Quick Guide for Finding the Best Ford Escape Insurance

Trying to find low-cost insurance for a Ford Escape can be an all-consuming task, but you can learn our auto insurance buying tips to make it easier.

There are more efficient ways to shop for auto insurance and you need to know the best way to compare rates for your Ford and get the cheapest rates from both online companies and local agents.

It’s important to do rate comparisons yearly since insurance rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest price on Escape coverage last year there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Starting now, forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in one of the easiest ways to save money, get proper coverage and the best rates.

How much can you save with discounts?

Car insurance is not cheap, but you can get discounts to help bring down the price. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you complete an application, but a few need to be inquired about before you get the savings. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.

Multiple Cars – Having all your vehicles with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
Club Memberships – Belonging to certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break when shopping for auto insurance on Escape coverage.
Accident Waiver – A few companies will allow you to have one accident before your rates go up as long as you don’t have any claims for a certain period of time.
Auto/Home Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you may save 10% to 20% off each policy.
Federal Government Employee – Simply working for the federal government can earn a discount up to 10% on Escape coverage with a few auto insurance companies.
Passive Restraint Discount – Cars that have air bags may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
No Claims – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay much less when compared to accident-prone drivers.
Discount for New Cars – Insuring a new car is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
Auto/Life Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase life insurance.
Good Students Pay Less – This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.

Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any amount of discount will help reduce your premiums.

To choose companies with the best auto insurance discounts, click here.

How to Compare Auto Insurance Quotes

All major auto insurance companies allow you to get prices for coverage directly from their websites. Obtaining pricing is pretty painless as you just enter your coverage information into a form. After the form is submitted, their system will order your driving and credit reports and generates a price.

This streamlines rate comparisons, but the process of having to visit a lot of sites and fill out multiple forms is not the best way to spend an afternoon. But it is imperative to compare as many rates as possible if you want to find lower prices.

There is a better way to compare rates

The smarter way to lower your rates makes use of a single form that gets price quotes from a lot of companies. It saves time, eliminates form submissions, and makes online quotes much easier. Immediately after you send the form, your coverage is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any or none of the resulting price quotes.

If the quotes result in lower rates, you simply finish the application and buy the policy. The entire process just takes a couple of minutes and can result in significant savings.

To find out what other companies charge, click here to open in a new tab and input your coverage information. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended that you enter identical to your current policy. This helps ensure you’re receiving rate quotes for exact coverage.

Factors determining your Ford Escape insurance premium

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that help determine auto insurance rates. Knowing what determines base rates allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to big savings.

The type of vehicle makes a difference – The make and model of the car you are buying insurance for makes a significant difference in your rates. Because the Ford Escape falls in the crossover class, insuring your vehicle will cost slightly more than the average rate where you live. Lower performance four cylinder passenger cars generally receive the lowest base rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
Add-on coverages can add up – There are a ton of additional coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying auto insurance. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, accidental death and term life insurance may be wasting your money. They may seem like a good idea at first, but if they’re wasting money eliminate them to save money.
Always keep insurance in force – Driving with no insurance is illegal and as a result your rates will increase for letting your coverage have a gap. Not only will rates go up, but not being able to provide proof of insurance might get you a revoked license or a big fine.
Marriage brings a discount – Getting married can get you a discount on your auto insurance policy. Having a significant other means you’re more responsible it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
An active claims history can cost you – Companies award lower rates to insureds who file claims infrequently. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee higher rates. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
Where do you drive? – The more you drive in a year’s time the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Most companies rate vehicles based on their usage. Cars left parked in the garage can get a lower rate as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Make sure your auto insurance policy shows the correct driver usage, because it can save money. Incorrect usage on your Escape can cost quite a bit.
Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? – The majority of auto insurance companies will give a discount to policyholders who carry more than one policy. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. This can amount to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s in your best interest to compare rates to verify if the discount is saving money. Consumers may find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.
Your job and insurance rates – Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Occupations such as lawyers, social workers and stock brokers tend to have the highest rates due to job stress and long work days. On the other hand, jobs such as actors, students and homemakers receive lower rates on Escape coverage.

Don’t assume everyone needs the same coverage

When choosing coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

These are some specific questions might point out if you would benefit from professional advice.

Do I have coverage if my license is suspended?
Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
Why is insurance for a teen driver so high?
How do I file an SR-22 for a DUI in my state?
Do I need rental car coverage?
Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?
When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?

If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.

Online quotes with a local insurance agent

Some people prefer to get advice from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Licensed agents can answer important questions and give you someone to call. The best thing about price shopping on the web is you may find better rates but still work with a licensed agent. Buying from local insurance agencies is especially important in small towns and cities.

Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), your information gets sent to companies who will compete for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to even leave your home as quotes are delivered to the email address you provide. Now that’s easy!

Pick the best auto insurance agent for you

When finding local agents, there are two types of insurance agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agents can either be independent or captive. Both types can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s worth learning the difference between them because it can impact the selection process.

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent agencies are not employed by any specific company so they can insure your vehicles with many different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, the agent simply finds a different carrier and that require little work on your part.

When searching for an agent, it’s recommended you include price quotes from multiple independent agents to get the best comparison.Most can insure with smaller companies which may provide better rates.

Agency Captives

Captive agencies write business for a single company and examples are Liberty Mutual, State Farm, Allstate and AAA. They generally cannot shop your coverage around so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captive agencies are usually quite knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Some people will only choose to use a captive agent mostly because of high brand loyalty and solid financial strength.

For a full directory of agents, click here.

Deciding on an auto insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Agents should be asked these questions:

Are they full-time agents?
Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?

Once you have received positive feedback to all your questions and a low price estimate, chances are good that you have found a car insurance agent that will provide auto insurance coverage.

Don’t believe everything you hear

Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements for the lowest price auto insurance by State Farm and Allstate. All the ads make an identical promise that you’ll save big after switching to their company.

How do they all make almost identical claims?

All the different companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of customer they prefer to insure. An example of a preferred risk might be between 25 and 40, has no prior claims, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and most likely will save when switching.

Drivers who are not a match for these standards will be quoted a more expensive rate which usually ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say “customers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings.

This emphasizes why you absolutely need to quote coverage with many companies. It is impossible to predict which company will have the lowest rates.

In Summary

When you buy insurance online, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your goal should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

Insureds who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as not issuing a premium refund, poor customer service, policy cancellation and denial of a claim. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding a new company is less work than it seems.

The cheapest Ford Escape insurance is attainable from both online companies as well as from independent agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.