2009 BMW 3 Series Insurance Rates – 8 Savings Tips

No one in their right mind likes paying for auto insurance, especially when their premiums are through the roof.

With so many options when it comes to auto insurance, it can be hard to pick the most cost effective insurance company.

Consumers should take time to compare prices before your policy renews because prices are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the best price on 3 Series coverage two years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Starting now, forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you’re about to learn the things you must know in order to find lower rates on auto insurance.

The quickest way to compare insurance rates from multiple companies is to take advantage of the fact most insurance companies actually pay money for the chance to compare rate quotes. The only thing you need to do is give them some information like whether you are married, your general credit rating, distance driven, and the year, make and model of vehicles. Your information gets sent immediately to insurance carriers in your area and they return quotes immediately.

To check rates for your 2009 BMW 3 Series, click here and enter the information requested.

More discounts equal less premium

Companies offering auto insurance don’t always advertise all their discounts very well, so we took the time to find both the well known and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using.

  • Seat Belt Usage – Requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save up to 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
  • Multiple Policy Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one insurance company you may save at least 10% off all policies.
  • Passive Restraint Discount – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of more than 20%.
  • Safe Drivers – Insureds without accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less on 3 Series coverage than their less cautious counterparts.
  • Paperless Signup – Some insurance companies will give a small break for buying a policy and signing up online.
  • Multiple Cars – Insuring all your vehicles on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
  • Discount for Swiching Early – Some insurance companies reward drivers for signing up before your current policy expires. The savings is around 10%.
  • Driver Safety – Taking a driver safety course can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.

It’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way.

A partial list of companies that possibly offer some of the above discounts include:

Check with all companies you are considering what discounts are available to you. Discounts might not be offered in your state.

It’s not one size fits all

When buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no perfect coverage plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions could help you determine whether you may require specific advice.

  • Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?
  • Should I rate my 2009 BMW 3 Series as pleasure use or commute?
  • What discounts do I qualify for?
  • Why do I only qualify for high-risk insurance?
  • Am I covered if my car is in a flood?
  • I don’t drive much so do I pay less?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to 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.

Can switching companies really save?

Allstate, Geico and Progressive consistently run ads in print and on television. All the companies make the same claim about savings if you change your policy. How does each company make almost identical claims?

Different companies can use profiling for the type of driver that makes them money. For instance, a preferred risk could be between 30 and 50, has no prior claims, and has a high credit rating. A driver who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save quite a bit of money when switching.

Potential customers who don’t measure up to the requirements will be quoted a more expensive rate and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. This is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings. This emphasizes why you absolutely need to compare many company’s rates. Because you never know the company that will give you the biggest savings on BMW 3 Series insurance.

Car insurance coverage breakdown

Understanding the coverages of car insurance helps when choosing the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy. These are the normal coverages found on the average car insurance policy.

Liability auto insurance

This provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property in an accident. It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show liability limits of 50/100/50 which means $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability can pay for things such as legal defense fees, pain and suffering, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, court costs and loss of income. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Comprehensive coverages

Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as hitting a bird, hitting a deer, damage from flooding and hail damage. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Collision protection

This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision insurance covers things such as backing into a parked car, crashing into a building, damaging your car on a curb and hitting a parking meter. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Coverage for medical payments

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for expenses like ambulance fees, hospital visits, pain medications, chiropractic care and rehabilitation expenses. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover you and your occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible

Uninsured and underinsured coverage

This coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your BMW 3 Series.

Due to the fact that many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important.

Be a smart shopper

As you prepare to switch companies, you should never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many instances, someone sacrificed full coverage and discovered at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate.

In this article, we covered some good ideas how to shop for 2009 BMW 3 Series insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. They may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive and Geico.

Even more information is located in the articles below: