Amica Mutual

Amica Mutual is the best auto insurance, reviewers say -- if you qualify. Customers say Amica is very picky about its clients, shying away from those who pose much risk. Drivers who've had several accidents or tickets will probably have better luck with a huge company like State Farm, experts say. But State Farm -- like the vast majority of auto insurers -- gets lower ratings than Amica for price and customer satisfaction. Reviewers and customers say Amica offers the total package: great car insurance rates, helpful customer service, hassle-free claims and long-term stability (Amica is America's oldest mutual auto insurer and is named an accredited business at the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating). Although Amica has scattered regional offices, it does most of its business over the phone. One other insurance company, USAA, gets similarly superb ratings, but it's open only to military families.

J.D. Power and Associates provides the best overview of Amica Mutual, rating it (and more than two dozen other companies) on 17 measures based on large consumer surveys. Consumer Reports also compares Amica with more than two dozen other companies based on reliable surveys, but the report is only available in a back issue of the magazine. The Better Business Bureau rates Amica's trustworthiness, and the New York State Insurance Department ranks it against 39 other auto insurers based on customer complaints filed there. We found plenty of consumer reviews at Epinions.com, positive and negative. Amica earns an "OK to buy" rating at Fight Bad-Faith Insurance Companies, but the site gives only vague information about how that rating is calculated -- and no information about who runs the site.