You already know that there is some kind of correlation between the expense of a car, and the amount it costs to insure it. However, you might be surprised at what tops the least expensive cars to insure list: A Hyundai Santa Fe.
This car, which starts at $21,500, is the cheapest car to insure right now. Unfortunately, it’s exactly what you would expect from a budget hauler – it’s pretty good, but not great. It has good room inside, Hyundai’s excellent warranty (which has a lot to do with the insurance price) and good fuel consumption, but it lacks the comfort, value and driving performance of others in its class.
Before we go through the lists of the most and least expensive cars to insure in America, let’s have a look at some of the factors that influence a car’s insurance cost:
- Make and model – Certain cars attract certain kinds of drivers. A person who buys a Santa Fe is likely to be a family person who is going to drive carefully
- The car’s safety rating – This indicates the risk of injury in an accident, as well as how expensive the car is to maintain
- Whether it is American or imported – by and large American cars are more expensive than their cheaper Asian counterparts, but cheaper than European imports
- The car’s age – older cars have fewer safety features, and are more likely to suffer a fault on the road that can lead to an accident. So just because it’s cheap, doesn’t mean it’ll be cheap to insure
- The book value of the car – Obviously, a very expensive car is going to be more expensive to insure
- The power of the engine – All sports cars or cars with big engines will cost you a lot more to insure every month, especially if you are under 25
Now, without further ado, here are the least expensive cars to insure in America:
[table id=5 /]
Now, that list might not be every teenage boy’s list of dream cars, but you will be surprised how buying a new car off that list and paying the insurance on it could actually be almost as cheap as buying a used car that attracts higher premiums.
Now that we’ve had a look at the ten least expensive cars, let’s have a look at which auto choices will really break the bank this year (starting at number 5):
5) 2009 Mercedes Benz G-Class
Built on a military-grade chassis, with a massive engine coupled with a massive supercharger, and not a smooth curve to be seen, this car is the ultimate rough-and-tumble off-road machine. It is more capable than a range rover, more powerful than a Dodge Viper, can literally drive through roof-high mud, and is faster than a Porsche Boxster in a flat sprint.
Cost to insure: $2,088
4) Ford Shelby GT500
“Eleanor”, or rather her great-great-granddaughter, is just as pricey to insure as she is to put in your garage. This full-house Mustang, complete with Carroll Shelby’s stamp of approval and 500bhp, is one of America’s legends. Unfortunately it doesn’t like corners, and so it’s going to cost you a bundle to keep it out of trouble.
Cost to insure: $2,186
3) BMW M6
The 6-Series is the latest addition to BMW’s range of luxury limousines, but the M6 is hardly a car you take to the country club. Its massive supercharged V10 engine produces incredible amounts of power, and enough noise to let everyone know it’s not some investment banker’s run-around, and it will outdo an Aston Martin DB9 and a Jaguar XK-R both on a straight and around the track. Some people may not like its fish-shaped face or silly back, but the M6 puts more power onto the road than any car in its class.
Cost to insure: $2,236
2) Dodge Viper
This icon of American motoring might be one of the most powerful cars on the country’s roads, and be absolutely guaranteed to get you into a club, but it comes with both a hefty price tag and a monstrous insurance bill. It’s equal to a Corvette in both power and handling, but handles the track better since it’s more solid and stable to drive.
Cost to Insure: $2,466
1) Nissan GT-R
For anyone who played any of the Need For Speed games as a teenager, the Nissan Skyline is an absolute dream. Its latest incarnation, the GT-R, arguably doesn’t have the raw grunt of its predecessors, but makes up for it with more gadgets than the space shuttle, and computer-assisted handling that beats the legendary Mitsubishi Evo X. It also has a reputation for being owned by drag racers and hot-heads, so you’re paying their insurance premiums as well.
Since supercars aren’t allowed on this list, the Nissan GT-R tops this year’s chart of the most expensive car to insure in America.
Cost to insure: $2,533