When we shop for a new car, we want one that reflects our personal style, that does the job our lives require, and that will retain a decent resale value.  We also consider how much gas it consumes, how often it’s been shown to need repairs, how much it costs and the financing that’s available.  But we rarely think about how much it costs to insure.
A polling of national car dealers indicates that an average of 5 percent of customers consider a car’s insurance cost before buying it.  Once specialty vehicles like Porches and Corvettes are removed from the mix, the percentage of shoppers asking about insurance costs drops even further.  But the truth is, car insurance premiums can really add to the annual cost of owning your vehicle.

Of the twenty most popular-selling vehicles in 2008, we have determined the five most expensive to insure and the five least expensive to insure.  The results may surprise you:

Most Expensive Insurance Rates Among Top Selling 2008 Vehicles:

1.   Dodge Ram Pickup (Top seller #5)

• Average premium of $1,336.
• Reason: Performance history is substantially below average in property damage liability, comprehensive liability and bodily injury liability.

2.   Chevy Silverado C/K Pickup (Top seller #2)

• Average premium of $1,280
• Reason: Performance history is substantially below average comprehensive liability.

3.   Toyota Prius (Top seller #16)

• Average premium of $1,210
• Reason: Insufficient data available.

4.   Honda Accord (Top seller #6)

• Average premium of $1,203
• Reason: Performance history is below average in personal injury protection.

5.   Nissan Altima (Top seller #9)

• Average premium of $1,198
• Reason: Performance history is below average in personal injury protection and medical payment.

Least Expensive Insurance Rates Among Top Selling 2008 Vehicles:

1.   Chrysler Town & Country (Top seller #19)

• Average premium of $940
• Reason: Performance history is above average in property damage liability, medical payment and bodily injury liability, and substantially above average for collision, comprehensive liability and personal injury protection.

2.   Ford Escape (Top seller #17)

• Average premium of $1,022
• Reason: Performance history is above average in property damage liability and bodily injury liability, and substantially above average for collision and comprehensive liability.

3.   GMC Sierra Pickup (Top seller #12)

• Average premium of $1,026
• Reason: Performance history is above average in collision, and substantially above average in personal injury protection, medical payment and bodily injury liability.

4.   Chevrolet Impala (Top seller #7)

• Average premium of $1,091
• Reason: Performance history is above average in collision.

5.   Ford Econoline Club Wagon (Top seller #13)

• Average premium of $1,119
• Reason: Insufficient data available

If you own or are considering one of the above autos, understand that your insurance premium will vary from those shown depending on your personal driving record, credit history and zip code.  But that leads us to the big question:

Why the Difference?
Premiums are calculated individually using sophisticated tables combining each car insurance applicant’s personal factors with the "loss experience" of the vehicles. That means that the owners of some vehicle types end up with far fewer or far less expensive insurance claims than the owners of others. The theory that certain vehicle types attract certain driver types has been statistically proven again and again over the years.  But that also means that the best driver in the world is going to be left paying quite a bit for his insurance if he chooses a model that is popular among drivers who regularly total their vehicles.

The bottom line is, it pays to shop for car insurance before you shop for your car.  Try it yourself.  Let InsureMeOnline.com run free comparison quotes for auto insurance on the top 5 vehicles you’re considering buying in the near future.  The disparity between your results may influence your decision.

With competitive car insurance quotes from InsureMeOnline.com, you save money on car insurance. Our simple form is the fastest way to the cheapest car insurance quotes.