Main Street America vs. Mercury: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for car insurance, Main Street America offers significantly more affordable rates than Mercury
• Main Street America offers more affordable premiums for single people who will be the only person on the auto insurance policy
• Mercury may help you save more money -- they offer more discounts than Main Street America Insurance

Main Street America or Mercury: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching to a new insurance policy. You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering hefty savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Main Street America or Mercury as potential options, but between the two, which company will offer you cheaper rates?

Looking at the national average rates for both carriers, Main Street America is around $68 a month less expensive than Mercury.

Even so, Main Street America may not be the cheapest or best option for every single driver out there. Car insurance companies use all sorts of complex algorithms to determine premiums, so depending on how clean your driving record is or how good your credit score is (among many other factors), you could see wildly different prices from the ones above.

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

Main Street America vs. Mercury: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Main Street America and Mercury only compete against each other in two states, with Main Street America offering more affordable prices to the average driver in all of them. New York has the most noticable difference, where Main Street America rates are $617 less expensive than insurance premiums at Mercury.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your car insurance payment than just where you call home. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers normally pay a lot more for insurance than any other group of drivers out there on the road. It's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

However, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance rates. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of over 35% less per month by choosing Main Street America over Mercury.

That being said, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower prices by the time you turn 25. Mercury offers the steepest decrease, with 25-year-olds paying less than a third of what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, Main Street America still has the lowest rates at $219 per month.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age generally enjoy some of the most affordable insurance premiums you'll ever see. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which usually reduces their chances of collisions and other infractions that can raise prices.

When looking at Main Street America and Mercury specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Main Street America gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older $38 cheaper than the national average for Mercury.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Married policyholders tend to get slightly more affordable car insurance prices than single policyholders. That's typically because married drivers tend to own and insure more than one vehicle, which can often earn you a discount.

For single drivers, the difference in average rates between these two companies is significant, with Main Street America premiums coming in at a quarter less than Mercury's. The advantage is also clear for married couples - Main Street America offers the lowest average prices.

Main Street America or Mercury: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into accidents and file an insurance claim, which means they'll normally end up paying more for auto insurance than women.

Surprisingly, with Main Street America, men generallypay about 3% less a month than women, and around 5% more with Mercury.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Main Street America offers the most affordable average rates for both men and women. On average, male drivers save about $78 per month and women save about $58 with Main Street America compared to the average Mercury policyholder.

Main Street America 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.

Insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are so many different limits and coverages that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

The two most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (that covers property damage and bodily injury for other drivers and passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes collision and comprehensive coverages that protect your own car, alongside liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability insurance, Main Street America has the edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $159. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Main Street America again has the edge, with policies averaging around $295 a month to Mercury's $406.

Is Main Street America or Mercury Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

You'll probably end up paying more with speeding tickets and at-fault collisions on your record, but which of these two companies offers the cheapest prices to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Main Street America for their auto insurance can typically expect their monthly bill to go up about 26% after getting a speeding ticket. Mercury policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 19%.

But Main Street America tends to offer the best prices for drivers both with clean records and with a ticket. With Main Street America Insurance, drivers with a clean record can save about $62 per month and drivers with a speeding ticket can save around $58 a month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Main Street America drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their premiums rise by $40, while those who have insurance through Mercury will see about a $100 increase.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Main Street America end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average prices coming in at $215 compared to Mercury Insurance's $346.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single collision or ticket when it comes to your car insurance bill. For example, Main Street America increases average rates by more than $100 per month -- that's nearly a 40% increase.

How does Credit Score Impact Main Street America and Mercury Rates?

You may not realized it, but your credit score can be used as one of the variables to calculate your monthly auto insurance premiums. This isn't true for everyone (for example, Massachusetts and Hawaii are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect many policyholders out there.

Insurance carriers argue that those with good credit scores are more likely to pay their bills on time every month, which lowers the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with bad credit.

So, which carrier offers the best rates for drivers with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Main Street America 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 considerable impact on how much auto insurance companies will charge for coverage? Usually, the more milage you drive, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

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 small difference in monthly prices for Main Street America, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle each year paying around $4 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, for drivers in both categories, Main Street America is the cheaper company.

Main Street America or Mercury: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

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

Main Street America boasts the most affordable average premiums for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Main Street America Insurance's average prices are about $137 less than Mercury Insurance. People who live in suburban areas pay around $45 less with Main Street America compared to Mercury. Those in rural areas can expect to save about $21 with Main Street America compared to Mercury.

Main Street America vs. Mercury Discounts

No matter why you might be in the market for a new auto insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as you can. That's where car insurance discounts comes into play.

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be difficult to find all the ones you can take advantage of.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and broke down all of the different discounts offered by both Main Street America and Mercury so that you can see which carrier can save you the most money each month.

Mercury knocks Main Street America out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering nine more discounts than Main Street America.

Both carriers offer quite a few of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, distant student discounts, DRL discounts, and discounts for being a good student -- but Mercury also offers discounts for advance quote, continuous insurance, COVID-19 relief, and more.

On the other hand, Main Street America has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like driver training discounts, EFT discounts, new business discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Main Street America or Mercury Best for You?

You've seen the effect certain factors have on your insurance and the different discounts companies offer. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, is Main Street America or Mercury the best one for you and your specific driver profile?

Main Street America might be best for you if....

• You have a speeding ticket on your driving record.
• You live in an urban area.
• You and your spouse are buying car insurance together.

Mercury might be best for you if...

• You're planning on moving to another state soon -- undefined only offers policies in.
• You're looking for the company with the most discounts.

Hopefully, this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Main Street America and Mercury. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to 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 multiple carriers, not just Main Street America and Mercury. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple quotes from some of the best auto insurance companies in your area, all for free.

Main Street America vs. Mercury FAQs

Is Main Street America or Mercury cheaper?

Main Street America is the less expensive of the two carriers when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $227 a month with Main Street America and $295 for Mercury. However, that doesn't mean Main Street America will be the cheapest carrier for everyone, since there are a range of different variables (things like driving record, age, gender, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Main Street America or Mercury?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". Neither company is "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique insurance profile looks like. For example, Mercury is cheaper for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores, while Main Street America offers less expensive premiums for drivers with an at-fault accident on their record.

Why do Main Street America and Mercury offer me different rates?

Car insurance companies use several different factors when determining the prices they charge. Variables such as your driving record, where your home is, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Main Street America and Mercury calculate rates using different formulas, so it's likely they'll offer different premiums. The best way to determine which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different carriers.

How do I know if Main Street America or Mercury is right for me?

The only way to find the auto insurance company 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 does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance carriers for free. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Main Street America 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.