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

Q: Is Elephant or USAA 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 USAA's $1,588/yr. The only way to know is to quote both.

Q: Which handles claims better, Elephant or USAA?

Neither has a clear edge. Elephant scores Not rated and USAA 741/1,000 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 USAA 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. USAA scores 4.6 out of 5. Compare them on the individual categories above, and on the quotes you actually get.

Q: Can I switch from Elephant to USAA 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

USAA

Across our six scoring categories, Elephant comes out ahead in 0, USAA in 0, with 6 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. USAA 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 USAA, side by side

Category

ElephantRead the full review

USAARead 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

5.0$1,588/yr

Average full coverage vs. $2,356 national average

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

5.0741/1,000

J.D. Power 2025 claims study — scored but not ranked (military-only eligibility), 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

2.5More than expected

Complaints relative to company size, NAIC data 2022–2024

Financial strengthAM Best Financial Strength Rating · 10% of score

Not published

No AM Best rating we could verify — see the review

5.0A++

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

4.513 published

Discounts on the carrier's own pages · Telematics: SafePilot and SafePilot Miles

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

Not published

No app-store presence we could verify

5.04.80 iOS / 4.7 Android

App Store (2.3M ratings) and Google Play (492K ratings), August 2026

Availability

8 states

All 50 states and D.C., but only for the military community and their families

Best suited to

drivers in its eight states comparing it against other budget options

military members, veterans and their families

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

ElephantUSAA

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 USAA's $1,588/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

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

USAA

$1,588 a year for full coverage, 33% below the national average and the lowest figure in this review by a clear margin.

Claims satisfaction

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on claims satisfaction: Elephant posts Not rated and USAA 741/1,000, a difference too small to choose on.

Elephant

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

USAA

741 out of 1,000 — second-highest score in the J.D. Power 2025 study, though USAA is excluded from the official ranking because its military-only eligibility fails the study's award criteria.

Complaint record

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on complaint record: Elephant posts More than expected and USAA More than expected, a difference too small to choose on.

Elephant

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

USAA

More complaints than expected for its size, which is the one figure that genuinely cuts against USAA's reputation and deserves to be stated plainly.

Financial strength

Too close to call

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

Elephant

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

USAA

AM Best A++, the highest rating issued.

Discounts

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on discounts: Elephant posts Not published and USAA 13 published, a difference too small to choose on.

Elephant

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

USAA

Thirteen discounts including some no one else offers — up to 60% for vehicle storage during deployment and up to 15% for garaging on base.

Digital experience

Too close to call

Neither pulls ahead on digital experience: Elephant posts Not published and USAA 4.80 iOS / 4.7 Android, a difference too small to choose on.

Elephant

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

USAA

4.8 on the App Store and 4.7 on Google Play, the best combined app ratings here — though the app bundles banking and insurance, so it is not a pure auto signal.

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 USAA if…

You are among military members, veterans and their families.
Availability fits: All 50 states and D.C., but only for the military community and their families.

Read the full USAA review →

Elephant vs USAA, answered

The questions people ask before switching between these two.

Is Elephant or USAA cheaper?

Which handles claims better, Elephant or USAA?

Is Elephant better than USAA overall?

Can I switch from Elephant to USAA mid-policy?

Other comparisons

Allstate vs Elephant American Family vs Elephant Amica vs Elephant Auto-Owners vs Elephant Chubb vs Elephant Clearcover vs Elephant Allstate vs USAA American Family vs USAA

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.

Get my free quotes →