How To Guide to Purchasing Car Insurance for a Ford Explorer

Locating low-cost insurance for a new or used Ford Explorer could be a lot of work, but you can learn these tips to save time.

There are more efficient ways to shop for car insurance so you’re going to learn the quickest way to compare rates for a Ford and locate the lowest possible price from both online companies and local agents.

Shopping for the lowest cost car insurance coverage is quite easy. Essentially everyone who has to buy car insurance should be able to cut their insurance bill. Nevertheless, drivers must know how insurance companies sell insurance online and apply this information to your search.

Compare Car Insurance Today

When shopping for car insurance there are multiple ways to compare quotes from car insurance companies in your area. The recommended way to find the lowest Ford Explorer rates is to compare rates online. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

The recommended way to get quotes for comparison would be an industry-wide quote request form click here to open form in new window. This easy form prevents you from having to do repetitive form submissions for each company you want a rate for. A single form will get you rate comparisons from multiple low-cost companies. It’s definitely the quickest method.
A more time consuming way to shop for car insurance online is spending the time to visit each company website and request a quote. For examples sake, we’ll pretend you want rates from Progressive, Liberty Mutual and Farmers. To get each rate you have to visit each site to enter your coverage information, which is why most consumers use the first method. For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.

Which method you use is up to you, but make sure you use apples-to-apples information with every price quote. If you are comparing different deductibles it’s not possible to determine the best price for your Ford Explorer. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits can make a big difference in price. And when comparison shopping, getting more free quotes gives you a better chance the best price.

Ford Explorer premiums are determined by many factors

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that come into play when calculating the price you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

Optional equipment can affect rates – Choosing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft devices like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system can thwart car theft.
High crash test scores lower rates – Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates. If your Ford scored better than four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org you are probably receiving a discount.
Please use or commuting – The more you drive in a year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Almost all companies apply a rate determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks used primarily for pleasure use can get a lower rate than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Double check that your car insurance policy properly reflects the correct driver usage, because it can save money. Incorrect usage on your Explorer may be costing you.
Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? – The majority of insurers will award you with lower prices to customers who consolidate policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, it’s still a good idea to compare other company rates to verify if the discount is saving money. Consumers may find a better deal by buying car insurance from a different company.
Liability insurance protects assets – The liability section of your policy provides coverage if a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability provides legal defense coverage which can be incredibly expensive. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
The type of vehicle makes a difference – The performance level of the vehicle you are insuring makes a substantial difference in how high your rates are. The lowest base rates are for low performance passenger cars, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors. Since the Ford Explorer is a standard SUV, insuring your vehicle will cost slighty more compared to average rates.
Battle of the sexes – Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, don’t assume that women are BETTER drivers than men. Both sexes are in accidents at about the same rate, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving.
Tickets mean higher rates – Whether or not you get tickets has a big impact on rates. Only having one speeding ticket can bump up the cost by twenty percent. Drivers who don’t get tickets get better rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers with severe tickets such as DUI or reckless driving are required to submit a SR-22 form with their state DMV in order to drive a vehicle legally.

Take discounts and save

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you can get discounts to reduce the price significantly. Some discounts apply automatically at the time you complete a quote, but a few need to be specially asked for prior to getting the savings.

Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Keeping the miles down on your Ford can qualify you for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Auto/Home Discount – If you have multiple policies with one insurance company you may save at least 10% off all policies.
Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save up to 5%.
Defensive Driving Course – Successfully completing a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount if you qualify.
Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
Clubs and Organizations – Participating in a professional or civic organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying car insurance.
Life Insurance – Larger companies have a break if you buy life insurance.
Homeowners Discount – Owning a home can help you save on car insurance because of the fact that having a home requires personal responsibility.
Claim Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can earn big discounts when compared with drivers who are more careless.
Student in College – Kids in college who live away from home without a vehicle on campus can be insured at a reduced rate.
Safe Drivers – Insureds without accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than drivers with accident claims.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, you won’t be that lucky. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce the cost of coverage.

Which policy gives me the best coverage?

When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover whether or not your insurance needs would benefit from professional advice.

When should I drop full coverage on my Ford Explorer?
Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?
Do I qualify for additional discounts?
When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
Does my personal auto insurance policy cover using my vehicle for business use?
Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form.

One last thing about your coverage

We’ve covered many ways to compare Ford Explorer insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from the smaller companies.

People who switch companies do it for a variety of reasons including policy non-renewal, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, unfair underwriting practices and even extreme rates for teen drivers. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a new car insurance company is easier than you think.

When trying to cut insurance costs, make sure you don’t skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many instances, consumers will sacrifice uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.