How Much Does 1999 BMW 3 Series Insurance Cost?

Searching for lower auto insurance rates for your BMW 3 Series? Perplexed by the crazy number of auto insurance choices? Lot’s of other consumers are too. Drivers have so many choices that it can easily become a challenge to find the lowest price.

Factors that might impact rates for a BMW 3 Series

Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that go into determining auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

  • Pleasure use saves money – Driving more miles in a year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Almost all companies price each vehicle’s coverage based on how the vehicle is used. Autos used primarily for pleasure use get more affordable rates than those used for commuting. Double check that your auto insurance coverage properly reflects the proper vehicle usage. Incorrect usage on your 3 Series may be wasting your money.
  • Low deductibles can be expensive – Physical damage coverage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, protects your BMW from damage. Examples of covered claims are colliding with a building, vandalism, and windstorm damage. Physical damage deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay in the event of a claim. The more you’re willing to pay, the lower your rates will be on 3 Series coverage.
  • With age comes lower rates – Teen drivers tend to get distracted easily in a vehicle so auto insurance rates are higher. Mature drivers are more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets.
  • Do you need those extra coverages? – There are a lot of extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying on your auto insurance policy. Things like roadside assistance, accidental death and term life insurance are some examples. They may seem like a good idea when talking to your agent, but if they’re wasting money remove them from your policy.
  • Safer cars cost less to insure – Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders. If your BMW 3 Series earned at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website it may be receiving lower rates.
  • Liability coverage is cheap – The liability section of your policy is the coverage that protects you if ever a court rules you are at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
  • Your spouse saves you money – Having a wife or husband actually saves money on your auto insurance policy. Having a spouse usually means you are more responsible and it’s proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.

How to Lower Your Insurance Coverage Cost

Comparing insurance coverage rates can be exhausting if you don’t know the best way to get rate quotes. You can spend countless hours discussing policy coverages with local insurance agents in your area, or you can utilize the web to get rates in a matter of minutes.

Many of the larger companies belong to a marketplace where insurance shoppers enter their policy data once, and at least one company provides a quote based on that data. This eliminates the need for repetitive form submissions to each individual insurance coverage company. To enter your information into the quoting system, click here to start a free quote.

The one disadvantage to using this type of system is you are unable to specify which insurance companies you want pricing from. If you wish to select specific providers to receive pricing from, we have a listing of low cost insurance coverage companies in your area. Click here to view list.

Whichever way you use, double check that you are using identical coverage limits with each company. If you compare different liability limits it’s not possible to truly determine the lowest rate. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when comparing insurance coverage rates, know that obtaining a wide range of quotes helps you find lower pricing.

The fine print in car insurance ads

Car insurance providers like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO regularly use ads in print and on television. They all say the same thing that you can save if you move your coverage to them. How do they all make almost identical claims?

Different companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of driver that makes them money. A good example of a desirable insured could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, owns a home, and has great credit. Any driver who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save quite a bit of money when switching.

Potential insureds who fall outside this ideal profile will have to pay a higher premium and this can result in business not being written. The ads say “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save money. That’s why insurance companies can advertise the way they do. Because of the profiling, you need to get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict which company will have the lowest BMW 3 Series insurance rates.

Take advantage of discounts

Car insurance companies don’t always publicize every discount very clearly, so we researched some of the more common and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using.

  • One Accident Forgiven – Some insurance companies allow you one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you are claim-free prior to the accident.
  • Low Mileage Discounts – Low mileage vehicles could be rewarded with discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
  • Organization Discounts – Being a member of certain professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates when shopping for insurance coverage on 3 Series coverage.
  • Federal Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% on 3 Series coverage depending on your company.
  • Service Members Pay Less – Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.
  • Anti-lock Brakes – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can reduce accidents and will save you 10% or more.
  • Use Seat Belts – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts could cut 10% or more off your medical payments premium.

As a disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, you’re out of luck.

For a list of providers who offer insurance coverage discounts, click here.

How to know if you need help

When choosing coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Every situation is different.

These are some specific questions might help in determining if you may require specific advice.

  • How can I find cheaper teen driver insurance?
  • Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
  • When would I need rental car insurance?
  • Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
  • Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in my state?
  • If my 1999 BMW 3 Series is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
  • Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
  • What are the best liability limits?
  • When should I buy a commercial auto policy?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.

Educate yourself about car insurance coverages

Learning about specific coverages of a car insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement.

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers – This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your BMW 3 Series.

Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family.

Liability auto insurance – This coverage protects you from damage that occurs to people or other property. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

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

Liability coverage pays for things like pain and suffering, loss of income, legal defense fees and funeral expenses. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but you should buy higher limits if possible.

Medical expense insurance – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for immediate expenses for X-ray expenses, ambulance fees and funeral costs. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Comprehensive (Other than Collision) – Comprehensive insurance covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things like vandalism, damage from getting keyed and rock chips in glass. The highest amount your car insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.

Collision – Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your 3 Series caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision can pay for things like hitting a parking meter, damaging your car on a curb and driving through your garage door. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Best coverage at the best price

As you shop your coverage around, do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are many occasions where drivers have reduced collision coverage only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. Your goal should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.

You just read many ways to save on 1999 BMW 3 Series insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the lowest priced insurance comes from a lesser-known regional company.

Low-cost insurance can be bought online and also from your neighborhood agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

More detailed insurance information is located at these sites: