With formerly a strong focus on insuring drivers in rural areas, the State Farm of our days has a very strong presence in brick and mortar stores all-over the country. They believe that in-person communication is a major prerequisite to any good business, so they didn’t embark on the online-only model chosen by some of their competitors. While they are not the cheapest on the market – sometimes not by a long shot – they are among the most reliable ones. And their market share is huge – one out of every five cars on American roads is insured by State Farm.

Farmers Insurance is one of the oldest players on the market, with more than 90 years of existence. Their initial concept was that drivers in rural areas deserve cheaper insurance packages than urban ones, who are riskier by definition. Even though the company has re-branded and changed ownerships several times in its history, they remained true to their initial values – good drivers have to pool their risk with other good drivers.

Membership with USAA is restricted to U.S. Armed Forces and selected government agencies like FBI. They offer a huge range of discounts and benefits for eligible customers, and are among the most affordable insurers in the United States.

Nationwide insurance began with covering farmers and ranchers, and quickly expanded their risk pool to just about everything that requires insurance. They are the proof that a gigantic company doesn’t have to be impersonal, and that traditionalism and innovation go well together. A fast claims settlement process, great customer-oriented support and competitive pricing is what makes Nationwide be a great choice for your auto insurance needs.

The bronze award in our top ten best auto insurance companies list goes to Esurance. While they may not have a century-long experience on the insurance market, like some of their competitors do, Esurance prides itself in offering a straightforward, seamless and hassle-free way of doing everything, from the quoting process to filing a claim and cashing in the settlement. Customers can order the insurance packages online and print the certificates on their home printer – no need to wait for the documents to be mailed in.

Progressive was among the first insurance companies to enable online policy claiming, a trend that is nowadays followed by all mainstream insurers. With a history of more than 70 years on the insurance market, Progressive features good prices, great customer support and timely responses to most claims. One of the unique products that make Progressive stand out in the crowd is the Pet Injury Coverage option that you can buy with a Collision or a Comprehensive package.

Backed up by a long history of prompt settlements and friendly customer support, GEICO has been our #1 choice for auto insurance, and will probably still be here for many years. They were the first to launch a non-agent model for their customer service department by allowing everybody to get information and file claims over the phone or online. This enabled GEICO to save fortunes in operative costs, and the savings have been passed on to their customers and this makes it the best auto insurance company 2013