Lower Your 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Car Insurance Rates

Have you had enough of trying to scrape together enough money to buy car insurance? Your situation is no different than millions of other consumers.

Big companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive promote their brand names with TV and radio ads and it is difficult to ignore the propoganda and find the best price available.

It’s a good idea to check auto insurance prices yearly due to the fact that insurance rates change frequently. Even if you got the best rates for C-Class coverage a year ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. There is too much inaccurate information about auto insurance on the internet, so I’m going to show you the easiest ways to find cheap auto insurance.

Do you qualify for discounts?

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, buy you may qualify for discounts that can drop the cost substantially. A few discounts will automatically apply when you quote, but less common discounts must be specifically requested prior to getting the savings.

  • Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with better rates if you take out life insurance.
  • Pay Upfront and Save – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
  • Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can avoid accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • Sign Early and Save – A few companies offer discounts for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiration. It can save you around 10%.
  • Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may earn rate discounts of more than 20%.
  • Accident Forgiveness – A handful of insurance companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.

It’s important to understand that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way. But any discount will reduce your premiums.

For a list of providers who offer insurance discounts, click here.

Don’t assume everyone needs the same coverage

When choosing proper insurance coverage, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions can aid in determining if you might need an agent’s assistance.

  • Is business equipment covered while in my vehicle?
  • When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
  • Am I covered if hit by an uninsured driver?
  • Does car insurance cover theft of personal property?
  • What is an SR-22 filing?
  • Is a blown tire covered by insurance?
  • Are my friends covered when driving my car?
  • When should I remove comp and collision on my 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Insurance coverage breakdown

Knowing the specifics of your policy aids in choosing the best coverages for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are typical coverages found on the average insurance policy.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – This provides protection from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea. Frequently these limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Liability coverage – Liability insurance will cover damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people. It protects YOU against other people’s claims. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show limits of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000. Some companies may use one number which is a combined single limit which limits claims to one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability can pay for things such as loss of income, bail bonds, pain and suffering and medical expenses. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but you should buy as much as you can afford.

Comprehensive coverage – Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims like theft, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, hitting a deer, damage from flooding and hail damage. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Collision coverages – This coverage pays for damage to your C-Class resulting from a collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as backing into a parked car, colliding with another moving vehicle, sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a ditch and hitting a mailbox. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Medical payments coverage and PIP – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for short-term medical expenses for surgery, rehabilitation expenses, hospital visits and doctor visits. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not available in all states and may carry a deductible

More effort can pay off

We’ve covered a lot of information how to get a better price on 1998 Mercedes-Benz C-Class insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers may even find the most savings is with the least-expected company. Some small companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as GEICO and State Farm.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced liability coverage limits only to find out they didn’t have enough coverage. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at the best price.

Additional resources