I’m shopping for a new car and want to compare insurance prices for the cars I’m considering. How can I look that up, and what are some of the least-expensive cars to insure?
According to a recent survey by Insure.com, the least-expensive 2012-model cars to insure are the four-cylinder Toyota Sienna LE minivan, followed, in order of the least expensive, by the four-cylinder basic Toyota Sienna, the Jeep Patriot Sport, the Jeep Compass Sport, the GMC Sierra K1500 regular cab, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 regular cab, the Dodge Grand Caravan SXT and the Ford Escape XLS.
Insurance costs can vary a lot depending on the car’s safety and theft record and the cost to repair it, so it’s no surprise that the most-expensive cars to insure are high-end sports cars. Topping the list is the Audi R8 Spyder Quattro convertible, followed by the Mercedes CL600 Coupe and a long list of other expensive sports cars.
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These results were based on the average insurance rates for each model from six large insurers (Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, Nationwide, Progressive and State Farm) in ten zip codes per state for a hypothetical 40-year-old male with a clean driving record. You can get the full list at Insure.com, where you can also look up the average rates in your state by vehicle make and model for the same 40-year-old male.
The actual prices will also vary based on your own driving record, where you live, how far you drive, where you park, your marital status, your credit score (in many states), your deductibles and other details specific to your situation. You can look up average quotes for people in your circumstances, including your zip code, age, gender and marital status -- for new cars as well as cars with model years going back as far as 1981 -- at Insweb.com.
Both tools can help you see relative insurance prices for the cars and models you are considering. As you narrow your search, you’ll get even more accurate prices by giving the VIN of the specific cars on your list to your insurance company.
Some insurers offer much better deals than others for particular cars, based on their own experience with claims for that model. You may be able to save money by shopping around and getting quotes from a few other insurance companies after you get the quotes from your own insurer.