Reader question:
Which cars do car insurance companies consider safest?
Maggie
Excellent question.
Although not every car may fall onto a list of the safest cars in the market, you can always make your driving experience safe and lower your car insurance premiums by adding safety features that your vehicle might not come with. Features like anti-lock brakes and alarm systems often come with car insurance discounts, and even more traditional options like taking a driver’s safety course can help you lower your premium. Another option is to add an ESC, electronic stability control, to your car. Not only does this make it easier to control your car in precarious situations, but many car insurance companies will offer you a discount if you add one to your vehicle.
For the most part, when trying to determine what kind of car your insurance company will consider safe, think about the size. Small cars are out, but so are large cars. Small cars because they succumb easily to damage, and larger ones because, well, the cause it more easily. The insurance company doesn’t want to be paying the other driver’s claim any more than it wants to pay yours. Going with a mid-sized car is the best bet, because these offer the most protection while causing the least damage. Vehicles with four wheel drive also tend to fare better than other cars with two wheel drive.
But how easily a car succumbs in a crash can vary quite a bit. At the same time, though, it’s important to look at the crash ratings of your car before you buy it, because not only do you want a car that your car insurance company will insure cheaply, but you also want one that will keep you protected.
Cars with the lowest rates of loss of life of a driver or passenger in an accident: Chevrolet Astro, Infiniti G35, BMW 7 Series, Toyota 4Runner, Audi A4/S4 quattro, Mercedes Benz E Class and M Class, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Lexus ES330 and RX330, Toyota Sequoia, Honda Pilot, BMW X5.
Cars with the highest rate: Chevrolet Blazer, Acura RSX, Nissan 350Z, Kia Spectra, Pontiac Sunfire, Kia Rio, Chevrolet Cavalier, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Dodge Neon, Pontiac Grand Am, Ford Mustang.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.