Alfa Alliance vs. Mercury: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for insurance, Alfa Alliance offers significantly cheaper prices than Mercury
• Alfa Alliance offers more affordable rates for policyholders who have a clean record
• Mercury may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Alfa Alliance Insurance

Alfa Alliance or Mercury: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you considering a new insurance policy? After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering big savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might be considering Alfa Alliance or Mercury as your top options, but between the two, which one has less expensive premiums for auto insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Alfa Alliance has average rates that are around 35% a month more affordable than those from Mercury.

However, that doesn't mean Alfa Alliance will necessarily be cheaper than Mercury for every driver. Insurance companies use all sorts of complex algorithms to determine prices, so depending on how old you are or how clean your driving record is (among lots of other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

So, if you want to find out which of Alfa Alliance or Mercury is really the best for you, keep reading to see average premiums for each carrier broken down by multiple different rate factors.

Alfa Alliance vs. Mercury: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Alfa Alliance and Mercury only compete against each other in Virginia, where Mercury offers the cheaper average prices. Mercury drivers tend to pay about $54 per month less on average compared to drivers who use Alfa Alliance for their car insurance.

But there's more to auto insurance than just your home state. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how insurance carriers calculate your rates. Keep reading to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive car insurance prices of any other group of drivers. That's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in a car insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

That being said, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their auto insurance. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Alfa Alliance for their insurance pay over 65% less than those who use Mercury.

Even so, both companies will lower premiums once you turn 25. For example, average rates for Alfa Alliance policyholders reduce about $40 and Mercury's prices drop almost $500 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to car insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the cheapest rates you can find.

So, which company offers the best premiums to retired drivers? Alfa Alliance gets the edge here, with average rates coming in at around $155 monthly compared to Mercury's $219.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married policyholders tend to get slightly less expensive insurance prices than single drivers. This usually boils down to married drivers having several vehicles on their policy -- something several auto insurance carriers will reward with discounts.

For single policyholders, the difference in average premiums between these two companies is significant, with Alfa Alliance rates coming in at about half of Mercury's. The advantage for married couples with Alfa Alliance is also obvious, where drivers save around $35 a month.

Alfa Alliance or Mercury: Average Rates by Gender

Because women are less likely to get into collisions and get tickets, they have a lower chance of filing a claim with insurance. So, insurance carriers will tend to charge women less than men.

With Alfa Alliance, men typically pay about 1% more per month than women., and around 5% with Mercury.

When it comes to the lowest prices for each gender, Alfa Alliance offers the cheapest average premiums for both men and women, with average rates $107 less for men and $94 cheaper for women.

Alfa Alliance vs. Mercury: Compare State Minimum vs. Full Coverage Rates

*State minimum value indicates liability-only policies at each state's minimum bodily injury and property damage (BI/PD) limits

**Full coverage indicates state minimum BI/PD limits with collision and comprehensive coverages added to policy.

For most people, car insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. Everyone needs insurance, but there are so many different coverages and terms that it can be hard to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability coverage (which covers the other party's property damage and injuries if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, in addition to what you get with liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, Alfa Alliance has the significant edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $103. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Alfa Alliance again has the edge, with policies averaging about $286 a month to Mercury's $406.

Is Alfa Alliance or Mercury Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their car insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

You'll probably end up paying more with collisions and speeding tickets on your record, but which of these two companies offers the lowest premiums to drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Alfa Alliance for their auto insurance can generally expect their monthly bill to go up around 18% after getting a speeding ticket. Mercury policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of about 19%.

But Alfa Alliance is normally the more affordable option for drivers both with clean records and with a ticket, offering prices that are 55% and 56% cheaper, respectively, compared to Mercury Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both carriers will raise rates pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with Mercury climbing by around 32%. Alfa Alliance has a less extreme climb, but you can still expect to pay nearly 35% more than you were prior to your first accident.

At the end of the day, the less expensive premiums come from Alfa Alliance, with average rates coming in at $162 compared to Mercury Insurance's $346.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge, you can expect some pretty significant increases in your monthly car insurance bill -- usually a lot more than an accident or speeding ticket. For example, Alfa Alliance increases average premiums by more than $250 per month -- that's more than a 70% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact Alfa Alliance and Mercury Rates?

Did you know many insurance companies take into account your credit score when determining prices? This isn't true for everyone (for example, Michigan and California are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect lots of drivers out there.

Auto insurance carriers argue that someone with bad credit is less likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them riskier to insure. Because of that, policyholders with bad credit will often be forced to pay more.

Looking at Alfa Alliance and Mercury specifically, which company has the best premiums for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Alfa Alliance or Mercury Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

Did you know that the amount of time you spend in your car have a substantial impact on your monthly prices? That's because the more milage you drive, the more likely you are to be in a collision and file an insurance claim.

In this case, neither Alfa Alliance or Mercury report increasing rates for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. Even so, Alfa Alliance comes out as the most affordable for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their vehicle yearly, with average premiums of $194 a month for both.

Alfa Alliance or Mercury: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can have a considerable impact on your monthly car insurance payment. Typically, those who live in urban areas will pay more than policyholders in rural areas due to the number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

Alfa Alliance tends to offer the most affordable rates for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save about $60 with Alfa Alliance compared to Mercury. People who live in suburban areas pay around $41 less with Alfa Alliance compared to Mercury. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Alfa Alliance Insurance's average premiums are about $201 less than Mercury Insurance.

Alfa Alliance vs. Mercury Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as you can, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many auto insurance discounts as possible.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be hard to find all the ones you're eligible for or to nail down the company that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Alfa Alliance and Mercury offer their customers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Mercury knocks Alfa Alliance out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 17 more discounts than Alfa Alliance.

There are a couple discounts both companies offer, but Mercury also offers discounts for ABS, anti-theft, continuous insurance, and more.

On the other hand, Alfa Alliance has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like driver training discounts, intra-agency transfer discounts, and renewal discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Alfa Alliance or Mercury Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average prices for many of the variables car insurance carriers look at, and walked through the different discounts each carrier offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, which insurance company is the best carrier for you and your specific needs?

Alfa Alliance might be best for you if....

• You're worried about the impact your credit score will have on your rates.
• You live in an suburban area.
• You've started working from home and don't have much of a commute.

Mercury might be best for you if...

• You value the experience that comes with a large national insurance carrier.
• Your driving record includes a DUI charge.
• You're looking for the company with the most discounts.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Alfa Alliance and Mercury and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your auto insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from several companies, not just Alfa Alliance and Mercury. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best car insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Alfa Alliance vs. Mercury FAQs

Is Alfa Alliance or Mercury cheaper?

Alfa Alliance is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $194 per month with Alfa Alliance and $295 for Mercury. That being said, that doesn't mean Alfa Alliance will be the cheapest carrier for everyone, since there are a range of different factors that are considered when it comes to your auto insurance cost.

Who is better, Alfa Alliance or Mercury?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No single company is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all boils down to your unique car insurance profile. For example, Alfa Alliance is less expensive for drivers with excellent credit, while Mercury offers cheaper premiums for drivers with a recent DUI.

Why do Alfa Alliance and Mercury offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use quite a few different variables when calculating the rates they charge. Factors such as gender, age, where you park your vehicle, your driving record, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Alfa Alliance and Mercury calculate prices using different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different rates. The best way to determine which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different companies.

How do I know if Alfa Alliance or Mercury is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top auto insurance companies for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Alfa Alliance or Mercury at all, but another you hadn't even thought of!

Methodology

All of the data referenced in this article has been gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. We analyzed more than 2.5 million rows of carrier-reported data to calculate the average rates referenced above. All rates are based on an insurance profile of a single-vehicle policy for a driver that owns a 2016 Honda Accord. For more information on how we calculate rates, please reference our data methodology.