It’s safe to assume that car insurance companies don’t want you quoting rates from other companies. People who shop around for better prices are inclined to buy a different policy because they have a good chance of getting low-cost coverage. A recent survey discovered that consumers who routinely shopped for cheaper coverage saved as much as $865 annually compared to those who didn’t regularly shop around.
If finding the lowest price on car insurance is your goal, then learning a little about how to find and compare car insurance can help make the process easier and more efficient.
If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to get more affordable Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Baltimore is to begin comparing prices regularly from providers in Maryland.
Step 1: Gain an understanding of how auto insurance works and the things you can change to prevent expensive coverage. Many policy risk factors that cause high rates like accidents, traffic tickets, and an unfavorable credit rating can be rectified by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility.
Step 2: Get rate quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only quote rates from a single company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agencies can quote prices for a wide range of companies. Get quotes now
Step 3: Compare the price quotes to your current policy premium and determine if there is any savings. If you find better rates and buy the policy, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
Step 4: Give notification to your agent or company of your intent to cancel the current policy and submit the required down payment along with the signed application for the new policy. Immediately upon receiving it, keep the new proof of insurance paperwork along with the vehicle’s registration papers.
One thing to remember is to use identical coverage information on each quote and and to get rate quotes from as many companies as possible. Doing this ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and a complete rate analysis.
How Your Mountaineer Insurance Premiums are Determined
When buying car insurance it’s important to understand a few of the rating criteria that help calculate the level of your policy premiums. When you know what positively or negatively determines premiums, this helps enable you to make changes that can help you get lower car insurance prices.
Liability protection limits are a factor – Liability coverage will provide protection if ever a court rules you are at fault for physical damage or personal injury to other. It provides for a legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
Your credit rating is important – Having a bad credit rating can be a huge factor in calculating your premium rate. If your credit could use some work, you could save money insuring your Mercury Mountaineer by improving your credit score. Insureds with excellent credit scores tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims than those with bad credit.
Keep prices low by being claim-free – Auto insurance companies in Maryland award the best rates to drivers who file claims infrequently. If you are the type of insured that files lots of claims you can look forward to either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Your car insurance is intended to be relied upon for more catastrophic claims.
Younger drivers cost more – Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, cost insurance companies less in claims, and receive fewer citations. Drivers with little experience tend to be more careless with other occupants in the car so car insurance rates are higher.
The next chart is based on a single driver, full coverage with $100 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.
Better premiums with anti-theft devices – Buying a car with advanced anti-theft systems can save you some money. Theft prevention devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack can thwart auto theft and help lower rates.
Job can influence rates – Jobs like military generals, police officers, and stock brokers generally pay higher rates than average due to intense work situations and incredibly demanding work hours. On the other hand, jobs such as actors, students and performers receive lower rates.
Cheaper prices with safer cars – Cars with five star safety ratings tend to be cheaper to insure. Safer cars help reduce the chance of injuries in an accident and lower rates of occupant injuries means less claims paid and cheaper rates on your policy.
Mercury Mountaineer insurance rates and statistics
The coverage table displayed next showcases detailed analysis of insurance policy prices for Mercury Mountaineer models. Having knowledge of how insurance policy rates are calculated can assist in making decisions when shopping around.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountaineer 2WD | $256 | $426 | $406 | $24 | $122 | $1,234 | $103 |
| Mountaineer AWD | $288 | $426 | $406 | $24 | $122 | $1,266 | $106 |
| Mountaineer Premier 2WD | $288 | $502 | $406 | $24 | $122 | $1,342 | $112 |
| Mountaineer Premier AWD | $288 | $502 | $406 | $24 | $122 | $1,342 | $112 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Data based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Maryland minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, and homeowner. Premium costs do not factor in Baltimore location which can change rates considerably.
Analysis of deductible levels
When shopping for car insurance, a common question is which comprehensive and collision deductibles to buy. The following insurance rates lay out the premium difference between low and high coverage deductibles. The first rate comparisons uses a $100 deductible for comp and collision and the second price grid uses a $1,000 deductible.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountaineer 2WD | $350 | $632 | $406 | $24 | $122 | $1,559 | $130 |
| Mountaineer AWD | $394 | $632 | $406 | $24 | $122 | $1,603 | $134 |
| Mountaineer Premier 2WD | $394 | $744 | $406 | $24 | $122 | $1,715 | $143 |
| Mountaineer Premier AWD | $394 | $744 | $406 | $24 | $122 | $1,715 | $143 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountaineer 2WD | $194 | $332 | $406 | $24 | $122 | $1,078 | $90 |
| Mountaineer AWD | $218 | $332 | $406 | $24 | $122 | $1,102 | $92 |
| Mountaineer Premier 2WD | $218 | $392 | $406 | $24 | $122 | $1,162 | $97 |
| Mountaineer Premier AWD | $218 | $392 | $406 | $24 | $122 | $1,162 | $97 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Table data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Maryland minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, and safe-driver. Rate information does not factor in Baltimore location which can increase or decrease insurance rates greatly.
We can estimate from the data above that using a $100 deductible could cost the average driver approximately $44 more each month or $528 for a full year than choosing the higher $1,000 deductible. Because you would pay $900 more out of your own pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally go more than 20 months between claims, you would save more money if you choose a higher deductible.
Calculate savings of higher deductibles
| Average monthly premium for $100 deductibles: | $138 |
| Average monthly premium for $1,000 deductibles (subtract): | – $94 |
| Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $44 |
| Difference between deductibles ($1,000 – $100): | $900 |
| Divide difference by monthly savings: | $900 / $44 |
| Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 20 months |
Impact of speeding/accidents on Baltimore car insurance rates
The example below highlights how speeding tickets and at-fault claims can drive up Mercury Mountaineer premium costs for different categories of driver ages. The premium estimates are based on a married male driver, full coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
Gender-based car insurance premiums
The diagram below shows the difference between Mercury Mountaineer auto insurance rates for male and female drivers. The data assumes no claims or driving citations, full coverage, $500 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are factored in.
Baltimore insurance discounts for a Mercury Mountaineer
Insurance is neither fun to buy or cheap, but there are discounts available to cut the cost considerably. Many of these discounts will be applied automatically at the time you complete a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked for in order for you to get them.
- ABS Braking Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have anti-lock braking systems can avoid accidents so companies give up to a 10% discount.
- Own a Home and Save – Just being a homeowner can save a few bucks due to the fact that maintaining a home demonstrates responsibility.
- New Car Discount – Putting insurance coverage on a new Mountaineer can get you a discount since newer vehicles are generally safer.
- Multi-car Discount – Insuring more than one vehicle with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Defensive Driver – Taking time to complete a class that teaches defensive driving techniques could cut 5% off your bill depending on where you live.
- Include Life Insurance and Save – Select companies reward you with a discount if you purchase some life insurance too.
- College Student – Older children who live away from home to go to college and do not have access to a covered vehicle could get you a discount.
- Smart Student Discounts – Getting good grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you up until you turn 25.
A quick disclaimer, some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. If you do the math and it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, it’s just not the way it works.
The example below visualizes the comparison of Mercury Mountaineer insurance prices with and without discounts applied to the rates. The data is based on a female driver, no accidents or driving violations, Maryland state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with claim-free, multi-car, safe-driver, marriage, multi-policy, and homeowner discounts applied.
The best insurance companies and their offered discounts can be found below.
- American Family policyholders can earn discounts including multi-vehicle, mySafetyValet, accident-free, air bags, defensive driver, and Steer into Savings.
- Farm Bureau may offer discounts for youthful driver, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, renewal discount, good student, safe driver, and 55 and retired.
- State Farm may have discounts that include multiple autos, multiple policy, driver’s education, defensive driving training, Drive Safe & Save, anti-theft, and passive restraint.
- Travelers discounts include good student, home ownership, multi-car, multi-policy, new car, save driver, and student away at school.
- The Hartford may include discounts for driver training, bundle, good student, air bag, anti-theft, and defensive driver.
- GEICO offers discounts for emergency military deployment, air bags, anti-lock brakes, driver training, and anti-theft.
- Progressive includes discounts for multi-vehicle, online signing, continuous coverage, online quote discount, multi-policy, good student, and homeowner.
Before you buy a policy, ask each insurance company how you can save money. All car insurance discounts may not apply to policies in every state. To view companies with discount rates in Baltimore, click here to view.
Persistence pays off
When shopping online for auto insurance, it’s not a good idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. Too many times, drivers have reduced liability coverage limits to discover at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate.
We just presented some good ideas how you can compare Mercury Mountaineer insurance car insurance rates in Baltimore. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a smaller regional carrier.
A few companies do not offer rate quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through local independent agents. Lower-priced Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Baltimore can be bought on the web as well as from insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both in order to have the best chance of saving money.
Additional information is available below:
- Electronic Stability Control FAQ (iihs.org)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates for Low Credit Scores in Baltimore? (FAQ)
- How Much are Baltimore Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers Under 25? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Baltimore Auto Insurance Quotes for a Nissan Altima? (FAQ)
- Choosing an Insurance Company (Insurance Information Institute)
- Driving in Bad Weather (Insurance Information Institute)
- Top Signs Your Brakes are Giving Out (State Farm)
- Cellphones, Texting and Driving (iihs.org)