Bristol West—or Bristol West Insurance Group—is one of the top car insurance companies of 2023, according to first-hand reviews analyzed by Jerry’s research team.

Jerry

experts conducted one of the nation's most extensive reviews to collect car insurance information over 18 months. We surveyed over 18,000 policyholders from all 50 states, asking them about their experience with their insurance company’s customer service, renewal process, claims handling, and more.

Here’s a breakdown of how our verified Bristol West policyholders ranked Bristol West:

4.5

1,491 Reviews

5 Stars

70.02%

4 Stars

14.82%

3 Stars

9.19%

2 Stars

3.15%

1 Star

2.82%

So, is Bristol West a good insurance company?

Yes, as a member of the

Farmers Insurance

Group of Companies, Bristol West specializes in providing quality car insurance to high-risk drivers.

Our experts analyzed 339 Bristol West reviews and customers were impressed. Our results showed that 79% of respondents had positive feedback, while only 8% were negative and 13% were neutral. For context, the national average is 64% for positive reviews and 18.5% for negative reviews.

The good: Customers like Bristol West’s transparency, flexible plan structures, and easy-to-use website.

The other side: Bristol West auto insurance policies aren’t available to drivers in Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Rhode Island, or Vermont.

Jump to:

Bristol West Car Insurance Reviews

Bristol West Pros and Cons

As part of our survey, we asked Bristol West policyholders to rate the company on cost, claims experience, customer service, and the renewal process.

See for yourself how Bristol West’s ratings compared to the national average of all companies surveyed below:

Criteria	Bristol West's Rating	Industry Average
Overall	4.3	4.1
Cost / Price	4	3.8
Claim Experience	3.7	3.5
Customer Service	4.3	4
Renewal Experience	4.1	4

Based on the

NAIC’s consumer complaint index

, Bristol West has a higher complaint ratio than the national median, with customers noting some delays in resolving claims.

We also evaluated the company’s strengths and weaknesses by researching how other industry leaders rated Bristol West. Here’s how Bristol West ranks against the national average for other insurance companies in the US:

Critera	Bristol West	Score Out Of
BBB Rating	A	A+
NAIC Rating	1.74	6
Clearsurance	2.33	5
A.M. Best Rating	A	A++
IOS App Store Rating	4.6	5
Google Play Store Rating	4	5

Please note* that a greater NAIC score indicates increased risk.

Bristol West car insurance reviews

If you want to see what real-life customers have to say, read through some of our reviews from actual Bristol West car insurance policyholders:

Bristol West pros and cons

Between our national insurance customer satisfaction survey and the public third-party ratings available for Bristol West, you can get a good idea of the pros and cons of going with Bristol West for your car insurance:

Pros

Lots of coverage options—even for high-risk drivers

Opportunity to file an

SR-22

Wide availability

A variety of payment options

24/7 access to policy information online and on the mobile app

Cons

Expensive premiums—even for drivers who are not high risk

Higher-than-average complaint ratio

No homeowner’s insurance, renter’s insurance, or life insurance

Is Bristol West the right insurance company for you?

Bristol West is typically one of the best car insurance companies for:

High-risk drivers who need to

file an SR-22 form

Drivers with a speeding ticket or accident history

Remember: The best insurance company for one person might not be the same for another, so it’s important to

shop for car insurance

before you choose a policy.

Bristol West is a small to mid-size insurance company that started in Florida back in 1973. Although it only offers private auto insurance, it’s launching a commercial car insurance program in select states.

Click on the buttons below to see the breakdown of our analysis of Bristol West’s car insurance services.

Is Bristol West car insurance expensive?

Bristol West customers seem satisfied with their rates.

Of the 339 Bristol West policyholders we surveyed, 29% of them mentioned cost—and of those people, almost three-quarters had positive comments.

When we compared Bristol West to other small insurance companies, the company placed 13th out of 53 for cost satisfaction. Bristol West also scored 4.0 out of 5.0—slightly better than the national average of 3.81. Here’s how Bristol West compared to the other companies in our study:

Bristol West Policy Cost Rating	Ranking	Industry Average
4	13	3.8

Keep in mind: Insurance rates are highly personalized since they’re based on a wide range of factors. Here are the factors Bristol West uses to

calculate insurance premiums

Age

Gender

Driving record

ZIP code

Insurance history

Driving experience

Type and

coverage requirements

Vehicle make, model, and year

We mentioned location. Every state allows auto insurance companies to use different rating factors to calculate insurance costs, although you’ll notice general cost trends by state. Looking at our data, here’s how Bristol West trends:

MORE:

The average cost of car insurance in 2023

Bristol West cost reviews

Check out how real Jerry users rated Bristol West based on cost.

Will Bristol West raise your rates?

Bristol West is just like any other insurer—the company can increase your premium

upon renewal

Usually, your rates will go up because of the following changes:

New violations or tickets

New accidents

New location

New vehicle on a policy

New driver on a policy

Inflation

Age

According to our survey, over 75% of drivers with a Bristol West auto insurance policy chose to renew at the end of the policy term. The company ranked 7th out of 53 for the ease of its renewal process.

Don’t forget: Your insurance premium can fluctuate a little over time, even if your personal profile doesn’t change.

Does Bristol West resolve claims fast?

According to Bristol West’s website, the company’s goal is to “settle your claim as quickly, fairly, and accurately as possible to minimize the disruption to your life.” Our survey shows that they’re doing a great job! Customers ranked them 5th out of 53 for resolving

car insurance claims

It helps that you can file a claim through the

online portal

or over the phone during weekday business hours. You can even submit a claim through the company’s mobile app. Typically, here’s how the process goes:

Report the claim

Ask questions of the adjuster and schedule a vehicle inspection

Get an estimate for repair costs following the inspection

Get towing or vehicle repairs if needed

Work with Bristol West if you need a rental car

Bristol West Claims Resolution Rating	Ranking	Industry Average
3.7	5	3.5

Bristol West claims reviews

See how real Jerry users rated their experience with Bristol West based on claim handling.

Does Bristol West have good customer service?

Yes—Bristol West is known for solid customer service.

Bristol West customers gave the company’s customer service a rating of 4.25 out of 5. Since the national average is 3.9 for customer service, Bristol West has better customer service than most insurance companies. Out of 53 comparably sized insurers, Bristol West ranked number 12 for customer service.

Keep reading to see how survey respondents rated Bristol West’s customer service:

Bristol West Customer Service Rating	Ranking	Industry Average
4.3	12	4

Bristol West customer service reviews

Check out how real Jerry users rated Bristol West based on customer service.

Bristol West car insurance discounts

Bristol West offers a wide variety of

insurance discounts

and perks that can reduce your insurance premium.

It can really pay to check for discounts that you’re eligible for before you sign up for a new car insurance policy. Most insurance companies allow you to combine discounts, too.

Here are some discounts you may be eligible for with Bristol West:

Multiple vehicle discount: Insure multiple vehicles with Bristol West for a discount.

Paperless discount: Get a reduced policy rate when you sign up to receive electronic notifications, billing, and payments.

Payment in full discount: You’ll get a discounted rate if you pay the whole term’s premium instead of paying it monthly. You can also get a discount for automatic payments.

Homeowner’s discount: Even though Bristol West doesn’t offer homeowner’s insurance, you can get a discount on your auto policy if you own your own home.

Loyalty discount: Bristol West rewards you with a discount if you’ve been insured continuously (with any auto insurer) for the past 12 months.

Discount availability can change and vary from state to state, so check with a Bristol West insurance agent to learn about their current discounts.

Bristol West coverage options

Bristol West customers enjoy a wide variety of options when it comes to

car insurance types

. Here are the mandated coverages you can get from Bristol West:

Basic

liability coverage

: Almost every

state requires you to have liability

to pay for damages caused to others if you’re at fault in an accident. Liability insurance is broken into

bodily injury liability coverage

, which takes care of others’ medical bills, and

property damage liability coverage

, which covers damaged property.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage

: This insurance takes care of you if you’re in an accident caused by someone else who doesn’t have any or enough liability insurance.

Medical payments (MedPay)

: This insurance product can pay for medical or funeral expenses for you, your family, or your passengers.

Bristol West’s additional tools and services

For full insurance coverage or popular add-ons, Bristol West also offers:

Collision coverage

: This insurance pays for damages and repairs to your vehicle if you’re in an accident, regardless of who was at fault. Just remember that you will have to pay an

insurance deductible

to file a collision coverage claim.

Comprehensive coverage

: If your car has damages not covered by collision, comprehensive could take cover it. Comprehensive protects your vehicle in the event of theft, vandalism, extreme weather, or a natural accident. Again, you will have to pay a

comprehensive deductible

Personal injury protection (PIP)

: If you live in a

no-fault state

, this is required insurance. This coverage pays for medical expenses, rehabilitation programs, funeral expenses, lost wages, and loss of services.

Rental reimbursement coverage

: This insurance covers the cost of a rental car or public transit after you submit a claim and await vehicle repair.

Roadside assistance

: You might see this listed as towing and labor coverage. Typically, you’ll get 24/7 roadside assistance that covers towing, fuel delivery, battery services, locksmith services, and more.

Rideshare coverage

: If you’ve got a rideshare gig, check with Bristol West for insurance coverage. They’re expanding this insurance option but it might not be available in your area yet.

Trailer coverage: If you frequently drive with a trailer attached to your vehicle, this optional liability insurance provides up to $500 of coverage.

MORE:

Types of car insurance: Mandatory and optional coverages explained

FAQs

Does Bristol West offer SR-22 insurance?

Yes, Bristol West covers high-risk drivers and can file an SR-22 with your state’s DMV.

Is Bristol West car insurance expensive?

Bristol West can be expensive if you are a high-risk driver or don’t qualify for many discounts. You might be able to score

cheap car insurance

from Bristol West if you have a clean driving record or bundle multiple discounts.

Does Bristol West have good reviews?

Yes—Bristol West got an overall score of 4.3 out of 5.0 in Jerry’s survey and positive feedback from many customer reviews.

Who owns Bristol West?

Bristol West is a member of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, which includes

Farmers

Metlife

, Foremost, and 21st Century.

Read all Bristol West Car Insurance Reviews

Methodology

The Insurance Research Team analyzes insurance products and services to drive insights and help consumers make informed purchase decisions. Insurance research: We analyzed over 25 million car insurance quotes; conducted the largest insurance shopping survey (over 18,000 customers surveyed and 120 carriers reviewed in the past 18 months). We surveyed insurance policyholders for their experience with their insurers in the following areas: (1) insurance cost (2) customer service (3) insurance buying experience (4) insurance renewal experience (5) claim experience. In addition, we asked people what they like about their insurers and what areas in which their insurers could improve. The driver characteristics used in calculating average rates for auto insurance include: single driver, single car, currently insured, clean driving record. For the quotes and sold policies included in this article, please note that personal information has been hidden. Not all customers find savings. Team: The team consists of licensed insurance agents, insurance industry veterans, and data scientists.

Meet Our Experts

R.E. Fulton

Licensed Insurance Agent —Senior Content Writer

R.E. Fulton is an expert insurance writer specializing in car ownership topics from car shopping and loan advice to insurance and repair guides. R.E.’s mission is to create unique and accessible content that helps readers to become more successful and independent car owners. R.E. has written and edited over 900 high-performing articles for Jerry, with an average of 1 million+ views.

As a senior writer on Jerry’s editorial team, R.E. draws on over 10 years of experience as a professional writer and digital publishing specialist. Prior to joining Jerry’s editorial team in 2021, R.E. worked as a writing coach at Columbia University, the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and the University of Rochester. They serve as a managing editor for peer-reviewed history publication Nursing Clio, where their work has appeared regularly since 2015.

Lina Zhang

Licensed Insurance Agent

Licensed in 50 states and Washington DC

Lina Zhang is Vice President of Operations at Jerry. She helped to found Jerry in order to take the confusion and mystery expenses out of car ownership and help drivers achieve financial success. Leading a global team responsible for operations, talent acquisition, legal, and content, Lina has been a key contributor to the AllCar™ app’s 10x growth in its first year of operation. Prior to Jerry, Lina and her Jerry co-founders, Art Agrawal and Musawir Shah, created YourMechanic, the largest on-demand car repair services provider. In one year, Lina built and scaled YourMechanic operations from just five markets to more than 50. The trio left YourMechanic to incubate Jerry at Y Combinator in 2017. Lina’s previous roles include intellectual property attorney at Morrison & Foerster LLP and a biomedical researcher at Stanford University.

Josh Damico

Head Of Insurance Operations

18+ Years Experience in Insurance

Josh Damico is Jerry’s vice president of insurance operations and a licensed insurance professional with nearly two decades of experience in the industry. Previously, Josh held executive roles at Geico, where he had vast regional oversight and leadership opportunities. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Medaille College, and has appeared on news channels including FOX and CBS to offer insurance expertise and tips to drivers across the country. His work has appeared in Business Insider, Kelley Blue Book, and Digital Insurance and been quoted in The Balance, GOBankingRates, and Inspiring Workplaces.

*Illustration only. For all the pricing information presented in this article (including various tables), please note that not all customers find savings and the information is for illustrative purposes only. Savings depend on type of car, location, policy features, driving history and other factors. Drivers who switch through Jerry save over $70/month on average.