How Much Does 2011 BMW 3 Series Insurance Cost?

Sick and tired of wondering where the money will come from to pay your insurance bill each month? You are in the same boat as many other drivers.

There is such a variety of car insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and although it’s nice to have a choice, more choices can make it harder to find a good deal.

You should make it a habit to compare premium rates at least once a year because insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Just because you had the best rate for 3 Series coverage last year you may be paying too much now. There is a lot of wrong information about insurance online but we’re going to give you some proven techniques to lower your insurance rates.

Buying car insurance is not that difficult. If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to cut costs considerably using this information. But vehicle owners benefit from understanding how companies price online insurance because it can help you find the best coverage.

Discounts for affordable auto insurance quotes

Auto insurance can be pricey, but there could be significant discounts that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Some discounts apply automatically at quote time, but less common discounts must be inquired about prior to getting the savings.

• ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Cars and trucks with anti-lock braking systems can stop better under adverse conditions and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Discounts for Responsible Drivers – Accident-free drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates for 3 Series coverage than less cautious drivers.
• Pay Early and Save – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than spreading payments over time you can avoid monthly service charges.
• Seat Belts Save – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to use their safety belts could cut 10% or more on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
• Telematics Devices – People who choose to allow companies to track driving habits by using a telematic data system such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive could save a few bucks if they have good driving habits.
• Multiple Vehicles – Having multiple cars or trucks with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
• Home Ownership Discount – Simply owning a home can save a few bucks because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.

A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

Larger auto insurance companies and the discounts they provide are outlined below.

• Farm Bureau has savings for multi-policy, multi-vehicle, good student, renewal discount, youthful driver, safe driver, and driver training.
• State Farm may include discounts for multiple policy, anti-theft, accident-free, driver’s education, and passive restraint.
• Progressive discounts include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, online quote discount, homeowner, online signing, and continuous coverage.
• Allstate has discounts for utility vehicle, multi-policy, eSmart discount, resident student, FullPay discount, and early signing.
• Nationwide includes discounts for anti-theft, business or organization, good student, easy pay, Farm Bureau membership, multi-policy, and accident-free.
• MetLife offers discounts including good student, multi-policy, defensive driver, accident-free, and claim-free.

It’s a good idea to ask each insurance company which discounts you qualify for. Discounts may not apply in your area. To find insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts, click here.

Compare insurance coverage rates

All major insurance coverage companies such as Geico, State Farm and Progressive allow you to get price estimates online. Doing online price comparisons is possible for anyone as you just enter your personal and coverage information into the quote form. Once you submit the form, the company’s rating system obtains credit information and your driving record and gives you a price quote. Quoting online simplifies rate comparisons, but the time required to go to many different websites and type in the same information is a waste of time. But it’s absolutely necessary to compare as many rates as possible if you want to find lower prices.

The easiest way to locate the lowest prices utilizes a single form to get prices from several different companies. This type of form saves time, requires much less work on your part, and makes price shopping online much easier to do. Immediately after you send the form, your coverage is rated and you can select any or none of the price quotes you receive. If you find a better price it’s easy to complete the application and purchase coverage. It just takes a couple of minutes and you will know how your current rates stack up.

To quickly find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and complete the simple form. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you copy the coverages as close as possible to your current policy. This makes sure you will have comparison quotes based on identical coverages.

You may need specialized insurance coverage

When it comes to buying the best insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions may help highlight if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.

• Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?
• Can my babysitter drive my car?
• Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my 2011 BMW 3 Series is totaled?
• Does insurance cover damages from a DUI accident?
• What if I total my 2011 BMW 3 Series and owe more than it’s worth?
• Do I need an umbrella policy?
• Am I covered if my car is in a flood?
• Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Coverage specifics

Learning about specific coverages of your policy aids in choosing the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are the usual coverages found on the average auto insurance policy.

Medical expense coverage – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for expenses for nursing services, ambulance fees, rehabilitation expenses and hospital visits. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Collision coverage – Collision coverage covers damage to your 3 Series caused by collision with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage protects against claims like colliding with another moving vehicle, driving through your garage door, colliding with a tree, hitting a mailbox and damaging your car on a curb. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to increase the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Auto liability – This provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property by causing an accident. This coverage protects you against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see values of 100/300/100 which stand for $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and property damage coverage for $100,000.

Liability can pay for things like attorney fees, medical expenses and bail bonds. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but buy as large an amount as possible.

Comprehensive protection – This covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like damage from getting keyed, rock chips in glass, hail damage, theft and fire damage. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage – This provides protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Due to the fact that many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family.

Buy Smart and Save

Throughout this article, we presented many tips how you can save on 2011 BMW 3 Series insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the lowest premium rates come from some of the lesser-known companies. Some small companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as Geico and State Farm.

A few companies do not offer online quoting smaller companies only sell through local independent agents. Budget-friendly car insurance is definitely available on the web in addition to local insurance agencies, and you need to comparison shop both so you have a total pricing picture.

Additional car insurance information can be found at these links:

• Determining Your Vehicle’s Value and Repair Cost (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Insurance Losses by Make and Model (iihs.org)
• Should I Purchase an Umbrella Liability Policy? (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Car Insurance for Teen Drivers with Divorced Parents (Allstate)
• Alcohol Impaired Driving FAQ (iihs.org)
• What is Gap Insurance? (Insurance Information Insitute)