Cheaper 2010 BMW 3 Series Insurance Rates

Trying to find cheaper insurance coverage is quite difficult for drivers who are beginners to comparison shopping online. Drivers have so many options available that it can easily be a burden to find the perfect company for you.

Take policy discounts and save

Insurance is not an enjoyable expense, but you might already qualify for some discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Certain discounts will be applied when you complete an application, but once in a while a discount must be specially asked for before they will apply.

• Student Discounts – Getting good grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
• Anti-theft System – Cars and trucks optioned with advanced anti-theft systems are less likely to be stolen and will qualify for a discount on a car insurance quote.
• Senior Citizen Rates – Drivers over the age of 55 can possibly qualify for a small discount on rates on 3 Series insurance.
• College Student Discount – Kids who are enrolled in higher education away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can be insured at a reduced rate.
• Own a Home – Owning a home may earn you a small savings because it is proof of financial responsibility.
• Safety Course Discount – Successfully completing a defensive driver course can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
• Membership in Organizations – Being in qualifying employment or professional organizations could trigger savings when getting a car insurance quote.
• E-sign Discounts

As is typical with insurance, many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. Just because you may think it’s possible to get free car insurance, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.

Large insurance companies and their possible discounts are included below.

• State Farm offers premium reductions for Drive Safe & Save, safe vehicle, driver’s education, anti-theft, multiple policy, and multiple autos.
• Geico discounts include multi-policy, daytime running lights, anti-theft, military active duty, defensive driver, multi-vehicle, and five-year accident-free.
• Liberty Mutual has discounts for newly retired, new vehicle discount, new move discount, new graduate, and safety features.
• The Hartford offers discounts for defensive driver, driver training, anti-theft, vehicle fuel type, bundle, good student, and air bag.
• MetLife offers discounts including defensive driver, multi-policy, good student, good driver, and accident-free.
• Progressive may include discounts for good student, homeowner, continuous coverage, online quote discount, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and online signing.

Before purchasing a policy, check with each company to apply every possible discount. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not apply to policyholders in your area. To see providers that provide some of the discounts listed above, click here.

Insurance quotes comparison

Performing a rate comparison can be a lot of work if you don’t understand the best way to get rate quotes. You could waste time talking to insurance companies in your area, or you could save time and use the web to achieve your goal.

Many popular insurance companies take part in a program where insurance shoppers enter their policy data once, and at least one company can give them a price based on the submitted data. This saves time by eliminating form submissions for each company.

To compare pricing click here to start a free quote.

The one disadvantage to getting quotes like this is that consumers can’t choose the providers to get pricing from. So if you prefer to choose specific insurance companies to compare, we have a listing of insurance companies in your area. View list of insurance companies.

It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just be sure to compare apples-to-apples coverage information for each quote you get. If you compare mixed coverages it will be very difficult to determine the lowest rate for your BMW 3 Series. Just slight variations in coverage limits can result in a big premium difference. Just remember that comparing all the rates in your area helps improve the odds of finding a lower rate than you’re paying now. Some smaller insurers to not give prices over the internet, so it’s recommended that you also compare price estimates from the smaller companies as well.

Get cheaper insurance prices by understanding these factors

A large part of saving on auto insurance is knowing the different types of things that aid in calculating your auto insurance rates. When you understand what determines base rates, this enables you to make decisions that can earn you better auto insurance rates. Many factors are used when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are obvious like a motor vehicle report, although others are less obvious such as whether you are married or your vehicle rating.

• Prices increase with policy add-ons – Policies have additional extra coverages that sound like a good idea at the time but may not be useful. Coverages like rental car coverage, high-cost glass coverage, and Farm Bureau memberships could be just wasting money. They may seem good when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so remove them from your policy.
• Liability risk factors in – Liability coverage will provide protection in the event that you are ruled to be at fault for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. It will provide for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Liability insurance is quite affordable when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
• More traffic means higher claims – Residing in a rural area is a positive aspect when insuring your vehicles. Urban drivers have to deal with traffic congestion and longer commute times. Lower population translates into fewer accidents in addition to lower liability claims
• Drive less and get lower prices – The more you drive annually the more you’ll pay to insure it. A lot of companies apply a rate based on how the vehicle is used. Vehicles that do not get driven very much can get a lower rate as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. An improperly rated 3 Series is throwing money out the window. It’s always a good idea to double check that your vehicle rating is showing the correct usage, because improper ratings can cost you money.
• Low stress occupation equals lower rates – Occupations like fire fighters, architects and dentists usually pay higher premiums than the average policyholder because of intense work-related stress and lengthy work days. On the flip side, jobs like scientists, engineers and the unemployed generally pay rates lower than average on 3 Series insurance.
• Frequent claims will increase rates – Insurance companies give better rates to policyholders who file claims infrequently. If you file claims often, you can pretty much guarantee either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Insurance coverage is designed for more catestrophic claims.
• Lower premiums for safer vehicles – Cars with high safety ratings tend to have lower insurance rates. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and fewer injuries translates directly to fewer claims and more competitive rates for policyholders. If your BMW scored at minimum an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website you may qualify for a discount.

Which policy gives me the best coverage?

When choosing adequate coverage, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different.

For instance, these questions might help in determining whether your personal situation could use an agent’s help.

• Will my vehicle be repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
• When would I need additional glass coverage?
• Does car insurance cover theft of personal property?
• Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
• Is there coverage for injuries to my pets?
• When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
• Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?

If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to an agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Insurance coverage advertising gotchas

Insurance coverage providers like Allstate and Progressive continually stream television, radio, and online ads. All the ads make the same claim that you’ll save big just by moving your coverage to them. How does each company offer you a better deal? This is how they do it.

All companies quote the lowest rates for a prospective insured that earns them the most money. A good example of a profitable risk profile may be a female over age 40, owns a home, and the vehicle is rated for pleasure use. Anyone that fits those parameters is entitled to the best price and have a good chance to save a lot if they switch.

Potential customers who are not a match for those criteria may be forced to pay higher prices which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. If you pay attention, the ads say “customers who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” can save as much as they claim. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings.

This emphasizes why you really should compare as many free car insurance quotes as you can. Because you cannot predict the company that will be your best fit.

Auto insurance coverages

Learning about specific coverages of insurance helps when choosing the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Insurance terms can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement.

Medical payments coverage and PIP

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for expenses for hospital visits, pain medications, nursing services, surgery and funeral costs. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Liability auto insurance

Liability coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to people or other property. This insurance protects YOU against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see liability limits of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL that pays claims from the same limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability insurance covers things such as attorney fees, court costs and bail bonds. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but you should buy as much as you can afford.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your BMW 3 Series.

Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Most of the time these coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Coverage for collisions

Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your 3 Series caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision insurance covers things like hitting a parking meter, crashing into a building and sideswiping another vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. Another option is to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Comprehensive coverage

Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as vandalism, damage from flooding, rock chips in glass and falling objects. The highest amount your insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Feed the piggy bank

In this article, we covered many ideas to lower your 2010 BMW 3 Series insurance premium rates. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the best premium rates are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.

Drivers leave their current company for a number of reasons such as poor customer service, unfair underwriting practices, lack of trust in their agent and even an unsatisfactory settlement offer. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding the right car insurance provider is easier than you think.

As you quote car insurance, it’s very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where drivers have reduced liability coverage limits and found out when filing a claim that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your goal should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

Helpful articles

• State Laws for Cellphones and Texting (iihs.org)
• Safety Features for Your New Car (State Farm)
• Teen Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Learn About Car Insurance (Geico)