V.04 / Value

INSURANCE

Premiums vary wildly by car, driver, ZIP and coverage — and can rival a car payment.

01

What insurance covers

Liability (mandatory in most places) pays for damage you cause to others. Collision pays for damage to your car in a crash. Comprehensive pays for theft, vandalism, fire, weather and animal strikes. Uninsured-motorist coverage protects you when the other driver is at fault and has no insurance.

02

What drives premium

Vehicle replacement cost, theft rate, repair cost (carbon-fiber Corvette = expensive), horsepower (insurers know fast cars crash more), your age, driving record, credit score, ZIP code, annual mileage and coverage limits. Multi-vehicle and multi-policy discounts typically cut 15–25%.

03

Cars that are cheap to insure

Minivans, midsize SUVs and Subarus consistently rank cheapest. They're driven by lower-risk demographics, have moderate repair costs and rarely get stolen. A Honda Odyssey can cost half what a similarly-priced sports car costs to insure.

04

Cars that are expensive to insure

Anything fast (BMW M3, Dodge Hellcat, AMG anything), anything that gets stolen often (Hyundai/Kia models in certain years, Range Rovers), and anything with carbon body panels. EV insurance has climbed sharply as repairers learn battery costs the hard way.

05

How to lower it

Raise deductibles to $1,000+. Bundle home/auto. Take a defensive-driving course. Drop collision and comprehensive on cars worth under $4,000. Shop every renewal — loyalty discounts are mostly a myth and rates can vary 40% between insurers for identical coverage.

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