Are you tired of being strong-armed to insure your Mercedes-Benz every month? You are no different than many other drivers.
There are many insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and even though it’s nice to have a selection, it can be more challenging to compare rates and cut insurance costs.
How to Lower Your Auto Insurance Cost
There are a lot of ways to compare auto insurance prices but one way is more efficient than others. You could spend your day talking about coverages with agents in your area, or you could save time and use online quoting to accomplish the same thing much quicker.
Many companies belong to a marketplace where insurance shoppers complete one form, and every company returns a rated price based on the submitted data. This prevents consumers from doing repetitive form submissions for each company you want a rate for.
To use this form to compare rates click here to start a free quote.
The only drawback to using this type of form is that consumers can’t choose which companies to get pricing from. So if you prefer to pick from a list of companies to compare, we have assembled a list of auto insurance companies in your area. Click here to view list.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but ensure you’re using exactly the same coverage limits for each comparison quote. If you compare different liability limits it will be impossible to find the best deal for your Mercedes-Benz 400E. Quoting even small variations in limits may result in large price differences. It’s important to know that quoting more will enable you to find the best price.
Do you qualify for a discount?
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but companies offer discounts that you may not even be aware of. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time you complete a quote, but a few must be inquired about before being credited.
- Accident Waiver – Some insurance companies permit an accident before your rates go up as long as you don’t have any claims for a set time period.
- Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
- Defensive Driving Course – Taking a course teaching defensive driving skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
- Drivers Education – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to take driver’s ed class in school.
- Claim Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can earn big discounts when compared to frequent claim filers.
- Service Members Pay Less – Being deployed with a military unit could mean lower rates.
- Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with a break if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
It’s important to note that some credits don’t apply to the entire cost. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like you can get free auto insurance, you’re out of luck. But all discounts will reduce your overall premium however.
To see a list of insurance companies offering auto insurance discounts, follow this link.
Your local neighborhood insurance agent
Some consumers just want to buy from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is you may find the lowest rates and still choose a local agent. Buying from local agencies is important especially if you live in a smaller city or town.
After filling out this simple form, the quote information is sent to agents in your area who will compete for your coverage. There is no need to drive around due to the fact that quote results will go directly to your email. How’s that for easy! You can find the lowest rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.
Pick the best car insurance agent for you
When researching local agents, there are a couple of different types of agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. agents are either independent or captive.
Independent Insurance Agents
These agents are not locked into one company but instead can place your coverage with lots of companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, your agent can switch companies and you don’t have to find a new agent. When comparing rates, it’s recommended you include several independent insurance agents for maximum quote selection.
Agency Captives
These agents are contracted to one company and some examples include Liberty Mutual, State Farm, Allstate and AAA. These agents are not able to shop your coverage around so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captives are very knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them compete with independent agents.
To view a complete directory of insurance agents, visit this page.
Choosing an insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- How are claims handled?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
- What insurance company do they write the most business with?
After getting positive responses for all questions you ask and a good coverage price, you’ve probably found an insurance agency that meets your needs to properly service your auto insurance policy.
Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?
Companies like GEICO, State Farm and Progressive constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. All the ads say the same thing that you can save if you switch to their company. But how can every company say the same thing? It’s all in the numbers.
All companies have a preferred profile for the driver that makes them money. An example of a preferred risk might be profiled as between 25 and 40, has no prior claims, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any driver who matches those parameters will get the preferred rates and most likely will save when switching.
Consumers who do not match these standards will be quoted more money which leads to business going elsewhere. The ads state “customers who switch” not “people who quote” save money. That is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings.
This emphasizes why drivers should get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict which company will have the lowest rates.
Auto insurance specifics
Learning about specific coverages of your auto insurance policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. These are the usual coverages found on the average auto insurance policy.
Liability
Liability insurance can cover injuries or damage you cause to people or other property by causing an accident. It protects you against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show limits of 100/300/100 which means $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and property damage coverage for $100,000. Alternatively, you may have a combined limit which combines the three limits into one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability coverage pays for claims such as structural damage, legal defense fees, bail bonds, loss of income and medical expenses. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.
Comprehensive auto coverage
This pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like hail damage, damage from flooding and rock chips in glass. The maximum payout your auto insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage
This gives you protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your Mercedes-Benz 400E.
Since many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked. Frequently these coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.
Medical payments and PIP coverage
Med pay and PIP coverage pay for immediate expenses such as X-ray expenses, nursing services and prosthetic devices. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. It covers both the driver and occupants and also covers if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available and may carry a deductible
Collision coverage
This coverage pays for damage to your 400E from colliding with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision can pay for things like colliding with another moving vehicle, crashing into a building and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.
Online plus local equals savings
Cost effective Mercedes-Benz 400E insurance is attainable both online and with local insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best selection. Some companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of tips how to compare Mercedes-Benz 400E insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the most savings is with an unexpected company. Regional companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas compared to the large companies like Allstate or State Farm.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, someone dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The aim is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.
