The Cheapest (and Most Expensive) Cars to Insure 2011

The not-so-sexy Chrysler Town & Country LX, was determined to be the cheapest vehicle to insure in 2010 in a recent study conducted by Insure.com

13 January 2012

The Cheapest (and Most Expensive) Cars to Insure 2011

Insurance Step Staff Report, Posted in Resources

If you are in the market for a new ride, it's important to consider all expenses, not just your monthly payment. One of the most expensive aspects of owning a car is, of course, insurance. The car you choose can have a big impact on how much you pay for your insurance premiums.

Recently, Insure.com did a study to find which new cars are the cheapest (and most expensive) to insure. To get their results they calculated the average premiums for a male driver, 40 years old, using car insurance rates from six large carriers, State Farm, Allstate, Progressive, GEICO, Farmers, and Nationwide. To make sure there wasn't a regional bias for particular vehicles, they got quotes in 10 ZIP codes per state.

Practical (some might say boring) vehicles top the list for cheapest vehicles to insure. This year's cheapest is the Chrysler Town & Country LX, which, like the other top 4, is a minivan and boasts a national average annual premium of only $1,091.80.

Here's the complete list:

2011 vehicles with the lowest car insurance rates

Rank	Make	Model	Style	Cylinders	National average annual premium
1	Chrysler	Town & Country LX	4 Door Wagon	6	$1,091.80
2	Toyota	Sienna	5 Door Wagon	4	$1,100.66
3	Toyota	Sienna LE	5 Door Wagon	4	$1,107.70
4	Honda	Odyssey LX	5 Door 2WD SOHC	6	$1,114.62
5	Nissan	Murano SL	2WD 4 Door Utility	6	$1,127.89
6	Jeep	Wrangler Unlimited Sport	4WD 4 Door Utility	6	$1,131.27
7	Honda	Odyssey EX	5 Door 2WD SOHC	6	$1,138.16
8	Toyota	Sienna	5 Door Wagon	6	$1,142.94
9	Ford	Escape XLS	4WD 4 Door SUV	4	$1,150.26
10	Toyota	Highlander	4 Door 2WD Utility	4	$1,154.02
11	Honda	CR-V LX	5 Door 2.4L	4	$1,155.44
12	Hyundai	Santa Fe GLS	4 Door 2WD Utility	4	$1,157.66
13	Jeep	Patriot Sport	2WD 4 Door Utility	4	$1,157.70
14	Jeep	Wrangler Unlimited Sahara	2WD 4 Door Utility	6	$1,161.20
15	Jeep	Wrangler Sport	4WD 2 Door 3.8L Utility	6	$1,162.97
16	Mazda	Tribute I	2WD 4 Door Utility	4	$1,163.24
17	Ford	Escape XLT	4WD 4 Door SUV	4	$1,166.20
18	Chrysler	Town & Country Touring	4 Door Wagon	6	$1,167.38
19	Honda	Odyssey EX-RES	5 Door 2WD SOHC	6	$1,167.93
20	Subaru	Forester X	4 Door SUV AWD	4	$1,170.45

On the other end of the spectrum is the 12 cylinder 604-horsepower Mercedes SL65 AMG. Undoubtedly the SL65 is a sweet car, but it will end up costing you $3,543.81 in annual premiums -- over three times what it would cost your insure the Town & Country. Here's the list of most expensive*:

2011 vehicles with the highest car insurance rates

Rank	Make	Model	Style	Cylinders	National average annual premium
1	Mercedes	SL65 AMG	2 Door Convertible	12	$3,543.81
2	BMW	750i	4 Door Sedan Hybrid	8	$3,280.70
3	BMW	750Li	4 Door Sedan Hybrid	8	$3,280.70
4	Mercedes	SL63 AMG	2 Door Convertible	8	$3,263.46
5	Mercedes	S65 AMG	4 Door Sedan Turbo	12	$3,220.86
6	Aston Martin	DB9	2 Door Coupe	12	$3,120.45
7	Mercedes	CL600	2 Door Coupe	12	$3,114.28
8	Porsche	911 Carrera S	2 Door Cabriolet	6	$3,092.31
9	Aston Martin	DB9 Volante	2 Door Convertible	12	$3,088.96
10	Mercedes	G55 AMG	4WD 4 Door Utility	8	$3,086.49
11	Mercedes	CL65 AMG	2 Door Coupe	12	$3,063.73
12	Mercedes	CL63 AMG	2 Door Coupe	8	$3,058.69
13	Porsche	911 Carrera 4S	2 Door Cabriolet	6	$3,046.87
14	Mercedes	SL550	2 Door Convertible	8	$2,942.97
15	Jaguar	XJ L Supercharged	2WD 4.2L 4 Door Sedan	8	$2,940.94
16	Jaguar	XJ L Supersport	2WD 4.2L 4 Door Sedan	8	$2,940.94
17	Porsche	911 Carrera 4	2 Door Cabriolet	6	$2,921.61
18	Porsche	911 Carrera S	2 Door Coupe	6	$2,919.90
19	Mercedes	S63 AMG	4 Door Sedan	8	$2,898.30
20	Jaguar	XJ Supercharged	2WD 4.2L 4 Door Sedan	8	$2,853.24

*Note: Not all models are available for calculating average rates, especially some exotic cars, which is why you won't see Lamborghinis on the list.

Tags: Auto Insurance, Consumer Behavior