Car insurance is a must have amenity for any car owner if you plan to drive in the U.S. However, a study released in early 2011 indicated that over a lifetime it is a very costly expenditure. An average American will pay approximately $84,000 for a lifetime of coverage.
There is no way to sugar coat that figure, it really stings when you consider that figure would buy a decent house in majority of U.S. Those five figures also hurt because on average American spends a total of $150,000 on new vehicles over their lifetime.
So where did this figure come from. Insurance.com inferred that that the average American buys their first car at 21 and begins insuring right away. This figure also takes into account that the average couple gets married at 27 and has 2.5 children they have to start insuring between the age of 46 and 50. Also taken into account is average claims and driving records histories.
Insurance is hardly a minor household expense. The $84,000 really is brought into prospective when you look at other common household expenses over a lifetime like: shoes at $2667, four years of college at $30,420 or homeowners insurance at $34,245.
Another interesting fact is to look at the least expensive cars to insure list created by Insure.com. These figures are bases off of averages single 40-year-old male commuting 12 miles to work each day with policy limits of 100/300/50 and a $500 deductible. Rates from six large carriers in 10 zip codes were tabulated.
1. Chrysler Town & Country LX – V-6 – $1091.80
2. Toyota Sienna – I-4 – $1100.66
3. Toyota Sienna LE – I-4 – $1107.70
4. Honda Odyssey LX – V-6 – $1114.62
5. Nissan Murano SL – V-6 – $1127.89
6. Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport – V-6 – $1131.27
7. Honda Odyssey EX – V-6 – $1138.16
8. Toyota Sienna – V-6 – $1142.94
9. Ford Escape XLS – I-4 – $1150.26
10. Toyota Highlander – I-4 – $1154.02
You can reduce this insurance cost by shopping around for prices, maintain a clean driving record, and keep a good credit score. Other ways to save include updating your coverage for how much you actually drive, taking a defensive driving/driving safety course, seeking discounts offered by employers and professional groups, getting rid of collision and comprehensive coverage on older cars, and bundling insurance plans, such as those on houses and cars.
