Cheapest Ford Escape Insurance in Buffalo

Truthfully, the best way to find low-cost prices for car insurance rates is to compare quotes annually from companies who sell auto insurance in Buffalo. You can compare rates by following these guidelines.

First, take a few minutes and learn about policy coverages and the measures you can take to keep rates in check. Many rating factors that cause high rates such as speeding tickets, accidents and a poor credit rating can be improved by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.

Second, request price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only provide price estimates from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agents can quote prices for a wide range of insurance providers.

Third, compare the new quotes to your existing rates to determine if you can save on Escape insurance. If you find better rates, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.

The critical component of shopping around is that you’ll want to compare the same liability limits and deductibles on every quote request and and to get quotes from as many different insurance providers as possible. This provides a fair price comparison and many rates to choose from.

It’s well known that auto insurance companies don’t want you to look at other companies. Insureds who shop for lower prices will probably move their business because the odds are good of finding coverage at a more affordable price. A recent survey found that people who routinely shopped for cheaper coverage saved about $865 annually compared to other drivers who never shopped for cheaper rates.

If finding the cheapest price for Ford Escape insurance is your goal, then having an understanding of how to shop for insurance premiums can help you be more efficient.

Choosing the best rates in Buffalo is quite easy. If you have insurance now, you should be able to lower your rates using the following tips. Smart buyers just need to learn the most efficient way to shop their coverage around from many different companies.

How do Insurance Providers Determine Ford Escape Insurance Premiums?

Part of the insurance buying process is learning some of the elements that come into play when calculating your insurance rates. If you have a feel for what controls the rates you pay, this allows you to make good choices that could help you find big savings.

The following are most of the major factors that factor into your rate level.

• Traffic violations increase premiums – Good drivers pay less for auto insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Just one speeding ticket or other violation may cause rates to rise by twenty percent. Drivers who have received flagrant violations such as DUI or reckless driving may be required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state’s licensing department in order to legally drive.

  The example below illustrates how speeding tickets and at-fault fender-benders can influence Ford Escape annual premium costs for each different age group. The premium estimates are based on a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.

• Discounts for GPS tracking and theft deterrents – Choosing to buy a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help bring down rates. Theft deterrent systems like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system help track and prevent your vehicle from being stolen.

• Are you male or female? – Over time, data shows that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. It does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Women and men have fender benders at about the same rate, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also get ticketed for serious violations such as DWI and reckless driving.

  The diagram below shows the difference between Ford Escape insurance rates for male and female drivers. The premiums assume no accidents, no driving violations, full physical damage coverage, $100 deductibles, single status, and no policy discounts are applied.

• The type of car, truck or SUV you drive affects your rates – The performance of the car, truck or SUV you need to insure makes a big difference in your premium level. The lowest base rates are generally reserved for smaller low performance passenger models, but your final cost has many other factors.

  The following data assumes a single male driver age 30, full coverage with $250 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. It illustrates Ford Escape policy rates compared to other vehicles that have a range of risk factors.

• Extra policy coverages can cost a lot – Insurance policies have a lot of add-on coverages that can waste your money on your Escape policy. Things like replacement cost coverage, death and dismemberment, and Farm Bureau memberships may not be needed and are just wasting money. They may seem like a good idea at first, but now you might not need them so remove them and pocket the money.
• How much liability – Liability insurance will protect you if you are ruled to be at fault for damages from an accident. Your policy’s liability insurance provides you with a defense in court to attempt to prove you were not liable. This coverage is relatively inexpensive compared to comp and collision, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.

• Insurance loss probability for a Ford Escape – Insurers take into consideration historical loss data for every vehicle to help calculate premium costs. Vehicles that the data determines to have a trend towards higher claim severity or frequency will cost more for specific coverages.

  The table shown below demonstrates the actual insurance loss data for Ford Escape vehicles. For each policy coverage, the loss probability for all vehicles averaged together is set at 100. Numbers shown that are under 100 suggest a positive loss record, while numbers shown that are more than 100 point to more frequent losses or statistically larger claims.

  
  

  Insurance Loss Ratings for Ford Escape Vehicles

  Vehicle Make and Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Ford Escape 4dr 2WD	80	91	83	94	94	92
  Ford Escape 4dr 4WD	81	84	94	85	90	77

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Data Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years

The companies shown below are ready to provide price quotes in New York. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you get price quotes from several of them to get the best price comparison.

Detailed insurance information

The coverage table displayed next outlines estimates of insurance policy prices for Ford Escape models. Understanding how insurance quotes are formulated can help guide drivers when making informed coverage decisions.

Data variables include married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and New York minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, multi-policy, and homeowner. Table data does not factor in zip code location which can lower or raise prices substantially.

Policy deductibles

One common question asked by Buffalo drivers is where should you set your physical damage deductibles. The premium rates below can help you understand how much more rates are between high and low policy deductibles. The first table uses a $100 deductible for physical damage and the second set of prices uses a $500 deductible.

Premium data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and New York minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, claim-free, homeowner, and safe-driver. Rate quotes do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can raise or lower premium rates greatly.

Based on these figures, using a $100 deductible costs an average of $16 more each month or $192 a year than selecting the higher $500 deductible. Due to the fact that you would have to pay $400 more out-of-pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you usually have at a minimum 25 months between claims, you would probably come out ahead if you elect the higher deductible.

Full coverage rates vs. liability-only

The example below illustrates the comparison of Ford Escape premium costs with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. Data assumes no tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

Should you pay for full coverage?

There is no clear-cut rule of when to exclude comp and collision coverage, but there is a broad guideline. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than around 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.

For example, let’s assume your Ford Escape book value is $4,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most your company would pay you is $3,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If you are paying in excess of $300 a year for physical damage coverage, then it might be time to buy liability only.

There are a few situations where only buying liability is not a good plan. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you have to keep full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest in the vehicle. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should not drop full coverage.

Why you need quality insurance for your Ford vehicle

Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Ford Escape in Buffalo, insurance is not optional due to several reasons.

First, the majority of states have mandatory insurance requirements which means the state requires a specific minimum amount of liability insurance coverage in order to get the vehicle licensed. In New York these limits are 25/50/10 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.

Second, if your car has a loan, almost every bank will require that you have comprehensive coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you do not keep the policy in force, the lender will be forced to insure your Ford at a much higher rate and require you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.

Third, car insurance preserves both your car and your assets. Insurance will pay for many types of medical costs for not only you but also any passengers injured in an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, will also pay to defend you if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.

The benefits of insuring your car are without a doubt worth the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. Despite what companies tell you, the average driver is currently overpaying as much as $810 a year so you should quote rates at least once a year to ensure rates are competitive.

Affordable rates on Ford Escape insurance in Buffalo with these car insurance discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you can get discounts that you may not even know about. A few discounts will be applied at the time you complete a quote, but some need to be asked about prior to receiving the credit.

• Payment Method – By paying your policy upfront as opposed to paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
• Discount for Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts of more than 20%.
• Clubs and Organizations – Affiliation with a qualifying organization can get you a small discount when shopping for car insurance.
• Telematics Data – Drivers who elect to allow data collection to monitor where and when they drive by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Drivewise from Allstate or Snapshot from Progressive might get better premium rates if their driving habits are good.
• Discount for Home Ownership – Owning your own home or condo can get you a discount because of the fact that having a home requires personal responsibility.
• Federal Government Employee – Having worked for a branch of the government can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your car insurance provider.
• Student Discount for Driver Training – Teen drivers should successfully take a driver’s education course in school or through a local driver safety program.

Just know that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most only cut specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it may seem like you can get free auto insurance, it just doesn’t work that way. Any amount of discount should definitely cut the amount you pay for coverage.

The illustration below shows the difference between Ford Escape insurance rates with and without discounts applied. The price estimates are based on a female driver, no claims or driving violations, New York state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, multi-policy, safe-driver, multi-car, claim-free, and homeowner discounts applied.

Large car insurance companies and some of the discounts can be read below.

• American Family offers discounts for good student, accident-free, Steer into Savings, TimeAway discount, early bird, good driver, and bundled insurance.
• Farm Bureau may include discounts for good student, multi-policy, 55 and retired, driver training, and safe driver.
• State Farm has savings for passive restraint, accident-free, defensive driving training, good student, student away at school, and multiple autos.
• Travelers has discounts for hybrid/electric vehicle, payment discounts, early quote, driver training, and multi-car.
• The Hartford may have discounts that include defensive driver, air bag, good student, driver training, anti-theft, bundle, and vehicle fuel type.
• GEICO includes discounts for military active duty, five-year accident-free, anti-lock brakes, emergency military deployment, daytime running lights, and defensive driver.
• Progressive offers discounts including multi-vehicle, homeowner, multi-policy, continuous coverage, and good student.

If you need lower rates, check with every company to apply every possible discount. Discounts may not apply to policyholders in your state. To view insurers with discount rates in Buffalo, click this link.

Local Buffalo insurance agencies

Many drivers still like to talk to a local agent and that can be a smart move Most agents are very good at helping people manage risk and give you someone to call. An additional benefit of comparing auto insurance online is the fact that you can find cheaper prices and still have a local agent.

By using this quick form, your coverage information is emailed to local insurance agents in Buffalo who will gladly provide quotes for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to find an agent since rate quotes are delivered directly to you. In the event you want to get a comparison quote from a specific company, just search and find their rate quote page to submit a rate quote request.

Finding a good insurer shouldn’t rely on just a low price. Here are some questions you might want to ask.

• Are they actively involved in the community?
• Is every driver in your family covered?
• What companies can they write with?
• Will the agent help in case of a claim?
• Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
• Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
• What insurance company do they write the most business with?

If you are wanting to purchase auto insurance from a good insurance agency, it helps to know the two different types of agents and how they can quote your rates. Auto insurance agents can be categorized as either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments. Either type can sell affordable auto insurance policies, but it is a good idea to know the differences because it can influence buying decisions.

Exclusive Auto Insurance Agents

Agents that elect to be exclusive can only place business with one company and examples are Allstate, State Farm and Farm Bureau. These agents are unable to provide rate quotes from other companies so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Exclusive insurance agents are usually quite knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates. Many people use the same agent mostly because of the brand name rather than having the cheapest rates.

Listed below is a list of exclusive agents in Buffalo willing to provide price quote information.

• Lou Santiago – State Farm Insurance Agent
  557 Niagara St – Buffalo, NY 14201 – (716) 883-5500 – View Map
• Dan Schmidt – State Farm Insurance Agent
  615 Elmwood Ave – Buffalo, NY 14222 – (716) 783-9460 – View Map
• GEICO Insurance Agent
  3835 McKinley Pkwy #2 – Buffalo, NY 14219 – (716) 604-0345 – View Map

More Buffalo agents

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent insurance agents do not work for one specific company and that is an advantage because they can write policies with multiple insurance companies depending on which coverage is best. If you are not satisfied with one company, the business is moved internally which is easy for the insured.

If you are comparing auto insurance prices, you absolutely need to get rate quotes from several independent agencies in order to compare the most rates. Many write coverage with small regional insurance companies which could offer lower prices.

Below are independent insurance agents in Buffalo that are able to give price quotes.

• Willoughby Insurance
  1994 Seneca St – Buffalo, NY 14210 – (716) 827-0500 – View Map
• Nationwide Insurance: Cynthia Woltz Insurance Agency Inc
  1926 clinton – Buffalo, NY 14206 – (716) 822-6874 – View Map
• State Insurance Fund
  225 Oak St – Buffalo, NY 14203 – (716) 851-2000 – View Map

More Buffalo agents

After receiving acceptable answers as well as a price you’re happy with, you have narrowed it down to a car insurance agent that will properly insure your vehicles.

Which car insurance company is best in New York?

Choosing a good quality insurer can be a challenge considering how many different insurance companies sell coverage in Buffalo. The information below could help you choose which insurers to look at when comparing rate quotes.

Keep this in mind when shopping around

Drivers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including policy cancellation, not issuing a premium refund, unfair underwriting practices or even poor customer service. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding a new car insurance company can be easier than you think.

As you prepare to switch companies, don’t be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. In many instances, an insured dropped physical damage coverage and learned later that they should have had better coverage. Your goal should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best possible price and still be able to protect your assets.

More affordable car insurance in Buffalo is possible both online as well as from independent agents in Buffalo, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some car insurance companies do not provide rates over the internet and usually these smaller providers only sell coverage through independent insurance agencies.

Even more information can be read by following these links:

• Teen Driving Statistics (iihs.org)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for Felons in Buffalo? (FAQ)
• What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for High School Students in Buffalo? (FAQ)
• How Much are Buffalo Car Insurance Quotes for a Honda CR-V? (FAQ)
• How Much is Auto Insurance for a Toyota RAV4 in Buffalo? (FAQ)
• What is a Telematics Device? (Allstate)
• Side airbags reduce rollover fatalities (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Understanding Your Insurance Deductible (Insurance Information Institute)
• No-Fault Auto Insurance Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)