A new report from online business service company ChangeSciences says that many consumers are discovering that going onlineto find a new auto insurance policy can be less painful thantraditional routes, but that many sites still have a long way to gobefore getting a policy online becomes easy. The best autoinsurance web site is more than four times better than the worstoverall, and more than twice as good as the average.

The report ranked 26 auto insurance sites; the top three wereProgressive, 21st Century, and Esurance. Other sites covered in thereport include AAA California, AAA Minnesota/Iowa, AARP/TheHartford, AIG, AIG Direct, Allstate, American Family Insurance,Amica, Electric Insurance, Farmers, Fireman's Fund, GEICO, GMACAuto Insurance, GMAC Insurance Online, Liberty Mutual, MetLife,Nationwide, Safeco, State Farm, The Hartford, Travelers, UnitrinDirect, and Washington Mutual.

“The best sites are working to make getting a policy easier thanit has ever been,” said Steve Ellis, a Change Sciences partner.