Mercury vs. The Hartford: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for insurance, The Hartford offers cheaper rates than Mercury
• Mercury offers more discounts than The Hartford
• The Hartford tends to be a much less expensive option for people who are single and purchasing car insurance by yourself

Mercury vs. The Hartford: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering huge discounts, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Mercury or The Hartford as potential options, but which company has cheaper premiums for auto insurance?

As you can see, The Hartford has average rates that are about 10% per month less expensive than those from Mercury when looking at the national average rates for car insurance.

However, that doesn't mean The Hartford will necessarily be more affordable than Mercury for every single driver. After all, insurance companies can offer drastically different rates to each driver depending on rating factors like your age, your driving record, your credit score, or even where you call home (among other things), so prices will change quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if Mercury or The Hartford is really the right carrier for you? Keep on reading to see how average premiums can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

Mercury or The Hartford: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Mercury and The Hartford only compete against each other in California, where Mercury offers the cheaper average rates. For California residents, Mercury offers car insurance for $125 monthly on average. The Hartford's average prices come out to be over 70% more expensive, at $265 per month.

There's a lot more that goes into your insurance bill than just where you call home. Read on to learn more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- typically pay a lot for auto insurance compared to older drivers. It's generally because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high rates, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. As you can see above, teens who use The Hartford save nearly $300 a month compared to those who use Mercury. It's worth noting that Mercury offers insurance in 11 different states compared to The Hartford's one, which can skew the average premiums a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

That being said, with both carriers, you'll see your prices decrease significantly by the time drivers turn 25. The Hartford offers the steepest drop, with 25-year-olds paying a third less what 18-year-old drivers are charged. That being said, Mercury still has the cheapest rates at $230 a month.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll normally enjoy the most affordable car insurance premiums you'll ever see. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly rates for auto insurance.

But who has the best prices for retired drivers between Mercury and The Hartford? The Hartford gets the edge here, with average premiums coming in at around $192 monthly compared to Mercury's $219.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single drivers tend to get offered slightly more expensive insurance rates than married drivers. This usually boils down to married policyholders having more than one car on their policy -- something a lot of auto insurance companies will reward with discounts.

When it comes to relationship status, The Hartford is the clear winner for single policyholders, with premiums about $66 per month less expensive than Mercury, on average. It's not quite so glaring for married couples, where drivers who use Mercury save more than $15 a month.

Mercury vs. The Hartford: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into an accident or get pulled over for speeding. That means when it comes to car insurance men will usually end up paying a little more.

With Mercury, men normally pay around 5% more per month than women.; and with The Hartford, both genders end up paying the same monthly price.

When it comes to the lowest prices for each gender, The Hartford comes out as the cheapest option for both genders. On average, male drivers save about $37 a month and women save about $23 with The Hartford compared to the average Mercury policyholder.

Mercury or The Hartford: 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, insurance can be pretty complicated. There are a range of different coverages that account for a variety of different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause a collision.

Even so, most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers and passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, in addition to what you get with a liability policy).

If you're looking for state minimum liability limits, The Hartford generally offers significantly cheaper rates of $135 compared to Mercury's $184. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, The Hartford again has the edge, with policies around $10 per month more affordable than Mercury, on average.

Is Mercury or The Hartford Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their car insurance. But even if you have a spotty record, you can still find plenty of ways to save some cash on your monthly bill.

It's no secret secret that tickets and accidents lead to higher prices, but which company -- Mercury or The Hartford -- has the lowest premiums for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Mercury policyholders can expect their rates to go up an average of $57 a month if they get a ticket, while The Hartford usually raises prices about $71 per month, on average.

But The Hartford is typically the less expensive option for both drivers who have clean records and those with a recent speeding ticket, offering premiums that are 47% and 33% more affordable, respectively, compared to Mercury Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Mercury drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their rates climb by over 30%, while those who have insurance through The Hartford will see around a 50% increase.

Overall, The Hartford offers the most affordable premiums for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly prices averaging $262 compared to Mercury Insurance's $346.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge on your record, it's probably going to cost you more than a simple ticket or even an accident. The Hartford drivers usually see a 73% climb in their auto insurance premiums after a DUI charge, while Mercury will normally increase prices by about 22%.

Mercury has the overall cheapest rates for drivers with a DUI on their records at $303 a month, but it's worth noting that Mercury's average rates come from 11 states compared to just one for The Hartford, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Mercury and The Hartford Rates?

You may not realized it, but your credit score can be used as one of the factors to calculate your monthly insurance premiums. This isn't always the case (Massachusetts, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it does affect lots of policyholders out there.

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

Looking specifically at The Hartford and Mercury, which one has the most affordable prices for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have stellar credit, Mercury Insurance will typically reward you. With Mercury Insurance, improving your score from "good" to "excellent" will usually save you around 15%. Because undefined, doesn't have data available for credit scores, they most likely don't use credit to calculate your rates.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

If you have bad credit, it can cost you with Mercury Insurance. For drivers with less-than-stellar credit, at Mercury Insurance, you may pay about $100 a month more if you have "poor" credit compared to those with "fair" scores. It's an even larger difference when compared to drivers with "good" or "excellent" scores. On the other hand, undefined doesn't have data available for credit scores, which means drivers with bad credit might find better rates with undefined over Mercury Insurance.

Is Mercury or The Hartford Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

The amount of time you spend behind the wheel of your car plays a big role in your monthly auto insurance cost. Normally, those who drive less will end up with less expensive prices since there's less of a chance of getting into a collision and causing 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 significant difference in monthly premiums for The Hartford, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their car annually paying around $55 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles yearly. Still, The Hartford is the cheaper option for drivers in both categories.

Mercury vs. The Hartford: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you park your vehicle can play a substantial role in how much you pay for car insurance. Typically, drivers who live in less densely populated rural areas will pay quite a bit less than urban policyholders because there are a lot fewer cars on the road in those areas, which lowers the chances of an accident.

Looking at these companies side-by-side, The Hartford boasts the lowest average prices in urban and suburban areas, while Mercury wins in rural areas.

In urban areas, The Hartford's average rates are about 32% less than Mercury Insurance. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay around 4% less with The Hartford compared to Mercury. If you live in a rural area, you can expect to save about 18% with Mercury compared to The Hartford.

Mercury vs. The Hartford Discounts

You want to save as much money as possible, right? The best way to do that is by utilizing as many insurance discounts as you can.

The hard part is finding all of the discounts you're eligible for, since it can feel sometimes like every carrier has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

In the section below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both Mercury and The Hartford so that you can find the carrier that has the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Mercury knocks The Hartford out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 14 more discounts than The Hartford.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Mercury also offers advance quote discounts, continuous insurance discounts, COVID-19 relief discount, and more that The Hartford does not.

On the flip side, The Hartford has a couple unique discounts of its own -- lay-up credit discounts, renewal discounts, and umbrella policy discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Mercury or The Hartford Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your auto insurance premiums. We've broken down the different discounts each company offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, which carrier is the best company for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

The Hartford might be best for you if....

• You're single and purchasing car insurance by yourself.
• You're looking for more protection with "full coverage" auto insurance.
• You are over 65 years old and want to save some money on your insurance.

Mercury might be best for you if...

• You're thinking about moving to another state -- The Hartford is only available in CA.
• Your credit score is high.
• Your neighborhood is in a rural area.

We hope this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Mercury and The Hartford and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from several companies, not just Mercury and The Hartford. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of top auto insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Mercury vs. The Hartford FAQs

Is Mercury or The Hartford cheaper?

Looking just at the national average prices, The Hartford is the more affordable of the two companies, offering average rates of $265 per month compared to $295 for Mercury. That being said, The Hartford won't necessarily be the cheapest company for each policyholder, since there are lots of different factors that come into play when it comes to your car insurance payment.

Who is better, Mercury or The Hartford?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No single carrier is "better" for everyone -- it all comes down to what your unique insurance profile looks like. For example, The Hartford offers less expensive premiums for drivers with an at-fault collision on their record, while Mercury is cheaper for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores.

Why do Mercury and The Hartford offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers take a look at quite a few different variables when calculating the rates they charge policyholders. Factors like age, gender, your driving record, where you live, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Mercury and The Hartford use different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different prices. The only real way to see which company is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from several different companies.

How do I know if Mercury or The Hartford is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your area information and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance companies in your area. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Mercury or The Hartford at all!

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.