Liberty Mutual vs. Mercury: Which Is the Best? (2024)

Both insurers earn a similar IQ Score, indicating each offers a quality product and customer experience, but Mercury comes out on top for price.

Jacqueline DeMarco
Jacqueline DeMarco
  • 13+ years writing insurance and personal finance content

  • Insurance, lending, and retirement expert

Jacqueline has contributed content, and her personal finance passion, to dozens of noteworthy financial brands, including Credit Karma, Bankrate, and MagnifyMoney.

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Chris Schafer
Edited byChris Schafer
Chris Schafer
Chris SchaferSenior Editor
  • 15+ years in content creation

  • 7+ years in business and financial services content

Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.

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Konstantin Halachev
Data reviewed byKonstantin Halachev
Headshot of Konstantin Halachev, VP of Engineering at Insurify
Konstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
  • 7+ years experience in data analysis

  • Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

Updated October 29, 2024

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If you’re searching for a new car insurance company, you may be considering Liberty Mutual or Mercury. Both are well-known in the insurance industry and offer home and auto insurance.

Though Mercury isn’t widely available in the U.S. (with coverage available in 11 states), it offers affordable prices. To determine which car insurer is right for you, keep reading for major insight into rates, discounts, coverage options, and the customer experience with both Liberty Mutual and Mercury.

Quick Facts
  • Liberty Mutual is available in all 50 U.S. states.

  • Mercury is the most affordable option across all driver categories.

  • Mercury offers more discounts to help keep car insurance rates low.

Liberty Mutual vs. Mercury: The verdict

Mercury is the more affordable option for both full coverage and liability insurance. This auto insurer also offers more discounts. But finding the lowest rates isn’t all that matters. You want to consider the customer service experience, auto coverage types, and many other factors at a few different companies. One of the best ways to start your research is to read customer reviews — both negative and favorable.

Liberty Mutual stands out as the winner for availability. While Mercury is only available to drivers in 11 states, Liberty Mutual sells car insurance throughout the entire country. Both car insurance companies received similar Insurify Quality (IQ) Scores, which indicates a similar customer experience.

Here, you can see how these two insurers compare.

Factor
Liberty Mutual
Mercury
IQ Score7.78.0
Customer satisfaction score3.13.4
Average quote: liability only$138$81
Number of discounts139
Number of states where it operates5011
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
  • Our editorial team spent more than 350 hours developing the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score and scoring insurance companies. The IQ Score objectively analyzes and calculates a score for insurers using more than 15 crucial criteria. The team weighted criteria by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings.

    We rate each company on a 1 to 10 scale based on five categories: financial ratings, customer satisfaction, affordability, customer support and transparency, and availability. Insurify updates ratings once a year or as more recent information becomes available.

    • Third-party financial ratings: Insurify uses data from AM Best, S&P, Moody’s, and more to compare insurance companies’ credit and ability to pay out future claims.
    • Customer satisfaction: To calculate this score, Insurify analyzed more than 28,000 customer reviews across 155 car insurance companies. We also consider third-party ratings from J.D. Power, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Trustpilot.
    • Affordability: Our data scientists analyzed more than 90 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partners across the U.S., as well as available discounts, to calculate an affordability score.
    • Customer support and transparency: This measures coverage options, ease of claims filing, and the insurer's transparency surrounding discounts, coverages, and claims process.
    • Availability and reach: Insurify scores availability and reach by identifying the number of states in which insurers offer coverage and company size by market share.

Liberty Mutual

Liberty Mutual is a popular car insurance company that services all 50 states and sells many more insurance products than just auto insurance. It also sells life, homeowners (including condo), renters, and business insurance.

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User Reviews
2.8
IQ Score
The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores.
7.7/10
Liability Only
Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages.
$138/mo
Full Coverage
Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible.
$254/mo

In business for more than 100 years, Liberty Mutual offers auto, homeowners, condo, renters, flood, life and other insurance products. Policyholders have access to numerous discounts, including bundling, good student, military, student-away-at-school, claims-free, violation-free, and multi-car discounts. Liberty Mutual has an A rating for financial strength from A.M. Best and an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. However, the company has three times the expected rate of complaints in the National Association of Insurance Commissioner’s Consumer Complaints Index, and low ratings on consumer review sites Trustpilot and Sitejabber.

Pros
  • Wide range of available discounts

  • Accident forgiveness available

Cons
  • Many negative reviews and customer complaints

  • Premiums are relatively high compared to industry average

Read more driver reviews of Liberty Mutual
Frank - October 29, 2024
Verified

Been with them for 27 years, but I'm unsure

They are expensive. We are low mileage drivers with three cars, and only my wife and I are driving.

Gary - October 29, 2024
Verified

Price Gouging!

They recently increased my premium from $182 to $231 per month for no apparent reason, other than a general raise for everyone.

Donald - October 29, 2024
Verified

Don't use them, they will increase your rate within the six-month period of your term! And that's with no claims!

Don't use them, they will increase your rate within the six-month period of your term! And that's with no claims!

Mercury

Mercury isn’t a nationwide car insurance company but offers fair prices, is known for a good customer experience, and offers a variety of car insurance discounts alongside homeowners insurance and renters insurance discounts.

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User Reviews
3.3
IQ Score
The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores.
8.0/10
Liability Only
Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages.
$81/mo
Full Coverage
Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible.
$161/mo

Mercury is a 62-year-old insurance company that sells auto, home, condo, renters, and business insurance. In addition to standard car insurance coverage types, Mercury also offers rental car reimbursement, roadside assistance, rideshare insurance, and more. Mercury customers can save with multiple discounts, and the opportunity to bundle their auto insurance with home or renters coverage. The compay has an A rating from A.M. Best for financial stability. Mercury has nearly twice as many complaints as expected in the National Association of Insurance Commissioner’s Consumer Complaints Index. However, J.D. Power ranked the company fourth incustomer satisfaction in California.

Pros
  • Numerous coverage options, discounts, and bundling opportunities

  • Competitive auto insurance prices

Cons
  • Only available in 11 states (including California)

  • Only available in 11 states (including California)

Read more driver reviews of Mercury
Oscar - October 28, 2024
Verified

Excellent

Best price I have seen.

Marla - October 28, 2024
Verified

Sometimes confusing

It's difficult when all communication has to be done online.

Robert - October 28, 2024
Verified

Low Rates

I've been with them for 3 years and I still haven't received the policy. The good thing is that it's only $160.00 for 2 vehicles with full coverage and towing.

Liberty Mutual RightTrack vs. Mercury RealDrive

Both insurers offer a telematics-based discount program that can help you save if you practice safe driving habits.

Liberty Mutual RightTrack offers an immediate 10% discount upon enrollment and savings of up to 30% based on driving performance. But the program requires tracking driving habits, which some drivers find intrusive.

Mercury Insurance RealDrive provides savings of up to 20% based on annual mileage, making it appealing for low-mileage drivers. This program requires providing odometer readings.

RightTrack focuses on driving behavior and RealDrive emphasizes mileage, allowing flexibility for people who prefer less monitoring of their driving patterns.

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Liberty Mutual vs. Mercury: Which is the cheapest?

Mercury offers lower average monthly premiums for auto insurance customers in all driver categories.

It’s important to note that factors like your credit history, a history of car accidents or having a DUI on your record, ZIP code, and more can all affect auto insurance rates.[1] Finding the best option for your unique car insurance needs can help you save some money each month.

Mercury: Cheapest for drivers with a clean driving record

If you have a clean driving record, you’ll likely encounter favorable auto insurance premiums with any insurer you choose. When comparing Liberty Mutual vs. Mercury auto insurance, you’ll find a lower average rate than with Mercury. Here, you can see the average rates for liability coverage for both insurers below.

Driver Type
Liberty Mutual
Mercury
Clean driving record$138$81
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

Mercury: Cheapest for drivers with a speeding ticket

If you have traffic violations like a speeding ticket on your driving record, you may end up paying a higher monthly premium than people with a clean driving record. On average, Mercury charges less than Liberty Mutual for drivers with a speeding ticket.

Driver Type
Liberty Mutual
Mercury
Drivers with a speeding ticket$193$111
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

Mercury: Cheapest for teen drivers

Young drivers experience notoriously high car insurance rates. To help keep auto insurance spending low, parents of teen drivers may want to request a quote for a Mercury policy, which offers lower rates for teens than Liberty Mutual.

Driver Type
Liberty Mutual
Mercury
18-year-old$248$150
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

Mercury: Cheapest for senior drivers

Mercury is the winner in terms of offering the cheapest car insurance rates for senior drivers.

Driver Type
Liberty Mutual
Mercury
Senior drivers$116$59
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

Mercury: Cheapest for drivers with bad credit

Having a bad credit history can hurt you when it comes to auto insurance rates. Mercury charges drivers with bad credit much less per month than Liberty Mutual.

Driver Type
Liberty Mutual
Mercury
Drivers with bad credit$166$96
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

Compare coverages: Liberty Mutual vs. Mercury

Liberty Mutual and Mercury both offer liability-only, collision, comprehensive, medical payments, personal injury protection (PIP), uninsured/underinsured motorist, and rental car coverage.[2] [3]

Some car insurance companies also offer more unique types of coverage in the form of add-ons that you can use to enhance your base auto policy. This is where Mercury and Liberty Mutual differ significantly, with the latter offering more add-ons.

Coverage
Liberty Mutual
Mercury
Roadside assistanceYesYes
Rideshare insuranceNoYes
Better car replacementYesNo
24-hour roadside assistanceYesNo
Original parts replacementYesNo
Gap insuranceYesNo

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Compare discounts: Liberty Mutual vs. Mercury

In terms of potential insurance policy discounts, Liberty Mutual and Mercury’s offerings are pretty similar. Mercury has nine discounts, but Liberty Mutual comes in a bit stronger, with 13.

But some drivers may find that even though Liberty Mutual has fewer discounts available, the insurer may have the ones they need. For example, Mercury doesn’t offer a military discount, and Liberty Mutual does. To find the right discounts for you, don’t be afraid to ask an insurance agent for help.

Discount
Liberty Mutual
Mercury
Clean driving recordYesYes
Defensive driving courseNoNo
Multi-policyYesYes
Multi-carYesYes
Low mileageNoNo
Telematics (safe driving app)YesYes
Anti-theft deviceNoYes
New carNoNo
Military/affiliationYesNo
Good studentYesYes
LoyaltyNoNo
Auto-payYesYes
Student away at schoolYesNo
HomeownerYesNo
Alternative fuelNoNo

Liberty Mutual vs. Mercury FAQs

If you’re still on the fence about whether or not Liberty Mutual or Mercury is the right car insurance company for your needs, read on for a breakdown of some frequently asked questions about both insurers.

  • Who is Liberty Mutual’s biggest competitor?

    Liberty Mutual has a few big competitors. Mercury, Allstate, GEICO, Safeco, and State Farm are all examples of major car insurance companies that offer similar insurance products to Liberty Mutual. You can request quotes from a few different auto insurance companies to see which can offer low rates for your specific car insurance needs.

  • Is Mercury Insurance good?

    Mercury is a reliable auto insurance policy company and is well-respected in the insurance industry. Mercury received an AM Best financial strength rating of “A” (Excellent). AM Best ratings assess the financial strength and credit of insurance companies, indicating a company’s ability to meet ongoing insurance obligations — such as paying out future claims.

  • Why is Mercury Insurance so cheap?

    Mercury offers nine different auto insurance discounts that policyholders may be able to qualify for, which helps keep its auto insurance premiums affordable.

  • What are the key differences between Liberty Mutual and Mercury Insurance?

    The main differences between Liberty Mutual and Mercury are availability and market share. While Mercury insurance isn’t widely available, Liberty Mutual sells insurance in all 50 states. Both insurers also offer varying add-ons and discounts but sell the same standard types of car insurance.

Methodology

Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.

Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).

Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:

  • Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
  • Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
  • No additional coverage
Full-coverage premium averages correspond to the same bodily injury and property damage limits in addition to:
  • Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
  • Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible

Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.

Sources

  1. Insurance Information Institute. "What determines the price of an auto insurance policy?."
  2. Mercury Insurance. "Auto Insurance Coverage."
  3. Liberty Mutual. "Car insurance coverage types."
Jacqueline DeMarco
Jacqueline DeMarco

During college, Jacqueline DeMarco interned at a retirement plan advisory firm and was tasked with creating a presentation on the importance of financial wellness. During her research into how money can affect our health, relationships and career, Jacqueline realized just how important financial education is. Jacqueline is a contributor for Insurify and has worked with more than a dozen financial brands, including LendingTree, Capital One, Credit Karma, Fundera, Chime, Bankrate, Student Loan Hero, ValuePenguin, SoFi, and Northwestern Mutual, providing thoughtful content to give readers insight into complex topics that they likely didn’t learn in school.

Chris Schafer
Edited byChris SchaferSenior Editor
Chris Schafer
Chris SchaferSenior Editor
  • 15+ years in content creation

  • 7+ years in business and financial services content

Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.

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Konstantin Halachev
Data reviewed byKonstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
Headshot of Konstantin Halachev, VP of Engineering at Insurify
Konstantin HalachevVP of Engineering & Data Science
  • 7+ years experience in data analysis

  • Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

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