Easy Guide to Cheaper BMW 318ti Insurance Rates
If finding affordable car insurance was easy, most of us would take the time to do it. But more than likely, it's challenging for most people and we always end up paying more than we want. Insuring your BMW 318ti is probably no exception.
Step One: Shop Around
The antiquated method of shopping for car insurance included a high pressure visit to the office of your local insurance agent. Not anymore!
Almost every car insurance company now offers online quotes, and you can actually get insurance quotes for a BMW 318ti without even visiting their websites!
To start saving, have your current policy handy and click the link below. Our short form makes it easy to enter your information and compare rates.
Insurance Quoting Tip! The only way to accurately compare rates bewteen different companies for your 318ti is to use identical coverage limits on all the quotes. If you use different liability limits and/or deductibles, you won't have an apples-to-apples rate comparison.
Step Two: How to Cut Costs on 318ti Insurance
After step one is complete, it's now time to analyze some of the other factors that can negatively impact car insurance rates for a 318ti.
- The BMW 318ti is a high performance vehicle. Insurance rates are higher on cars that offer larger engines, more horsepower or increased risk of accident or rollover.
- If you are a senior citizen or belong to a particular professional organization, you may qualify for a break on insurance.
- When repairing accident damage on luxury vehicles, body shops charge more because the replacement parts are more expensive. Everything from a fender to a tail light will cost more to replace so your insurance rates will be higher as well.
- How is your credit rating? The better credit you have, the less insurance will cost for your 318ti. If you have bad credit, work on improving your credit score and repair past credit problems.
- The extra acceleration and sheer fun of the 318ti will be a trade off for lower insurance rates. If you don't need the sportiness of the vehicle, you'll pay less to insure a lower profile vehicle.
- If your teen driver has completed a driver's education class in school, check to see if your insurance company offers any discounts for this.
- Newer car models are coming standard with advanced passenger safety systems, and these help reduce the risk of injury in an accident. Less injuries mean lower insurance rates.
- Consider using higher deductibles for physical damage coverages like comprehensive and collision. Higher deductibles save money since you're willing to pay more out-of-pocket at claim time.
- Vehicles that tend to get stolen or have high repair costs will cost you more to insure. If your 318ti falls into either category, it could cost you.
- If you have tended to file small claims with your car insurance company in the past, you're most likely going to pay higher premiums in the future. Consider paying minor claims out-of-pocket instead of blemishing your claim history.
- Renters will find they may be paying more for insurance as compared to homeowners. Owning a home can often get you a small discount on your car insurance.
- If you have a speeding ticket or other moving violation, you could be charged more for insurance. If you get a ticket, find out if your county or state offers a defensive driving course that will void the ticket upon completion.
- If your insurance company allows driver-specific car rating, you can save money by rating any teenage drivers on low profile vehicles with either no physical damage coverage or very high deductibles.
- If switching companies, always have the effective date of the new policy be identical to the expiration date on the old policy. This prevents a lapse in coverage and companies charge higher rates if you have any lapses.
Step Three: Choose a Company and Bind Coverage
You've compared rates and hopefully looked over the coverages for each vehicle on your policy to make sure they're adequate. Now you can make the big decision on which company will best fulfill your needs.
The key thing to keep in mind when buying a new policy is you do not want your old policy to lapse. Make sure the effective date of the new policy is on or before the expiration date of your current policy.
If you are adding a vehicle to an existing policy and not buying a new one, just make sure to get the vehicle added as soon as possible. Every insurance company offers a grace period to add new vehicles, so make sure you get the BMW added prior to the expiration of this grace period. Be sure to have a new policy ready to go if you are buying a new 318ti. If you've never had car insurance or don't have a policy now, you won't have any protection on the vehicle until you add it to your policy.
Your insurance company will provide you with proof-of-insurance forms to keep in your vehicle. It's required by state law to carry at least the state minimum liability limits. An SR-22 filing may be required by your state's DMV if you've been convicted of a serious driving offense such as DUI, DWI or reckless driving. If this applies to you, make sure the car insurance company complies with the SR-22 requirement.
Car Insurance Resources
For more detailed car insurance topics, visit the Insurance Information Institute.
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