In the U.S., the car we drive is an extension of who we are—it expresses our values, sense of style and, to some extent, eccentricities. But the car we drive also plays a major role in determining how much we pay for car insurance, and many drivers fail to factor in this reality. That’s why it pays to know which vehicles get rock-bottom car insurance rates, and with this in mind, we've turned to our friends at insurance marketplace InsWeb.com for a list of the 20 cheapest vehicles to insure.
Analyzing every 2009 model vehicle insurance quote request generated by InsWeb.com since January 1, 2009, InsWeb determined a median auto insurance rate for each request by using a proprietary system that tracks the rating algorithms of multiple insurance carriers in each state, and then combined the results for like vehicles. After sorting through almost 400 makes and models, the vehicles with the lowest median rates were chosen, and a top 20 list was produced.
Car Insurance X-Factors – What Determines Your Rate?Car Insurance X-Factors – What Determines Your Rate?
There are many factors that determine car insurance rates, including gender, age, driving record, ZIP Code, annual mileage and, in most states, credit scores. The factor that often trumps them all, however, is the car you drive. Common sense holds that a more expensive vehicle will cost more to insure than a cheaper one, but it’s not always that simple. A vehicle’s safety rating, accident frequency and theft rate also play a major role in determining its insurance premium. With that in mind, we asked InsWeb.com to provide a short insight into why each of the vehicles on the top 20 list have such low premiums. As an added bonus, we've also included if there will be any major changes to these vehicles in 2010 that might affect insurance premiums, as all of the vehicles on this list are from the 2009 model year. With that, flip to the next page to see the top 20 cheapest cars to insure.
#20. 2009 Saturn Outlook#20. 2009 Saturn Outlook
Base MSRP: $30,625
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 5-star frontal and side
Changes for 2010: No major changes
Potential reasons for low premium:Fantastic safety ratings
#19. 2009 Chevrolet Impala#19. 2009 Chevrolet Impala
Base MSRP: $23,790
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 5-star frontal
Changes for 2010: No major changes
Potential reasons for low premium:Low price, good crash test scores
#18. 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan#18. 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
Base MSRP: $22,725
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 5-star frontal and side
Changes for 2010: No major changes, lower MSRP
Potential reasons for low premium:Outstanding safety ratings, low theft rate, favored by mature drivers
#17. 2009 Chevrolet HHR#17. 2009 Chevrolet HHR
Base MSRP: $18,720
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 5-star frontal and side
Changes for 2010: New optional rearview camera (late availability)
Potential reasons for low premium:Excellent safety ratings, low price
#16. 2009 Subaru Forester#16. 2009 Subaru Forester
Base MSRP: $19,995
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 5-star frontal and side
Changes for 2010: No major changes
Potential reasons for low premium:Stellar crash safety, low price and low theft rate
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#15. 2009 Toyota Prius#15. 2009 Toyota Prius
Base MSRP: $22,000
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 4-star frontal
Changes for 2010: All-new for 2010. Newly optional collision and lane-departure warning systems.
Potential reasons for low premium:Good safety ratings and low theft rate
#14. 2009 Ford Taurus#14. 2009 Ford Taurus
Base MSRP: $25,170
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 5-star frontal and side
Changes for 2010: All-new for 2010, with optional collision and blind-spot warning systems.
Potential reasons for low premium:Excellent safety ratings, low theft rate
#13. 2009 Mercury Mariner#13. 2009 Mercury Mariner
Base MSRP: $22,650
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 5-star frontal and side
Changes for 2010: Optional rearview camera, MyKey parental controls, automatic parallel parking feature.
Potential reasons for low premium:Great crash ratings and low price
#12. 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe#12. 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe
Base MSRP: $21,695
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 5-star frontal and side
Changes for 2010: N/A
Potential reasons for low premium:Great safety ratings, affordable price
#11. 2009 Mazda MAZDA5#11. 2009 Mazda MAZDA5
Base MSRP: $17,995
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 5-star frontal
Changes for 2010: N/A
Potential reasons for low premium:Good safety ratings, low price
#10. 2009 Ford Ranger#10. 2009 Ford Ranger
Base MSRP: $16,395
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 5-star frontal for driver, 4-star frontal for passenger
Changes for 2010: Standard stability control and side airbags.
Potential reasons for low premium:Inexpensive small truck, decent safety ratings
#9. 2009 Buick Lucerne#9. 2009 Buick Lucerne
Base MSRP: $29,265
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 5-star frontal, 4-star side
Changes for 2010: No major changes
Potential reasons for low premium:Good safety ratings, popular with mature drivers
#8. 2009 Subaru Tribeca#8. 2009 Subaru Tribeca
Base MSRP: $29,995
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 5-star frontal and side
Changes for 2010: N/A
Potential reasons for low premium:Tons of safety features and fantastic crash safety
#7. 2009 Kia Optima#7. 2009 Kia Optima
Base MSRP: $17,495
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 5-star frontal and side
Changes for 2010: N/A
Potential reasons for low premium:Low price, excellent crash safety
#6. 2009 Ford Escape#6. 2009 Ford Escape
Base MSRP: $20,435
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 5-star frontal and side
Changes for 2010: Improved driver's-side mirror, optional rearview camera, MyKey parental controls, automatic parallel parking feature.
Potential reasons for low premium:Great crash safety, low price
#5. 2009 Chevrolet Equinox#5. 2009 Chevrolet Equinox
Base MSRP: $24,315
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 5-star frontal, 4-star side
Changes for 2010: All-new for 2010, with a lower MSRP and improved IIHS side-impact ratings.
Potential reasons for low premium:Accident avoidance features, good crash scores
#4. 2009 Kia Sportage#4. 2009 Kia Sportage
Base MSRP: $16,695
NHTSA Crash Safety Ratings: 5-star frontal and side
Changes for 2010: N/A
Potential reasons for low premium:Excellent crash safety and low price
#3. 2009 Toyota Avalon#3. 2009 Toyota Avalon
Base MSRP: $27,845
NHTSA crash safety rating: 5-star frontal and side
Changes for 2010: No major changes
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety ratings, mature buyers
#2. 2009 Buick LaCrosse#2. 2009 Buick LaCrosse
Base MSRP: $25,640
NHTSA crash safety rating: 5-star frontal
Changes for 2010: All-new for 2010. Higher base MSRP, but improved IIHS side-impact safety ratings and optional rear parking aids.
Potential reasons for low premium:Popular choice of mature, responsible drivers
#1. 2009 Mercury Grand Marquis#1. 2009 Mercury Grand Marquis
Base MSRP: $29,410
NHTSA crash safety rating: 5-star frontal and side
Changes for 2010: No major changes
Potential reasons for low premium: Above-average safety rating
What the Data ShowsWhat the Data Shows
Virtually every vehicle on this list has three things in common: affordability, good safety features and a tendency to be favored by mature, responsible drivers. Not surprisingly, family-friendly vehicles comprise the bulk of the list. sedans, wagons and crossover vehicles have a history of safe drivers and low theft rates, making them a dream for car insurance companies. Stellar crash test scores and low MSRPs help a few small and midsize family-friendly SUVs make the list, including the Kia Sportage and Chevrolet Equinox in the top five. The Ford Ranger, the only pickup truck on the list, rounds out the top ten.
Save Money on Car InsuranceSave Money on Car Insurance
Whether your vehicle made the list or not, you could save a fortune on car insurance by comparing free quotes and searching for a cheaper policy. With InsWeb.com, it only takes a few minutes to compare free car insurance quotes from several leading insurers. Car insurance rates can vary by hundreds of dollars between companies, and rates are always changing. So take a few moments to search for a cheaper policy—it could save you a few hundred dollars per year.