Mercury vs. Workmen’s Auto: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Workmen's Auto offers significantly less expensive premiums than Mercury
• Mercury tends to be a much more affordable option for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit
• Workmen's Auto offers more affordable rates for drivers who have an at-fault accident on their record

Mercury vs. Workmen's Auto: 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 considerable discounts, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Mercury or Workmen's Auto as potential options, but which one has cheaper premiums for auto insurance?

As you can see, Mercury is quite a bit more expensive than Workmen's Auto, with prices averaging $295 per month compared to just $151 with Workmen's Auto when looking at the national average rates for insurance.

Even so, that doesn't necessarily mean Workmen's Auto will be the less expensive option for every single driver. Auto insurance companies vary their rates depending on things like how old you are, where you live, how clean your driving record is, how good your credit score is, and a variety of other factors, so prices will vary quite a bit from person to person.

So, if you want to find out which of Mercury or Workmen's Auto is really the best for you, keep reading to see average rates for each carrier broken down by lots of different rate factors.

Mercury or Workmen's Auto: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Mercury and Workmen's Auto only compete against each other in California, where Mercury offers the cheaper average premiums. For California residents, Mercury offers car insurance for $125 monthly on average. Workmen's Auto's average rates come out to be over 20% more expensive, at $151 a month.

There's a lot more that goes into your insurance bill than just where you call home. Continue reading to learn more about how other factors will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Teen drivers will almost always have the most expensive auto insurance premiums of any other group of drivers. The reason is that young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into accidents since they have less experience on the roads.

That being said, that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high car insurance prices. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Workmen's Auto for their insurance pay more than $400 less than those who use Mercury. It's worth noting that Mercury offers auto insurance in 11 different states compared to Workmen's Auto's one, which can skew the average rates a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

However, both carriers will drop prices by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average premiums for Mercury policyholders decrease nearly $500 and Workmen's Auto's prices lower about $200 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 premiums you'll ever find.

But who has the best rates for retired drivers between Mercury and Workmen's Auto? Workmen's Auto gets the edge, with prices for drivers 65 and older almost 45% cheaper than the national average for Mercury.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

You may not be aware, but auto insurance rates tend to be more affordable for married policyholders than they are for single drivers. This usually boils down to married couples having more than one car on their policy -- something quite a few insurance companies will reward with discounts.

When it comes to relationship status, Workmen's Auto is the clear winner for single policyholders, with premiums around $184 a month cheaper than Mercury, on average. The advantage for married drivers with Workmen's Auto is also obvious, where drivers save about $90 per month.

Mercury vs. Workmen's Auto: Average Rates by Gender

Because men are more likely to get into collisions and get tickets, they have an increased chance of filing a claim with insurance. Therefore, insurance carriers will tend to charge men more than women.

Men normally pay around 5% more a month than women with Mercury; and with Workmen's Auto, both genders end up paying the same monthly price.

Looking at overall affordability, Workmen's Auto comes out as the most affordable option for both genders. On average, male drivers save about $151 per month and women save about $137 with Workmen's Auto compared to the average Mercury policyholder.

Mercury or Workmen's Auto: 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.

It's no secret that car insurance can be pretty complicated. There are several different coverages that account for many different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

But most policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (which covers the other party's injuries and property damage if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- comprehensive and collision -- alongside liability).

If you're looking for state minimum liability limits, Workmen's Auto usually offers significantly less expensive rates of $67 compared to Mercury's $184. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Workmen's Auto again has the edge, with policies around $150 a month more affordable than Mercury, on average.

Is Mercury or Workmen's Auto Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

Tickets and accidents will most likely raise your prices, but is Mercury or Workmen's Auto cheaper for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Mercury policyholders can expect their premiums to go up an average of $57 per month if they get a ticket, while Workmen's Auto typically raises rates about $34 a month, on average.

However, Workmen's Auto is generally the less expensive option for drivers both with clean records and with a speeding ticket, offering prices that are 53% and 51% more affordable, respectively, compared to Mercury Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Mercury drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their premiums increase by over $100, while those who have insurance through Workmen's Auto will see around a $45 increase.

Overall, Workmen's Auto offers the lowest rates for drivers with an at-fault collision on their records, with monthly prices averaging $156 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 a collision. On average, Workmen's Auto will increase your premiums about 42% after a DUI, while Mercury's average prices climb by over 20%.

Workmen's Auto has the overall cheapest premiums for drivers with a DUI on their records at $191 per month, but it's worth noting that Mercury's average rates come from 11 states compared to just one for Workmen's Auto, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Mercury and Workmen's Auto Rates?

Did you know that many car insurance companies take your credit score into account when calculating rates? Certain states and carriers do not allow for credit score to be used as a rating factor, but it will come into play for many policyholders.

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

So, which company offers the most affordable prices for policyholders with poor, average, or good credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

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

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 25% per 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, because undefined doesn't have data available for credit scores, they may have better rates for drivers with bad credit over Mercury Insurance.

Is Mercury or Workmen's Auto 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 pretty big impact on your monthly car insurance cost? Normally, the more miles you put on your vehicle each year, 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 significant difference in monthly prices for Workmen's Auto, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their car yearly paying around $49 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, Workmen's Auto is the cheaper option for drivers in both categories.

Mercury vs. Workmen's Auto: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

We've already mentioned how your home state can play a role in how much you pay for auto insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a big impact as well. Generally, if you live in a rural area with fewer cars on the road, you'll pay a little less for insurance, while the opposite is true for people in urban areas.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Workmen's Auto usually comes out as the lowest option for drivers in every type of area, no matter if it's urban, suburban, or rural.

In urban areas, Workmen's Auto Insurance's average premiums are about 63% less than Mercury Insurance. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay around 44% less with Workmen's Auto compared to Mercury. If you live in a rural area, you can expect to save about 29% with Workmen's Auto compared to Mercury.

Mercury vs. Workmen's Auto Discounts

Regardless of why you might be in the market for a new car insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as possible, and the best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many insurance discounts as you can.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be challenging to nail down the carrier that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile and to find all the discounts you can take advantage of.

Below, we've compared all of the different discounts offered by Mercury and Workmen's Auto so that you can find the company that has the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Mercury knocks Workmen's Auto out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 27 different discounts to Workmen's Auto's four.

Both companies offer many of the same discounts -- like discounts for being a good driver and mature driver discounts -- but Mercury also offers ABS discounts, advance quote discounts, anti-theft discounts, and more that Workmen's Auto does not.

On the flip side, Workmen's Auto has a couple unique discounts of its own -- driver-vehicle combination discounts and renewal discounts.

Final Thoughts: Is Mercury or Workmen's Auto Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your auto insurance rates. We've broken down the different discounts each company offers, too. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which carrier is the right carrier for you and your specific profile and needs?

Workmen's Auto might be best for you if....

• You live in one of the following states: California.
• You live in an suburban area.
• You have a short commute.

Mercury might be best for you if...

• You're worried about the impact your credit score will have on your premiums.
• Your credit score is high.
• You're looking for discounts -- Mercury has the most.

We hope this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Mercury and Workmen's Auto. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your 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 auto insurance -- comparing quotes from several carriers, not just Mercury and Workmen's Auto. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP code below and get free quotes from dozens of the top car insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Mercury vs. Workmen's Auto FAQs

Is Mercury or Workmen's Auto cheaper?

Looking just at the national average prices, Workmen's Auto is the less expensive of the two carriers, offering average rates of $151 a month compared to $295 for Mercury. But Workmen's Auto won't necessarily be the most affordable company for everyone, since there are multiple different factors that come into play when it comes to your insurance payment.

Who is better, Mercury or Workmen's Auto?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No single carrier is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all depends on what your unique car insurance profile looks like. For example, Workmen's Auto offers more affordable rates for drivers with an at-fault accident on their record, while Mercury is less expensive for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores.

Why do Mercury and Workmen's Auto offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies take a look at several different variables when determining the prices they charge policyholders. Things like gender, age, where you live, your driving record, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Mercury and Workmen's Auto use different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different rates. The only real way to see which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different carriers.

How do I know if Mercury or Workmen's Auto is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of 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 area information and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best insurance carriers in your area. That way, you can guarantee you're getting the cheapest premium. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Mercury or Workmen's Auto 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.