Finding the Cheapest Car to Insure When Making a New Car Purchase

other lists of least expensive cars to insure do exist, in comparing the results above to those lists, the top 5 were already in this list, so this is a good guideline for the National Average expectation for cars costing less on insurance.

Here are the other cars that made the list of vehicles that will save you money on insurance costs compared to the national average.

All these cars cost between $1,204 and $1,221 per year according to the annual ranking of least expensive cars to insure.

• Mazda CX-3  
• Honda Pilot LX
• Fiat 500X Pop
• Nissan Frontier S
• Hyundai Tuscon SE
• Subaru (XV) Crosstrek 2.0l
• Honda HR-V LX
• Ford F-150 XL
• Ford Edge SE

What Makes a Car Less Expensive for Insurance

The information used to determine the cheapest cars to insure can often also be a good indicator to you of the cheapest cars to maintain and service.

It can also be an indicator of potential problem areas because the insurance rates are determined when the insurance company takes the data of all the incidents with the given car into consideration when determining the rate that will be used for the vehicle.

For example, an insurance company insures hundreds of a model of any given car, at the end of the year they will notice if there is a frequency in claims or a common issue with a car when they have had to pay out claims on it.

The longer an insurance company insures a type or model of car, the more data they have to determine a fair rate. If they suddenly see a spike in incidents, like for thefts of a certain car, for example, then you might see a rate increase.

Brand new models with no data will be rated on what the insurer predicts may be the expected performance of the vehicle. Things like the safety ratings from the National HighwayTraffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) help insurance companies determine their rates because cars with safety features may have less injury and may be safer. The car insurance company will look at safety ratings, the price of parts, anti-theft features, anti-collision features.

Cheap Car Insurance and Driver Profiles

One interesting factor in all the cheapest cars to insure is the profile of driver. For the most part, even though the comparison of rates was done over many companies and cars, it probably isn’t a coincidence that many of the cars in the top ten are family type cars with strong safety features and technology.

Family type cars are potentially driven by people who may be more cautious because they have young kids and are living a certain kind of lifestyle.

The rates get determined by the loss experience of insurance companies with a given car, so even if you aren’t the family type profile, but you buy one of these cars, you benefit from the insurance company’s general experience with claims paid out on all these cars.

What Helps Get a Lower Price on Car Insurance 

Even though the car you want may or may not be on this list there are ways to get cheaper costs on car insurance by negotiating with your insurance company and learning more about the car rating factors that can make your insurance rates go up, even if you don't have claims.

5 Things That Determine the Cost of Car Insurance

The cost of auto insurance is based on 5 key factors:

1. Your personal information and rating factors
2. Costs of repair or replacement of the car, which affect the rate in the comprehensive and collision sections of the insurance premium
3. Frequency of incidents or claims with the car model in question
4. Cost of the damage the vehicle can cause to others (property and people)—you can get a sense of this in the car liability insurance and medical coverage section of your insurance premium. These coverage requirements are different in each state.
5. The insurance company's own target client and target vehicle profiles, which also drive discounts that help them attract the type of "risk" they are looking for in any given year. Some insurance companies will surcharge certain type of situations, which make rates go higher. Some will be more lenient. Other insurance companies, depending on the state laws, may even give a special rating for good credit scores. It is a very good idea to research the best car insurance company in your area to find the one who will give you an even better price.