Do You Have to Sacrifice Fuel Efficiency for Lower Insurance Premiums?

You want to save money and help reduce greenhouse gases so naturally, you are in the market for fuel-efficient vehicles. The good news is that there are more cars and trucks designed for fuel efficiency than ever before, thanks to the growth of hybrids and advanced technology. The bad news is that many of these are in the luxury category, which tends to attract higher premiums. On the other hand, gas guzzling SUVs are rewarded by many insurers, but use large amounts of energy and create significant emissions. Do you have to choose between fuel efficiency and affordable auto insurance?
Vehicles with Low Insurance Premiums
If you like piling the entire family into a huge SUV or minivan, such as the Toyota Sienna, your insurer will reward you with lower premiums. These cars suffer less damage when there is a collision, and tend to be easy and relatively inexpensive to repair. Since many of these vehicles are created with families in mind, they have additional safety features which also score brownie points with insurance companies. The downside is that these are the vehicles which are avoided by those who are concerned about the environment and about paying high prices at the pump.
Vehicles That Save Fuel
The advent of hybrids has been a boon to green-oriented drivers, but they require a significant investment. These cars tend to be priced higher and they also command significant premiums. In addition to luxury cars that are not commonly owned and require specialty parts, hybrids have a complex structure that makes them more costly to repair, and therefore, more expensive to insure. In addition, smaller engines are more fuel efficient, but the smaller the car, the less well it may fare in a collision, and therefore, premiums will be higher.
Finding a Compromise
You don’t have to give up energy efficiency to save on auto insurance or vice versa. It helps to look at premiums in your area on certain brands and models and make another list of the most energy-efficient cars. By comparing the data on both lists, you will be able to identify cars that are energy efficient and carry reasonable premiums. The U.S. Department of Energy has a resource that can aid in identifying energy-efficient vehicles.
There are a number of cars that fare well on both lists. A Ford Escape non-hybrid represents a fair compromise between inexpensive insurance and fuel savings, as well as the Chevrolet Silverado. You can find your own fair compromises through cross-referencing, and may come up with a few surprises. In addition, keep in mind that your auto insurance premium quoted may not be the last word. There are ways to negotiate lower premiums, such as through taking a defensive driving course, having past fines and tickets removed from your record, driving less than the national average and searching for insurance discounts.
While there are some crucial choices to make in the search for an energy efficient car with affordable insurance premiums, it is not too difficult to find vehicles that meet both criteria. Buying a hybrid car isn’t the only way to save on fuel and to cut down on carbon emissions. You may find a car that fits fuel and affordable insurance standards and drives like a dream.