It’s a fact that insurance companies don’t want their customers to go rate shopping. Drivers who compare other prices will probably buy a different policy because of the high probability of finding better rates. Remarkably, a study showed that consumers who did price comparisons regularly saved approximately $3,400 over four years as compared to drivers who never compared prices.
If finding the lowest price on Mercedes-Benz C350 insurance in Durham is why you’re here, then understanding how to choose a company and compare auto insurance can make shopping around easier.
The most effective way to save on Mercedes-Benz C350 insurance in Durham is to annually compare prices from companies that insure vehicles in North Carolina.
First, it will benefit you to learn about coverages and the measures you can control to drop your rates. Many rating factors that increase rates like multiple speeding tickets and a less-than-favorable credit history can be improved by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.
Second, request rate estimates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only quote rates from one company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agencies can provide rate quotes for a wide range of insurance providers. Select a company
Third, compare the price quotes to your existing policy to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find a better price and make a switch, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
Fourth, tell your current company to cancel your current car insurance policy and submit payment and a completed application to your new company or agent. Once coverage is bound, keep the new certificate of insurance somewhere easily accessible.
One bit of advice is that you use identical coverages on every price quote and to quote with every insurance company. Doing this enables a level playing field and a good representation of prices.
The quickest way to compare policy rates for Mercedes-Benz C350 insurance in Durham is to realize most larger insurance companies actually pay money for the chance to compare their rates. The only thing you need to do is give them rating details including driver ages, if the car is leased, whether you drive to work or school, and types of safety features. Your insurance information gets sent immediately to multiple top-rated companies and you will get price comparisons instantly.
If you would like to compare rates now, click here and find out if lower rates are available in Durham.
The providers in the list below can provide price comparisons in North Carolina. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you get rates from several of them to find the most competitive car insurance rates.
Three good reasons to insure your C350
Even though Durham C350 insurance rates can get expensive, insurance may be mandatory for several reasons.
- Almost all states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means the state requires a specific minimum amount of liability insurance in order to be legal. In North Carolina these limits are 30/60/25 which means you must have $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $60,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of property damage coverage.
- If your Mercedes-Benz C350 has a lienholder, it’s guaranteed your bank will require you to have insurance to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the bank may buy a policy for your Mercedes-Benz for a much higher rate and require you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
- Car insurance preserves both your vehicle and your assets. It will also provide coverage for most medical and hospital costs incurred in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, will also pay for a defense attorney if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If your Mercedes-Benz gets damaged, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of having car insurance more than offset the price you pay, especially when you need to use it. But the average driver in North Carolina overpays as much as $865 each year so compare rate quotes at every renewal to ensure rates are inline.
Rates and information analytics
The rate information displayed next outlines detailed analysis of insurance coverage prices for Mercedes-Benz C350 models. Having knowledge of how car insurance premiums are determined can help drivers make smart choices when choosing a car insurance company.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C350 W 4-Dr Sedan | $220 | $404 | $256 | $16 | $76 | $972 | $81 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Above prices assume married male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, and safe-driver. Table data does not factor in Durham location which can increase or decrease price quotes considerably.
Where to set your deductibles
A question often asked by Durham drivers is how high should the physical damage coverage deductibles be. The premium rates below determine the costs and benefits between high and low comp and collision deductibles. The first data set uses a $250 deductible for comprehensive and collision coverage and the second set of rates uses a $1,000 deductible.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C350 W 4-Dr Sedan | $242 | $440 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $1,045 | $87 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C350 W 4-Dr Sedan | $150 | $276 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $764 | $64 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Table data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Price estimates do not factor in specific Durham garaging location which can decrease or increase auto insurance rates greatly.
Based on the data above, we can derive that using a $250 deductible costs roughly $23 more each month or $276 every year than choosing the higher $1,000 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $750 more out-of-pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you go more than 33 months between claims, you would more than likely save some money if you choose the higher deductible.
The chart below shows how choosing a deductible and can impact Mercedes-Benz C350 insurance costs for each age group. The prices are based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Get cheaper Mercedes-Benz C350 insurance rates in Durham
Some companies don’t list every discount they offer in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list a few of the more well known as well as the least known discounts that you can inquire about if you buy Durham auto insurance online.
- Driver Safety – Participating in a class that teaches defensive driving techniques could save 5% or more if you qualify.
- E-sign – A handful of insurance companies will give a small break for completing your application on their website.
- Telematics Data Discounts – Policyholders that allow their company to analyze vehicle usage by using a telematics device such as Progressive’s Snapshot may get a rate reduction if their driving habits are good.
- Military Deployment Discount – Being deployed in the military may lower your prices slightly.
- Policy Bundle Discount – If you can combine your home and auto policy with the same insurance company you will save at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
- Good Student Discount – Maintaining excellent grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. Many companies even apply the discount to college students up to age 25.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
- Own a Home and Save – Owning a house in Durham can earn you a little savings since home ownership requires personal responsibility.
- ABS Brakes – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Drive Safe and Save – Accident-free drivers can save as much as half off their rates compared to rates paid by drivers with frequent claims.
Please keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like it’s possible to get free car insurance, you aren’t that lucky.
The example below shows the difference between Mercedes-Benz C350 insurance costs with and without discounts. The premium estimates are based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, North Carolina state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, multi-policy, multi-car, safe-driver, claim-free, and marriage discounts applied.
A few popular companies and their possible discounts are included below.
- GEICO offers premium reductions for good student, emergency military deployment, driver training, anti-theft, daytime running lights, and multi-policy.
- Travelers offers discounts including new car, driver training, student away at school, early quote, multi-car, and continuous insurance.
- Nationwide offers discounts for multi-policy, anti-theft, defensive driving, Farm Bureau membership, good student, and accident-free.
- Farmers Insurance has savings for switch companies, mature driver, pay in full, early shopping, and good student.
- Esurance discounts include paid-in-full, good driver, DriveSense, online quote, and defensive driver.
- State Farm has discounts for student away at school, multiple autos, safe vehicle, good student, Steer Clear safe driver discount, driver’s education, and passive restraint.
- Progressive includes discounts for homeowner, good student, multi-policy, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, and online signing.
- Mercury Insurance may include discounts for type of vehicle, professional/association, multi-policy, multi-car, low natural disaster claims, and good driver.
Before buying, ask all companies you are considering to give you their best rates. A few discounts might not be offered in Durham. To locate insurance companies with the best Mercedes-Benz C350 insurance discounts in Durham, click this link.
Buying from auto insurance agents
Certain consumers just prefer to visit with an insurance agent and we recommend doing that One of the benefits of price shopping on the web is you can get cheaper premium rates and still have a local agent.
Upon completion of this short form, your coverage information is transmitted to participating agents in Durham who will gladly provide quotes for your business. You don’t have to find an agent due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. It’s the lowest rates without having to waste a lot of time. If you need to get a price quote from a specific insurance company, feel free to go to their quote page and submit a quote form there.
Finding the right insurer requires you to look at more than just the premium amount. Below are some questions you should ask.
- Is there any savings for paying the full premium?
- Are they paid to recommend certain coverages?
- How is replacement cost determined on your vehicle?
- Will the quote change when the policy is issued?
- Do they specialize in personal lines coverage in Durham?
- Which companies can they place coverage with?
The type of car insurance agent you choose is important
When looking for an insurance agent, it’s helpful to know the different types of agencies and how they function. Car insurance policy providers are considered either independent agents or exclusive agents.
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Exclusive agencies normally can only provide a single company’s rates such as Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. These agents are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so keep that in mind. Exclusive agents are usually well trained on their products and sales techniques which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates.
The following are Durham exclusive agencies that can give you rate quotes.
Allstate Insurance Agent: Cody Holliday
4324 S Alston Ave – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 249-7291 – View Map
Allstate Insurance Agent: Reginald Wright
2310 S Miami Blvd Ste 131 – Durham, NC 27703 – (919) 484-2493 – View Map
Debbie Leonard – State Farm Insurance Agent
3702 Hillsborough Rd #2b – Durham, NC 27705 – (919) 383-3887 – View Map
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agents do not have single company limitations so as a result can place your coverage through many companies and get the cheapest rates. If they find a lower price, your policy is moved internally and you don’t have to do anything. When shopping rates, you will want to compare prices from a couple of independent agencies for the best price selection.
Shown below are Durham independent agents that are able to give comparison quotes.
The Sorgi Insurance Agency
16 Consultant Pl Suite 102 – Durham, NC 27707 – (919) 682-4814 – View Map
George Stevens Insurance Inc
1320 Hill St – Durham, NC 27707 – (919) 403-3611 – View Map
The Insurance Pros, Inc.
1210 Cole Mill Rd Suite 101 – Durham, NC 27705 – (919) 294-6613 – View Map
If you feel you receive satisfactory answers to any questions you may have as well as offering an affordable quote, most likely you have located an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to properly insure your vehicles.
Your car insurance coverage should be tailored to you
Keep in mind that when it comes to choosing your policy, there is no one size fits all plan. Each situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that.
Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if your situation may require specific advice.
- Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
- Is my custom stereo system covered?
- Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
- Does coverage extend to Mexico or Canada?
- Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
- Are there any extra discounts I can get?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Quote. Compare. Save.
More affordable car insurance in Durham is available online and with local Durham insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some car insurance companies do not offer the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional carriers only sell through local independent agencies.
When shopping online for car insurance, make sure you don’t buy poor coverage just to save money. There are too many instances where someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits and discovered at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. The aim is to get the best coverage possible at the best cost.
In this article, we covered quite a bit of information on how to save on Mercedes-Benz C350 insurance in Durham. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote Durham auto insurance, the higher your chance of finding inexpensive Durham auto insurance quotes. Consumers may even find the lowest premium rates come from the smaller companies. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.
More detailed car insurance information is located at these sites:
- Hybrid vehicles cost insurers more (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for 19 Year Olds in Durham? (FAQ)
- How Much is Durham Car Insurance for Teenage Females? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest in Durham, North Carolina? (FAQ)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for a Nissan Rogue in Durham? (FAQ)
- Help Your Teen Be a Better Driver (State Farm)
- How to Avoid Buying a Flooded Car (Insurance Information Institute)
- Safe Vehicles for Teens (iihs.org)