When you shop for a car, you almost certainly will look at the sticker price. You’ll probably look at the gas mileage, too, if you are concerned about operating costs.
Those factors certainly count, but you shouldn’t stop there. Look into the likely insurance premiums, too. Differences between various models can run to thousands of dollars a year: as much or more than you’ll save by avoiding a gas guzzler.
Most expensive: According to insure.com, high-priced cars with powerful engines and European pedigrees come with the highest insurance costs. Such cars tend to have more crashes, higher repair bills and expensive injuries.
Least expensive: Often, minivans and small SUVs are the least expensive cars to insure. They tend to be owned by families, with significant safety concerns, and they may not suffer much damage in the typical fender bender.
The average cost to insure cars such as the Audi R8 Spyder Quattro Convertible, the Mercedes CL600 Coupe, the Porsche Panamera Turbo 8, and the BMW 750i Hybrid ranges from $2,700 to $3,300 a year. (The Audi is most expensive.)
By comparison, the Toyota Sienna LE minivan costs around $1,100 a year to insure, on average. Other models in the same price range, for insurance premiums, include the Jeep Patriot Sport, the GMC Sierra K1500, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, the Dodge Grand Caravan SXT, and the Ford Escape XLS.