The Most And Least Expensive 2013 Vehicles To Insure

In a remarkable upset this year, minivans are no longer the go-to vehicles for the best car insurance rates. In the past, minivans have dominated Insure.com's annual rankings of “the least expensive vehicles to insure,” but in the 2013 model year, crossovers and SUVs have taken control of the top 20, including models from Ford, Jeep, Kia and Hyundai.

Insure.com's car insurance comparison tool lets you search average auto insurance rates for more than 750 vehicles in the 2013 model year.

Minivans have been “Edged” out: The Ford Edge SE is the first crossover to snag the best position on our list. (See rankings and methodology below.) 

“The SUV is the new minivan,” says Russ Rader, spokesperson for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which performs crash tests on vehicles. “These are vehicles used largely by families. They're going to the mall, taking kids to school and driving to sports practices on the weekends. They're not getting into a lot of crashes.”

Their lack of crashes and their low repair costs keep insurance rates down.

The 2013 vehicle with the lowest insurance rates: The Ford Edge SE Photo credit: Ford Motor Co.

Also notable is the appearance of a small car in the rankings of least expensive vehicles to insure: The Honda Fit squeaks in at No. 19.

Mercedes-Benz drivers must have worked hard in the past year to increase insurance claims costs and thus their auto insurance rates. Mercedes models control half the list of the 20 “most expensive vehicles to insure” for 2013 models.

The 12-cylinder Mercedes-Benz CL600 coupe earns the unenviable top spot for the highest national average car insurance rates. AutoTrader.com notes the car's “blistering acceleration.” The next sounds you hear may be squealing brakes and cracking metal: Expensive claims have propelled the CL600's rates.

With an MSRP of about $160,000 and an annual average insurance bill of $3,357 (and that's for a good driver), the CL600 is expensive driveway candy.

The 2013 vehicle with the highest insurance rates: The Mercedes-Benz CL600 Photo credit: Mercedes-Benz

It could be worse.  When we look at state-specific auto insurance rates, we see that insuring an Audi R8 5.2 Quattro in Washington, D.C., costs an average of $6,009.

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