I am buying a new Merc. My last experience was a disastrous one with an auto insurance company. They went on raising the rates year after year. I wish to go with a stable insurance provider who values good customers. I had no tickets, no accidents.

Some insurance companies like ours do this as well on our premiums. Of course you have to allow that in general the cost of everything is generally escallating.

Ask your local friends for their experiences through a good local insurance agent. I do agree that some companies seem much fairer than others. Also unfortunatly some are almost abusive in comparison.

My wife has developed a penchant for writting off newish cars for the last five years or so. This means we are stuck with higher rates. At this point I wish she would could be content with a simple fender bender. For example the last one was a classic in my mind at least.

It went like this. Honey can you come out to the hospital parking lot and pick me up? I was involved in an accident in the parking lot.

Naturally I thought perhaps a fender is touching a wheel or something simular. When I got there the two headlights are gone and the sheet metal damage is extensive. The worse being the rad support is badly tweeked. The car is also up on a concrete barrier with the front bumper underneath it.

Of course my first question is how as it looks like a highway accident. A taxi van cutting through at high speed nailed her it seems. The police where going to ticket her until I mentioned that there is no way a car should look like this from a parking lot accident. He agreed and did not write a ticket. The insurance company wrote that car off as well.

I've had USAA for most of my married life (20 years).

They haven't really tweaked my premiums in awhile except for when my daughter started driving, and my Benz premiums have been pretty much the same, whether I added a 500SL or traded for a CLK, or traded up from one ML to another.

State Farm is a very good insurance company as well. My 300E got totaled and the other party had State Farm. They paid over blue book for my loss within a week of the claim.

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

I've done OK with AMICA over the years, but I don't think they are the cheapest.

No they're not. I had ben with them for 3 yearsand nerfed the front bumper of my new Mercury Grand Marquis.

I told them I wanted Ford factory new parts. And old the body shop ( a real good one that restores Corvettes,Jaguars,Porsches and Rolls Royces to let e know if they gave trouble.

State Farmtried to stop me from using that reputable shop, "It is not om our"recommendd" list of shops tha we tell custmers to go to." (The policyholder by law can select the shop he wants).

They tried to put on a used bumper and bumper cover. I told them I wanted a NEW, FACTORY one, the car was new, less than 15,000 miles on it.

I said I did not want some aftermarket cheesy one made in Red China eiher.



They told me:

READ YOUR POLICY. It says in there we can put in junkyard parts, or aftermarket ones from anywhere, if we want to.


And guess what? They were right. They can.and they DID..


AND ALMOST ALL POLICIES SAY THE VERY SAME THING, FROM ANY COMPANY.


Shortly afterwards, I dropped them after 37 years with them. Bunch of basterds, cheapskates, not there whe Ineeded them..



Then: I found out that the BRAND NEW Mercury Grand Marquis bumper covers were all made in Communist China anyway. So much for the last Merkin car.

And the Mercury brand is out of bidness, now too. Last one was built January 4, 2011 and sent off to a rental fleet somewhere.



So I traded it in, and will take my chances with this new Outback. It is SORT of American. with 70% US parts and built n Indiana, but has a Japanese built motor and CVT transmission. So far it is sensational.





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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Spam bot

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Maybe a "Spam Botnst"?

I'm thinking of going liability only and increase cash reserves to cover comprehensive or collision. That way, I pay my own way and don't have to argue with an insurance adjuster over whether the car was repaired correctly or not. The adjusters tend to have a "We are going to spend as little as possible to repair your car" attitude."

Plus, being self insured means the money stays in YOUR bank account. If you never have a wreck, you can earn interest on it and KEEP IT in hip national bank versus the insurance company's bank.

The estimate for the front bumper repair and repaint on my Grand Marquis last year at a good body shop was pretty extravagant.

About $2,500 I think. And the car was still driveable.

It is so expensive it does not take much damage fora total write off these days, carbodies are pretty flimsy too.


As much as I despise insurance companies (AND i WAS ONCE AN INSURANCE ADJUSTER MYSELF) it may be worth paying the premiums to shift the risk of lss to the Insurance company. I amsure you will agree the entire system is rigged to make sure you do just that.

I suspect if you "self-insure" you may have to jump through LOTS of government hoops as a private individual to prove you are doing it, and probably post a HUGE bond, or pay a big premium for one.

Just something to think about

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

I've done pretty well with Liberty Mutual. Their rates were half what my old company was. I think that was Travelers. Plus, their people are always pretty helpful and fairly easy to get on the phone.

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Geico.

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-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

In reality, AAA (the auto club) is the force behind 'state mandated' car insurance. when cars first hit the roads (early 1900s), there was NO such thing as 'auto insurance'. AAA heavily lobbied the states to REQUIRE people to purchase their new product which was the creation of the insurance gods, called 'auto insurance'.

AAA was successful in their lobbying efforts which influenced state legislatures to pass 'laws' to mandate required coverage (pay up or go to jail). BTW, AAA has made out very well due to their lobbying efforts. Must be nice to offer a product which the public is REQUIRED to purchase.

I"m thinking of going state minimum coverage only and putting the rest of the funds into savings. Once a check is written for insurance premiums, the funds are gone forever.

Don't forget to put away enough money to cover potential legal defense fees, including any expert witnesses you may need to bring to court to defend your interest with.

While you could just let any judgment against you (typicall collectable for 10 years) and then file for bankruptcy court relief, that option is only available once every seven years or so, and it is the "thermonuclear" option credit rating wise.

Since today's vehicles are designed to "crumple" in order to dissipate energy and protect the cockpit, even minor low-speed impacts suffer dramatic exterior damage!

Factor in airbag deployment (side curtains and door airbags if t-boned), and it doesn't take much for the damage to exceed the car's value!

For that matter, would you WANT a vehicle with frame damage restored to service?

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

I've had Progressive for the last ten years. Liability only of course. No issues.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.