These premiums are based on quotes for vehicles for drivers aged 20 to 50 in each of the 50 insurance groups. The average price was generated by getting a quote from a cheap (TR8), mid-range (CH1) and expensive (E10) postcode. Correct as of May 2025.
Average BMW 3 Series insurance cost
To provide you with an idea of how much it may cost you to insure your BMW 3 Series, we ran several quotes to find an average figure. Based on our results, on average, you could insure your BMW 3 Series with a comprehensive policy for £1,284.49 yearly, or £112.00 paying monthly.
We generated these quotes using the following assumptions about the vehicle and the driver. We looked at prices for a driver aged 20, 30, 40 and 50. For each age category we took the average price of the 3 best quotes. We said the 20-year-old driver has 3 years of driving experience, the 30-year-old driver has 13 years of driving experience, the 40-year-old driver has 23 years of driving experience and the 50-year-old driver has 25+ years of driving experience, as that is the quote engine's largest option. We used a cheap (TR8), mid-range (CH1) and expensive (E10) postcode for each hypothetical driver.
All other factors were the same. These were:
The vehicle:
Has a factory-fitted alarm system
Hasn't been modified
Would be parked in a work car park during the day
Would be parked on a driveway at night
Hadn't been bought yet but would be by the time the policy starts
Isn't fitted with a dashcam
The driver:
Is a teacher
Is male
Is a non-homeowner
Has had no accidents or claims in the last 5 years
Has had no motoring convictions, driving licence endorsements or fixed penalty points in the last 5 years
Doesn't have any unspent non-motoring convictions
Has no medical conditions
Has never had insurance declined, cancelled or special terms imposed
Has lived in the UK continuously since birth
Is single and has no children
Has a full UK manual licence
Doesn't have use of another vehicle
Doesn't have any medical conditions
No driving or other convictions in the last 5 years
Other factors:
We used 1 January as the birthday for each driver, alongside their respective birth year
We looked for quotes with a 3-year no-claims discount
We chose a voluntary excess of £500
We didn't protect the no-claims bonus
We looked for quotes for comprehensive policies
We didn't include additional drivers
We opted for an annual payment
We used cars that were first registered in 2020, with an aim to find a mid-range car in that group
The policy is for social, domestic and commuting purposes
We looked at policies covering 10,000 miles per year
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The table above shows the average cost of BMW 3 Series insurance based on insurance groups and driver age. However, there are a number of other factors that affect the cost of your car insurance premiums, and one of the biggest is where you are in the UK. Where you live helps determine the level of risk that your car may be stolen or that you'll be involved in an accident, and this affects the cost of insurance.
To show the power of the postcode, here are some average quotes for a 30-year-old living in 3 different locations. The quotes are for a BMW 3 Series Saloon 316i (1.8) SE 4d.
Expensive: £1,105.95 (London E10)
Mid-range: £809.39 (Chester CH1)
Cheap: £675.27 (Newquay TR8)
What factors affect my BMW 3 Series insurance rate?
We've covered insurance groups, age and location. Here are some of the other factors that affect your insurance premium costs:
When searching for insurance, you'll want to find the best deal for a price that's within your budget. We've uncovered some tricks you can try to lower the cost of your premium, and we've listed them below.
Limit your car usage (where possible). Occasionally deciding to walk or get public transport, rather than using your car, can help to save on your premiums.
Pay annually rather than monthly. Whilst it might be scary to part with a large sum of money in one go, if you're able to pay annually you can save an average of £59.52 a year.
Install extra safety precautions. The safer your car is, the less of a risk it will be for companies to insure. By adding extra safety measures, you're quite likely to lower your premium.
Clear out the garage! If you have a garage – clear it out and park your car there. Parking your car in a garage reduces your risk to insurers and therefore reduces your premiums too.
Consider any named drivers. Only name drivers on the insurance policy that regularly drive the vehicle, you can easily add on others at a later date or get them temporary cover.
Don't just accept your renewal quote. When it's time for renewal, it's worth investing a couple of hours to shop around: there may be cheaper options out there.
Bottom line
As we've shown, factors like where you live, how old you are, whether you want to pay monthly or annually, and the specific variant of BMW 3 Series you're insuring all have a major impact on the cost of cover. In fact, the best prices we found ranged from £389.94 to £16,359.52, and that's based on shopping around to find a competitive deal. Unfortunately, if you don't shop around, there's every chance you could end up paying more than you have to.
Frequently asked questions
The BMW 3 Series comes in 2 Door Cabriolet, 2 Door Coupe, 2 Door Saloon, 3 Door Hatchback, 4 Door Saloon, 5 Door Estate and 5 Door Hatchback versions.
Depending on the model, the BMW 3 Series can be automatic, DCT (dual clutch transmission – doesn't require the driver manually selecting gears), manual or sequential manual.
Depending on the model, the BMW 3 Series can be 2wd, all wheel drive or rear wheel drive.
The BMW 3 Series has a power output ranging from to 543 horsepower depending on the model.
The BMW 3 Series has cubic capacities ranging from 1490 to 4361cc. That's 1.5 to 4.4-litre in plain English!
Depending on the model, the BMW 3 Series can use diesel or petrol.
The BMW 3 Series can have , 2, 4 or 5 seats, depending on the model.
The BMW 3 Series can have 2, 3, 4 or 5 doors, depending on the model.
Since 1934.
The UK standard car tax rate for cars registered after April 2017 is £195 per year. However, you might pay more or less in year 1 depending on your car's emissions.
You can buy an BMW 3 Series online or by visiting your local BMW retailer. There is also a range of used BMW 3 Seriess available to buy through various motor resellers and websites such as AutoTrader or Motors.
*Based on data provided by Consumer Intelligence Ltd, www.consumerintelligence.com (April ’25). 51% of Confused.com car insurance customers could save £462.49.
Grace was a Finder writer specialising in credit and loans. She's been writing about personal finance for several years and enjoys helping consumers sort the facts from the fluff. See full bio
Jason is a writer and editor. He worked as a senior subeditor for Finder for 5 years and in that time became familiar with a wide range of financial products and services. Before that, he worked for Australian Associated Press. He has a BA from Macquarie University in Australia. Jason loves to help other people find new ways to save money. See full bio
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