Ask the Insurance Expert: I'm Buying a New Car

“What should I know about the car I’m buying and how it will affect my insurance rates?”

When the time comes to get a new vehicle, it’s a good idea to look into what it will do to your insurance premiums before you buy. Many factors go into what each type of vehicle costs to insure. From the cost of the vehicle to safety features, to how easy it is to get parts. If you want to know about a specific vehicle give us a call. If you want the cheapest car insurance…get a domestic mini-van!

• The cheapest type of vehicle to insure is typically a mini-van.
• Domestic brands usually cost less than foreign
• While a KIA and Hyundai can be less expensive than some vehicles, they are expensive to insure on average.
• For luxury brands, Mercedes Benz and BMW generally cost the most to insure, but it may surprise you that Lexus is generally the least expensive.
• Teslas cost a fortune to insure because parts are so scarce. Don’t be surprised if it takes weeks or months to get a Tesla repaired for a regular claim.
• Call us to ask about the vehicle you intend to buy!

Call 630-947-7980

Where do other brands of vehicles fit in? There are so many factors it really is hard to make generalizations as we have above. The best thing to do is research! Look into the car you are thinking about in terms of safety and service. Vehicles in the same class (e.g. “midsize”) usually carry a similar insurance cost.  Cars with more technology cost more to repair, but you’re also less likely to be injured. For example, each airbag in a vehicle runs approximately $1000 to repair. If 6 go off, you’re looking at $6000 just for airbags. A bumper with sensors costs more to replace than one without. If they are very safe and easy to maintain, you could be looking at low rates. While many foreign cars can be safe and inexpensive, oftentimes, parts and servicing the vehicle, can be double the expense of domestic vehicles.