List for comparison auto insurance guide on the web

This is The List for comparison auto insurance guide on the web, also shopping and insurance coverage. You can get quotes instantly, and many sites will also offer up competitors' quotes as well

Carrie Coolidge AIGDIRECT.COM www.aigdirect.com Leave it to insurance icon Hank Greenberg to back the best-designed auto insurance site we found. Navigation is easy, and the site has a number of great tools: one helps you decide if you should lease or purchase a new car, another figures out how much your monthly payments will be for an auto loan. If pressed for time, you can fill out a miniapplication that will generate a quote within two days. If you have more time, fill out a longer application form and get an instant quote. BEST: The site's tools are really fun to use--even if you are not shopping for a new policy. WORST: You only get one quote; you'll have to wait forever for someone to answer the toll-free number.

ESURANCE www.esurance.com, Simply designed and customer-friendly, with an emphasis on online accessibility. You can go into a private online chat session with a representative--especially useful if you have questions or problems. Esurance makes it easy to change and recalculate quotes. If your occupation is considered safe, say you're a scientist, an engineer or an educator, you may qualify for a discount. Customers can access their policy to make changes online; the site also offers online customer service (there's a toll-free number for those who want to hear a human voice). Comparison quotes with other insurers including Allstate, State Farm and Safeco are available. If you're not yet ready to apply, you can return later and pull up your saved quote. No other tools or calculators, though. Esurance says it will be expanding to include homeowner's insurance, boat insurance and life insurance in the next year. BEST: Coverage is immediate if you apply online; you can print out your own insurance cards. WORST: Limited reach. By mid-May the service was available in 16 states.

GEICO DIRECT www.geico.comOwned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, Geico offers a no-frills but user-friendly site. Filling out an application is quick--it takes only ten minutes. Then you get instant quotes for up to four drivers and three vehicles. To qualify, though, you'd better have a pretty clean driving record. If you live in Massachusetts or New Jersey, you're out of luck--Geico doesn't underwrite in those states. Rates are competitive. If you want to talk to a real person, you can call a toll-free number 24-hours, seven-days-a-week. BEST: Quick application process. WORST: No tools, bland design.

INSUREONE.COM www.insureone.comAfter a while insurance Web sites begin to look alike. Until recently, Insureone.com was different. Its design was modeled after a department store featuring a checkout counter and rest room signs. But insurance companies are like sheep. Now Insureone.com has remade itself to look like every other site, but it's still a good place to buy auto insurance. The site offers multiple quotes from major insurance companies. There's a great glossary of insurance terms as well as safe driving tips and useful calculators, like one that figures out the cost of an auto loan. You can also shop for life, health, home and business insurance. BEST: Chat online with a customer service rep. WORST: Boring, me-too design.

PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE www.progressive.com, A customer-friendly site that can teach the competition a few tricks. Once you get through the application process, you'll get instant quotes, along with comparison rates from other insurers. That is a nice feature even though the aim is to point out to you that its rates are competitive or better than other insurers. Pick the Progressive quote, and the insurance kicks in immediately--a big plus (you'll still need to fill out a form offline). You can pay for the policy online, change personal information and print out ID cards. The site will even let you check on the status of a claim. Best of all, Progressive is renowned for its very competitive rates. BEST: Great tools, good rates. WORST: Cumbersome application process.

QUICKENINSURANCE www.insuremarket.comPart of Intuit's family of financial products, the site offers quotes from some of the best auto insurers around, including Travelers and Electric Insurance Co. Lets you apply for (and in some cases, purchase) the policies online, but you'll still have to sign and mail back a form to the company that offered the quote. Quickeninsurance offers some really great tools: Plug in your zip code and the make of your car and find out its safety ranking or its popularity among thieves. BEST: Great comparison shopping. WORST: The site was extremely slow to download.

RELIAQUOTE.COM www.reliaquote.comReliaquote's quick and painless miniapplication process generates multiple quotes within minutes of logging on. You'll need to fill out a more complete application when you choose the quote and insurer you like. The biggest drawbacks: Reliaquote does not sell auto insurance, and only a few brand-name insurers offer quotes here. After you choose the quote you want, the information goes to the right insurance company, then you have to wait for a call from the agent. The site does offer a great tool: Auto 101 has tips about how to qualify for discounts and the consequences of late payments. BEST: Simple application process. WORST: No customer service. If you have problems you have to wait for an agent to call you.

YOUDECIDE www.youdecide.comYoudecide.com allows you to comparison shop between 15 different companies, including Progressive and Nationwide. It uses smart software in the application process that will key off your answers and then customize additional questions to arrive at a better quote. For example, if you are seeking coverage for your teenage child, it will ask for her high school grades. If she has a high grade-point average, you might qualify for a discount. Once you get a quote, you will be transferred to the provider's Web site because Youdecide doesn't sell insurance directly. [Ed. Note: Forbes.com offers insurance through a partnership with YouDecide.com] BEST: Easy to navigate; lots of comparison quotes. WORST: Many of the best insurance companies, like Geico and AIG don't participate.