Research by Insure.com shows that among the 2009 model vehicles on the market, the most expensive to insure is the all-new Nissan GT-R super car, which has a 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engine that cranks out 485 horsepower.
"Owners of the GT-R buy it for power and speed, and their driving habits will be reflected in frequent and expensive insurance claims," the insurance Web site said in its report on the costs of insurance for the current model year vehicles.
"GT-R owners who are young with less-than-spotless driving records could easily see their annual car insurance premiums zoom to several thousand dollars," the report said.
The report noted that "sports cars dominate the 'most expensive' roster, along with theft favorites such as the Cadillac Escalade."
That points out a key factor that consumers often overlook in determining which cars might be more expensive to insure: just how popular a vehicle is with thieves. Combine the Escalade's high theft rate with its high sticker prices, and you have a nightmare for insurers.
Even so, the Escalade is 17th down the list of the Top 20 vehicles most expensive to insure, with an estimated average annual insurance cost of $1,592, compared with $2,533 for the GT-R and $2,446 for the second-place Dodge Viper.
On the other end of the scale, the Hyundai Santa Fe midsize crossover utility vehicle is at the top of the list of the 20 vehicles that cost the least to insure -- with an annual average rate of just $832. In fact, Hyundai and Kia vehicles are the top five on the list of least expensive to insure. Kia is a subsidiary of South Korea's Hyundai, and probably one key reason for their positions at the top of the list is that prices for these vehicles are somewhat below those of their Japanese and domestic competitors. Second on the list of least expensive to insure is the Kia Sportage sport utility, at $840, followed by the Hyundai Entourage minivan, at $848, and the Kia Sedona minivan, at $857. These two vans are almost identical, as they are built on the same architecture.
But what they have going for them is that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said after initial crash-testing that these minivans were the safest that had ever been tested.
The Honda Odyssey ($871), Chrysler Town & Country ($915) and Dodge Grand Caravan ($960), all of which are minivans, also were on the Top 20 least expensive list.
The two-passenger Smart ForTwo micro car was on the least expensive list as well, at the No. 7 spot, with an annual average cost of $881. While the car is quite tiny, it has fared well in crash tests because of its unique "Tridion safety cell" construction that is designed to dissipate crash energy around the outside of the vehicle, protecting the occupants.
While high-priced SUVs such as the Mercedes G-class ($2,088), Hummer H2 ($1,912), Range Rover ($1,603) and BMW X6 ($1,584) were on the list of most expensive to insure, the least expensive list had its own share of sport utilities -- but they are much lower priced.
Besides the Santa Fe and Sportage, others on the least expensive list included the Saturn Vue ($911), Mazda Tribute ($913), Scion xB ($921) and Jeep Wrangler ($939).
Sedans and coupes on the most expensive list included the high-priced Audi S8 ($2,071) and the bargain-priced Chevrolet Cobalt SS ($1,762).
On the least-expensive-to-insure list, though, were such consumer favorites as the Volkswagen Passat ($936), Honda Accord ($951), Lincoln Town Car ($955) and Chevy Impala ($959).
Insure.com said the lists were compiled using the driver profile of a 40-year-old single man who drives 12 miles each way to work, and policy limits of $100,000/$300,000 (bodily injury) and $50,000 (property damage), with a $500 deductible on collision and comprehensive coverage.
The rates were averaged nationwide and included multiple insurance companies, the Web site said. Average premiums ranged from $832 to $2,533, with the Chevrolet Tahoe in the middle, at $1,169.
G. Chambers Williams III
San Antonio Express-News
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