No one in their right mind looks forward to buying insurance coverage, especially knowing they could find better prices if they shop around. Numerous car insurance companies battle for your insurance dollar, and it can be difficult to compare rates and uncover the absolute best price available.
It’s smart to do rate comparisons quite often because insurance prices are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Even if you think you had the best deal on M-Class coverage last year there may be better deals available now. Ignore everything you know about insurance coverage because you’re about to find out the quickest way to find better coverage at a better price.
There are a lot of ways you can shop for insurance coverage but there is one way that is more efficient than others. You could waste a few hours talking about coverages with agents in your area, or you could save time and use online quotes to get rates in a matter of minutes.
Most of the best insurance companies belong to an insurance system that allows shoppers to only type in their quote data once, and every company provides a quote for coverage. This eliminates the need for quotation requests for every insurance coverage company.
To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now click to open in new window.
The one disadvantage to using this type of form is buyers cannot specifically choose which insurance companies to get quotes from. So if you want to choose specific insurance companies to compare, we put together a list of insurance coverage companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.
You can choose any of those ways to find more affodable coverage, but make absolute certain that you use nearly identical coverage information with every price quote. If you are comparing different values for each quote it will be very difficult to decipher which rate is best.
Consumers can’t get away from ads that promise big savings for switching from the likes of Allstate, Geico and Progressive. They all seem to make the promise that people will save after switching to their company.
How is it possible that every company can offer you a better deal? Here is how they do it.
Most companies can use profiling for the type of insured that makes them money. A good example of a profitable insured might have to be over the age of 35, is a homeowner, and drives newer vehicles. A driver that fits those parameters is entitled to the best price and will also save some money.
Drivers who fall short of these standards will be quoted a more expensive rate which translates to the customer buying from a different company. The ads say “drivers that switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much when switching. That is how insurance companies can make the claims of big savings. Because each company has a different risk profile, you really need to get insurance quotes from several different companies. Because you never know which car insurance company will fit your personal profile best.
Lots of things are part of the equation when you get a price on insurance. Most are fairly basic such as traffic violations, although others are not quite as obvious like your continuous coverage or how financially stable you are.
Listed below are some of the things car insurance companies consider when setting premiums.
Some insurers don’t necessarily list their entire list of discounts very clearly, so the following list contains both the well known and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving when you buy insurance online.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it appears you could get a free auto insurance policy, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy. But any discount will reduce the cost of your policy.
Auto insurance companies that have some of the above discounts may include but are not limited to:
When getting free insurance quotes, it’s a good idea to each insurance company the best way to save money. Discounts may not apply in your state. To see a list of auto insurance companies who offer discounts, click here.
When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s needs are different so this has to be addressed. For example, these questions can help discover whether you will benefit from professional help.
If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.
Knowing the specifics of a auto insurance policy helps when choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Auto insurance terms can be confusing and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are the usual coverages found on most auto insurance policies.
Comprehensive auto insurance
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims such as vandalism, damage from flooding, fire damage and a broken windshield. The maximum amount a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Collision coverage protection
This pays for damage to your M-Class resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against things like rolling your car, sustaining damage from a pot hole and damaging your car on a curb. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. You can also raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers
This protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.
Auto liability insurance
Liability coverage will cover damage that occurs to people or other property by causing an accident. This coverage protects you against claims from other people. Liability doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have liability limits of 100/300/100 that translate to a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000.
Liability can pay for things like emergency aid, bail bonds, legal defense fees and loss of income. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but consider buying higher limits if possible.
Coverage for medical expenses
Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for immediate expenses for things like prosthetic devices, funeral costs, dental work and pain medications. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to you and your occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available and may carry a deductible
Budget-friendly insurance can be found online and also from your neighborhood agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who may not have online price quotes and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agencies.
As you quote insurance, make sure you don’t buy less coverage just to save a little money. In too many instances, an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage and discovered at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible at the lowest possible cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
Throughout this article, we presented many ways to reduce 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class insurance premium rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding cheap insurance. Drivers may discover the best premium rates are with the smaller companies. Some small companies may have significantly lower prices on certain market segments than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
For more information, link through to the following helpful articles:
Elda Snow
Does Nevada require liability coverage?
Fumiko Russell
If you don’t have tickets and live near Rochester, New York, check out State Farm. You might get cheaper rates. Left Farmers to switch. I have several vehicles insured with them. Hardly afford to drive anymore. I dropped full coverage awhile back.
Kelsey Fisher
Cheaper not always better. Found cheapest coverage with Progressive for my 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class and saved around $90 a year. I get a discount for insuring multiple vehicles.
Una Phillips
Just my two cents. I live just outside Newark, New Jersey. I don’t recall every quote but I ended up saving about $20 each month. Book value doesn’t justify full coverage anymore.
Evelia Cameron
FYI in Green Bay, Wisconsin try Allstate. I got a good deal.
Benita Bishop
Got a quote with AAA for my 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class and am saving around $80 a year. I don’t insure for physical damage though.
Granville Ingram
Lots of good stuff here. I’m in the east part of Montgomery, AL. I got free quotes from Auto-Owners, Erie, and MetLife for my Mercedes-Benz and cut my rates about $80 a year. Get lots of quotes to find the best rate.
Marlena Hoover
Mine is so expensive. Live in Concord, New Hampshire. Quoted prices online for a 2001 Mercedes-Benz M-Class. Ended up at about $110 savings annually. Went with GEICO. Thankfully I’m not a high risk driver. I just carry liability insurance.
Eduardo Nieves
Well-written and thought out article. From a town just southwest of Louisville, Kentucky. I quoted with 21st Century, Amica, and some I forget for my Mercedes-Benz and saved around $100 a year. Get lots of quotes to find the best rate. Full coverage costs too much.