2006 MINI Cooper Car Insurance Rates

There isn’t a single person who is fond of buying insurance, especially knowing their premiums are through the roof. Many auto insurance companies vie for your business, so it can be very hard to choose a company and uncover the absolute best rates possible.

Cheap car insurance

Getting a more affordable price on 2006 MINI Cooper insurance is an easy way to save money. The only thing you need to do is spend a few minutes getting comparison quotes from different insurance companies. Shoppers can get rates in a couple of different ways.

1. The best way to get quotes for comparison would be an industry-wide quote request form like this one (opens in new window). This method keeps you from doing a different quote for every company. Taking the time to complete one form gets coverage cost estimates direct from many companies.
2. Another way to analyze rates requires you to visit the website for each individual company to complete a price quote. For example, let’s say you want comparison quotes from Nationwide, Liberty Mutual and Allstate. In order to compare rates, you need to spend time on each company’s site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is quicker. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in your area, click here.
3. The most time-consuming method to compare rates is actually driving to each insurance agency near you. Comparing online rate quotes eliminates the middleman unless you have a complicated situation and need the guidance of a licensed agent. Although, it is possible get prices online but have your policy serviced through an agent.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make sure you are using the exact same quote information with every price quote. If each company quotes mixed coverages you will not be able to determine the best price for your MINI Cooper.

Save $447 a year! What?

Consumers can’t escape the ads for insurance coverage savings by State Farm and Allstate. All the companies advertise the message that people will save if you get a free insurance coverage quote and switch your policy.

But how can every company give you a lower rate? It’s all in the words they use.

All the different companies have specific characteristics for the right customer that will generate a profit. For example, this type of risk profile may need to be married and over the age of 30, owns their home, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. Any customer that hits that “sweet spot” receive the lowest rate quotes and will save a lot if they switch.

Drivers who may not quite match those criteria will get more expensive rates which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say “customers who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that much money. That is how insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings.

Because each company has a different risk profile, it is so important to get a wide range of price quotes. It’s just not possible to know with any certainty which company will have the lowest rates.

Cheaper auto insurance rates with discounts

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you may be missing some discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. A few discounts will be applied at the time you complete a quote, but less common discounts must be asked for before you get the savings.

• Payment Discounts – By paying your entire bill at once rather than paying in monthly installments you could save up to 5%.
• Bundle and Save – If you insure your home and vehicles and insure them with the same company you could earn a discount of over 10 percent off each policy depending on the company.
• Safety Restraint Discount – Forcing all vehicle occupants to use a seat belt can save 10% or more on medical payment and PIP coverage.
• Passive Restraint Discount – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts can get savings of 20% or more.
• Service Members Pay Less – Being on active duty in the military could trigger a small discount.
• Student in College – Any of your kids who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle could qualify for this discount.
• Student Driver Training – Teen drivers should complete a driver education course if it’s offered in school.
• Buy New and Save – Insuring a vehicle that is new can cost up to 25% less because new model year vehicles keep occupants safer.
• Drive Less and Save – Driving less may enable drivers to earn cheaper auto insurancerates.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any qualifying discounts will positively reduce the cost of coverage.

Some companies that possibly offer most of these discounts include:

• Mercury Insurance
• Farmers Insurance
• Farm Bureau
• State Farm
• Allstate
• Geico

If you need affordable insurance coverage quotes, ask all the companies which discounts you qualify for. All car insurance discounts may not apply to policyholders in every state. To locate providers who offer auto insurance discounts, click this link.

Tailor your auto insurance coverage to you

When it comes to choosing adequate coverage, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For instance, these questions may help highlight whether you would benefit from professional advice.

• Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?
• Does coverage extend to Mexico or Canada?
• Does insurance cover tools stolen from my truck?
• How much liability insurance is required?
• Does my personal policy cover me when driving out-of-state?
• Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
• What if I owe more than I can insure my car for?
• When should I buy a commercial auto policy?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It is quick, free and you can get the answers you need.

What insurance coverages do you need?

Knowing the specifics of a insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are the normal coverages available from insurance companies.

Liability coverages – This coverage protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU from legal claims by others, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see policy limits of 50/100/50 that translate to a limit of $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000. Some companies may use a combined limit which combines the three limits into one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability can pay for claims such as legal defense fees, loss of income, bail bonds, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and repair costs for stationary objects. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Medical payments coverage and PIP – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for bills such as surgery, chiropractic care, doctor visits and funeral costs. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover you and your occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states and may carry a deductible

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family. Usually these limits are set the same as your liablity limits.

Collision coverage – Collision insurance covers damage to your Cooper from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage pays for claims like colliding with a tree, rolling your car, colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a parking meter and sideswiping another vehicle. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Comprehensive coverage – Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as fire damage, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, rock chips in glass and hitting a bird. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Be a penny pincher

Low-cost 2006 MINI Cooper insurance can be bought from both online companies and from local agencies, so get free insurance coverage quotes from both of them to have the best selection. Some companies do not offer internet price quotes and these regional carriers prefer to sell through local independent agents.

As you quote insurance coverage, it’s very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where someone sacrificed collision coverage only to find out that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate but still have enough coverage for asset protection.

We just covered a lot of information how to lower your 2006 MINI Cooper insurance premium rates. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the best price on insurance is with some of the smallest insurance companies. They may have significantly lower prices on certain market segments than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive and Geico.

Additional detailed information is available in the articles below:

• Auto Theft Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Smart Auto Insurance Tips (Insurance Information Insitute)
• If I File a Claim will My Insurance Go Up? (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Choosing a Car for Your Teen (State Farm)
• Airbag FAQ (iihs.org)