1997 BMW 3 Series Insurance Quotes

Trying to find low-cost insurance for a new or used BMW 3 Series can turn out to be a painful process, but you can learn a few tricks to find lower rates.

There are more efficient ways to compare insurance coverage rates and you need to know the quickest way to compare rates for a new or used BMW and locate the lowest price from both online companies and local agents.

It’s a good habit to get comparison quotes every six months because insurance coverage prices change regularly. If you had the best deal on 3 Series coverage a year ago you may be paying too much now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about insurance coverage because you’re about to find out one of the quickest ways to find better coverage at a better price.

How much is auto insurance?

Shopping for lower auto insurance rates can take hours if you don’t understand the most efficient way. You could waste a few hours talking to agents in your area, or you could use online quoting to accomplish the same thing much quicker.

Many popular insurance companies enroll in a system where insurance shoppers send in one quote, and every company returns a competitive quote determined by their information. This system prevents you from having to do quote requests to each individual auto insurance company.

To use this form to compare rates click here to start a free quote.

The single downside to getting quotes like this is buyers cannot specifically choose which carriers you will receive quotes from. So if you prefer to choose specific insurance companies to compare rates, we put together a list of auto insurance companies in your area. View list of insurance companies.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just try to use the same coverage information for every company. If each company quotes different liability limits it’s not possible to determine the lowest rate for your BMW 3 Series.

What impacts BMW 3 Series insurance costs?

One of the most helpful ways to save on car insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the factors that are used to determine car insurance rates. When consumers understand what determines premiums, this allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get lower car insurance prices.

The items below are some of the most common factors used by companies to determine your prices.

  • How’s your driving record? – Only having one chargable violation can boost insurance rates twenty percent or more. Drivers who don’t get tickets get better rates compared to bad drivers. Drivers who have careless violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find that they have to to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state in order to keep their license.
  • Improve your credit score – Credit score will be a significant factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. People that have good credit tend to file fewer claims than those with poor credit scores. So if your credit score could use some work, you could save money insuring your 1997 BMW 3 Series if you improve your credit rating.
  • Cheap prices for being claim-free – Insurance companies award discounts to people who do not file claims often. If you’re an insured who likes to file claims you can expect either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Insurance coverage is intended for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
  • Do you have enough liability insurance? – Your car insurance policy’s liability coverage provides coverage if you are responsible for damages caused by your negligence. Your liability coverage provides legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. It is affordable coverage compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should make sure they buy enough to cover all assets.
  • Raising comp and collision deductibles lowers prices – Deductibles for physical damage define how much you are required to pay before your car insurance pays a claim. Protection for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Some coverage claims could be colliding with a stationary object, vandalism, or theft of your vehicle. The more expense you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance on 3 Series coverage.
  • Drive less and save – The higher the mileage driven annually the higher your rate. Most insurance companies price each vehicle’s coverage determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks that have low annual miles can get a lower rate than those used for commuting. An improperly rated 3 Series can result in significantly higher rates. Make sure your car insurance declarations sheet properly reflects how each vehicle is driven.

Find hidden discounts to get affordable insurance quotes

Insurance is neither fun to buy or cheap, but you may be missing some discounts that you may not know about. Many of these discounts will be applied automatically at the time of quoting, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked about before they will apply.

  • Multi-policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same company you could get a discount of up to 20% and get you low cost car insurance.
  • Pay Upfront and Save – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying in monthly installments you can actually save on your bill.
  • Government Employee Discount – Federal government employees could provide a small rate reduction on 3 Series coverage with certain companies.
  • Good Student – Excelling in school can save 20 to 25%. You can use this discount normally up until you turn 25.
  • Multiple Cars – Insuring multiple cars or trucks with one company could earn a price break for each car.
  • Discount for Home Ownership – Just being a homeowner can get you a discount because it is proof of financial responsibility.
  • Resident Student – Kids who live away from home at college and don’t have a car may be insured at a cheaper rate.
  • Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can save up to 40% or more on their car insurance quote on 3 Series coverage as compared to drivers with claims.

It’s important to note that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. Even though the math looks like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, nobody gets a free ride.

If you would like to see a list of insurers who offer free insurance quotes, follow this link.

Tailor your car insurance coverage to you

When it comes to buying coverage, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

For instance, these questions can help discover if your insurance needs could use an agent’s help.

  • Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
  • Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
  • Will my vehicle be repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
  • Is my state a no-fault state?
  • Why do I need rental car insurance?
  • Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
  • Who is covered by my policy?
  • Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?
  • Can my teen drive my company car?
  • How can I get my company to pay me more for my totalled car?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form. It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.

Car insurance specifics

Having a good grasp of your policy can help you determine which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Auto liability insurance

Liability coverage protects you from damage or injury you incur to a person or their property. This coverage protects you against claims from other people, and does not provide coverage for damage to your own property or vehicle.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You commonly see limits of 25/50/25 which means $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Another option is one number which is a combined single limit which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability can pay for things like structural damage, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, repair costs for stationary objects and legal defense fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford.

Coverage for collisions

Collision coverage pays for damage to your 3 Series resulting from colliding with an object or car. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage pays for things such as rolling your car, sideswiping another vehicle and damaging your car on a curb. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. You can also raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things like vandalism, hitting a deer, a broken windshield, hitting a bird and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Insurance for medical payments

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for immediate expenses for things like dental work, surgery, prosthetic devices and ambulance fees. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover all vehicle occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your BMW 3 Series.

Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

In conclusion

Throughout this article, we presented many ways to shop for 1997 BMW 3 Series insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more you quote car insurance, the higher your chance of finding low cost car insurance. You may even discover the biggest savings come from a lesser-known regional company.

When searching for low cost car insurance quotes, it’s a bad idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret that the savings was not a smart move. The aim is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.

People who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as an unsatisfactory settlement offer, unfair underwriting practices, high rates after DUI convictions and even questionable increases in premium. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding a new company can be easy and end up saving you some money.

More detailed car insurance information can be read by following these links: