Affordable Insurance for a BMW 328i in Bakersfield

If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to get more affordable car insurance rates is to compare prices at least once a year from insurers in Bakersfield.

First, gain an understanding of how companies set rates and the measures you can take to prevent high rates. Many policy risk factors that drive up the price like speeding tickets, accidents and poor credit rating can be improved by paying attention to minor details. This article provides additional ideas to lower rates and find discounts that you may qualify for.

Second, request rate estimates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct and exclusive agents can only give rate quotes from a single company like GEICO or Allstate, while independent agencies can provide rate quotes for a wide range of insurance providers.

Third, compare the new rate quotes to your existing policy and see if there is a cheaper rate. If you find a lower rate and make a switch, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.

The key thing to remember is to compare similar coverage information on every price quote and and to get quotes from as many companies as you can. Doing this guarantees an apples-to-apples comparison and a complete price analysis.

Everyone knows that car insurance companies don’t want you comparing rates. Drivers who shop around for a cheaper policy will, in all likelihood, buy a new policy because there is a good chance of finding better rates. A study showed that drivers who make a habit of shopping around saved over $865 annually as compared to drivers who never shopped around for better prices.

If finding the cheapest price on BMW 328i insurance is the reason you’re reading this, then understanding how to quote prices and compare coverage rates can make it easier for you to save money.

If you are already insured, you will surely be able to find the best rates using this strategy. Choosing the best rates in Bakersfield can be made easier if you know where to look. Although California car owners do need to understand how the larger insurance companies sell online because rates fluctuate considerably.

When price shopping your coverage, getting more free quotes helps improve the odds of finding a better price.

The auto insurance companies shown below are our best choices to provide price comparisons in Bakersfield, CA. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you click on several of them to find the most affordable auto insurance rates.

Protect your BMW 328i and other assets

Despite the high insurance cost for a BMW 328i in Bakersfield, buying auto insurance is required by state law in California and it also provides benefits you may not be aware of.

• Almost all states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means state laws require a specific level of liability protection in order to drive the car legally. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
• If you bought your BMW with a loan, almost all lenders will have a requirement that you have comprehensive coverage to guarantee loan repayment. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the lender will be forced to insure your BMW at a much higher rate and force you to reimburse them a much higher amount than you were paying before.
• Insurance safeguards both your assets and your BMW 328i. It also can pay for all forms of medical expenses that are the result of an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, will also pay to defend you if you cause an accident and are sued. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, your policy will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.

The benefits of having insurance definitely exceed the cost, especially with large liability claims. As of last year, the average driver in California is overpaying more than $869 every year so it’s recommended you shop around at every renewal to ensure rates are competitive.

Detailed insurance information

The price information shown next covers estimates of coverage costs for BMW 328i models. Being aware of how policy rates are established can help you make smart choices when comparing insurance quotes.

Data rating is based on married female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Estimates do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can affect rates greatly.

Analysis of deductible levels

One of the more difficult decisions when buying auto insurance is how high should the deductibles for physical damage be. The following tables determine how much more you’ll pay of buying low and high deductibles. The first pricing table uses a $100 physical damage coverage deductible and the second rate chart uses a $1,000 deductible.

Price data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, safe-driver, and claim-free. Price estimates do not factor in Bakersfield location which can lower or raise auto insurance rates noticeably.

Using the data above, we can ascertain that using a $100 deductible costs approximately $56 more each month or $672 for a full year than requesting the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would have to pay $900 more to file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you usually have at least 16 months between claims, you would save more money if you opt for a higher deductible.

The example below shows how choosing a deductible and can increase or decrease BMW 328i insurance rates for different age groups. The data is based on a married male driver, full coverage, and no additional discounts are factored in.

Do you need full coverage?

The diagram below visualizes the comparison of BMW 328i auto insurance rates with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The premiums are based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, single status, and no other discounts are factored in.

When to stop buying full coverage

There is no specific rule to drop full coverage on your policy, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than about 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s pretend your BMW 328i claim settlement value is $3,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most you would get paid by your company is $2,000 after the deductible is paid. If you are currently paying more than $200 a year for full coverage, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.

There are some circumstances where dropping physical damage coverage is not advised. If you haven’t satisfied your loan, you are required to maintain full coverage in order to satisfy the requirements of the loan. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should not buy liability only.

Don’t overlook these BMW 328i insurance discounts

Car insurance is not cheap nor is it fun to buy but there could be significant discounts that could help you make your next renewal payment. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you get a quote, but a few must be manually applied before you will receive the discount.

• Professional Organizations – Joining qualifying clubs or civic groups may earn a discount on car insurance.
• New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a vehicle that is new can save you some money because new model year vehicles keep occupants safer.
• Claim-Free Discount – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims pay less when compared to drivers who are more careless.
• Auto/Life Discount – Larger insurance carriers have lower premium rates if you buy some life insurance too.
• Good Grades Discount – A discount for being a good student may save as much as 25% on a Bakersfield car insurance quote. This discount can apply until age 25.
• Senior Citizen Rates – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive a slight reduction on a Bakersfield car insurance quote.
• Bundled Policy Discount – If you have multiple policies and insure them with the same company you could earn a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.

Discounts save money, but please remember that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. If you do the math and it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.

The chart below compares BMW 328i premium costs with and without discounts applied to the rates. The information is based on a female driver, no claims or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, multi-car, safe-driver, claim-free, multi-policy, and homeowner discounts applied.

A list of companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are:

• American Family offers premium reductions for air bags, defensive driver, accident-free, TimeAway discount, and bundled insurance.
• Farm Bureau may have discounts that include multi-policy, driver training, 55 and retired, youthful driver, safe driver, good student, and multi-vehicle.
• State Farm offers discounts including Drive Safe & Save, passive restraint, defensive driving training, multiple policy, driver’s education, and good driver.
• Travelers has discounts for student away at school, home ownership, continuous insurance, multi-car, hybrid/electric vehicle, IntelliDrive, and good student.
• The Hartford includes discounts for driver training, air bag, bundle, vehicle fuel type, good student, and defensive driver.
• GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including five-year accident-free, military active duty, daytime running lights, emergency military deployment, and membership and employees.
• Progressive may include discounts for continuous coverage, good student, multi-policy, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and online signing.

Double check with all the companies which discounts can lower your rates. Savings might not be offered on policies in Bakersfield. For a list of insurers that provide some of the discounts listed above in California, click here to view.

Everyone needs different auto insurance coverages

When quoting and choosing insurance from an agent or online for your vehicles, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and your auto insurance should unique, too.
For instance, these questions could help you determine whether or not you may require specific advice.

• Is extra glass coverage worth it?
• Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
• Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?
• How high should my medical payments coverage be?
• Should I buy full coverage?
• Where can I find DUI or SR-22 insurance?
• Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you may need to chat with an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.