2018 Ford Escape Car Insurance Rates – 9 Tips for Cheaper Quotes

Trying to find lower car insurance rates for your Ford Escape? Are you regretting buying high-priced car insurance? It’s a common feeling and there are many drivers thinking the same thing.

You have multiple insurance companies to insure vehicles with, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, more choices can make it harder to find the best rates.

It’s smart to check car insurance prices once or twice a year because car insurance prices change quite often. Even if you think you had the best quotes for Escape coverage a year ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you’re going to learn the only way to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.

Shopping for the cheapest auto insurance is not that difficult. Basically, every vehicle owner who is shopping for auto insurance should be able to cut their insurance bill. Although vehicle owners need to have an understanding of how big insurance companies determine prices and apply this information to your search.

Compare insurance coverage rates

To find cheaper prices, there are a couple of ways to compare quotes from different companies. The best method to find the lowest Ford Escape rates is to jump online and get quotes. This is very easy and can be done by using one of the methods below.

  • The best way consumers can analyze rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison (click to open form in new window). This quick form saves time by eliminating separate quotes for every insurance coverage company. Taking the time to complete one form gets coverage cost estimates from many national carriers.
  • A more time consuming way to find better pricing requires you to visit each company’s website and request a quote. For instance, we’ll pretend you want comparison quotes from State Farm, Esurance and Travelers. You would have to go to each individual site and repeatedly enter your information, which is why most consumers use the first method. To view a list of companies in your area, click here.
  • The least recommended method to find and compare rates to local insurance agencies. The internet has reduced the need for local agents unless you’re the type of person who wants the guidance of a local agent. Although, it is possible get the lowest quotes online but buy from a local insurance agent.

You can choose any of those ways to find more affodable coverage, but do your best to enter exactly the same information on every quote. If you use different liability limits it will be impossible to determine which rate is truly the best. Even a minor difference in coverages may result in a large different in cost. And when comparison shopping, comparing more rates from different companies helps locate more affordable rates. Some smaller insurers to not give rate quotes online, so it’s necessary to compare prices from the smaller companies as well.

Find hidden discounts to get affordable auto insurance rates

Companies that sell car insurance don’t necessarily list the complete list of policy discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so here is a list some of the best known in addition to some of the lesser obvious savings tricks you should be using when you buy auto insurance online.

  • Anti-lock Brake System – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
  • Accident Forgiveness – Not really a discount, but companies like State Farm and Progressive will let one accident slide before raising your premiums if your claims history is clear for a specific time period.
  • Save with More Vehicles Insured – Buying insurance for multiple cars or trucks on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
  • E-sign Discounts – Many companies may give you up to $50 just for signing your application on the web.
  • Homeowners Pay Less – Just being a homeowner can help you save on auto insurance because it requires personal responsibility.
  • Seat Belt Discounts – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts can save 10% or more on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
  • Discount for Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts as much as 30%.
  • Service Members Pay Less – Having an actively deployed family member could qualify you for better rates.
  • Claim-Free Discount – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims have much lower rates as opposed to frequent claim filers.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it’s just not the way it works. Any qualifying discounts will bring down your overall premium however.

Car insurance companies that may include some of the discounts shown above are:

When quoting, ask all the companies how you can save money. A few discounts may not apply everywhere. To view companies with discount auto insurance rates, follow this link.

Tailor your auto insurance coverage to you

When buying the best auto insurance coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Every insured’s situation is different so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions might point out if your insurance needs may require specific advice.

  • Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver?
  • Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
  • Will filing a claim cost me more?
  • Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
  • What happens if I owe more than my 2018 Ford Escape is worth?
  • Should I buy only the required minimum liability coverage?
  • What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
  • Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?
  • When should I drop full coverage on my 2018 Ford Escape?
  • Can I drive in Mexico and have coverage?

If you’re not sure about those questions then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Big brands don’t always mean big savings

Well-known auto insurance companies like Allstate and Progressive regularly use ads on television and other media. All the companies state the claim about saving some big amount if you change your auto insurance coverage to their company. How does every auto insurance company charge lower premium rates? This is the way they can do it.

Most companies have underwriting criteria for the type of customer that will not have excessive claims. For instance, a preferred risk might be described as between the ages of 30 and 50, has no claims, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. Anybody that matches those criteria may get the lowest rates and will also save if they switch.

Insureds who cannot meet these stringent criteria may receive a higher premium which usually ends up with the customer not purchasing. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “customers who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” can save as much as they claim. That is how insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings.

Because every company is different, it’s extremely important to compare quotes as often as possible. Because without a comparison, you cannot know which insurance companies will be your best fit.

Coverage specifics

Having a good grasp of your insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Below you’ll find typical coverage types offered by insurance companies.

Coverage for medical payments

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for expenses such as hospital visits, doctor visits and dental work. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to you and your occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible

Uninsured and underinsured coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your Ford Escape.

Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Liability

This will cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people that is your fault. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 50/100/50 which means $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.

Liability coverage pays for things such as funeral expenses, bail bonds, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, court costs and pain and suffering. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy higher limits if possible.

Collision coverage protection

This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage pays for things such as colliding with another moving vehicle, backing into a parked car, crashing into a building, driving through your garage door and scraping a guard rail. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. You can also choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Comprehensive coverages

Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like rock chips in glass, fire damage and falling objects. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Never pay more for less

When trying to cut insurance costs, make sure you don’t skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many cases, someone dropped collision coverage only to regret at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The goal is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price and still be able to protect your assets.

In this article, we covered some good ideas how to compare 2018 Ford Escape insurance premium rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a smaller regional carrier. Some small companies may only write in your state and offer lower prices than their larger competitors like Allstate or State Farm.

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