The Cheapest and Most Expensive Cars To Insure

Auto insurance can be expensive, so it’s a good idea to consider the potential cost before buying a new vehicle. After all, cars can cost more or less to insure based on many factors, including make, model, and year. The last thing you want after buying your new ride is the unwelcome surprise of a huge car insurance quote.

Every year, website Insure.com compiles a list of the cheapest and most expensive cars to insure. The most recent averages were calculated by Quadrant Information Services using data from six large national carriers using 3,000 auto models. “Insurance” refers to liability coverage, uninsured motorist coverage, and a $500 deductible on collision and comprehensive coverage. The model driver was a 40-year-old male with a clean driving history and good credit who commutes 12 miles to work daily.

But before you run out to buy a new car on the “cheapest” list (or give up on the luxury sedan of your dreams), let’s consider other factors that play into the cost of car insurance.

The 10 Cheapest Cars To Insure

According to Insure.com, these “least expensive” rankings looked at each 2021 model’s best-performing trim line.

*Model discontinued after its 2021 edition

The 10 Most Expensive Cars To Insure

Here were the 10 most expensive vehicles to insure in 2021. Insure.com used each model’s worst-performing trim line for these rankings. The Maserati Quattroporte S GranSport, which is the most expensive on this list, costs almost four times as much to insure as the Chrysler Voyager L (the top ranking of the cheapest cars to insure).

*Model discontinued after its 2021 edition

Average Cost of Car Insurance

According to Insure.com, the average cost of car insurance is $1,758 per year for a full-coverage policy. This amount may vary by state: Average annual insurance costs can run from a low of $1,080 in Maine to a high of $3,151 in Michigan. However, the cost of car insurance also depends on many individual factors, which we’ll explore below.

Some states perform helpful legwork for consumers. The New York State Department of Financial Services maintains a list of vehicles that many leading insurers are unwilling to insure or will only insure under certain conditions or for certain drivers. These limitations are due to “unfavorable loss experience, high cost or limited availability of replacement parts, or high theft records.”

All vehicles on the Insure.com Most Expensive Cars To Insure list are on New York State’s Difficult-to-Insure Automobiles list. While you can still acquire insurance through the state’s auto plan, your insurance costs will likely be higher and may not cover the total value of your vehicle.

Why Some Cars Cost More or Less To Insure

Different auto-related factors influence a car’s insurance rate. In general, these factors include:

• Make and model
• Cost
• Age (older cars can cost less to insure)
• Safety features
• History of repair costs, theft, and damage

Many of the vehicles on the Cheapest Cars To Insure list are SUVs. That’s because larger, heavier vehicles absorb more crash energy and offer more protection than smaller and lighter vehicles, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). These features may increase a car’s safety and perhaps decrease insurance costs. In addition, a vehicle’s safety can be assisted by crash-worthy design and crash-avoidance sensors and features. 

IIHS’s data also points out that:

• Very-large pickup trucks have higher losses where property damage liability is concerned (the damage your vehicle causes to others), while midsize sports cars and luxury cars have lower losses.
• Sports and luxury vehicles have higher collision and comprehensive damage losses. The lowest comprehensive losses include minivans, pickups, SUVs, and vans.
• Micro, mini, and small four-door cars have the ​​highest personal injury protection, bodily injury liability, and medical payment claim rates (midsize sports cars, midsize SUVs, and large pickups fared best in these categories).

According to Argonne National Laboratory, insurance costs are similar across powertrains (engine, transmission, and axle) but depend on size class and the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP).

But it’s not all about price. For example, the 2021 Nissan GT-R Nismo starts at $210,740, while it’s possible to buy a 2021 Maserati Quattroporte S GranSport for less, at $109,190. Yet, the national average insurance rate listed above is higher for the Maserati.

Other Factors That Affect the Cost of Car Insurance

Many other factors can affect the cost of insurance beyond which car, truck, or SUV you drive. Your history of accidents or DUIs may greatly increase the annual insurance cost of even one of the cheapest cars to insure.

Personal Factors 

A significant component of the insurance company’s risk calculation is assessing your safe, consistent, and reliable personal history related to driving. These factors in your personal history may include:

• Location, age, gender, and marital status
• Driving experience and record
• Claims history
• Credit history
• Miles driven
• Discounts associated with school, employment, continual insurance coverage, or other personal factors

In addition, usage-based insurance (UBI) uses telematics to observe how you drive over a period of time. UBI may take into account risky driving patterns regarding acceleration and stopping, drive times and location, speed, and if your airbag deploys.

Coverage Factors 

Car insurance costs automatically incorporate state minimums regarding required coverage for bodily injury, property damage, and uninsured or underinsured motorists. Adding or dropping optional coverages—such as collision and comprehensive—can also affect your car insurance rates.

Check the Cost of Insurance Before You Buy

Car insurance can be a significant contributor to the total cost of ongoing car ownership. Premiums for the same coverage for the same vehicle can vary, as each insurance company has a different way of assessing risk. That’s why it’s wise to shop for auto insurance before purchasing a car. Get several quotes on different cars you’re considering so you have a better idea of the full cost of owning each vehicle.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Correction - Jan. 24, 2022: This article has been updated to correct the cost to insure a Maserati Quattroporte S GranSport relative to the cost to insure a Chrysler Voyager L. It costs almost four times as much to insure the Maserati Quattroporte S GranSport.