<strong>Reader question:

What types of cars have the worst car insurance rates?

Jules

Good question.

Everyone knows that the type of rates you’ll get on your insurance largely depend on the type of car you have. The flashier, usually, the worse, but even if you have a junky old BMW from the 1980s, you could still be paying a higher premium because BMW parts cost more and are harder to replace than parts for a Nissan or Toyota. So, aside from the obvious, how do you know which cars are more likely to get you charged more?

Statistically, the cars that will get you the best deal include cars such as the Buick LeSabre and the Mercury Grand Marquis, who are among the list of cars that are rarely subject to theft claims; the GMC Yukons or the GMC Sierra, who are less likely to be subject to injury claims; and, again, the Yukons as well as the Ford Excursion and Escape, which have the least amount of collision claims. These cars are better to buy when keeping in mind lower car insurance premiums for the simple fact that the car insurance companies hardly ever hear a word about them.

On the more dangerous end when it comes to higher rates, are foreign cars, flashy cars, sports cars, and cars with lots of added on features. More specific makes and models, though, that will get you the highest rates are the Acura Integra and the Jeep Wrangler, which have a high theft rate; the Suzuki Esteem and the Kia Sephia, which have a high amount of injury claims; and the Lexus IS and the Kia Spectra, who get collision claims filed on them often.

Some of these names are a little surprising. You would expect that Lexus to be up there on the higher theft list, not the Wrangler. All the same, keep these makes and models in your mind when you go looking for a new car. Not only are protecting yourself against having to file a claim in the future by buying a lower-risk car, but your insurance company won’t have anything to pick on you about.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.