You drive a BMW 5 Series Touring, or you are about to, and you want to know what insuring it might cost. The trouble is that a single number tells you very little. The same car can get very different quotes, depending on who drives it and what the plan includes.
This guide is for owners and buyers who want to read a quote properly before they compare plans. By the end, you will know today's example prices for this model and what that example assumes. You will also know what moves the premium for any car, and what to check on a plan before you buy.
Start with today's example prices
Our BMW 5 Series Touring price page shows what insurers charge for one standard driver and one standard car. On 16 October 2026, 10 insurers priced it, from S$72.85 (about S$73) to S$1,758.99 (about S$1,759).
That is a wide gap for the same car and the same driver. Read it as a sign that insurers weigh things very differently, not as a price you will be offered. Here's what the example assumes:
- The car. A BMW 5 Series Touring 520i M Sport, registered 3 years ago, for private use.
- The cover. Comprehensive, with repairs at an authorised workshop and no optional add-ons.
- The main driver. Aged 40, married, with an office job and 10 to 19 years of driving.
- The record. A 50% No Claim Discount (NCD) and no claims.
If your situation matches closely, the example is a fair starting point. If it does not, the next section explains why your quote may land somewhere else. Either way, put your own details into the car insurance quote page to see real prices.
Check how far you are from the example
Every difference between you and the standard driver can push the premium up or down. Insurers do not all weigh these the same way. That is part of why the spread is so wide.
- The main driver. Age, years of driving and job all count. Young drivers and new drivers usually pay more and face a higher excess.
- The car's age and model. The model, the engine size and how old the car is all feed in. A bigger engine or a pricier model usually costs more to insure.
- Claims and demerit points. A recent at-fault claim or demerit points raise the price. Some insurers will not quote online at all in that case.
- Add-ons. The example has none. Anything you add, such as an NCD protector, will change the figure.
Write down where you differ from the example before you start comparing. It makes the gaps between quotes easier to understand.
Know what your No Claim Discount is worth
The NCD is the single biggest discount on car insurance. It is worth up to half the premium, which is why the example uses the full 50%.
- How it builds. You earn 10% for each year without a claim, up to 50% after five years.
- How it falls. One at-fault claim usually cuts it by 20 to 30 points. That can undo years of careful driving in one go.
- Who owns it. The discount belongs to you, not the car. It moves with you to a new insurer, which checks it with your old one.
- How to keep it. Some plans protect it after one claim, often through an NCD protector add-on. Check whether a plan offers this and what it adds to the price.
If you are below 50%, expect your quotes to sit above the example. Before you claim for minor damage, find out how the claim would affect your discount. Our claims page explains how claims work.
Choose the cover type and the workshop
Two choices shape both the price and what you get back when something goes wrong. The example uses comprehensive cover, but there are three main types:
- Comprehensive. Pays for damage to your own car as well as what you do to others. Most drivers of newer cars choose it.
- Third party, fire and theft. Covers what you do to others, plus your car if it is stolen or catches fire.
- Third party only. The legal minimum. It covers injury to others and damage to their property, never your own car. It can suit an older car that is worth little.
Then there is the workshop:
- Authorised workshops. Some plans send you to the insurer's authorised workshops. These plans usually cost less. The example assumes this.
- Any workshop. Other plans let you choose where repairs are done. These usually cost more.
Check which workshop rule applies before you put two prices side by side. A lower quote may simply reflect a narrower choice of workshop. You can switch between cover types on the results page without answering the questions again.
Read the excess and the exclusions
A low premium is only part of the cost. What you pay when you claim, and what a plan will not pay for, matter just as much.
- The excess. This is what you pay towards each claim for damage to your own car. Young or new drivers often pay a higher one. Compare it alongside the premium.
- Named drivers. Drivers not named on the policy are not covered outside its terms. If your spouse takes the car to the hawker centre on weekends, check how the plan treats them.
- Use of the car. Private hire, racing and rallies are excluded. The example assumes private use only.
- Alcohol and drugs. Driving under the influence is not covered.
- Wear and tear. Mechanical breakdown and wear and tear are not covered. Car insurance is not a servicing plan.
On the other side, cover of this kind generally includes damage from accidents, fire and theft on a comprehensive plan. It also includes injury to others and damage to their property, windscreen repair or replacement, personal accident cover for the driver, and 24-hour roadside assistance and towing. Limits differ between plans, so check each one, and use the comparison page to see two insurers side by side.
What is not worth worrying about
- Losing your NCD when you switch. It belongs to you and goes with you. The new insurer checks it with the old one.
- Starting over to see other cover types. You can switch between comprehensive and third party options on the results page.
- Retyping your details to buy. When you pick a plan, you finish on the insurer's own site with your answers already filled in.
- The example not matching your quote. It is not meant to. It is one standard case, used so that models can be compared like for like.
The bottom line
Today's example for a BMW 5 Series Touring runs from about S$73 to about S$1,759 across 10 insurers, for one standard driver. Your own price depends on the driver, your NCD, your claims record, the workshop rule and the cover type. Check the excess and exclusions on each plan, then get your own quotes on the car insurance quote page.