2008 BMW 1 Series Car Insurance Rates – 8 Tips for Best Quotes

Cutting costs on car insurance can be nearly impossible for consumers not familiar with comparison shopping online. Drivers have so many options available that it can be more work than you anticipated to locate the lowest price.

Compare Auto Insurance Costs

Performing a rate comparison can be a lot of work if you don’t know the best way to get rate quotes. You could spend the better part of a day talking about coverages with insurance companies in your area, or you could use online quoting to get the quickest rates.

Most of the best insurance companies participate in a marketplace where insurance shoppers submit one quote, and each participating company then gives them pricing based on that data. This prevents consumers from doing form submissions for each company you want a rate for.

To participate in this free quote system, click here to start a free quote.

The only downside to comparing rates this way is you don’t know exactly which providers you want to price. So if you want to choose specific providers for rate comparison, we have a listing of the cheapest auto insurance companies in your area. Click here to view list.

However you get your quotes, double check that you are using apples-to-apples coverage limits for every quote you compare. If your comparisons have differing limits it will be next to impossible to determine the lowest rate for your BMW 1 Series. Having just a slight variation in limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when comparison shopping, comparing a large number of companies provides better odds of finding a lower rate.

Policy discounts you shouldn’t miss

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but you may find discounts that you may not know about. Some discounts apply automatically when you get a quote, but less common discounts must be inquired about before they will apply.

  • Discount for New Cars – Adding a new car to your policy can cost up to 25% less because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
  • College Student – Children who live away from home and do not have a car can receive lower rates.
  • Safe Driver Discount – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates for 1 Series coverage than drivers with accident claims.
  • Anti-theft System – Anti-theft and alarm systems are stolen less frequently and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • Anti-lock Brakes – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can reduce accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
  • Driver Safety – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills could cut 5% off your bill depending on where you live.
  • Drive Less and Save – Fewer annual miles on your BMW can earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
  • Life Insurance Discount – Larger companies have better rates if you take out auto and life insurance together.

Keep in mind that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. Even though it may seem like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But all discounts will bring down your overall premium however.

Companies that may have these discounts may include but are not limited to:

Double check with all companies you are considering how you can save money. Discounts may not apply in every state.

Insurance agents can help

When it comes to buying the best auto insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

These are some specific questions can help discover whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.

  • Should I buy only the required minimum liability coverage?
  • How do I buy GAP insurance?
  • Am I covered if I crash into my own garage door?
  • What discounts do I qualify for?
  • Is my teenager covered with friends in the car?
  • Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
  • What is PIP insurance?
  • When can my company non-renew my policy?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.

Coverages available on your policy

Knowing the specifics of your insurance policy can help you determine which coverages you need for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

UM/UIM Coverage

This coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Due to the fact that many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked. Normally your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Liability

This coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to a person or their property by causing an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see values of 50/100/50 that translate to $50,000 bodily injury coverage, 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 without having the split limit caps.

Liability coverage protects against claims like loss of income, bail bonds and attorney fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as much as you can afford.

Medical costs insurance

Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for short-term medical expenses for chiropractic care, rehabilitation expenses, dental work and surgery. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

This will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as a tree branch falling on your vehicle, hitting a deer and damage from flooding. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Collision coverage

Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision can pay for things like colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a parking meter, crashing into a ditch and colliding with a tree. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Find Good Coverage for Less

Lower-priced 2008 BMW 1 Series insurance can be sourced on the web as well as from independent agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

When buying insurance coverage, it’s a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where someone dropped full coverage only to discover later that it was a big error on their part. Your aim should be to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford.

People leave their current company for a number of reasons such as poor customer service, unfair underwriting practices, an unsatisfactory settlement offer and denial of a claim. No matter why you want to switch, switching car insurance companies can be easy and end up saving you some money.

Additional car insurance information can be read on the following sites: