View 2008 MINI Cooper Car Insurance Quotes

Looking for cheaper auto insurance rates for your MINI Cooper? If price shopping auto insurance online is new to you, it’s easy to get confused by the hoards of auto insurance companies offering insurance.

It is always a good idea to check auto insurance prices periodically because insurance rates change quite often. Just because you found the best price for Cooper insurance six months ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to how to use online quotes to save money, get proper deductibles and limits, all at the lowest rate.

If you have car insurance now, you will be able to save some money using this strategy. Finding affordable coverage is not that difficult. Nevertheless, car owners benefit from understanding how companies determine prices because it can help you find the best coverage.

Why your MINI Cooper might be costing you more

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for insurance coverage. Knowing what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with lower insurance coverage prices.

  • Lower rates come with age – More mature drivers are more cautious drivers, tend to file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel. Youthful drivers tend to be careless and easily distracted when driving therefore insurance coverage rates are much higher.
  • Males pay more for insurance – Statistics demonstrate women are more cautious behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Men and women cause accidents at a similar rate, but men cause more damage. Men also receive more costly citations like DUI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are several times more likely to be in an accident and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
  • Rural vs Urban Areas – Residing in a small town is a positive aspect when buying insurance coverage. Lower population means fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate. City drivers tend to have more traffic problems and longer commute times. Longer commute distances means higher likelihood of an accident.
  • Higher deductibles cost less – The deductibles define the amount you are willing to pay if you file a covered claim. Physical damage insurance, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. A few examples of covered claims are running into the backend of another car, collision with an animal, and rolling your vehicle. The more you have to pay, the less your insurance coverage will be for Cooper insurance.
  • Tickets mean higher rates – A bad driving record has a big impact on rates. Even one citation can boost insurance rates twenty percent or more. Careful drivers get better rates compared to drivers with tickets. If you have flagrant violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to file a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to keep their license.
  • Safer occupants lowers premiums – Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. Safer cars protect occupants better and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates. If your MINI Cooper earned at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website it is probably cheaper to insure.
  • Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? – Some insurance companies give discounts to policyholders who carry more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to 10 percent or more. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s in your best interest to compare other company rates to verify if the discount is saving money. Drivers may still find a better deal by buying insurance from more than one company.
  • Drive less and save money – The more miles you rack up on your MINI every year the higher your rates will be. The majority of insurers apply a rate based on how the vehicle is used. Cars used primarily for pleasure use can get a lower rate than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Having the wrong rating on your Cooper may be costing you. Double check that your insurance coverage policy properly reflects how each vehicle is driven, because it can save money.

Save on MINI Cooper insurance

Car insurance companies don’t necessarily list all available discounts very clearly, so we researched both the well known and the more hidden ways to save on auto insurance.

  • Student Driver Training – Cut your cost by having your teen driver take driver’s ed class in high school.
  • Own a Home – Being a homeowner may earn you a small savings because maintaining a house demonstrates responsibility.
  • Anti-theft Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • Braking Control Discount – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can avoid accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
  • Passive Restraints – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts can receive discounts up to 30%.
  • Paperless Signup – A handful of insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying your policy online.
  • Claim Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay less when compared to accident-prone drivers.
  • Multiple Vehicles – Insuring multiple vehicles on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
  • 55 and Retired – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive a small decrease in premiums for Cooper insurance.
  • Defensive Driver – Taking part in a driver safety course could save 5% or more if your company offers it.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck.

To see a list of companies with the best auto insurance discounts, click here to view.

Beware of misleading insurance coverage ads

Insurance coverage companies such as State Farm and Allstate constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all seem to have a common claim of big savings if you switch your coverage to them. How do they all claim to save you money?

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer they prefer to insure. For instance, a profitable customer might be between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any new insured who matches those parameters will get the preferred rates and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who do not match these standards will have to pay higher rates which leads to the customer not buying. The ads state “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. This is how companies can make the claims of big savings. Because of the profiling, you absolutely need to compare many company’s rates. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.

Tailor your coverage to you

When buying coverage, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

For instance, these questions could help you determine if you will benefit from professional help.

  • How do I insure my teen driver?
  • Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
  • What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in my state?
  • What is the ISO rating for a 2008 MINI Cooper?
  • Is extra glass coverage worth it?
  • Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
  • Does my personal policy cover me when driving out-of-state?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.

Coverages available on your policy

Having a good grasp of your car insurance policy can be of help when determining appropriate coverage for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance – This gives you protection when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your MINI Cooper.

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

Collision coverages – This covers damage to your Cooper caused by collision with an object or car. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage protects against things such as hitting a mailbox, scraping a guard rail, damaging your car on a curb, hitting a parking meter and crashing into a ditch. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

Liability – Liability insurance protects you from damage that occurs to other’s property or people that is your fault. This coverage protects you against claims from other people. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see limits of 100/300/100 that translate to $100,000 bodily injury coverage, $300,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000.

Liability coverage pays for things like pain and suffering, bail bonds and medical services. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but buy as much as you can afford.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision) – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as fire damage, damage from flooding and theft. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.

Insurance for medical payments – Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for expenses like X-ray expenses, doctor visits, EMT expenses and prosthetic devices. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Don’t break the bank

Drivers change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including an unsatisfactory settlement offer, high prices, policy non-renewal and not issuing a premium refund. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a great new company is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.

Cheap 2008 MINI Cooper insurance is attainable both online and with local insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.

We just covered quite a bit of information on how to get a better price on insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers could even find that the lowest priced insurance comes from the least-expected company.

Additional articles