Unless you’ve been living on a remote island, you’ve undoubtedly been bombarded the last several years by a barrage of ads extolling the virtues of shopping around to obtain the lowest car insurance rates. Indeed, it’s critical to compare premiums among various providers every so often to ensure you’re getting the best deal, and also to make sure you’re getting every discount for which you’re eligible to keep premiums to a minimum.
But no matter which carrier you ultimately choose, the easiest way to save money on auto insurance is to simply choose a model that’s cheaper to cover in the first place. Basically, that means sticking to a model that’s safe, sane and affordable.
“Vehicles that cost less to insure are normally those driven by safe drivers, such as those carrying around kids,” says Insure.com’s consumer analyst Penny Gusner. “More parents have moved to driving SUVs, and as a result we have seen SUVs take over the least expensive list.”
To that end, the 10 vehicles that reside atop Insure.com’s annual list of the least-expensive models to insure are all family-minded minivans and sport utility vehicles. That’s based on rates computed using an identical driver profile for all models at six major insurance carriers in multiple ZIP codes in each state and the District of Columbia. We’re featuring them in the accompanying slideshow.
The cheapest vehicle to insure this year is the rough-and-tumble Jeep Wrangler, which the website estimates will cost an average owner $1,169 annually. That’s around 30 percent less than the national average among all vehicles at $1,645. Meanwhile, the costliest car to insure, the fast and frivolous Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG convertible, costs a whopping average $3,890 per year in premiums.
Other upscale autos having budget-busting insurance rates include the Mercedes S63 AMG ($3,670) and Maybach S650 ($3,558), the Porsche Panamera S ($3,545), BMW M6 ($3,493), Alpina B7 ($3,465), and i8 ($3,560), and the Nissan GT-R Nismo ($3,458).
“Cars that are cheaper to insure typically have fewer claims and are easier and less costly to repair,” Gusner explains. “They also will cost much less to replace than vehicles on the expensive list.” Either way, you’ll pay way more if you have multiple moving violations or accidents on your driving record, and/or live in a high-crime area. Get a DUI or a citation for reckless driving and the sky’s literally the limit.
Insure.com maintains a handy database of rates for more than 3,600 vehicles for comparison, with average premiums reviewable on a national or by-state basis. It’s critical to compare rates on any vehicles you’re considering to avoid an unpleasant surprise later on.
“It’s a very bad idea to purchase a car and then find out the cost of insurance. The car insurance premium may make the car unaffordable to you,” says Gusner. “Shop for your car and its insurance all at the same time so you’ll know the costs of both will fit your budget.”
