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2012's Most and Least Expensive Cars to Insure

Why your driving record isn't the only thing that affects your insurance rate.

By Claire_Martin Feb 15, 2012 11:56AM
The Toyota Sienna. Photo by Toyota.It's true that the number of speeding tickets you get or the severity of your last fender-bender could jack up your insurance premium, but a slew of other factors also affect how much you pay to keep your car insured. Putting a finer point on the whys of insurance rates, the website Insure.com, a clearinghouse of insurance-industry information, just released its annual list of the 20 most and least expensive cars to insure. The make and model of the car itself plays a big part in your insurance company's calculations, of course, with the general rule of thumb being the sportier your ride, the more you'll shell out.

Insure.com pulled data from six large insurance carriers and surveyed rates for more than 900 vehicles in the 2012 model year. It factored in such details as the frequency of crashes for particular models, the cost of repairs to that model, the price of bodily injury claims and the cost to insurance companies when a vehicle is totaled. The verdict is that the Toyota Sienna LE minivan is the least expensive, costing drivers $1,111 per year on average to insure, and the Audi R8 Spyder Quattro convertible is the priciest, with an average insurance rate of $3,384 per year. (These rates are based on a single, 40-year-old male driver with a clean driving record and good credit; policy limits of $100,000 for injury liability for one person and $300,000 for all injuries; $50,000 for property damage in an accident; and a $500 deductible on collision and comprehensive coverage.) 

"We found that high-priced cars with powerful engines and European pedigrees come with the highest car-insurance quotes," according to a news article by Emmet Pierce on Insure.com. "The reasons: more crashes, higher repair bills and expensive injuries." In fact, all but one of the 20 most expensive cars to insure fit into this category. The single exception is the Nissan GT-R Coupe Turbo, which comes in at $2,457 per year to insure. Mercedes-Benz is the most represented manufacturer on this list, with eight models.

On the budget end of the spectrum, minivans are the dominant force, and American makes are well-represented, with 11 of the 20 least expensive cars to insure hailing from the U.S. These vehicles are more practical, cheaper to fix and less likely to be involved in crashes. 

Herewith, the full lists.

Least expensive vehicles to insure (2012)
Rank Vehicle Cyl. Nat'l annual avg. rate
1 Toyota Sienna LE 4 $1,111
2 Toyota Sienna 4 $1,114
3 Jeep Patriot Sport 4 $1,116
4 Jeep Compass Sport 4 $1,118
5 GMC Sierra K1500 Regular Cab 6 $1,121
6 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab 6 $1,125
7 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT 6 $1,129
8 Ford Escape XLS 4 $1,137
9 Toyota Sienna 6 $1,139
10 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Extended Cab 6 $1,143
11 Dodge Journey SXT 6 $1,143
12 Honda Odyssey LX 6 $1,146
13 Kia Sportage 4 $1,151
14 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 4 $1,152
15 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 6 $1,154
16 Nissan Frontier S King Cab 4 $1,162
17 Nissan Frontier SV King Cab 4 $1,163
18 Hyundai Tucson GL 4 $1,166
19 Ford Escape XLT 4 $1,167
20 GMC Canyon 4 $1,167

 

Most expensive vehicles to insure (2012)
Rank Vehicle Cyl. Nat'l annual avg. rate
1 Audi R8 Spyder Quattro Convertible 10 $3,384
2 Mercedes CL600 Coupe 12 $3,307
3 Mercedes S600
 12 $2,948
4 Audi R8 4.2 Quattro Coupe 8 $2,903
5 Porsche Panamera Turbo 8 $2,738
6 BMW 750i Hybrid 8 $2,701
7 Porsche 911 Turbo Convertible 6 $2,674
8 Porsche 911 Turbo S Convertible 6 $2,674
9 Mercedes CL65 AMG Coupe 12 $2,669
10 BMW 750Li Hybrid 8 $2,641
11 Mercedes SL63 AMG Convertible 8 $2,615
12 Mercedes CL63 AMG Coupe 8 $2,613
13 Jaguar XKR Supercharged Convertible 8 $2,585
14 Mercedes S63 AMG 8 $2,542
15 Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe 8 $2,532
16 Audi A8 L Quattro 12 $2,513
17 Mercedes SL550 Convertible 8 $2,458
18 Nissan GT-R Coupe Turbo 6 $2,457
19 BMW 750XI 8 $2,446
20 BMW 750i 8 $2,430

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17Comments
insert random name
Feb 16, 2012 7:08PM
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I doubt you're saving much, if any.

Enough to pay for the car.  I consider that a lot.

frostyross
Feb 16, 2012 2:44PM
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@ IRN,

  It DID work that way for me. I am saving big time over owning two. I dumped the diesel truck, got a smaller boat and saved big  money. Adding a vehicle is never going to cost you less unless you drive a gas guzzler, have a long commute and buy a sipper to make the commute with, and even then I doubt you're saving much, if any.
  We bought a home close to where we both work, got rid of one POS GM truck and are saving about $10k a year by doing so. We both have nice jobs so weren't forced to do it but when we looked at putting that $10k into retirement instead of a second car, it was a no brainer.
 

insert random name
Feb 16, 2012 1:25PM
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Imagine how much you could save if you didn't have multiple cars to insure?? I buy one vehicle that suits all of my needs, pay for fuel for only one car and only have one car to maintain.......Cha  ching!!! 

Unfortunately it doesn't work that way.  If I went from two vehicles to one, it would have to be a full size truck since that is technically the only thing that would fit ALL of my needs.  The increase in fuel costs by dropping my diesel car would MORE then offset the the savings of only insuring and maintaining one vehicle. 

 

It doesn't cost much to insure a second vehicle since it is a "part time" vehicle.  Overall, I spend less money owning two automobiles then I would if I would only own a full size truck.

frostyross
Feb 16, 2012 11:05AM
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Imagine how much you could save if you didn't have multiple cars to insure?? I buy one vehicle that suits all of my needs, pay for fuel for only one car and only have one car to maintain.......Cha  ching!!! 
The Beltway
Feb 16, 2012 7:52AM
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I pay under $600/year per vehicle for full coverage with the multi-car discount as well as lumping in my homeowner's insurance with the same carrier.  Pays to have a great driving record.
frostyross
Feb 16, 2012 6:59AM
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I beat the Sienna's cost at just over $1,000 a year for my 2009 Highlander. I have full coverage, a five hundred dollar deductible, free glass replacement and nice coverage for liability, of course my license is clean and accident free as well. After using State Farm for five years I decided to shop around four months ago and none of the other big dogs could touch the deal they were giving me, not Geico, 21st Century, All State, Progressive or Amica. They couldn't give me the same coverage for less than another $200 a year. It pays to shop.
Had it in CA
Feb 15, 2012 12:25PM
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For this article to really make sense, the insurance costs should be shown as a percentage of the vehicle's cost to reflect actual impact on the purchaser.

 

While the Audi R8 Spyder cost roughly 3 time as much to insure as the Dodge Grand Caravan, its sticker price is about 7 times as much.

 

This then would actually be a bargain for anyone who could afford the Audi.

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