Elephant vs NJM: which is better for car insurance in 2026?

Q: Is Elephant or NJM cheaper?

We cannot answer that with published data. Elephant does not release public rate information, so no independent study — ours included — can put a national average next to NJM's Not published. The only way to know is to quote both.

Q: Which handles claims better, Elephant or NJM?

Neither has a clear edge. Elephant scores Not rated and NJM 731/1,000 on the claims measure we use — close enough that the individual adjuster you draw matters more than the company average.

Q: Is Elephant better than NJM overall?

We can't put two scores side by side here. Elephant does not publish enough of the underlying data for us to give it an overall score — we would rather say so than compute one from the two or three figures that do exist. NJM scores undefined out of 5. Compare them on the individual categories above, and on the quotes you actually get.

Q: Can I switch from Elephant to NJM mid-policy?

Yes. Auto policies can be cancelled at any time, and most insurers refund the unused premium pro-rata — though some charge a short-rate cancellation fee, so check your policy before you cancel. The one rule worth following: get the new policy bound and in force before you cancel the old one. Even a single day uninsured can count as a coverage lapse, which raises your rate at the next renewal and, in some states, exposes you to a registration penalty.

ElephantNot scored

NJMNot scored

Across our six scoring categories, Elephant comes out ahead in 0, NJM 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. NJM 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 NJM, side by side

Category

ElephantRead the full review

NJMRead the full review

Overall scoreWeighted across the six categories below

Not scored

PriceAverage annual full-coverage premium · 25% of score

Not published

This company does not release public rate data

Not published

This company does not release public rate data

Claims satisfactionJ.D. Power 2025 claims study, out of 1,000 · 20% of score

Not rated

Below the sampling frame of the J.D. Power claims study, which covers only the largest insurers

4.5731/1,000

J.D. Power 2025 claims study, segment average 700

Complaint recordComplaints relative to company size · 15% of score

2.5More than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

5.0Far fewer than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

Better

Financial strengthAM Best Financial Strength Rating · 10% of score

Not published

No AM Best rating we could verify — see the review

4.5A+

AM Best Financial Strength Rating

DiscountsBreadth of published discounts · 15% of score

Not published

No discount list we could read on the carrier's own site

4.08 published

Discounts on the carrier's own pages · Telematics: NJM SafeDrive

Digital experienceApp ratings and self-service depth · 15% of score

Not published

No app-store presence we could verify

Not published

No app-store presence we could verify

Availability

8 states

5 states in the Mid-Atlantic, sold direct with no agents

Best suited to

drivers in its eight states comparing it against other budget options

Mid-Atlantic drivers who weight claims handling above everything

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.

Elephant vs NJM across all six categoriesScored 1–5. Longer is better in every category — the price bar already accounts for cheaper being better.

ElephantNJM

Category by category

Price

Too close to call

Elephant does not release public rate data, so there is no like-for-like premium to set against NJM's Not published. 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

Elephant is not included in the rate study behind every other premium in this review.

NJM

NJM's published average is a New Jersey figure, not a national one. New Jersey is a high-cost state, so setting it against a national benchmark would flatter NJM for reasons that have nothing to do with NJM. We have left it out rather than compare unlike things.

Claims satisfaction

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: Elephant posts Not rated and NJM 731/1,000, a difference too small to choose on.

Elephant

Not in the J.D. Power claims study, which samples only the largest insurers.

NJM

731 out of 1,000 in the J.D. Power 2025 claims study — second only to Erie among ranked insurers, and 31 points above the segment average.

Complaint record

NJM ahead

NJM takes complaint record on Far fewer than expected against Elephant's More than expected.

Elephant

More complaints than expected for its size — better than the other app-first insurers here, but still below par.

NJM

Far fewer complaints than expected for its size — the strongest band we assign.

Financial strength

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on financial strength: Elephant posts Not published and NJM A+, a difference too small to choose on.

Elephant

No AM Best rating we could verify, and no alternative rating found.

NJM

AM Best A+ (Superior). Note that AM Best revised the outlook on its separate issuer credit rating to negative in 2025, citing consecutive underwriting losses.

Discounts

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on discounts: Elephant posts Not published and NJM 8 published, a difference too small to choose on.

Elephant

No discount list we could read on Elephant's own site.

NJM

Around eight published discounts, plus the NJM SafeDrive telematics program.

Digital experience

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on digital experience: Elephant posts Not published and NJM Not published, a difference too small to choose on.

Elephant

No app-store figures we could verify from a primary source.

NJM

NJM publishes no general policyholder app on either store — only the SafeDrive telematics app. Policy servicing is web-only, so there is no app experience to rate.

So which one?

Pick Elephant if…

You are among drivers in its eight states comparing it against other budget options.
Availability fits: 8 states.

Read the full Elephant review →

Pick NJM if…

You are among mid-atlantic drivers who weight claims handling above everything.
You want the lower complaint record — NJM sits at Far fewer than expected.
Availability fits: 5 states in the Mid-Atlantic, sold direct with no agents.

Read the full NJM review →

Elephant vs NJM, answered

The questions people ask before switching between these two.

Is Elephant or NJM cheaper?

Which handles claims better, Elephant or NJM?

Is Elephant better than NJM overall?

Can I switch from Elephant to NJM mid-policy?

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