When buying a new or used car, many consumers don't even think of how much the car insurance will cost. They usually buy the car first and worry about insurance rates later. Unfortunately, many drivers fail to realize there is a vast range of insurance pricing based on the vehicle one drives. Insurance can almost double on some vehicles that are considered to be "high risk". On the other hand, you can save a small fortune by selectively purchasing your vehicle based on car insurance premiums. The right car can result in cheap car insurance rates, which will potentially save you thousands of dollars in the years to come.
Car Insurance Studies and Crash Tests
When considering a certain car, do some research on how well the car fares in crash tests as well as theft risk. Companies spend millions of dollars on research to determine which cars are more likely to be stolen or which will sustain the most costly damage during an accident. Companies even consider how well protected the driver and passengers are in the car in the event of an accident. Simply put, some cars have built-in safety features that can decrease the risk of severe injury. Air bags are just one example, but other design features in the side doors, front or back end, tires, etc. can help reduce risk of injury as well.
An organization that gathers all sorts of information on vehicles is the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI). It is a nonprofit organization that is funded through the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the purpose of automobile industry research. Insurers use this data to determine which cars are considered to be high-risk automobiles. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety releases crash test results as well as theft risk lists to help consumers and insurance providers determine which cars are the least risky to own. Often times, cars on the low risk list will have the cheapest auto insurance rates.
Though the list data changes from year to year, there are some cars that remain on the lists year after year. For example, a few cars that are often considered to be at a high risk of theft include Honda Accord, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Camry, Ford F-150, and Toyota Corolla. A few of the cars with expensive claims include Kia Rio (four door), Chevy Tahoe (two wheel), GMC Yukon XL (1500 four wheel), Mitsubishi Mirage (two door), and Suzuki Esteem (four door). Among those with the least expensive claims are the Ford Excursion (two wheel drive), GMC Safari (four wheel drive), Porsche 911 Coupe, and Lexus IS 300 (four door).
You'll notice that many high performance or sporty vehicles end up on the "high risk" lists as either being favored by car thieves or more expensive on collision claims and injuries. Therefore, it can be assumed that avoiding these types of cars and researching to find a car that's less of a risk for insurance providers will help you obtain cheap auto insurance.
Compare Rate Quotes
Once you've narrowed your possible car choices to just a few, use these lists and other resources to research the cars and decide which automobile would be more insurance friendly. Then use an online insurance quote site to compare the rates for each car among the top providers. Most quote sites will allow you to compare 10 to 15 providers at a time so you can gather information quickly for each car.
Compare rates and plans as well as deductible amounts to see which best fits your budget. Taking these steps will help you find a safe, secure car with cheap car insurance rates to ease the cost of living.
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Cheap Car Insurance.
Article Source/credit to: Chris Robertson
