It takes a little time, but the best way to find cheaper Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Charlotte is to do a yearly price comparison from different companies that insure vehicles in North Carolina.
- Step 1: It will benefit you to learn about how auto insurance works and the steps you can take to prevent expensive coverage. Many things that cause high rates like traffic tickets, fender benders, and an unacceptable credit rating can be rectified by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes. This article gives tips to lower rates and get additional discounts.
- Step 2: Request price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive agents and direct companies can provide rates from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agencies can provide rate quotes from many different companies.
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to the price on your current policy and determine if cheaper Mountaineer coverage is available. If you find a lower rate and switch companies, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
The critical component of shopping around is to use the same liability limits and deductibles on every quote and and to look at every insurance company. Doing this provides an apples-to-apples comparison and the best rate selection.
It’s shocking but almost 70% of drivers kept their coverage with the same car insurance company for over three years, and virtually 40% of consumers have never even shopped around for cheaper coverage. North Carolina consumers can save hundreds of dollars each year by just comparing quotes, but they don’t know the amount of money they would save if they swap their current policy for a cheaper one.
Seven Tips to Get More Affordable Charlotte Insurance Premiums
Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that play a part in calculating your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what determines premiums, this helps enable you to make changes that can help you get lower premium levels.
If you don’t need it don’t buy it – Insurance companies have many extra bells and whistles that can add up when buying auto insurance. Insurance for things like roadside assistance, high-cost glass coverage, and extra life insurance coverage are some examples. These may sound like a good investment when buying your policy, but if they’re wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Premiums may be lower depending on your occupation – Did you know your career choice can influence rates? Occupational choices like military generals, executives, and accountants generally have higher rates than average due to high stress levels and long work hours. On the other hand, jobs like farmers, engineers and retirees have the lowest average rates.
Claim-free discounts can add up – Auto insurance companies in North Carolina provide the lowest premiums to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you’re an insured who likes to file claims you can pretty much guarantee higher premiums or even policy non-renewal. Your car insurance is intended for claims that you cannot pay yourself.
Prevent coverage lapses – Driving without insurance is illegal and companies may charge more for letting your coverage cancel without a new policy in place. And not only will your rates increase, being ticketed for driving with no insurance could result in a license revocation or jail time.
Adjust deductibles and save – The deductibles represent how much money you are required to pay in the event of a claim. Insurance for physical damage, aka comp and collision, protects your car from damage. Examples of some claims that would be covered are colliding with a stationary object, animal collisions, and damage caused by road hazards. The more the insured has to pay upfront, the better rate you will receive.
Protect yourself with liability – A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance provides coverage if ever you are responsible for physical damage or personal injury to other. Liability provides you with a defense in court starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
More policies can equal more savings – Most larger insurers will give lower prices to policyholders that have more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you’re getting this discount you still need to comparison shop to ensure the best deal. You may still find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.
Mercury Mountaineer insurance charts and tables
The rate information below covers different insurance coverage prices for Mercury Mountaineer models. Having a good understanding how prices are figured can aid in making decisions on the best policy to buy.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountaineer 2WD | $168 | $328 | $240 | $14 | $72 | $822 | $69 |
| Mountaineer AWD | $188 | $328 | $240 | $14 | $72 | $842 | $70 |
| Mountaineer Premier 2WD | $188 | $388 | $240 | $14 | $72 | $902 | $75 |
| Mountaineer Premier AWD | $188 | $388 | $240 | $14 | $72 | $902 | $75 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Prices based on married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Prices do not factor in your specific Charlotte location which can impact premium rates noticeably.
The diagram below highlights how deductible choice and can affect Mercury Mountaineer insurance costs for each different age category. The rates are based on a married female driver, full coverage, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Should you buy full coverage?
The diagram below illustrates the comparison of Mercury Mountaineer insurance costs with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. Data assumes no accidents or driving violations, $1,000 deductibles, single marital status, and no other discounts are factored in.
When to switch to liability coverage only
There is no definitive guideline to eliminate physical damage coverage, but there is a general school of thought. If the annual cost of coverage is about 10% or more of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then it might be time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s say your Mercury Mountaineer replacement cost is $4,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, you would only receive $3,000 after you pay the deductible. If it’s costing in excess of $300 annually for physical damage coverage, then it might be time to buy liability only.
There are some situations where removing full coverage is not a good idea. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you have to keep full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should maintain full coverage.
Charlotte insurance discounts for a Mercury Mountaineer
Insurance can be pricey, but you might find some hidden discounts to help bring down the price. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of quoting, but once in a while a discount must be asked for before being credited.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles and insure them both with the same insurance company you could save as much as 10 to 15 percent.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Driving fewer miles can earn lower prices on the low mileage vehicles.
- Passive Restraints – Vehicles with factory air bags or automatic seat belts may get savings up to 30%.
- Distant Student Discount – Kids who attend college more than 100 miles from Charlotte and don’t have a car could get you a discount.
- Government Employees – Simply working for the federal government could provide a small rate reduction with some insurance companies.
- Driver Safety – Participating in a course in defensive driving may get you a small discount if your company offers it.
- Life Insurance Discount – Larger insurance carriers have lower premium rates if you buy a life policy as well.
- Full Payment Discount – If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of making monthly payments you can avoid the installment charge.
- Save with More Vehicles Insured – Having multiple vehicles on a single policy qualifies for this discount.
- Anti-theft System – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles are stolen with less frequency so companies will give you a small discount.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, nobody gets a free ride.
The example below illustrates the difference between Mercury Mountaineer insurance prices with and without discounts being applied to the rates. The data is based on a female driver, no claims or driving violations, North Carolina state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with claim-free, multi-car, marriage, multi-policy, safe-driver, and homeowner discounts applied.
If you would like to view insurance companies who offer free Mercury Mountaineer insurance quotes in Charlotte, click here.
Be persistent and save
When trying to cut insurance costs, don’t be tempted to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped full coverage only to regret that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
We just covered many ideas to find lower-cost Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Charlotte. The key concept to understand is the more you quote Charlotte car insurance, the better likelihood of getting the cheapest Mercury Mountaineer rate quotes. You may even discover the most savings is with the smaller companies.
Lower-priced Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Charlotte is definitely available online and from local agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who may not offer online price quotes and usually these small, regional companies only sell coverage through independent insurance agents.
More tips and info about insurance is available in these articles:
- Should I Buy a New or Used Car? (Allstate)
- Collision Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)
- Higher speed limits cause more fatalities (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Auto Insurance Basics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Eight Auto Insurance Myths (Insurance Information Institute)