2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class Car Insurance Rates

Drivers have a choice when trying to find the lowest priced Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class insurance. They can either waste time driving around trying to get quotes or use the internet to find the lowest rates. There is a right way and a wrong way to buy insurance coverage and you need to know the absolute fastest way to quote coverages for your Mercedes-Benz and find the best price possible.

Consumers need to shop coverage around once or twice a year because rates tend to go up over time. Just because you found the best deal on SLK-Class coverage a year ago the chances are good that you can find a lower price today. You can search a lot of insurance coverage online but in just a couple of minutes you can learn some of the best techniques to find cheap insurance coverage.

Insurance quotes comparison

There are a variety of methods you can shop for insurance but one way is easier and takes less work. You could waste time driving to insurance companies in your area, or you could save time and use online quoting to quickly compare rates.

Most major companies participate in a marketplace that allows shoppers to complete one form, and each company returns a rated price for coverage. This saves time by eliminating quotation requests for each company you want a rate for. To compare pricing click to open in new window.

One minor caviat to doing it this way is that you can’t choose the insurers you want pricing from. If you wish to select individual companies for rate comparison, we have a listing of the cheapest insurance companies in your area. Click to view list.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just do your best to use equivalent coverage limits on every quote you get. If the quotes have mixed coverages it will be nearly impossible to decipher which rate is best.

Lower your insurance prices

It’s important that you understand some of the factors that come into play when calculating car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates, this allows you to make educated decisions that could help you find lower premium levels.

• Save money by eliminating extra coverages – There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that can add up but may not be useful. Things like coverage for rental cars, towing, and membership fees are probably not needed. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but if they’re wasting money consider taking them off your policy.
• Married drivers get better prices – Walking down the aisle helps lower the price on your car insurance bill. Having a significant other means you’re more stable financially and insurance companies like that drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
• Deter vehicle theft – Owning a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Advanced theft deterrents like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all help stop car theft and help bring rates down.
• Raising deductibles lowers rates – The deductibles tell how much the insured will be required to pay in the event of a claim. Coverage for physical damage, also called comprehensive and collision insurance, is used to repair damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply are rearending another vehicle, fire damage, and damage from wind. The more money the insured has to pay upfront, the less money you will pay for car insurance on SLK-Class coverage.
• Accidents will cost you – How you drive has a huge affect on how much you pay. Just one driving citation can bump up the cost forty percent or more. Attentive drivers have lower premiums compared to drivers with tickets. People who have careless tickets such as DUI or willful reckless driving are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) to the state department of motor vehicles in order to legally drive.

Insurance policy discounts

Some insurers do not list every discount they offer in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below details some of the more common as well as the least known discounts that you may qualify for. If you are not receiving all the discounts available, you’re paying more than you need to.

• Save with a New Car – Buying insurance on a new vehicle can save up to 30% since new vehicles have better safety ratings.
• Student Driver Training – Teen drivers should enroll and complete driver’s education as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
• Clubs and Organizations – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization is a simple method to lower premiums on insurance.
• Policy Bundle Discount – When you combine your homeowners and auto insurance and insure them with the same company you could save up to 20% and get you cheap car insurance.
• E-sign – Some of the larger companies will give a small break for signing up on your computer.
• Student Discounts – This discount may save as much as 25% on a car insurance quote. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
• Senior Citizen Discount – Seniors could receive a small decrease in premiums on SLK-Class coverage.
• Telematics Data Discounts – People who choose to allow companies to spy on their driving habits by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system could save a few bucks if they show good driving skills.
• Own a Home and Save – Being a homeowner can help you save on insurance because owning a home requires personal responsibility.

It’s important to note that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Despite the fact that it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won’t be that lucky. But all discounts will help lower your premiums.

A few companies who may offer some of the discounts shown above include:

• State Farm
• Geico
• SAFECO
• Farmers Insurance
• AAA
• USAA

Before buying, ask each insurance company which discounts they offer. Depending on the company, some discounts may not apply to policyholders in your area.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When choosing adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

These are some specific questions may help you determine if you could use an agent’s help.

• What exactly is covered by my policy?
• Should I buy more coverage than the required minimum liability coverage?
• Is my ex-spouse still covered by my policy?
• What is medical payments coverage?
• Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
• Is my Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class covered if I use it for business?
• Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
• At what point should I drop full coverage?
• If my pet gets injured in an accident are they covered?

If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.

Insurance coverages 101

Understanding the coverages of a insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Insurance terms can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Liability coverages

Liability insurance provides protection from damage or injury you incur to other people or property in an accident. This insurance protects YOU against claims from other people. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have liability limits of 50/100/50 that means you have $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability coverage protects against claims like repair costs for stationary objects, emergency aid and pain and suffering. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Medical payments coverage and PIP

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for bills for things like X-ray expenses, ambulance fees, dental work and funeral costs. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to you and your occupants and also covers if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea.

Comprehensive coverage

This pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as hitting a deer, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, vandalism, damage from flooding and hitting a bird. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.

Collision insurance

This covers damage to your SLK-Class resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as driving through your garage door, colliding with a tree, scraping a guard rail, backing into a parked car and crashing into a ditch. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from older vehicles. You can also increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

Be a Smart Shopper

Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how to get a better price on 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class insurance. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the better your chances of lowering your premium rates. You may even find the lowest car insurance rates are with the smaller companies.

Drivers who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as policy non-renewal, unfair underwriting practices, delays in responding to claim requests and denial of a claim. It doesn’t matter what your reason, choosing a new insurance company is actually quite simple.

As you restructure your insurance plan, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, drivers have reduced liability coverage limits only to regret they didn’t purchase enough coverage. The aim is to find the BEST coverage at the best cost and still be able to protect your assets.

More tips and info about insurance can be found by following these links:

• Coverage Information (Progressive Insurance)
• Air Bags: Potential Dangers to Your Children (Insurance Information Insitute)
• What if I Can’t Find Coverage? (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Understanding Rental Car Insurance (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Choosing an Insurance Company (Insurance Information Insitute)