Truthfully, the best way to get affordable auto insurance rates is to compare prices once a year from different companies who can sell car insurance in Buffalo.
- Try to comprehend how car insurance works and the measures you can control to prevent rate increases. Many things that increase rates such as at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, and a low credit rating can be amended by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes.
- Quote rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can give quotes from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide prices for many different companies.
- Compare the new quotes to your existing policy and see if there is a cheaper rate. If you can save money, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Provide proper notification to your current company of your intention to cancel the current policy. Submit the required down payment along with the signed application to the new insurer. Immediately upon receiving it, put the new certificate verifying coverage in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
An important note is to make sure you’re comparing the same deductibles and limits on every price quote and and to get quotes from every company you can. Doing this ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and a complete selection of prices.
It’s astonishing, but most car insurance policyholders have bought car insurance from the same company for well over three years, and nearly half have never compared rates with other companies. Most drivers in Buffalo could cut their rates by up to 45% a year, but they won’t spend time to compare rate quotes online.
If you’re already insured, you will surely be able to buy cheaper insurance using the techniques covered below. Buying affordable insurance in Buffalo is really quite simple as long as you have a good starting point. But New York car owners do need to learn the methods companies use to market on the web because it varies considerably.
Choices You Make Can Impact Your Insurance Rates
Part of the car insurance buying process is learning some of the factors that help calculate car insurance rates. If you have a feel for what impacts premium levels, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that can earn you lower rates. Many factors are part of the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are obvious such as your driving history, but other factors are more transparent such as whether you are married or how safe your car is.
The items below are some of the factors used by insurance companies to determine rates.
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Accidents are costly – Attentive drivers tend to pay less for car insurance as compared to careless drivers. Getting just one speeding ticket can boost insurance rates substantially. Drivers who get severe violations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may be required to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent a license revocation.
The diagram below shows how violations and accident claims can drive up Ford Edge insurance costs for different insured age categories. The data assumes a single female driver, full coverage, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
- How do annual miles impact premiums? – The higher the miles on your Ford every year the more you’ll pay to insure it. A lot of insurance companies charge to insure your cars based on how the vehicle is used. Cars that are left in the garage cost less to insure as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. An incorrectly rated Edge can result in significantly higher rates. It’s always a good idea to double check that your car insurance policy correctly shows the proper vehicle usage, because improper ratings can cost you money.
- Do you need those incidental coverages? – Policies have additional coverages you can purchase but may not be useful. Coverages like coverage for rental cars, accident forgiveness, and Farm Bureau memberships may not be needed and are just wasting money. These coverages may sound good initially, but if you have no use for them get rid of them and save.
- Does your occupation raise your prices? – Do you have a high-stress occupation? Careers such as lawyers, police officers, and emergency personnel have higher rates than average attributed to job stress and lots of time spent at work. Other occupations such as scientists, engineers and performers pay the least.
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Claims statistics for a Ford Edge – Insurers use past loss statistics for each vehicle as a tool for profitable underwriting. Vehicles that are shown to have higher losses will be charged more to insure.
The table below outlines the compiled insurance loss statistics for Ford Edge vehicles. For each coverage type, the claim probability for all vehicles as a whole is set at 100. Values that are below 100 are indicative of better than average losses, while values over 100 show a trend for more claims or a tendency for claims to be larger.
Auto Insurance Loss Data for Ford Edge Models Vehicle Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Ford Edge 4dr 2WD 53 93 Ford Edge 4dr 4WD 71 108 75 BETTERAVERAGEWORSEEmpty fields indicate not enough data collected
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
To find low cost Buffalo auto insurance quotes, there are several ways of comparing rate quotes from many auto insurance companies in New York. The best way to find cheaper rates is to perform an online rate comparison.
It’s so fast and easy to compare price quotes online that it makes it a waste of time to drive to each insurance agency near you. Comparing Ford Edge insurance rates online reduces the need to sit down with an agent unless your situation requires the professional abilities that can only be provided by a licensed insurance agent. It is possible to get prices online but purchase the actual policy in an agency. Just remember that more quotes will increase your chances of finding better pricing. Not every company does online price quotes, so it’s important to also get price quotes from the smaller companies as well.
The auto insurance companies shown below are ready to provide price quotes in Buffalo, NY. If multiple companies are listed, we recommend you get price quotes from several of them to find the lowest auto insurance rates.
Rate information and statistics
The data table displayed below outlines estimates of coverage costs for Ford Edge models. Having a good understanding how auto insurance policy rates are figured can assist in making smart choices when comparing insurance quotes.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
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Edge SE 2WD | $132 | $210 | $272 | $16 | $82 | $712 | $59 |
Edge SE AWD | $132 | $256 | $272 | $16 | $82 | $758 | $63 |
Edge SEL 2WD | $132 | $256 | $272 | $16 | $82 | $758 | $63 |
Edge Limited 2WD | $132 | $256 | $272 | $16 | $82 | $758 | $63 |
Edge SEL AWD | $132 | $256 | $272 | $16 | $82 | $758 | $63 |
Edge Limited AWD | $152 | $302 | $272 | $16 | $82 | $824 | $69 |
Edge Sport 2WD | $152 | $302 | $272 | $16 | $82 | $824 | $69 |
Edge Sport AWD | $152 | $302 | $272 | $16 | $82 | $824 | $69 |
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Table data represents married male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and New York minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, claim-free, and homeowner. Estimates do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can increase or decrease premiums significantly.
Deductible analysis
One of the more difficult decisions when buying auto insurance is where to set your physical damage deductibles. The rates shown below help summarize the premium difference between low and high physical damage deductibles. The first data set uses a $100 physical damage coverage deductible and the second rate table uses a $500 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
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Edge SE 2WD | $198 | $338 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $921 | $77 |
Edge SE AWD | $198 | $412 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $995 | $83 |
Edge SEL 2WD | $198 | $412 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $995 | $83 |
Edge Limited 2WD | $198 | $412 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $995 | $83 |
Edge SEL AWD | $198 | $412 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $995 | $83 |
Edge Limited AWD | $228 | $484 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $1,097 | $91 |
Edge Sport 2WD | $228 | $484 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $1,097 | $91 |
Edge Sport AWD | $228 | $484 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $1,097 | $91 |
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Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Edge SE 2WD | $144 | $228 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $732 | $61 |
Edge SE AWD | $144 | $278 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $782 | $65 |
Edge SEL 2WD | $144 | $278 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $782 | $65 |
Edge Limited 2WD | $144 | $278 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $782 | $65 |
Edge SEL AWD | $144 | $278 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $782 | $65 |
Edge Limited AWD | $166 | $328 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $854 | $71 |
Edge Sport 2WD | $166 | $328 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $854 | $71 |
Edge Sport AWD | $166 | $328 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $854 | $71 |
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Data rating is based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and New York minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Estimates do not factor in garaging location in Buffalo which can change auto insurance rates noticeably.
Based on this data, we can arrive at the conclusion that using a $100 deductible will cost you about $18 more each month or $216 annually averaged for all Edge models than requesting the higher $500 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $400 more out-of-pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally go at a minimum 22 months between claim filings, you would probably come out ahead if you choose the higher deductible.
The illustration below shows how choosing a deductible and can influence Ford Edge insurance premiums for different age groups of insureds. The rate quotes are based on a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Comparison of auto insurance rates by gender and age in Buffalo
The chart below visualizes the comparison of Ford Edge insurance premiums for male and female drivers. The data assumes no accidents or driving violations, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no policy discounts are applied.
Price comparison of only insuring for liability
The diagram below visualizes the comparison of Ford Edge insurance rates with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The costs are based on no claims, a clean driving record, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no other discounts are factored in.
When to drop comp and collision
There is no definitive formula of when to exclude comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the annual cost of having full coverage is more than about 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your Ford Edge replacement cost is $9,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company will settle for is $8,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If it’s costing in excess of $800 a year for full coverage, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
There are some circumstances where eliminating full coverage is not advised. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you have to keep full coverage in order to prevent your loan from defaulting. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should not opt for liability only.
Choosing Edge insurance is an important decision
Despite the high cost, auto insurance is required in New York but it also protects you in many ways.
- Almost all states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to buy a specific level of liability insurance in order to be legal. 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.
- If you took out a loan on your Ford Edge, it’s guaranteed your bank will stipulate 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 bank may insure your Ford at a significantly higher premium and require you to fork over for the much more expensive policy.
- Insurance safeguards both your Ford Edge and your assets. It will also reimburse you for many types of medical costs for not only you but also any passengers injured in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, will also pay to defend you if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of buying enough insurance outweigh the cost, especially for larger claims. Today the average American driver overpays as much as $810 a year so shop around once a year at a minimum to make sure the price is not too high.
Companies offer many types of discounts on Ford Edge insurance in Buffalo
Not many people think insurance is cheap, but you can get discounts that you may not even know about. Many of these discounts will be applied automatically at the time of purchase, but some need to be asked about before they will apply.
- Distant College Student Discount – Any of your kids who are enrolled in higher education away from home and don’t have a car could get you a discount.
- No Charge for an Accident – Not a discount per se, but a few companies such as State Farm, Progressive and GEICO allow you one accident without raising rates if you have no claims for a set time period.
- Anti-theft Discount – Cars and trucks equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems are stolen with less frequency and earn discounts up to 10% off your Buffalo auto insurance quote.
- Smart Student Discounts – Excelling in school may save you up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up until you turn 25.
- Multi-car Discount – Having multiple cars on one policy qualifies for this discount.
- No Claim Discounts – Claim-free drivers pay less when compared with bad drivers.
- Auto/Life Discount – Larger companies have a break if you buy auto and life insurance together.
- Save over 55 – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens can get a small discount on rates.
Drivers should understand that many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. But all discounts will help reduce the cost of coverage.
The example below shows the comparison of Ford Edge yearly insurance costs with and without discounts. The prices are based on a female driver, no claims or driving citations, New York state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, marriage, multi-policy, and multi-car discounts applied.
Companies and their possible discounts can be read below.
- GEICO includes discounts for defensive driver, five-year accident-free, membership and employees, multi-vehicle, anti-lock brakes, multi-policy, and driver training.
- MetLife may have discounts that include multi-policy, defensive driver, good student, claim-free, good driver, accident-free
- Progressive may include discounts for multi-policy, multi-vehicle, online signing, homeowner, good student, and online quote discount.
- Travelers policyholders can earn discounts including hybrid/electric vehicle, early quote, new car, continuous insurance, save driver, multi-policy, and payment discounts.
- SAFECO offers discounts for bundle discounts, teen safe driver, homeowner, anti-theft, accident prevention training, safe driver, and anti-lock brakes.
- AAA has discounts for good driver, multi-car, AAA membership discount, multi-policy, and good student.
If you need inexpensive Buffalo auto insurance quotes, ask all companies you are considering the best way to save money. Depending on the company, some discounts might not be offered in Buffalo.
Local insurance agents
Some consumers still like to visit with an insurance agent and there is nothing wrong with that. The best thing about getting online price quotes is the fact that drivers can get lower rates and still have a local agent.
For easy comparison, once you complete this simple form, your insurance coverage information is submitted to agents in your area who will give you bids for your auto insurance coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent to you instantly. It’s the lowest rates and a licensed agent to work with. In the event you want to get a rate quote from one company in particular, you just need to jump over to their website and submit a quote form there.
Finding the right insurer shouldn’t rely on just the price. Agents should be asked these questions:
- Do they offer accident forgiveness?
- Will a damage claim use OEM or aftermarket replacement parts?
- How many companies do they write for?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies in Buffalo?
- Will the quote change when the policy is issued?
- If your car is in the repair shop, do you have coverage for a rental car?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
Car insurance agents in Buffalo come in two varieties
If you want to buy auto insurance from a local agent, it can be helpful to understand the different agency structures and how they are slightly different. Auto insurance agents in Buffalo can be described as either independent agents or exclusive agents.
Exclusive Agents
Exclusive insurance agents can only place business with one company and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. Exclusive agencies are unable to provide other company’s prices so you might not find the best rates. Exclusive agencies receive extensive training on sales techniques and that allows them to sell at a higher price point.
Below are Buffalo exclusive insurance agencies that are able to give price quotes.
GEICO Insurance Agent
3835 McKinley Pkwy #2 – Buffalo, NY 14219 – (716) 604-0345 – View Map
Lou Santiago – State Farm Insurance Agent
557 Niagara St – Buffalo, NY 14201 – (716) 883-5500 – View Map
George Ihle III – State Farm Insurance Agent
7718 Buffalo Ave – Niagara Falls, NY 14304 – (716) 283-9100 – View Map
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent agencies are not limited to a single company and that allows them to write policies with lots of companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If they quote lower rates, they simply move your policy to a different company without you having to go to a different agency.
When searching for an agent, we recommend you get some free quotes from at least one independent agent so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare.
Listed below are independent agents in Buffalo who can help you get comparison quotes.
Cannizzaro Insurance Agency, Inc
432 Amherst St – Buffalo, NY 14207 – (716) 235-8882 – View Map
The Cesar Group Inc
354 Cayuga Rd – Buffalo, NY 14225 – (716) 626-0066 – View Map
Clauss and Company Insurance Agency
735 Delaware Ave – Buffalo, NY 14209 – (716) 886-6600 – View Map
Best auto insurance company in Buffalo
Finding the top insurance company can be a challenge considering how many companies there are in New York. The company rank data displayed below could help you decide which companies to look at when shopping around.
Top 10 Buffalo Car Insurance Companies Overall
- The General
- Mercury Insurance
- The Hartford
- Progressive
- Travelers
- State Farm
- Farmers Insurance
- Erie Insurance
- Safeco Insurance
- USAA
Top 10 Buffalo Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Service
- Mercury Insurance
- The Hartford
- American Family
- Progressive
- USAA
- Travelers
- State Farm
- GEICO
- Allstate
- Farmers Insurance
When do I need an agent’s advice?
When quoting and choosing coverage online or from an agent for your personal vehicles, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Your situation is unique.
These are some specific questions might point out if you might need an agent’s assistance.
- Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
- Do I need motorclub coverage?
- What is an umbrella policy?
- Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in New York?
- Are all vehicle passengers covered by medical payments coverage?
- Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
- Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
- Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.
Cheaper car insurance is a realistic goal
When getting Buffalo auto insurance quotes online, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There are many occasions where consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage and learned later that it was a big error on their part. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best possible price while still protecting your assets.
We covered quite a bit of information on how to get a better price on Ford Edge insurance in Buffalo. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may even discover the biggest savings come from a small local company.
Consumers who switch companies do it for many reasons like delays in paying claims, questionable increases in premium, delays in responding to claim requests or even high prices. Regardless of your reason, switching companies can be less work than you think.
Helpful learning opportunities
- What is a Telematics Device? (Allstate)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Mazda CX-7 in Buffalo? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Drivers Under 21 in Buffalo? (FAQ)
- How Much are Car Insurance Quotes for College Graduates in Buffalo? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance with Multiple Speeding Tickets in Buffalo? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes for a Toyota Corolla in Buffalo? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for Used Cars in Buffalo? (FAQ)
- Side airbags reduce rollover fatalities (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- How Much Auto Coverage do I Need? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Teen Driving and Texting (State Farm)