Cheaper 2003 BMW 3 Series Insurance Rates

Being forced to pay for pricey insurance coverage premiums can bottom out your personal savings and put a big crunch on your finances. Performing a price comparison is an excellent way to lower your bills every month.

Insurance companies such as GEICO, Progressive and Allstate all promote huge savings with fancy advertisements and it can be hard to avoid their marketing magic and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

How to find cheap insurance

Reducing your 2003 BMW 3 Series insurance rates is not rocket science. Consumers just need to spend a few minutes on the computer comparing rate quotes to find the company with affordable auto insurance quotes. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

  1. One of the simplest ways to get quotes is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This type of form eliminates the need for boring form submissions for every insurance company. In just a few minutes this one form gets insurance cost estimates from insurance companies with the best prices.
  2. A different way to find lower rates requires visiting each company’s website to request a price quote. For sake of this example, we’ll pretend you want rates from Allstate, Farmers and American Family. You would need to navigate to each company’s site to input your insurance information, which explains why we recommend starting with the first method.

    For a handy list of car insurance company links in your area, click here.

Whichever way you use, try to keep nearly identical coverage limits for every company. If your comparisons have different coverage information it’s not possible to truly determine the lowest rate.

Cheap auto insurance rates with discounts

Some companies don’t always publicize every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below gives a summary of some of the best known and also the more inconspicuous credits that you can use to lower your rates.

  • Auto/Home Discount – When you have multiple policies and place coverage with the same company you may save approximately 10% to 15%.
  • Driving Data Discount – Policyholders that allow companies to analyze where and when they drive by using a telematic data system like Allstate’s Drivewise may see discounts if they show good driving skills.
  • Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Buying coverage for multiple vehicles on a single policy could earn a price break for each car.
  • Organization Discounts – Belonging to a qualifying organization can get you a small discount on your policy.
  • Low Mileage – Low annual miles could be rewarded with slightly better prices than normal.
  • Pay Early and Save – If you can afford to pay the entire bill rather than paying in monthly installments you could save up to 5%.
  • Safety Restraint Discount – Requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.

Keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates you can get free auto insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

A partial list of companies that may offer quotes with most of these discounts include:

Before you buy a policy, ask each company which discounts you may be entitled to. Some discounts listed above might not be offered in every state. To see providers with significant discounts, click this link.

How you can control BMW 3 Series insurance premiums

Many things are considered when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are obvious like your driving record, although some other factors are less apparent such as your marital status and annual miles driven.

Shown below are some of the items used by companies to determine your prices.

  • How credit rating affects car insurance premiums – Having a bad credit score is a big factor in determining what you pay. So if your credit leaves room for improvement, you could be paying less to insure your 2003 BMW 3 Series by spending a little time repairing your credit. Insureds that have very good credit scores tend to be less risk to insure as compared to drivers with poor credit scores.
  • Only buy what you need – Policies have optional add-on coverages that can add up if you aren’t careful. Insurance for replacement cost coverage, accidental death, and term life insurance are examples of these. You may think they are a good idea when you first buy your policy, but if you’ve never needed them in the past get rid of them and save.
  • Rates increase with driving citations – A bad driving record has a huge affect on how much you pay. Even a single speeding ticket or other violation can boost insurance rates twenty percent or more. Good drivers get better prices compared to bad drivers. Drivers unfortunate enough to have license-revoking citations such as DUI or reckless driving may need to prove financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.
  • Filing car insurance claims can cost you – Insurance companies provide lower rates to drivers that do not abuse their auto insurance. If you are the type of insured that files lots of claims you can definitely plan on much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for claims that pose a financial burden.

Tailor your insurance coverage to you

When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. These are some specific questions can aid in determining if your insurance needs may require specific advice.

  • Does car insurance cover theft of personal property?
  • Am I covered when driving a rental car?
  • How much liability insurance is required?
  • Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
  • Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
  • Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
  • Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
  • Is my trailer covered?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or click here for a list of insurance companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and may give you better protection.

Don’t listen to company ads

Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements for cheaper auto insurance from companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to try to convey promises that drivers will save a bundle if you switch your auto insurance policy to them.

How does each company have lower policy pricing? Here is the trick they use.

All companies offer their best rates for the right customer that will not have excessive claims. A good example of a profitable insured could be married and over the age of 30, has had continuous coverage, and does not commute to work. A customer who fits those characteristics will get a cheap rate quote and therefore will save when switching.

Insureds who do not meet this ideal profile will have to pay higher premium rates and the customer buying from someone else. The trick companies use is to say “customers that switch” not “everyone who quotes” will save that much if they switch. This is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings. This emphasizes why you absolutely need to compare many company’s rates. It’s not possible to predict which auto insurance company will have the lowest rates.

Auto insurance coverage considerations

Knowing the specifics of a auto insurance policy aids in choosing appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. Below you’ll find typical coverage types found on most auto insurance policies.

Medical costs insurance

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for bills like ambulance fees, X-ray expenses and dental work. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers both the driver and occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Auto liability

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

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show liability limits of 100/300/100 that means you have $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, $300,000 for the entire accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability can pay for things like legal defense fees, medical expenses and pain and suffering. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.

UM/UIM Coverage

This coverage protects you and your vehicle from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as hitting a bird, falling objects, rock chips in glass, hitting a deer and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Auto collision coverage

This pays to fix your vehicle from damage from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as rolling your car, driving through your garage door, hitting a parking meter, sideswiping another vehicle and colliding with another moving vehicle. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Smart consumers save more

In this article, we presented many ideas to save on 2003 BMW 3 Series insurance. The key concept to understand is the more you quote auto insurance, the better your chances of lowering your car insurance rates. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from the smaller companies. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower car insurance rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.

Some insurance coverage companies may not offer rate quotes online and usually these smaller companies only sell through independent agents. Cheap 2003 BMW 3 Series insurance is definitely available both online and from local insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates.

When you buy auto insurance online, don’t be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where someone dropped liability coverage limits to discover at claim time that it was a big mistake. The proper strategy is to find the BEST coverage at the best price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.

Much more information about insurance coverage can be found at these links: