With the exception of quite a few, many people will NOT factor in what a vehicle might cost them in premium dollars while shopping for one. More normal factors that shape the buying decision are stuff like what their peers might think of it and how much fuel it will save. But come to think of it, unless your car is just for exhibition purposes, you’re going to need to buy insurance for it to be eligible to ply the road in most states. Considering how much premiums can amount to these days, it certainly does make sense to think of it before making the buying decision. Here are things that affect how insurance-friendly your car is…

1. The general cost of the car. If you spend a lot buying a car, it will invariably cost you much more to insure than a much cheaper alternative. There’s no bias against bigger cars. It’s just that your insurer knows that it would cost a lot more to replace such a car if it’s totalled.

2. Maintenance cost for your car of choice. There are cars that are known to cost a lot to maintain. Wear and tear will set in after some use and you’ll need to maintain it. And don’t forget about the need for major repairs — These are normal issues that car owners have to deal with. This, among other factors, is considered before your rates are determined. The more expensive it is, the higher your rates will be.

3. If you want to enjoy lower rates then you must NOT miss a car with a very high safety rating. A car’s safety features will NOT only save you hard-earned dollars, it will also keep you and yours safer. Safety is given serious consideration by all manufacturers these days. However, there are still those who go way above others. You can check with your agent to get the safety rating of various cars before you finalize your buying decision.

4. Also important is how susceptible a car is to theft. There are cars that have a bad reputation in this area. As you might have guessed, they like them trendy too. If you’re in a hurry, just do a search for most stolen cars and you’ll get good enough information. Such cars will definitely cost more to insure all other things being equal.

For those who can’t use any but trendy cars, make sure you take steps that will make them more difficult for car thieves. Adding a car alarm or any other device that promises to give them away will reduce your car’s risk of being stolen.

5. Whatever you do, you can’t make the most of savings if you do NOT comparison shop. If you get estimates from different insurers you’ll know before hand which will cost you so much and which will cost you little. Even if you’ve made up your mind on the car you want, you’ll discover which insurer has the lowest rate for you. But bear in mind that although it’s important to save as much as possible, it’s more important to get adequate coverage. Anything but sufficient coverage is NOT good enough.

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