So you are thinking about buying a car – new or used. Chances are you spend a lot of time thinking about and negotiating the price of the car. Obviously this is important.

But have you ever thought about looking into and comparing the price of insuring the car? On some models, if you own the car for 10 years, the cost of insurance can actually exceed the cost of the car itself.

Insurance rates can vary a lot from model to model. Two big factors that affect the cost of insurance: 1) the theft rate (some cars are a lot more popular with thieves than others) and 2) cost of repairs (some cars are easier/cheaper to fix than others after an accident).

Because rates can vary so much from model to model, you might want to take a look at the rates before you buy the car. You can talk to your insurance agent, poke around in Google, or here is a typical tool you can help you compare insurance costs for different models:

Evaluate how your car rates on insurance costs

Obviously they can’t quote specific rates because it depends on your state, your age, your driving record, etc. But if you look in the “damage” and the “liability” columns and one car you like has an A and an A, and another has an E and an E, you can be sure that you will see the difference reflected in your insurance bill.

Once you narrow down your options to a half-dozen models you are considering, it would pay to call your agent or look on the web for specific quotes. Your final choice can make a big difference in your insurance bill.

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