The type of car you drive today will undoubtedly influence the insurance rates you can expect to pay. Your rates depend on many factors when you are looking to insure a vehicle, and sometimes size and initial cost don’t play a big role in that determination. Factors such as the vehicle’s age, popularity, whether it is a hot item for thieves, the state and zip code, the driver’s age and gender, and the driver’s credit score are also taken into account.

The coverage you choose to insure is also an important consideration. Most states require a minimum amount of liability and, depending on the age of the vehicle, collision and comprehensive coverage as well. In fact, collision and full coverage amount to half the annual cost of the policy, so it’s worth choosing your next car wisely.

Most of the cheapest cars to insure on the 2009 list are larger sedans and minivans, with one exception. They had the lowest collision and comprehensive insurance losses. The average auto insurance rate on this list, for a middle-aged man, was less than $ 1,000 a year.

Among the cheapest US-made models to insure.

Dodge caravan

Chevrolet uplander

Chevrolet impala

Lincoln Town Car

Jeep wrangler

Chrysler Town and Country

Mercury grand marquis

Mercury Sailor

Saturn Vue

The list of cheapest foreign cars was dominated by Hyundai and KIA models.

Hyundai santa fe

Hyundai veracruz

KIA Sportage

KIA Rio5

KIA Sedona

Others to consider are the,

Honda odyssey

Honda accord

Mitsubishi effort

Smart Fortwo (Smart Car), a two-seater mini car manufactured by Mercedes Car Group.

So in summary, some of the factors that made the 2009 list of cheapest cars to insure are the driver’s age and gender, credit score, driving history, car popularity, location, and thief records. If you are careful and check insurance rates first, you should find auto insurance quotes that you can live with.