2008 MINI Cooper Car Insurance Rates

Trying to find lower auto insurance rates for your MINI Cooper? Perplexed by the number of auto insurance companies? Lot’s of other consumers are too. Consumers have so many choices that it can turn into a real challenge to find the best price.

Consumers need to compare prices on a regular basis due to the fact that insurance rates are variable and change quite frequently. If you had the best deal on Cooper insurance last year you can probably find a better price now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you’re about to learn the quickest way to save money, get proper deductibles and limits, all at the lowest rate.

MINI Cooper rates are complex

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for insurance. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

Shown below are a few of the “ingredients” that factor into prices.

  • Safer occupants lowers premiums – Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates. If your MINI 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 may be receiving lower rates.
  • Higher deductibles cost less – Your deductibles define the amount you are willing to pay before your insurance pays a claim. Physical damage coverage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, covers damage that occurs to your car. Examples of covered claims would be running into the backend of another car, collision with an animal, or theft. The more money you’re willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance on Cooper insurance.
  • Claim-free discounts can add up – Companies generally give lower rates to insureds who are claim-free. If you file claims often, you can expect either higher rates or even cancellation. Insurance coverage is designed for the large, substantial claims.
  • Men fork out a little more – Statistics have proven women are more cautious behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are BETTER drivers than men. Both sexes cause accidents in similar percentages, but the male of the species cause more damage. Men also tend to have more aggressive citations such as DWI and reckless driving. Young males are several times more likely to be in an accident and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
  • How many coverages with the same company – Many companies provide better rates to people who carry more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. If you currently are using one company, it’s in your best interest to comparison shop to verify if the discount is saving money.
  • Do you work long hours in a high stress job? – Did you know your insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Jobs such as judges, business owners and dentists are shown to have the highest average rates attributed to high stress levels and long work days. Other occupations like actors, historians and performers pay the least on Cooper insurance.

Vehicle Insurance Comparison

The are a couple different ways of comparing rate quotes from insurance companies in your area. The best way to find the cheapest 2008 MINI Cooper insurance rates involves getting comparison quotes online. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

  • The single most time-saving way to find low rates would be an industry-wide quote request form click here to open form in new window. This easy form prevents you from having to do a different quote for every insurance company. In just a few minutes this one form compares rates instantly. This is perfect if you don’t have a lot of time.
  • A slightly less efficient method to get quotes online is going to the website for every company you want to comare and fill out their own quote form. For sake of this example, let’s assume you want to compare USAA, Liberty Mutual and Progressive. To find out each rate you need to spend time on each company’s site to enter your coverage information, and that’s why the first method is more popular.

    For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just compare apples-to-apples coverages on every quote. If you enter different liability limits then you won’t be able to determine the lowest rate for your MINI Cooper. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages can result in a big premium difference. Just keep in mind that obtaining a wide range of quotes will enable you to find lower pricing.

Don’t listen to company ads

Allstate and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the companies make an identical promise of big savings if you switch your coverage to them. How does each company make the same claim?

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a profitable customer could be between 30 and 50, has no tickets, and drives newer vehicles. A propective insured who fits that profile receives the best rates and therefore will save when they switch companies.

Drivers who are not a match for the requirements will be quoted higher rates which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings. This emphasizes why drivers should compare as many rates as you can. It’s impossible to know the company that will give you the biggest savings on MINI Cooper insurance.

Discounts mean cheaper MINI Cooper insurance rates

Car insurance companies don’t always advertise all their discounts very clearly, so here is a list both well-publicized and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using.

  • Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
  • Multiple Cars – Buying insurance for all your vehicles on the same insurance coverage policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
  • Auto/Home Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you will save at least 10% off all policies.
  • Student Driver Training – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to complete a driver education course if offered at their school.
  • Passive Restraint Discount – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
  • Good Students Pay Less – Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
  • Early Signing – Some companies give discounts for signing up prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
  • Paperless Signup – A few companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy on their website.

Keep in mind that most credits do not apply the the whole policy. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, insurance coverage companies aren’t that generous.

Car insurance companies that may have these money-saving discounts may include but are not limited to:

It’s a good idea to ask each company what discounts are available to you. Savings may not be available in your state.

Tailor your coverage to you

When it comes to choosing the best auto insurance coverage, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Every insured’s situation is different.

Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine if you could use an agent’s help.

  • Should I file a claim if it’s only slightly more than my deductible?
  • Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
  • How do I insure my teen driver?
  • Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?
  • Can I drive in Mexico and have coverage?
  • Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form.

Car insurance coverage specifics

Knowing the specifics of your car insurance policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. Car insurance terms can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.

Comprehensive coverages – This covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like hitting a bird, a broken windshield, fire damage and hitting a deer. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Liability coverage – This can cover damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property that is your fault. It protects you against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show liability limits of 25/50/25 which stand for a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability insurance covers things such as court costs, structural damage, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, pain and suffering and bail bonds. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but you should buy as large an amount as possible.

Coverage for medical payments – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for expenses for ambulance fees, rehabilitation expenses, nursing services and doctor visits. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Collision coverage – This pays for damage to your Cooper resulting from colliding with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision insurance covers claims such as scraping a guard rail, colliding with a tree and hitting a mailbox. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. You can also raise the deductible to bring the cost down.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage – This gives you protection when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea.

Final considerations

You just learned many ideas to shop for 2008 MINI Cooper insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers may even find the lowest priced insurance comes from an unexpected company.

Insureds switch companies for any number of reasons including denial of a claim, high prices, lack of trust in their agent or delays in responding to claim requests. No matter why you want to switch, finding the right insurance provider is less work than it seems.

Budget-conscious insurance can be purchased from both online companies in addition to many insurance agents, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who do not provide online price quotes and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

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