Which cars have the lowest insurance premiums?

With gas prices sky rocketing it’s always good to save a little money somewhere.  Here’s some tips on cutting insurance costs.

Russ Rader, spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that small fast cars carry higher insurance premiums so the number on tip is to stay away from those types of vehicles.  If a certain car general poses a high dollar loss to an insurance company your premium is going to be higher.   Data shows that smaller cars are not always safer.  People who feel they can zip in and out of traffic tend to have more accidents.

Rader says, that smaller, sportier cars tend to be driven dangerously and also by younger drivers.  These types of cars are generally more affordable and therefore more appealing to young drivers.  Some of the cars on the most expensive to drive list such as he Subaru Impreza WRX, the Mitsubishi Lancer, the Acura RSX, the Nissan Sentra SE-R, have the highest rate of collision.  A Scion tC is also on the most expensive to insure list and the demographics show that 35% of it’s drivers are under 25. Topping of the list at most expensive to insure is the Escalade by Cadillac.  It may seem strange to have such a high end car on the list, but this car is stolen a lot.  In fact the premium for this car can be 6 times that of the national average.  So stay away from these cars, they cost you in insurance.

10 most expensive cars to insure

1. Cadillac Escalade EXT 4WD
2. Subaru Impreza WRX 4WD
3. Hyundai Tiburon
4. Mitsubishi Lancer
5. Scion tC
6. Acura RSX
7. Nissan Sentra SE-R
8. Suzuki Forenza
9. Nissan Sentra/Mitsubishi Eclipse
10. Chevrolet Cobalt two-door

Want to keep your insurance costs low?  Rader says that sedans, midsize SUVs, and minivans are the way to go.  These cars tend to be driven by people that are less likely to speed or drive recklessly. These types of cars also tend to be driven less during rush hour traffic, which lowers the risk.

The (Buick) Rendezvous, the (Subaru) Outback, the (Honda) Pilot, the Chrysler Town & Country are all on the list of least expensive to ensure.  These cars are thought of as soccer mom cars.  None of these cars are very large or small, just a descent sized car.  As the size of an SUV goes up so does the insurance. The Ford Taurus was found to be the least expensive car to ensure. If you want a low insurance premium look at these cars.

10 least expensive cars to insure

1. Ford Five Hundred 4WD (now the Ford Taurus)
2. Buick Rendezvous 4WD
3. Buick Lucerne/Buick Rainier 4WD/Honda Odyssey
4. Ford Freestyle 4WD/Subaru Outback 4WD
5. Buick Rendezvous/Honda Pilot
6. Chrysler Town & Country LWB
7. Honda Pilot 4WD
8. Buick LaCrosse/Chevrolet Uplander/Ford Escape/Volvo V70
9. Dodge Grand Caravan/Ford Freestyle 4WD
10. Ford Explorer 4WD/GMC Sierra 1500 4WD/Toyota Highlander/Toyota Sienna

There are exceptions to the rules.  Bigger isn’t always better.  In an average collision it will cost about $3000 to fix each car.  However the bigger the car the more expensive it is to fix. These 5 cars show the highest repair costs.

1. Hummer H2 SUT 4dr 4WD
2. Hummer H3 4dr 4WD
3. Hummer H2 4dr 4WD
4. Dodge Ram 2500 mega cab 4WD
5. Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4dr

So to keep premiums down always talk to your insurance agent about premiums before buying a vehicle.  You’ll need to do some research and ask a lot of questions because even a different model of the same car can have a higher premium.  Also remember that the higher the cost of a car the higher the insurance premium will be.  Checking a cars score in all categories can help you make a decision.  The premium will also be effected by the person driving the car.

You can compare  insurance policies and quotes at Insurance.com and you can also see how vehicles rate by visiting iihs.org.  Other sites to visit for car safety information are The Center for Auto Safety, The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, AllDataDIY.com, and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.