Paying for high-priced Mercedes-Benz C350 insurance can dwindle your savings account and make it impossible to make ends meet. Doing a price comparison is a great way to cut your insurance bill.
Consumers have many car insurance companies to insure vehicles with, and although it’s a good thing to have a selection, so many choices can make it hard to find the best rates for your vehicles.
Where Can I Get Cheap Texas Auto Insurance?
There are several ways to get quotes and find the best price. The best method to compare insurance prices involves getting comparison quotes online. This is very easy and can be done using a couple different methods.
- The most efficient way to get the best comparison quotes is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This type of form saves time by eliminating separate quotation requests to each individual auto insurance company. A single, simple form gets rate comparisons from many national carriers.
- A more time consuming way to analyze rates requires a trip to each company’s website to complete a price quote. For examples sake, we’ll pretend you want rates from State Farm, Safeco and GMAC. To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website to enter your coverage information, which is why most consumers use the first method. To view a list of companies in your area, click here.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but make absolute certain that you use the exact same coverages and limits on every quote you get. If you are comparing mixed coverages it’s impossible to determine the best price for your Mercedes-Benz C350. Having just a slight variation in coverage limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when quoting auto insurance, remember that obtaining a wide range of quotes helps locate better pricing.
These discounts can slash auto insurance rates
The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but companies offer discounts to help offset the cost. Some trigger automatically when you purchase, but a few must be asked for before being credited.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
- Good Students Pay Less – A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. The good student discount can last until age 25.
- Distant Student – Children who live away from home and don’t have a car can receive lower rates.
- Early Signing – Some companies give discounts for switching to them before your current policy expires. This can save 10% or more.
- Club Memberships – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying auto insurance for C350 coverage.
- One Accident Forgiven – Certain companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums as long as you don’t have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of 20% or more.
Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Just because it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any amount of discount will reduce your overall premium however.
To see a list of providers with the best auto insurance discounts in Texas, click this link.
When might I need the advice of an agent?
When choosing coverage, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Every insured’s situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For instance, these questions may help you determine whether your personal situation would benefit from professional advice.
- Is there coverage for injuries to my pets?
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
- Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Texas?
- Will my vehicle be repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- How high should my medical payments coverage be?
- Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
Some factors that can determine what Mercedes-Benz C350 insurance costs
Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.
- Add-on coverages can add up – There are many add-on coverages that you can buy when buying auto insurance. Coverages like personal injury protection, towing coverage and motor club memberships are some examples. These may sound like a good investment at first, but if you don’t need them get rid of them and save.
- Men fork out a little more – Statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. Now that doesn’t mean women are better drivers. Men and women tend to get into accidents at a similar rate, but the men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also statistically get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving.
- Do you have a high stress job? – Occupations such as doctors, social workers and dentists have the highest average rates attributed to stressful work requirements and long work days. Other occupations such as actors, historians and retirees get better rates for C350 coverage.
- No coverage gaps is important – Driving without insurance can get your license suspended and auto insurance companies will penalize you for letting your coverage have a gap. Not only will you pay more, but not being able to provide proof of insurance may earn you a steep fine or even jail time.Then you may be required to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Texas motor vehicle department.
- High credit ratings translate to low rates – Having a bad credit history is a big factor in determining what you pay for auto insurance. If your credit rating is not that good, you could pay less to insure your Mercedes-Benz C350 by improving your credit score. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with lower credit scores.
Do drivers who switch really save $426 a year?
Auto insurance companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm continually stream television and radio advertisements. They all seem to have a common claim that you can save after switching your coverage to them. How can each company claim to save you money?
Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the driver they prefer to insure. A good example of a preferred risk might be a mature driver, owns a home, and has a short commute. A propective insured that hits that “sweet spot” will get the preferred rates and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Consumers who are not a match for this ideal profile must pay more money which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much money. That is how companies can make the claims of big savings.
This illustrates why you need to get as many comparisons as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.
Buy online or local, you save
When you buy insurance online, never skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are too many instances where an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford.
Cheaper Mercedes-Benz C350 insurance can be purchased online and with local Texas insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.
To find out more about Texas auto insurance
Much more information about auto insurance in Texas can be read on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance located here. Visitors are able to file complaints about a company, learn about specific coverages, and discover disciplinary actions.
Additional helpful sites include III.org’s auto insurance page and this helpful list of insurance agents in Texas.