How long has it been since you compared quotes for lower-priced Mercury Mariner insurance in Oakland? Are you irritated from robbing Peter to pay Paul to insure your Mercury every month? You have the same problem as many other drivers in California.
We don’t have to tell you that car insurance companies don’t want their policyholders to compare prices. People who shop around for cheaper prices will most likely switch auto insurance companies because there is a good chance of finding a policy with more affordable rates. Remarkably, a study showed that drivers who did price comparisons regularly saved about $865 a year compared to those who never shopped around for lower prices.
If saving money on auto insurance in Oakland is your ultimate objective, then having a grasp of how to get rate quotes and compare insurance can save time and money.
Steps to saving on Mercury Mariner insurance in Oakland
If you want to save the most money, the best way to quote cheaper Mercury Mariner insurance is to start doing an annual price comparison from different companies that insure vehicles in Oakland. Prices can be compared by following these guidelines.
Step 1: Try to understand how insurance works and the steps you can take to lower rates. Many rating factors that increase rates such as accidents, traffic violations, and a lousy credit rating can be controlled by making minor changes to your lifestyle. Continue reading for information to get lower rates and find possible discounts that are available.
Step 2: Compare price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive and direct companies can provide rates from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while agents who are independent can provide price quotes from multiple insurance companies. View prices
Step 3: Compare the price quotes to your existing coverage to see if a cheaper price is available. If you find a better price, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
Step 4: Tell your current company to cancel your existing policy and submit a signed application and payment to the new insurer. Make sure you keep the new certificate verifying proof of insurance along with your vehicle registration.
The most important part of this process is that you’ll want to compare similar coverage information on each quote and and to compare as many car insurance companies as possible. This provides a fair rate comparison and many rates to choose from.
Drivers have multiple insurers to pick from, and though it is a good thing to have multiple companies, too many choices makes it more difficult to adequately compare rates for Mercury Mariner insurance in Oakland.
Finding the cheapest coverage in Oakland seems hard but is not really that difficult. If you already have coverage, you stand a good chance to be able to buy cheaper car insurance using the tips covered below. But California consumers need to have an understanding of how insurance companies market on the web and apply this information to your search.
Just remember that quoting more will increase your chances of finding better pricing. Not every company provides Oakland Mariner insurance quotes online, so it’s important to also get price quotes from them as well.
The companies shown below are ready to provide free rate quotes in California. In order to find cheap auto insurance in Oakland, we recommend you get rate quotes from several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Insurance rate breakdown
The information shown below showcases a range of insurance costs for Mercury Mariner models. Being aware of how insurance prices are calculated can help customers make decisions on the best policy coverages.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mariner 2WD | $294 | $464 | $394 | $24 | $118 | $1,294 | $108 |
| Mariner Premier 2WD | $294 | $564 | $394 | $24 | $118 | $1,394 | $116 |
| Mariner AWD | $294 | $564 | $394 | $24 | $118 | $1,394 | $116 |
| Mariner Hybrid 2WD | $294 | $664 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,588 | $132 |
| Mariner Premier AWD | $332 | $564 | $394 | $24 | $118 | $1,432 | $119 |
| Mariner Hybrid AWD | $332 | $664 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,626 | $136 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Data variables include married female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, safe-driver, multi-policy, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Rates do not factor in zip code location which can increase or decrease premiums substantially.
Auto insurance rates based on gender in Oakland
The example below visualizes the comparison of Mercury Mariner annual premium costs for male and female drivers. The rates are based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, full coverage, $500 deductibles, single status, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Should you buy full coverage?
The illustration below compares Mercury Mariner insurance prices with and without physical damage coverage. Data assumes no claims, a clean driving record, $250 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Guidelines for dropping full coverage
There is no clear-cut formula for eliminating full coverage on your policy, but there is a general school of thought. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is about 10% or more of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s assume your Mercury Mariner replacement cost is $5,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company would pay you is $4,000 after the deductible is paid. If it’s costing you more than $400 annually for your policy with full coverage, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.
There are a few situations where only buying liability is not a good plan. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you must maintain physical damage coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should maintain full coverage.
Car insurance discounts help lower rates for Mercury Mariner insurance in Oakland
Car insurance companies don’t always list every policy discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find both the well known and the harder-to-find discounts that may be available. If you don’t get every credit available, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Save with More Vehicles Insured – Buying coverage for all your vehicles on one policy can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
- Responsible Driver Discounts – Insureds who avoid accidents can save up to 40% or more on their Oakland car insurance quote than drivers with accident claims.
- Life Insurance – Not every insurance company offers life insurance, but if they do you may earn lower car insurance rates if you buy life insurance from them.
- Memberships – Participating in qualifying employment or professional organizations could earn you a nice discount on your next renewal.
- Pay Early and Save – If you can afford to pay the entire bill as opposed to paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you combine your auto and home policies with the same company they may give you a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Military Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit could be rewarded with lower rates.
- Safety Course Discount – Completing a class that teaches driver safety techniques could earn you a small percentage discount and make you a better driver.
A little disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to the whole policy. Some only apply to individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will cut the cost of your policy.
The illustration below illustrates the difference between Mercury Mariner yearly insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The costs are based on a male driver, no claims or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with claim-free, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, marriage, and multi-car discounts applied.
Larger car insurance companies and some of the discounts are detailed below.
- 21st Century may include discounts for 55 and older, good student, teen driver, defensive driver, and student driver.
- State Farm has savings for Steer Clear safe driver discount, student away at school, good driver, good student, and safe vehicle.
- AAA may have discounts that include anti-theft, pay-in-full, AAA membership discount, good driver, and education and occupation.
- Liberty Mutual has discounts for good student, multi-policy, newly retired, safety features, hybrid vehicle, and exclusive group savings.
- Progressive may offer discounts for good student, online quote discount, online signing, continuous coverage, and multi-policy.
If you are trying to find inexpensive Oakland car insurance quotes, ask each company or agent to give you their best rates. Depending on the company, some discounts might not apply in Oakland. To choose companies with discount car insurance rates in California, click this link.
Protect your Mariner and other assets
Despite the potentially high cost of Mercury Mariner insurance, insuring your vehicle is not optional due to several reasons.
- Most states have mandatory insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a specific minimum amount of liability in order to license the vehicle. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you bought your Mercury with a loan, it’s most likely the lender will require you to have comprehensive coverage to protect their interest in the vehicle. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Mercury at an extremely high rate and force you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
- Car insurance preserves not only your vehicle but also your assets. Insurance will also pay for medical transport and hospital expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. One policy coverage, liability insurance, also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit if you are sued as the result of an accident. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of insuring your Mariner definitely exceed the cost, especially if you ever need it. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer is overpaying more than $750 every year so we recommend shopping around at least once a year to make sure the price is not too high.
Auto insurance company ratings
Picking a good quality auto insurance provider can be challenging considering how many companies there are to choose from in California. The information shown next could help you analyze which auto insurance companies you want to consider purchasing a policy from.
Top 10 Oakland Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Claims Service
- AAA of Southern California
- State Farm
- Esurance
- AAA Insurance
- Progressive
- Liberty Mutual
- GEICO
- Allstate
- Titan Insurance
- The Hartford
Top 10 Oakland Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Satisfaction
- Titan Insurance – 95%
- USAA – 94%
- AAA of Southern California – 92%
- AAA Insurance – 91%
- Nationwide – 90%
- State Farm – 90%
- The Hartford – 89%
- GEICO – 89%
- The General – 88%
- 21st Century – 88%
How much insurance do I need?
When buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is a little different so your insurance should reflect that
Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine if your situation might need professional guidance.
- Should I bundle my homeowners policy with my auto?
- I have a DUI can I still get coverage?
- Is motorclub coverage worth it?
- Is my trailer covered?
- Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
- Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
- When should I drop full coverage on my Mercury Mariner?
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 or go to this page to view a list of companies.
When do I need to have guidance from an insurance agent?
Some people prefer to get professional advice from a licensed agent. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is that drivers can save money and get cheap rate quotes and still have a local agent.
To find an agent, once you fill out this short form, your insurance coverage information is emailed to local insurance agents in Oakland who will return price quotes to get your business. You never need to search for an agent since rate quotes are delivered directly to you. Get lower rates without requiring a lot of work. If for some reason you want to compare rates from a particular provider, you would need to search and find their rate quote page and complete a quote there.
Choosing an provider should include more criteria than just the price. You should also get answers to these questions.
- How often do they review coverages?
- Will the quote change when the policy is issued?
- Who are their largest clients?
- Is there a 24/7 contact number?
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in California?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
Coverages available on your car insurance policy
Understanding the coverages of car insurance can be of help when determining the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are typical coverages available from car insurance companies.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
This provides protection when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (California limits are 15/30/5), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.
Collision insurance
This covers damage to your Mariner from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision can pay for claims such as damaging your car on a curb, backing into a parked car, driving through your garage door, crashing into a ditch and rolling your car. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to increase the deductible on your Mariner in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Comprehensive protection
Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims such as a tree branch falling on your vehicle, hitting a bird, vandalism and hail damage. The highest amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.
Medical expense coverage
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for immediate expenses like hospital visits, rehabilitation expenses, nursing services, pain medications and chiropractic care. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available and may carry a deductible
Liability insurance
This can cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property in an accident. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others, and does not provide coverage for your injuries or vehicle damage.
It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see policy limits of 15/30/5 that means you have a $15,000 limit per person for injuries, $30,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $5,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability coverage protects against things like emergency aid, medical expenses and repair costs for stationary objects. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but buy higher limits if possible. California requires minimum liability limits of 15/30/5 but drivers should carry more coverage.
The chart below demonstrates why buying minimum limits may not be high enough to cover claims.