Does the type of car you have affect your insurance rate?
Absolutely—and a recent article from AL.com reports on the most and least expensive cars to drive.
According to the article, Insure.com compiled this list, which cites luxury car makers as the most expensive to insure. What topped the list? The Nissan GT-R Track Edition was found to be the most expensive, with an annual premium of $3,169.
Part of the reason for the high annual premium is the cost of repairs. The GT-R has carbon fiber body panels that typically have to be completely replaced after an accident.
Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, and Porsche are also some of the most costly.
If you have a Jeep Wrangler Sport, however, you’re lucky: this was the least expensive vehicle to insure on the list, with an average annual premium of $1,080.
There are a variety of factors that determine how costly it will be to insure your vehicle, including your driving record, your deductible (the higher your deductible, the lower your premiums will typically be), where you live (are you in an accident-heavy area?), and—yes—your car.
Car insurance companies base how much they charge in premiums in part on the injury claims, repair costs, and theft rates of your car. You might be paying high premiums if any of the following applies to you:
- Your car doesn’t have a lot of safety features that help to prevent injuries in the event of an accident.
- Your car is a sports car or a luxury car that costs a lot to repair or replace.
- Your car is a popular target for thieves.
That said, insurance companies set their premiums from their own experiences. That means that one insurance company might give you a higher quote than another, so it pays (literally) to shop around when buying car insurance. And if you’re in the market for a new car, you might want to take a look at what you could be paying for insurance before you buy.