Who Has the Cheapest Insurance Quotes for a Ford Explorer in Massachusetts?

Our staff writers always rib each other than when writing about car insurance, the word “cheap” should never appear anywhere in the article. It’s just reality that cheap auto insurance for a Ford Explorer is just plain contradictory. Don’t get your dauber down, because we are going to show you some ways you can still get car insurance that most people can afford.

The odds of finding the best cheap coverage for a Ford Explorer in Massachusetts is contingent on a lot of different factors such as whether you are married, your credit history, and if your driving record shows any at-fault accidents. Drivers in Massachusetts pay around $1,120 each year to insure a Ford Explorer, but that figure is that uses a 30-year-old married male driver who requires full comprehensive and collision coverage and $100 policy deductibles.

But there is a high likelihood that you’re not a 30-year-old male, maybe you are single instead of married, or you have a violation or two on your driving record. The different assumptions illustrate why the best way to find cheap insurance rates for your Ford is to just compare rates yourself.

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Your Ford’s trim level tends to impact the cost of insurance, so the price to insure a Explorer XLT 2WD trim level will cost $130 less than the cost to insure the high end Explorer Limited AWD trim level, as shown below.

Prices above based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and Massachusetts minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, and claim-free. Rates do not factor in specific Massachusetts garaging location which can decrease or increase premium rates greatly.

Determining which insurers offer the most affordable insurance rates for a Ford Explorer will require a little more effort than just comparing a company or two. Each company has a different process to set policy rates, so we need to take a look at the insurance companies with the overall best prices in Massachusetts.

We do need to point out that Massachusetts insurance rates are influenced by many factors that may substantially change the policy premium. Simply getting older, buying a new vehicle, or getting a reckless driving citation may generate price changes resulting in some companies being cheaper than competitors.

Best Auto Insurance Prices for Your Explorer

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State Farm generally has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Massachusetts at around $711 each year. National Grange Mutual, GEICO, OneBeacon, and Commerce Group would also be considered some of the cheaper Massachusetts insurance companies.

As the example above demonstrates, if you are a customer of OneBeacon and switched to National Grange Mutual, you could earn a yearly price reduction of in the neighborhood of $77. Drivers with Commerce Group might save as much as $103 a year, and Progressive policyholders might reduce rates by $200 a year.

It’s important to note that these estimates are averages across all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and do not take into consideration a specific rating modification for a Ford Explorer. So the company that can offer you the best rate may not even be in the list above. That is why you need to compare prices as often as possible using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.

The illustration below demonstrates how deductible levels can impact insurance premiums when getting quotes for cheap insurance for a Ford Explorer. The prices are based on a single female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawDfdqcibChart);function drawDfdqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘$100 Deductible’,’$250 Deductible’,’$500 Deductible’,’$1,000 Deductible’],[‘Age 20’, 2935,2719,2475,2241],[‘Age 30’, 2039,1877,1691,1509],[‘Age 40’, 1893,1745,1577,1413],[‘Age 50’, 1657,1531,1381,1239],[‘Age 60’, 1599,1477,1335,1197],[‘Age 70’, 1857,1719,1563,1415]]);var options = {title: ‘Deductible Levels and Ford Explorer Insurance Rates in Massachusetts’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 700,’chartArea’: {left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’,’height’: ‘80%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’,textStyle: {fontSize: 12}},bar: {groupWidth: ‘80%’},colors: [‘#6791b9′,’#75a8d8′,’#98bee2′,’#bad4ec’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Insurance Cost for a Ford Explorer’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},vAxis: {title: ‘Age of Insured’}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);formatter.format(data,3);formatter.format(data,4);var chart = new google.visualization.BarChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibdfd’));chart.draw(data, options);}

In the chart above, a 50-year-old driver could lower their policy premium by $276 a year by changing their physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $418 by using a $1,000 deductible. Younger drivers, such as the Age 20 example, could shave as much as $694 or more by using a higher deductible.

When raising deductibles, it will be required to have plenty of discretionary funds to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the main drawback of higher deductibles.

Why you should be shopping around

Massachusetts insurance rates are impacted by many things which can substantially change the cost of a policy. Turning one year older, buying another vehicle, or having an at-fault accident can trigger changes in premium that can now make some companies affordable when they were higher priced. Not only may your situation change, but insurance companies change the rates they charge in Massachusetts multiple times each year to adjust for heavy claims or excess profits. Heavier than normal losses can cause rate hikes, while less frequent claims can produce more affordable Explorer insurance rates.

For instance, the bar chart below shows the companies that have the cheapest car insurance in Massachusetts for a 30-year-old male driver with no accidents or violations, and great credit. If we compare prices based on his current situation, State Farm might offer the cheapest car insurance rates in Massachusetts at $711 per year. This is $524 less than the average rate paid by Massachusetts drivers of $1,235. National Grange Mutual, GEICO, Commerce Group, and OneBeacon are the rest of the best Massachusetts auto insurance companies.

google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawMAWitcqcibChart);function drawMAWitcqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Company’, ‘Rate’, { role: ‘style’ }],[‘State Farm’, 711, ‘#09836F’],[‘National Grange Mutual’, 807, ‘#076D5C’],[‘GEICO’, 868, ‘#055A4C’],[‘Commerce Group’, 875, ‘#044B3F’],[‘OneBeacon’, 876, ‘#033E34’]]);var options = {title: ‘Best Cheap Auto Insurance for a Ford Explorer’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’, fontSize: 17, bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 300,’chartArea’: {left:0,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},bar: {groupWidth: “90%”},legend: {position: ‘none’},vAxis: {viewWindowMode:’explicit’,viewWindow:{max:976,min:0}}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});var view = new google.visualization.DataView(data);view.setColumns([0, 1,{ calc: “stringify”,sourceColumn: 1,type: “string”,role: “annotation” },2]);formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);var chart = new google.visualization.ColumnChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibwitc’));chart.draw(view, options);}

In the next rate comparison, we’ll give the driver from the above example some claims, a lower credit rating, and a traffic citation. Since each insurance company has their own process to set their prices, comparing quotes may now present a completely different list of affordable Massachusetts car insurance companies as shown below.

google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawMAWcqcibChart);function drawMAWcqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Company’, ‘Rate’, { role: ‘style’ }],[‘Arbella’, 1111, ‘#FF8E00’],[‘Norfolk and Dedham’, 1139.6, ‘#D47600’],[‘USAA’, 1172.6, ‘#B06200’],[‘Amica’, 1207.8, ‘#925100’],[‘National Grange Mutual’, 1210.5, ‘#794300’]]);var options = {title: ‘Car Insurance Rates with Claims and Violations’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 300,’chartArea’:{left:0,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},bar: {groupWidth: “90%”},legend: {position: ‘none’},vAxis: {viewWindowMode:’explicit’,viewWindow:{max:1310.5,min:0}}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});var view = new google.visualization.DataView(data);view.setColumns([0, 1,{ calc: “stringify”,sourceColumn: 1,type: “string”,role: “annotation” },2]);formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);var chart = new google.visualization.ColumnChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibwc’));chart.draw(view, options);}

Arbella now has the cheapest rate in Massachusetts with Norfolk and Dedham, USAA, Amica, and National Grange Mutual also having competitive pricing. This demonstrates why consumers need to take the time to perform a complete rate comparison to get the most affordable car insurance quotes for a Ford Explorer. Prices consist of many things and change dramatically, so the most economical company the last time you compared rates may now be quite expensive.

How to find low-cost insurance for a Ford Explorer

Below you’ll find a few money-saving suggestions that can help drivers buy lower-cost coverage.

• Don’t have frequent claims
• Increase the comprehensive and collision deductibles on your policy
• Bundle home and auto and save
• Better credit scores save money
• Ensure your driving record is clean
• Having at-fault accidents will increase rates
• Shop around once a year for cheaper rates

The last suggestion is remarkably important, as we stressed in the article above. Car insurance rates can change considerably based on profitability, so don’t be afraid to buy from a new company if a more affordable price is available. Many drivers prefer to stick with one company, but we do not recommend it if your bullheadedness ends up costing you thousands of dollars over several years. Now is a great time to compare rates to find cheaper insurance for a Ford Explorer.

Cheapest Ford Explorer insurance quotes

There are many ways to comparison shop for insurance in Massachusetts, but the three most common are through an exclusive insurance agency like State Farm or Auto-Owners, a non-exclusive or independent agent, or direct either online or via phone.

Each way has the same basic steps, but they differ slightly in how they work.

Independent agencies write for multiple companies and can get rate quotes from each one. Agents of this type are not employed by one specific company and can give you more rate choices, which can give you the best chance of finding a lower price. If premiums increase, your policy can be moved which is easy for the insured.

An exlusive, or captive, agency is only able to place business with just one company, a couple examples are Allstate and Liberty Mutual agents. These guys and gals cannot place coverage with different providers, so keep that in mind.

The final way is buying direct, which means you skip a local insurance agent and instead buy direct online or over the phone from a company like Esurance or Progressive. Buying insurance direct may be good for families who do not have a lot of assets and have a good understanding of what specific coverages and deductibles they need.

Which method works best for finding the cheapest insurance for a Ford Explorer in Massachusetts? We’d like to say shopping direct saves the most money since there isn’t an agent involved, but unfortunately, that is not always true. We’d also like to say an independent agency guarantees the lowest rates since there are more companies to choose from, but that is not accurate either. In some circumstances, exclusive agents have very competitive rates well below independent agents AND direct companies.

Since insurance companies use so many rating factors, really the only way to buy the cheapest policy is to get quotes and compare. It’s recommended that drivers get price quotes from all three to have a good selection of rates to choose from. For a list of companies offering online discounts, click here to view.