Elephant vs Nationwide: which is better for car insurance in 2026?
Across our six scoring categories, Elephant comes out ahead in 0, Nationwide in 1, with 5 too close to call. There is no overall score to compare, though: Elephant does not publish enough of the underlying data to earn one, and we would rather leave it blank than build a number out of the two or three figures that happen to exist. Nationwide is the better-documented of the two, which is not the same as being the better insurer for you. Judge these two on the categories where both have real figures — and on what they actually quote you.
Elephant vs Nationwide, side by side
Sources: average premiums from NerdWallet's August 2026 rate analysis (Quadrant Information Services), for a 35-year-old driver with a clean record and good credit in a 2023 Toyota Camry LE at 12,000 miles a year, 100/300/50 limits with $1,000 deductibles — national average $2,356. Claims satisfaction from the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study (segment average 700). Complaint record from NerdWallet's analysis of NAIC complaint data, 2022–2024. Financial strength from AM Best. Discounts and app data from each carrier's published pages and the Apple App Store / Google Play, retrieved August 2026. Updated August 2026.
Category by category
Price
Too close to callElephant does not release public rate data, so there is no like-for-like premium to set against Nationwide's $2,671/yr. That is a real gap in the comparison, not a rounding error — treat Elephant's price as unknown until you have a quote in hand.
Elephant is not included in the rate study behind every other premium in this review.
$2,671 a year for full coverage, 13% above the national average. Nationwide is not a discount carrier.
Claims satisfaction
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: Elephant posts Not rated and Nationwide 729/1,000, a difference too small to choose on.
Not in the J.D. Power claims study, which samples only the largest insurers.
729 out of 1,000, fourth in the J.D. Power 2025 study and 29 points above the segment average.
Complaint record
Nationwide aheadNationwide takes complaint record on Fewer than expected against Elephant's More than expected.
More complaints than expected for its size — better than the other app-first insurers here, but still below par.
Fewer complaints than expected for its size.
Financial strength
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on financial strength: Elephant posts Not published and Nationwide A, a difference too small to choose on.
No AM Best rating we could verify, and no alternative rating found.
AM Best A (Excellent).
Discounts
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on discounts: Elephant posts Not published and Nationwide 10 published, a difference too small to choose on.
No discount list we could read on Elephant's own site.
Ten published discounts, with bundling stated at an average of $1,032 saved on home and auto together.
Digital experience
Too close to callNeither pulls ahead on digital experience: Elephant posts Not published and Nationwide 4.69 iOS / 4.5 Android, a difference too small to choose on.
No app-store figures we could verify from a primary source.
4.69 on the App Store and 4.5 on Google Play. Nationwide also won J.D. Power's usage-based insurance segment for the third year running in 2026.
So which one?
Pick Elephant if…
- You are among drivers in its eight states comparing it against other budget options.
- Availability fits: 8 states.
Pick Nationwide if…
- You are among drivers who want good claims handling without an agent-only model.
- You want the lower complaint record — Nationwide sits at Fewer than expected.
- Availability fits: 45 states and D.C. — not available in Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana or Massachusetts.
Elephant vs Nationwide, answered
The questions people ask before switching between these two.
Other comparisons
See all 359 head-to-head comparisons →Compare real quotes from both — and 50+ others.
Averages are a starting point. Your rate is the only number that decides it.