Vehicle Choice Can Affect Insurance Rates, Says AutoInsurancePlanners.com

ANNAPOLIS, Md.--Dec. 9, 2005--Your choice of vehicle can have an impact on your auto insurance rates, says www.AutoInsurancePlanners.com. If you are aiming to qualify for the best value in a car insurance policy, think solid and sedate versus big and flashy.

Insurance companies consider many factors about you and your car when deciding how much to charge you in premium. Primarily, your car insurance rates are based on your driving record, your age and where you live. However, your car's pedigree can be a factor.

Using their own claims data and information collected by industry rating organizations, insurers determine which cars are most likely to be stolen, average repair costs by model, and each car's safety ratings.

These factors come into play on comprehensive and collision coverages. Collision covers damage to your car from an accident, while comprehensive covers damage to your car from other causes, such as fire, earthquakes, floods or theft.

For instance, your car could be more expensive to repair after a collision. Contributing factors to repair cost include body construction (frame versus unibody), value of the vehicle (consider luxury sedans, produced at relatively small volume, compared to mass-produced commuter cars) or safety ratings (two black marks against SUVs: they aren't required to meet government bumper standards of passenger cars, and they are more likely to roll over in an accident). The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests the "crashworthiness" of vehicles and publishes the results at www.iihs.org.

Also, thieves might be looking for your vehicle. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the top three models stolen in 2004 were the 1995 Honda Civic, 1989 Toyota Camry and the 1991 Honda Accord. If you own a car popular with thieves, consider extra protection, which could earn you a premium discount.

If you're in the market for a new vehicle, consider which ones will help you get economical rates. If you're in the market for new coverage, comparison shop at a site like www.AutoInsurancePlanners.com to get the most choices and best car insurance rates.