Car insurance premiums are like math problems, change just one of the many factors and the outcome is different.

There are so many factors car insurance companies use to determine car insurance premiums that it is impossible to figure what a premium will be without a computer anymore. Each factor on its own determines if the rate will be higher or lower.

Factors the determine premium include:

• The specific vehicle
• Where the vehicle is located
• Driving record of the drivers
• Credit score (in states that allow it)
• Age of the drivers
• Number of drivers
• Number of vehicles
• Other policies
• Profession of the drivers
• Education level of the drivers
• Gaps in insurance coverage

Some of these factors are not used by every insurance company (education and profession). But even with ruling those out, that there are plenty of different factors that can easily raise or lower your car insurance premium if they change at any time.

Foreign vehicles and their drivers have limited options for getting car insurance.

Question: I will be travelling to the United States for holiday and will be having my car shipped over from Europe to use while I am here for the two months. How do I get insurance in place for my vehicle?

Answer: To be able to drive in the United States, insurance is just one of the requirements you have to meet. You also have to have a valid driver’s license to be able to use your vehicle here. A valid driver’s license either has to be one issued by one of the states in the U.S., or is a foreign driver’s license with an accompanying International Driving Permit.

For insurance, there are two different ways to go about this. One, you can call one of the larger insurance companies that you know of in the United States (GEICO, Progressive, Allstate, State Farm, etc.). Two, you can get an insurance quote for your foriegn vehicle from a website like ours, by using the zip code of the place you will be staying at during your holiday.

The 2012 Honda Accord is the ideal car for safety, price and insurance costs.

Can the 2013 live up to what the 2012 Honda Accord accomplished?

There are 7 different versions of the 2012 Honda Accord for drivers to choose from, so there is no lack of choices if this is the vehicle you are considering. And why wouldn’t you take a look at the 2012 Honda Accord? It was named a Top Safety Pick for 2012 by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, and U.S. News ranked the 2012 Honda Accord as the second best vehicle in the nation, in the category of affordable midsized cars.

But even with all its good points, how is it going to affect your insurance premium?

IIHS Safety Ratings for the 2012 Honda Accord

The 2012 Honda Accord (4-door) was named a 2012 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway (IIHS). It passed all of the tests the IIHS put it through with a “good” rating; which is the highest rating they give for their testing.

Being chosen as a top safety pick is saying a lot to the changes that Honda is making to increase the safety in their Accords. In previous years, Honda Accords have earned only “average” and even “poor” ratings from the IIHS. This increase in safety ratings helps to decrease the insurance rates of the newer Honda Accord models.

Insurance Premiums for the 2012 Honda Accord

The 2012 Honda Accord didn’t make the list of vehicles with the lowest insurance premium, but the premiums are going to be decent.

With being a top safety pick through the IIHS, the medical payments and personal injury protection coverages are going to be better than other vehicles with lower IIHS ratings. You are also looking at lower liability premiums, due to the Honda Accord being associated with drivers that are older or have families. Not exactly the group known for dangerous driving and having an increased chance of accidents.

With the Honda Accord being around for such a long time, there will be no shortage of cheap parts for the insurance companies to get a hold of. In addition, this particular vehicle is not an expensive vehicle anyway, so the repair costs would be low even without the excess of used parts available. The lower cost of part and repairs, means less for the insurance companies to pay out, thereby giving you a lower comprehensive and collision premium.

2012 Honda Accord Recalls

There was a recall for the 2012 Accords earlier in 2012. The issue was with the side curtain airbag possibly failing to deploy in a crash. The recall was restricted to just the Accord and Cross tour models.

If your vehicle was affected by the recall, you would have been notified by Honda already. If you are concerned that you may have missed your notice or have any other safety questions about your 2012 Honda Accord, contact your Honda dealership.

The 2013 Mazda CX-5 is getting impressive reviews, but they may not translate into lower insurance premiums.

The 2013 Mazda CX-5 may be a little more expensive on insurance than you planned.

The 2013 Mazda CX-5 is one of the 2013 crossover models on the market already that is impressing a lot of people. The CX-5 looks very similar to the Toyota RAV4, but the CX-5 has higher safety ratings.

The 2013 model of the Mazda CX-5 is also impressive when it comes to gas mileage, as compared to other crossover SUVs. Mazda claims that the CX-5 gets 35 mpg on the highway; which actually puts it at the top of the fuel efficiency list for all crossovers; including hybrids. (mazdausa.com)

This increased gas mileage is thanks to the new SKYACTIVE engine Mazda has in the 2013 CX-5. This newly designed engine gives off less emission, increases mpg’s, and will save you money at the gas pump. But it may not save you money when it comes to your insurance.

IIHS 2013 Mazda CX-5 Safety Ratings

The 2013 Mazda CX-5 has been rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety as a top safety pick for 2012. It passed all three major impact tests (front, side impact, and rollover) with a “good” rating from the IIHS. The “good” rating is the highest rating given by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

2013 Mazda CX-5 Insurance Premiums

The 2013 Mazda CX-5 has not really been out long enough to get good trending insurance data on yet. However, with that said there are some things to take note of for this Mazda CX-5.

First, this vehicle was a top safety pick with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This status holds pretty high with insurance companies, but only has an effect on certain coverages. With being a safe car, it means that you are less likely to be injured in a car accident. Your injuries are only covered under the medical payments and personal injury protection coverage. So most likely you will see a lower premium rate on these coverages.

Second, this is a brand new model and there are a lot of new systems on this car that are making their debut. With a new model and new systems, the replacement part market for these vehicles is limited to new parts. Because new parts cost the insurance companies more money than some of the used parts the get away with using, it affects your premium. Your comprehensive and collision coverage is where you will see the higher insurance premium, possibly higher than any of the other vehicles you drive.

Your dream car may be one of the highest insurance vehicles on the market.

The Audi R8 Spyder was named as the highest insurance vehicle you can buy.

Some vehicles that we all dream of driving one day are, unfortunately, the same ones that have the highest insurance premiums. This is something that is a good thing to know in advance of purchasing the vehicle, in the case you can barely afford the vehicle itself.

If you were to purchase the vehicle that has the highest insurance premium on average, you are looking at $3,384 a year just for insurance. If you have a bad driving record, you are looking at a premium that is even higher.

Why Do These Vehicles Have Such High Insurance?

The vehicles that made the list are some of the most expensive vehicles on the market today. This means that if they get into an accident that they are much more expensive to repair or total out than other cars on the market.

Also, these vehicles are generally associated with having more accidents, and accidents at higher rates of speeds; which means costly injuries to other parties.

Rankings of the Highest Insurance Vehicles

It’s always good to know in advance how high your insurance bill will be for any new vehicle you are purchasing. This is why it is important to call your insurance agent or insurance company for a quote on how much your new insurance will be BEFORE you purchase that new vehicle. You may find that the new car payment you thought you could afford is no longer practical when you add in a higher insurance payment on top of it.

Below is a quick reference chart researched and presented by the website insure.com with the highest insurance vehicles: