Donegal Mutual vs. Mercury: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for car insurance, Donegal Mutual offers slightly less expensive premiums than Mercury
• Donegal Mutual tends to be a much more affordable option for policyholders who live in suburban areas
• Mercury offers more affordable rates for policyholders who drive a short distance to work everyday

Donegal Mutual 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 large savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Donegal Mutual or Mercury, but between the two, which carrier has cheaper prices for insurance?

Looking at nationwide averages, Mercury is around $5 more a month than Donegal Mutual.

That being said, that doesn't necessarily mean Donegal Mutual will be the more affordable option for each driver. Car insurance carriers use tons of complex algorithms to determine premiums, so depending on how old you are or how good your credit score is (among lots of other factors), you could see wildly different rates from the ones above.

Luckily, we've broken down average premiums from both Donegal Mutual and Mercury by a bunch of different rate factors, so read on to find out which company is the best for you.

Donegal Mutual vs. Mercury: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Donegal Mutual and Mercury only compete against each other in one states, with Mercury offering less expensive prices to the average driver in all of them. Virginia has the most noticable difference, where Mercury premiums are $105 more affordable than insurance prices at Donegal Mutual.

But there's more to calculating auto insurance rates than just where you live. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers generally pay a lot more for car insurance than any other group of drivers out there on the road. It's normally because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an auto insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high premiums, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Donegal Mutual for their auto insurance pay over 10% less than those who use Mercury.

However, both companies will decrease rates by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average prices for Donegal Mutual policyholders lower more than 60% and Mercury's premiums drop almost 70% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

When it comes to insurance, patience and experience pay off, with drivers around retirement age paying some of the lowest rates you'll ever find.

But who has the best prices for retired drivers between Donegal Mutual and Mercury? In this case, Donegal Mutual has the slight edge, with premiums about $7 per month less than Mercury. Even so, that difference is less than 5%, which means it ultimately will come down to other variables, like your credit score or your driving record.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single drivers tend to get offered slightly more expensive auto insurance prices than married drivers. That's typically because married couples tend to own and insure more than one vehicle, which can often earn you a discount.

When it comes to relationship status, Donegal Mutual is the winner for those who are single, with rates around 4% a month less expensive than Mercury, on average.

Donegal Mutual or Mercury: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to cause a collision and get into accidents, which means they'll usually end up paying more for insurance than women.

Usually, men see premiums about $20 per month higher with Donegal Mutual, and around $14 more with Mercury.

When it comes to the most affordable rates for each gender, Donegal Mutual offers the cheapest average prices for both men and women. On average, women save about $7 a month and men save about $3 with Donegal Mutual compared to the average Mercury policyholder.

Donegal Mutual 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 can be pretty complicated. There are so many different coverages and limits that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

But the most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers and their passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which generally refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages alongside liability coverage).

When it comes to state minimum liability limits, Donegal Mutual has the edge, while Mercury offers the most affordable average rates for full coverage policies with similar coverage limits. Policyholders looking for basic state minimum coverage can save around $15 with Donegal Mutual Insurance Company, while full coverage comes out to be around $3 cheaper with Mercury Insurance.

Is Donegal Mutual or Mercury Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from insurance carriers offering great prices for good drivers, but that doesn't mean people with less-than-perfect driving records can't save money, too.

It's no secret secret that speeding tickets and collisions lead to higher premiums, but which carrier -- Donegal Mutual or Mercury -- has the cheapest rates for drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Drivers who use Donegal Mutual for their car insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up about 19% after getting a speeding ticket. Mercury policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 19%.

That being said, Donegal Mutual tends to offer the best prices for drivers both with clean records and with a ticket, offering premiums that are 17% and 17% more affordable, respectively, compared to Mercury Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Both companies will raise prices pretty significantly if you get into an at-fault collision with Mercury raising by about 32%. Donegal Mutual has a less extreme increase, but you can still expect to pay nearly 20% more than you were prior to your first accident.

At the end of the day, Donegal Mutual offers the lowest premiums for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with average prices coming in at $245 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 auto insurance bill -- normally a lot more than an accident or speeding ticket. For example, Donegal Mutual increases average rates by nearly $300 per month -- that's just under a 60% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact Donegal Mutual and Mercury Rates?

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

The reasoning insurance companies use is that drivers with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so usually, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with cheaper rates.

Looking at Donegal Mutual and Mercury specifically, which company has the best premiums for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Donegal Mutual or Mercury Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a considerable impact on how much auto insurance carriers will charge for coverage. Generally, those who drive less will end up with less expensive rates since there's less of a chance of causing a collision and filing an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Mercury charges. However, there's a pretty significant difference in monthly prices for Donegal Mutual, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles every year paying around $36 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly.

Donegal Mutual or Mercury: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where your home is can play a large role in how much you pay for car insurance. Normally, if you live in a rural area with fewer cars on the road, you'll pay a little less for auto insurance, while the opposite is true for people in urban areas.

Looking at these companies side-by-side, Donegal Mutual typically comes out as the more affordable option for drivers in rural and suburban areas, while Mercury wins in urban areas.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Mercury Insurance's average rates are about 10% less than Donegal Mutual Insurance Company. People who live in suburban areas pay around 13% less with Donegal Mutual compared to Mercury. Those in rural areas can expect to save about 12% with Donegal Mutual compared to Mercury.

Donegal Mutual 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 taking advantage of as many auto insurance discounts as possible.

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be hard to find all the ones you qualify for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Donegal Mutual and Mercury offer their customers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Mercury blows Donegal Mutual away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 27 different discounts to Donegal Mutual's 20.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Mercury also offers discounts for continuous insurance, COVID-19 relief, distant student, and more.

On the other hand, Donegal Mutual has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like driver training discounts, family discounts, hybrid vehicle discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Donegal Mutual or Mercury Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average premiums for many of the factors insurance companies look at, and we've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, is Donegal Mutual or Mercury the best fit for you?

Donegal Mutual might be best for you if....

• You have a clean record.
• You live in an suburban area.
• You want to save money while purchasing car insurance for a teenager.

Mercury might be best for you if...

• Your driving record includes a DUI charge.
• You want the most robust protection via a "full coverage" policy.
• You are purchasing your auto insurance with a spouse.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Donegal Mutual and Mercury and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your car insurance.

But, at the end of the day, there's only one way to know for sure that you're getting the best possible deal on insurance -- comparing quotes from multiple carriers, not just Donegal Mutual and Mercury. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best auto insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Donegal Mutual vs. Mercury FAQs

Is Donegal Mutual or Mercury cheaper?

Donegal Mutual is the cheaper of the two carriers when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $290 a month with Donegal Mutual and $295 for Mercury. However, that doesn't mean Donegal Mutual will be the most affordable company for every driver, since there are several different variables that are considered when it comes to your car insurance payment.

Who is better, Donegal Mutual or Mercury?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". One carrier is not necessarily "better" for each policyholder -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique insurance profile. For example, Mercury is less expensive for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores, while Donegal Mutual offers more affordable premiums for policyholders with an at-fault accident on their record.

Why do Donegal Mutual and Mercury offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies use quite a few different factors when calculating the prices they charge. Variables such as where you call home, where you live, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Donegal Mutual and Mercury calculate rates differently, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different carriers.

How do I know if Donegal Mutual or Mercury is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from several companies and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top car insurance carriers for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And maybe you'll find that the best company for you isn't Donegal Mutual 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.