Which Cars Cost the Most to Insure, and How Do I Check Before I Buy?

WV & OH ONLY

"I'm getting a car with my tax refund. How do I find out which cars cost the most to insure before I buy one?"

Good for you for checking before you sign. Most people find out afterward.

In the national claims data, luxury and sports cars generally cost the most to repair, while family-style SUVs, wagons and pickups tend to land lower, and you can look up any model for free at the IIHS website. That data shows how a car has done on claims nationally, not what you'll pay. The only way to get your price is to run that exact car with your information.

One easy list would be nice, but car buying doesn't work that way. We're after the best rate on whichever car you pick.

Claims data tells you about the car. It doesn't tell you which company is going to like that car with you driving it. We can check the cars you're down to with 13 companies, before you've signed anything.

You've probably figured out I want you to call. You're right. Do your homework on the site below. Then call me before you sign, while you can still change your mind.

WV & OH ONLY

It's free, and no one's going to call you. Here's how:

1. Go to the IIHS-HLDI insurance losses by make and model page.

2. Find the table for your kind of vehicle. They're grouped by class and size, so a small SUV is compared with other small SUVs.

3. Find your model. Check for separate lines for different versions, like two-wheel and four-wheel drive.

4. Read across. Each result shows how far above or below average that vehicle is for that coverage. Below average is better.

There are six coverages. The three I'd look at first:

• Collision. What it costs to fix this car after a crash.
• Comprehensive. Theft, weather, and, around here, deer.
• Property damage liability. The damage this car does to other people's stuff.

The other three (personal injury protection, medical payment and bodily injury) are about people getting hurt.

The numbers are adjusted for things like driver age, state and vehicle density, so a car isn't being blamed just for who tends to buy it.

From the Highway Loss Data Institute's collision report on 2020 to 2022 models, with 100 as average:

• Very large luxury cars were highest overall at 241. That was $1,281 per insured vehicle year, against $532 for all passenger vehicles.
• Small sports cars had the most expensive claims, at $19,173 each on average.
• All sizes of four-door cars had above-average claim frequency. Minivans, pickups and most SUVs came in average or lower.

Midsize station wagons were lowest as a class, at 60.

The lowest overall collision results in that report included:

That's collision only, and those are 2020 to 2022 models, so check the current tables for the year you're buying. A low collision number doesn't guarantee a low price on your policy, either.

The price of the car itself. A more expensive car has more to lose.

The trim. A higher trim can have its own line in the table, or it may share one with others. Ask me for the actual VIN and I'll check the real one.

The Insurance Commissioner's advice. West Virginia's 2024 auto report tells buyers to determine what a car will cost to insure before buying it and factor that into the decision. I'd have said that even if they hadn't.

Your loan. If you're financing, your lender will generally require collision and comprehensive, so you'll be paying for those either way.

Because the car is only one piece. A 17-year-old on a low-loss SUV is still a 17-year-old. A low-loss car with a poor record behind the wheel isn't suddenly cheap.

And different companies may read the same vehicle differently, which is the reason to compare the actual car.

Down to two or three cars? Send me the VINs before you sign.

WV & OH ONLY

Next in the series: Part 22, Will My Insurance Go Up If I Hit a Deer?