Locating the cheapest insurance for a Mercedes-Benz 500SL could be a painful process, but you can use a few tricks to make it easier. There is a better way to shop for car insurance so you’re going to learn the quickest way to price shop coverage for a new or used Mercedes-Benz and get the lowest possible price from local insurance agents and online providers.
Consumers should take time to take a look at other company’s rates periodically because insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Even if you think you had the best deal for 500SL coverage two years ago a different company probably has better rates today. Don’t believe everything you read about car insurance online, so I’m going to show you the easiest ways to find affordable car insurance.
Impacting insurance rates for a Mercedes-Benz 500SL
It’s important that you understand the rating factors that go into determining the price you pay for car insurance. Understanding what determines base rates enables informed choices that can help you get lower car insurance prices.
- Save money with special equipment – Driving a car with an alarm system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Anti-theft devices such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all hinder your car from being stolen.
- Better crash test results mean better rates – Vehicles with good safety scores get lower rates. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates means less money paid by your insurance company and more competitive rates for policyholders. If your Mercedes-Benz 500SL is rated at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website it is probably cheaper to insure.
- Liability insurance protects assets – Liability insurance provides coverage in the event that a jury decides you are liable for damages from an accident. It provides legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
- Big city or small town – Being located in less populated areas is a positive aspect when it comes to car insurance. Fewer people translates into fewer accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft. Drivers who live in large cities have to deal with more traffic problems and much longer commute distances. More time on the road can result in more accidents.
How to Lower Your Car Insurance Cost
Most major insurance companies provide prices for coverage on the web. Getting online quotes doesn’t take much effort as you just enter your required coverages as detailed in the form. Once entered, their system obtains your driving record and credit report and generates a price based on these and other factors.
This makes comparing rates easy, but having to visit each company’s website and repetitively complete many quote forms can be a bit repetitive. Unfortunately, it is important to get many rate quotes if you want to find better prices.
Quote rates the easy way
The smarter way to compare car insurance pricing uses one simple form that gets price quotes from more than one company. It’s a real time-saver, reduces the work, and makes online shopping much more enjoyable and efficient. Once the form is submitted, it is quoted and you are able to buy any one of the resulting price quotes. If the quotes result in lower rates, you simply finish the application and purchase coverage. It can be completed in less than 10 minutes and could lower your rates considerably.
In order to find out how much you’re overpaying now, simply click here to open in new window and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you complete the form with just like they are on your policy. This helps ensure you will receive rate quotes for similar coverage.
Car insurance myths debunked
Car insurance companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive consistently run ads on television and other media. They all seem to have a common claim that you can save if you change to them. But how can every company make the same claim?
Different companies can use profiling for the right customer that makes them money. A good example of a driver they prefer might be between the ages of 30 and 50, owns a home, and drives newer vehicles. Any driver who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.
Potential insureds who don’t meet the “perfect” profile will be charged more money which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much. That’s why insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings. That is why you absolutely need to quote coverage with many companies. Because you never know which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.
Do you qualify for discounts?
Auto insurance companies don’t necessarily list all available discounts very well, so we took the time to find both well-publicized and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using.
- Discount for Swiching Early – A few companies offer discounts for signing up before your current policy expires. The savings is around 10%.
- Good Student Discount – Getting good grades can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply until age 25.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Companies who offer life insurance give a break if you buy life insurance from them.
- Federal Employees – Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount for 500SL coverage with certain companies.
- Drive Safe and Save – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates for 500SL coverage than less cautious drivers.
It’s important to note that most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So when the math indicates you could get a free car insurance policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
Quote often and quote early
While you’re price shopping online, make sure you don’t reduce needed coverages to save money. In too many instances, someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage to discover at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price.
People leave their current company for a variety of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, delays in responding to claim requests, denial of a claim and even questionable increases in premium. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding a new company is not as hard as you think.
We just showed you many ways to shop for Mercedes-Benz 500SL insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the best price on car insurance is with a smaller regional carrier.
