Best and Worst Car Insurance Deals

Surprisingly, SUVs and Trucks Are Cheaper to Insure than Sedans

SAN FRANCISCO -- November 19, 2015: The Ford Explorer is the best deal in car insurance and the Ford Focus is the worst, according to a new insuranceQuotes.com report which analyzed 20 of the most popular 2015 models.

The study divided the average annual cost to insure each vehicle by its manufacturer's suggested retail price to determine which cars are relative bargains to insure and which carry a surprisingly high insurance burden.

Sport utility vehicles and trucks account for eight of the top nine insurance values. These larger vehicles are less likely to be damaged in accidents, provide greater protection for occupants and tend to be driven by more responsible individuals (for example, middle-aged parents).

The 11 worst deals are all sedans. High theft rates increase the cost of insuring these vehicles. Also, their smaller stature can expose them to more damage and they are typically driven by riskier people such as young, single men.

Even in total dollars (no longer adjusting for the purchase price), the Focus is more expensive to insure than the Explorer. That's shocking because the Explorer costs nearly twice as much to buy.

"This study highlights why it's so important to research insurance costs before buying a car," said Laura Adams, insuranceQuotes.com's senior analyst. "They're an important part of the total cost of ownership and don't always move in tandem with the purchase price."