.. other than the opional alarm system (which i'm not getting), is there *any* kind of anti-theft system on the MCS?

 

Also.. it looks like Geico is the cheapest (from the research I've done so far), but wondering if anyone has any specific recommendations?

 

I plan to begin researching this next week for my pending MCS. In the past the cheapest for me (in my area) has been Liberty Mutual. I also have my home insured with them and you get an additional discount for multi-policies.

I have 1 home policy claim and 1 auto claim with them and both were handled quickly and fairly. This is also an important aspect in the cost of insurance.

I'll post again on my rates once I receive them.

Regards-
Randy

 

i'll second liberty mutual.

i have multiple policies w/ them and get a discount.
the best discount is that the safe vehicle discount for the
subaru forester also gets applied to the mini!! sweet!!

 

I'm with USAA and get a safety discount because of the MINI's 6 standard airbags, and the MINI key is also considered a theft deterrant, I believe.

 

No MINI has ever been driven away by those wothout a key. Just remember cheapest isn't always the best insurance, see if you can find info on how well the company handles claims.

 

Yes. ALL MINIs have a passive anti-theft system.

There is not ONE documented case of a MINI being stolen WITHOUT the key or not TOWED away. In fact, if you find one, please post.

 

I carry a very low deductible on comprehensive $50. I recommend it with any insurance company you pick. It seems like the Mini is very prone to incidental damage....ie cracked windshields and vandals. Make sure the insurance co. has a good (swift to act) glass program.

 

It is always best to check around & compare rates but I do recommend GEICO. I have been with GEICO for about 10 years. Their rates haves always been competitive. I totalled my car (my fault) about 3 years ago & since I had been with GEICO so long they said they were not going to raise my rates & count it against me (was an old crap car, only got $3800 but I had the check in my hands about 3-4 days after the wreck).

Once with GEICO you can do everything online. You can change coverage, add/remove vehicles, pay invoices, etc... all online if you wish.

I do not recommend a low deductible. More claims = higher rates & most people pay smaller claims on their own to keep rates down. I carry a $1000 deductible & my rate is $1070 a year for my Mini & an old truck I only carry liability on (of course rates vary so much by state, age, & driving record)

 

It's a crap shoot. But collision and comprehensive are 2 different animals. To carry a high deductible in comprehensive does not change my rate by more than $30 every 6 months. Incidental damage from rocks, potholes, curbs, and vandals, to me, is more likely to happen than a collision. But that's the way I play the game.

I thought of taking the max collision deductible. But I just know that sooner or later it will bite me in the ***. I personally can't afford to shell out $1000 if I get in a wreck. I carry $500 on collision. I guess it all depends on how much money you have laying around vs. the risk you are willing to take. But truthfully, I have found that those higher deductibles when pricing insurance doesn't change the rates enough justify getting them. It really IS a game.

 

Why pay a higher premium (even if it is only $30) for a lower decutible when I won't file a claim on anything under $1000? File a few $500-$700 claims & watch your rate go up. You are better off paying the damage yourself. I am going to pay, out of my pocket, anything under $1000 (thus my deductible) to keep my premiums down. It is crazy but that is the insurance game. You gotta have it then you gotta try not to use it so you can afford to pay your premiums

 

And THIS is why the insurance companies in our country are a crock of ****.

I still can't believe that law makers are ok with making auto insurance mandatory and then letting them get away with scandalous profits.

Anyway, off my soap box...

I priced out a number of insurance policies, and Geico is by far the cheapest. The best rate I can get is around $650 / 6 months. Granted, I am only 25 and have only ever been on my parents insurance previously. (it costs practically nothing for them to insure my old Cavalier on their policy)

I've heard good things about Geico, so I don't have a problem going with them. Other companies were going to charge me up to $1100 per 6 months!

 

My recently cracked windshield is going to cost me $50 out of pocket. Hence my $50 deductible on COMPREHENSIVE. You don't HAVE to do anything. I'm simply saying how I do it to possibly help out the guy who was asking for help. As someone else stated.....cheaper is not always better.

 

You are missing my whole point. I know your new windshield will only cost you $50 now but you will pay for it later when your premium is increased. Any claim your insurance company shells out money for (your fault/no fault/whoevers fault) will make your premiums go up.

GEICO is a good company. The only insurance company I personally have had bad experiences with (2 bad experiences) is Allstate.

 

A comprehensive claim will not make your insurance go up. Not in any state that I know of. Only collision claims will and only if the claim is over a certain amount. In PA a claim must exceed $1050 in pay out to affect your rates. I don't know if that amount is in every state.

I also carry a low comp deductible of $100.

Like a few others have said, do not shop only for the cheapest insurance.

 

My two cents....I just switched to GEICO from Mercury...I'm 26, single, female and although I have a clean DMV record I was the 5th car in a 6-car domino like collision in March 2003 (CA DMV purges all minor incidents after three years). Since Mercury paid a claim out on the car I hit and I was found partially at fault I was paying $1,100/6 months.

With GEICO now and at 100/300 limits, $550 deductible for collision & comp, I'm down to $714/6 months, saving roughly $400/6 months, and the MINI is the only car on the policy. I know that in dollars I'm far from getting off cheaply with insurance but I'm goin' to hold onto my clean driving record as long as I statistically can...and GEICO does offer a persistency discount for each year that you are insured by them (I think most companies do nowadays?)

Also, when my mom moves back from Hawaii and she joins my policy, they hypothesized that our total premium should drop about $200 for the multi-car discount, so you can't beat that!

I would recommend checking your states Department of Insurance since they offer a lot of consumer information regarding all sorts of insurance companies, including the amount of consumer complaints they receive. Heres the link for all Californians around here: http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0100-con...auto-insur.cfm

Good luck!

 

Nice as that sounds you can't tell me that an insurance company will not raise your rates if you cost them money & since when did states begin regulating insurance premiums?? As far as I know the companies decide how much they increase their own rates (at least they do in AL)

 

That is why I said in my original post that comprehensive and collision are 2 different animals. My rates have never gone up as a result of a comprehensive claim. In fact, they have never gone up as a result of a collision since I have had very few. Nationwide gives you 2 incidents of collision before raising the rate. Allstate is the same. Whenever I make a claim of any sort, I ALWAYS ask how it will affect my rate.

The philosophy of bare minimum coverage is not really all that wise.....especially in the liability dept. Although we'd like to think we are bullet proof and 'it will never happen to us', it can and probably will someday. Most folks don't realize how risky driving a car really is. Having extra cash laying around to pay for damages is really something I can't bank on in this economy....not anymore.

But then again...to each his/her own.

 

Just because the original poster said GEICO was the cheapest doesn't mean that is for minimum coverage. Where did the minimum coverage thing come in GEICO may be cheapest for heavy coverage. Just because I have a $1000 deductible doesn't mean I only carry minimum coverage.

 

What country are you comparing the U.S. insurance companies to?

I think insurance companies do a very good job and in no way make "scandalous profits." That's akin to saying that the big oil conglomerates are gouging us on oil. I didn't see anybody complaining when they were only making $10 / barrel.

 

I don't know anything about the profits they make but I do think that it is scandalous that you can carry insurance for many many years & be claim free but...after filing one claim the company can cancel you on the spot

 

And what insurance company was that? There are always circumstances behind something. Maybe that one company is just bad. As in everything, not all insurance companies are created equal.

I can tell you this though. Back in my high school years, I got in so much trouble that I was on the brink of being cancelled and not being carried by ANY insurance company, but my company still kept me although at very high rates.

 

I will never truly understand the inner workings of an insurance company but a company which would do that - cancel a customer after one claim - would not retain much business I'm afraid. Of course they would probably raise your rates, but with so many available companies to choose from its not hard to find a bit of a better rate elsewhere, even if you have been insured with the same company for a long time.

But hell, they can do whatever they want in terms of dropping you, if you're a significant liability and they don't want to deal with you anymore.

 

My parents were cancelled by Allstate for filing one claim in 15 years. The same thing happened to my aunt & grandmother but I don't know which companies they were with.

 

Why not? Its a business ... do you think they are in business to hand out money to you? Ah no ... they are in business to protect their stockholders and make a profit.

Now how much profit? That is an excellent question that a professor once answered in a class I had years ago. I don't know if this is still true but ...

Ever wonder why insurance companies are really huge? Like Walmart, GM, IBM size? They said its because they make huge profits and if allowed to buy up smaller companies ... become a conglomerate ... they would, literally, own everything. So where does there money go? Ever think about that ... two words ... Real Estate. Take a look at the companies that own many major buildings in major cities and many of them will be owned by Insurance Companies (eg., Hancock Tower in Boston).