2008 Ford Escape Insurance Rates – 5 Tips to Save

Trying to find better insurance rates for your Ford Escape? Scraping up a payment for pricey Ford Escape insurance can empty your bank account and possibly require postponing other expenditures.

With so many insurance companies to choose from, it is hard for the average consumer to find a lower cost insurance company.

You should take the time to shop coverage around before your policy renews since insurance prices change frequently. If you had the lowest rate on Escape coverage six months ago you will most likely find a better premium rate today. There are a lot of ways to save on insurance on the internet, but I’m going to show you a lot of great tips on how to find cheap insurance.

Finding affordable coverage is not that difficult. Just about everyone who shops for auto insurance will most likely be able to reduce their rates. But car owners should learn the way insurance companies sell insurance online and apply this information to your search.

Low cost insurance coverage prices

There are several ways to get quotes from insurance coverage companies in your area. The quickest method to find the cheapest Ford Escape insurance rates is to get quotes online. It’s really quite simple and can be done in a couple minutes as outlined below.

1. One of the simplest ways consumers can analyze rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison click here to open form in new window. This style of form eliminates the need for boring form submissions for each company you want a rate for. Filling out one form gets you coverage quotes direct from many companies.
2. A more difficult way to compare rate quotes requires a visit to each individual company website and fill out a new quote form. For sake of this example, let’s say you need rates from Progressive, Liberty Mutual and Geico. In order to get each rate, you would have to visit each site and repeatedly enter your information, which can take a lot of time.

   For a list of companies in your area, click here.

3. The last method to get price estimates is driving to each insurance agency near you. The ability to get quotes online reduces the need to sit down with an agent unless you’re the type of person who wants the professional assistance of an agent trained in personal lines coverage. Although you can price shop your coverage online and still use a local agent.

Which method you use is up to you, but do your best to enter equivalent coverage limits with every price quote. If each company quotes different data you will not be able to make a fair rate comparison. Just a small difference in coverage limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. Keep in mind that comparing a wide range of rates provides better odds of finding the best price. Not every company provides price estimates online, so you need to compare price quotes from them, too.

Insurance advertising gotchas

Respected companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm seem to constantly run television and radio advertisements. They all seem to seem to make the promise about savings if you move your insurance policy to them. But how can every company offer drivers better rates? You have to listen carefully.

All the different companies have specific criteria for the type of driver they prefer to insure. A good example of a profitable insured may be between 25 and 40, has a low-risk occupation, and has a high credit rating. Any person that hits that “sweet spot” receives the best rates and will probably save money with a new company.

Potential insureds who do not fit the ideal profile will get a higher rate which translates to business not being written. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “customers that switch” not “everyone who quotes” save that much. That’s why insurance companies can confidently make those statements. Different companies use different criteria so drivers should get price quotes at each policy renewal. You cannot predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates for your situation.

Five discounts for lower-cost car insurance quotes

Some insurance providers don’t always list the complete list of policy discounts very clearly, so the following list contains some of the more common as well as some of the hidden discounts that you can inquire about if you buy insurance online. If you do not check that you are getting every discount available, you could be paying more than you need to.

• Discount for Life Insurance – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a small discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
• Accident Forgiveness Coverage – Not a discount per se, but companies like Libery Mutual, Geico and Allstate will forgive one accident before they charge you more for coverage if you are claim-free for a particular time prior to the accident.
• Senior Citizen Discount – Older drivers may qualify for a discount up to 10% on Escape coverage.
• Defensive Driver Discounts – Successfully completing a course that instructs on driving safety can save you 5% or more depending on where you live.
• Bundle and Save – If you have multiple policies with one company you may earn approximately 10% to 15%.

Discounts save money, but please remember that most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. Even though it appears you could get a free car insurance policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.

Companies and their possible discounts are shown below.

• Geico has discounts for federal employee, membership and employees, emergency military deployment, defensive driver, daytime running lights, multi-vehicle, and anti-theft.
• USAA may include discounts for new vehicle, safe driver, family discount, defensive driver, and vehicle storage.
• Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including continuous coverage, homeowner, multi-vehicle, online signing, online quote discount, and good student.
• American Family may have discounts that include mySafetyValet, early bird, bundled insurance, Steer into Savings, and good driver.
• Esurance offers discounts including defensive driver, renters, good driver, multi-policy, DriveSense, safety device, and online quote.
• Farmers Insurance offers discounts for good student, youthful driver, teen driver, pay in full, and multi-car.
• State Farm has savings for passive restraint, Steer Clear safe driver discount, multiple autos, driver’s education, and defensive driving training.

When getting free insurance quotes, it’s a good idea to every prospective company to apply every possible discount. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts might not be offered in every state.

You may need specialized auto insurance coverage

When it comes to choosing coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Everyone’s needs are different and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions might help in determining if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.

• What is no-fault insurance?
• What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in my state?
• Can my teen drive my company car?
• Does insurance cover damages from a DUI accident?
• Is my 2008 Ford Escape covered for flood damage?
• Does car insurance cover theft of personal property?
• How can I find cheaper teen driver insurance?
• How do I insure my teen driver?
• Does my 2008 Ford Escape need full coverage?

If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Auto insurance coverages

Learning about specific coverages of insurance aids in choosing the best coverages for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. Below you’ll find typical coverage types found on most insurance policies.

Coverage for liability

This coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to people or other property that is your fault. It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 25/50/25 which stand for $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability coverage protects against things such as bail bonds, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, court costs, loss of income and funeral expenses. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Comprehensive coverages

Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like damage from a tornado or hurricane, a broken windshield, damage from getting keyed and hail damage. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage

This provides protection when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your Ford Escape.

Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family.

Coverage for collisions

Collision insurance covers damage to your Escape resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage pays for things like crashing into a building, colliding with a tree and damaging your car on a curb. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Coverage for medical payments

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for expenses like chiropractic care, rehabilitation expenses, surgery and prosthetic devices. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. It covers you and your occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Find Good Coverage for Less

When shopping online for car insurance, it’s not a good idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where an insured dropped collision coverage only to regret at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at the lowest possible cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.

A few companies do not provide rates over the internet and these smaller providers only sell coverage through independent agents. Affordable 2008 Ford Escape insurance can be purchased on the web in addition to local insurance agencies, so you should compare both so you have a total pricing picture.

Additional information is available at these links:

• How do I File a Claim? (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Who Has Affordable Dallas Car Insurance for a Ford Escape? (DallasCoverage.com)
• Auto Insurance Basics (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Can I Drive Legally without Insurance? (Insurance Information Insitute)
• How to Avoid Common Accidents (State Farm)
• Uninsured Motorist Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)