We don’t have to tell you that car insurance companies don’t want policyholders to shop around. Drivers who shop around for cheaper price quotes will presumably switch to a new company because of the good chance of finding lower rate quotes. A recent survey revealed that drivers who regularly shopped around saved as much as $72 a month compared to policyholders who never shopped around for better prices.
If finding the best price on car insurance is your intention, then knowing how to find and compare cheaper coverage can make the process more efficient.
The preferred way to find better pricing on auto insurance rates is to make a habit of regularly comparing prices from insurers who can sell car insurance in Detroit. Drivers can shop around by completing these steps.
- First, spend a few minutes and learn about what is in your policy and the measures you can control to keep rates down. Many things that are responsible for high rates like traffic citations and a bad credit rating can be eliminated by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.
- Second, compare rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can provide rates from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agents can provide price quotes from many different companies.
- Third, compare the new quotes to the price on your current policy and see if there is a cheaper rate. If you find better rates and buy the policy, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
The critical component of shopping around is to compare the same level of coverage on each price quote and and to get price estimates from as many car insurance companies as possible. Doing this enables an apples-to-apples comparison and a better comparison of the market.
Finding low cost Ford Explorer Sport Trac car insurance quotes doesn’t have to be difficult. You just need to spend a little time comparing free Detroit auto insurance quotes provided by online insurance companies.
The following companies are ready to provide quotes in Michigan. To locate cheap auto insurance in Detroit, MI, we recommend you click on several of them to get the best price comparison.
Slash rates with these nine discounts
Insurance can be pricey, but there are discounts available to help offset the cost. A few discounts will be applied at quote time, but less common discounts must be specially asked for before being credited.
- Discounts for Federal Employees – Active or retired federal employment could provide a small rate reduction depending on your insurance provider.
- New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a vehicle that is new may earn a small discount compared to insuring an older model.
- Defensive Driver – Completing a course in defensive driver could earn you a small percentage discount if your company offers it.
- Memberships – Belonging to qualifying clubs or civic groups could trigger savings on your bill.
- Detroit Homeowners Pay Less – Being a homeowner can earn you a little savings since owning and maintaining a home demonstrates responsibility.
- Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you can get a small discount on rates.
- Claim-Free Discount – Drivers who don’t have accidents are rewarded with significantly better rates on Detroit auto insurance quote as compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Student Discounts – Being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Most companies allow this discount until age 25.
- Paperwork-free – Some of the larger companies give back up to $50 for completing your application on their website.
As a footnote on discounts, most discount credits are not given to the whole policy. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
The information below illustrates the difference between Ford Explorer Sport Trac car insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The premium estimates are based on a male driver, no claims or violations, Michigan state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, multi-policy, and multi-car discounts applied.
To see a list of insurance companies that offer multiple discounts in Michigan, follow this link.
Rates and detailed analysis
The premium table shown next highlights different insurance prices for Ford Explorer Sport Trac models. Understanding more about how auto insurance premiums are determined can help customers make decisions when shopping around.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer Sport Trac XLT 2WD | $400 | $724 | $780 | $46 | $234 | $2,184 | $182 |
| Explorer Sport Trac Limited 2WD | $458 | $724 | $780 | $46 | $234 | $2,242 | $187 |
| Explorer Sport Trac XLT 4WD | $458 | $724 | $780 | $46 | $234 | $2,242 | $187 |
| Explorer Sport Trac Limited 4WD | $518 | $882 | $780 | $46 | $234 | $2,460 | $205 |
| Explorer Sport Trac Limited AWD | $518 | $882 | $780 | $46 | $234 | $2,460 | $205 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Data rating is based on single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and Michigan minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, claim-free, safe-driver, and multi-policy. Premium amounts do not factor in your specific Detroit location which can alter prices greatly.
The diagram below shows how choosing a deductible and can change Ford Explorer Sport Trac insurance prices for each different age category. The premiums are based on a single female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Drive responsibly or pay higher rates
The chart below demonstrates how speeding tickets and at-fault claims increase Ford Explorer Sport Trac insurance rates for each different age category. The rate quotes are based on a married female driver, full coverage, $500 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
Do you need full coverage?
The chart below shows the difference between Ford Explorer Sport Trac annual premium costs when comparing full coverage to liability only. The data assumes no violations or claims, $1,000 deductibles, single marital status, and no policy discounts are applied.
When to buy liability coverage only
There is no clear-cut formula for dropping comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is about 10% or more of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then it might be time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s say your Ford Explorer Sport Trac claim settlement value is $9,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most you would get paid by your company is $8,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If you are paying more than $800 annually for full coverage, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
There are some circumstances where only buying liability is not a good plan. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you must maintain physical damage coverage to satisfy the loan requirements. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not consider dropping full coverage.
Car insurance is available from agents near you
Some consumers just prefer to get advice from a local agent and that is OK! Experienced insurance agents are trained risk managers and help in the event of a claim. One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is the fact that drivers can get the lowest rates and also buy local.
After completing this short form, the quote information is transmitted to local insurance agents that provide free Detroit auto insurance quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. There is no reason to search for an agent because prices are sent directly to your email. If for some reason you want to get a price quote for a specific company, don’t hesitate to find their quoting web page and fill out their quote form.
Finding a good company needs to be determined by more than just the quoted price. These are some questions your agent should answer.
- Do you qualify for any additional discounts?
- Will one accident increase rates?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- How long has their agency been open in Detroit?
- Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- How are claims handled?
- Does the company have a local claim office in Detroit?
When researching a reliable insurance agency, you should know the different types of agencies and how they operate. Agents can be described as either independent or exclusive. Either type can properly insure your vehicles, but it is important to understand why they differ since it can affect buying decisions.
Exclusive Car Insurance Agencies
These agents generally can only insure with one company and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. They usually cannot provide other company’s prices so they really need to provide good service. Exclusive agents receive extensive training on what they offer which can be an advantage. Consumers frequently use the same agent mostly because of the brand legacy and strong financial ratings.
Shown below are Detroit exclusive insurance agencies willing to provide price quotes.
- Tony Massey – State Farm Insurance Agent
15 E Kirby St #112 – Detroit, MI 48202 – (313) 873-3334 – View Map - Angela Hughes – State Farm Insurance Agent
14511 W McNichols Rd – Detroit, MI 48235 – (313) 862-7800 – View Map - John Cash – State Farm Insurance Agent
19203 Grand River Ave – Detroit, MI 48223 – (313) 537-1200 – View Map
Independent Car Insurance Agents
Agents of this type can quote rates with many companies and that gives them the ability to insure with an assortment of companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If they quote lower rates, they can switch companies in-house which makes it simple for you.
When comparing car insurance prices, you should always get insurance quotes from several independent agencies in order to compare the most rates. They also have the ability to place coverage with small regional insurance companies which may provide better rates.
Shown below are independent agencies in Detroit willing to provide price quote information.
- Thomas L Whatley Agency Inc
14710 Puritan Ave – Detroit, MI 48227 – (313) 272-5955 – View Map - Detroit Auto Insurance
620 Woodward Ave – Detroit, MI 48226 – (517) 618-1693 – View Map - Detroit Insurance and Services
7752 Vernor Hwy – Detroit, MI 48209 – (313) 843-2730 – View Map
Auto insurance specifics
Learning about specific coverages of a auto insurance policy helps when choosing the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Comprehensive auto coverage
Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims such as hitting a deer, damage from a tornado or hurricane, rock chips in glass and theft. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Medical payments and PIP coverage
Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for expenses like ambulance fees, surgery and X-ray expenses. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Auto liability insurance
This coverage will cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people by causing an accident. It protects YOU from legal claims by others. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have policy limits of 20/40/10 which means a $20,000 limit per person for injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $40,000, and $10,000 of coverage for damaged property.
Liability coverage protects against things like legal defense fees, pain and suffering, medical services, medical expenses and emergency aid. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as much as you can afford. Michigan state minimum liability requirements are 20/40/10 but you should think about purchasing more coverage.
The illustration below shows why the minimum limit may not provide you with enough coverage.
Collision protection
Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision can pay for things like colliding with another moving vehicle, colliding with a tree and damaging your car on a curb. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also increase the deductible on your Explorer Sport Trac in order to get cheaper collision rates.
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage
This protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family and also any damage incurred to your Ford Explorer Sport Trac.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (Michigan limits are 20/40/10), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea.
Affordable insurance rates are out there
When you buy Detroit auto insurance online, it’s a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to find out that it was a big error on their part. Your objective should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the lowest possible cost, but do not skimp to save money.
People switch companies for a variety of reasons including an unsatisfactory settlement offer, being labeled a high risk driver, delays in responding to claim requests and high prices. Whatever your reason, finding the right insurance provider can be pretty painless.
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of techniques to compare Ford Explorer Sport Trac insurance prices in Detroit. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the higher your chance of finding affordable Detroit auto insurance quotes. Consumers could even find that the best prices are with an unexpected company.
More detailed insurance information can be read by following these links:
- Five Mistakes to Avoid (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes for a Toyota Camry in Detroit? (FAQ)
- How Much are Car Insurance Rates for Drivers Requiring a SR22 in Detroit? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for a Subaru Forester in Detroit? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Detroit Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers Under 25? (FAQ)
- How Much is Detroit Auto Insurance for Immigrants? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates for College Students in Detroit? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Detroit Auto Insurance Rates for a Honda CR-V? (FAQ)
- Parking Tips to Reduce Door Dings (State Farm)
- Protecting Teens from Drunk Driving (Insurance Information Institute)