Are your Auto insurance customers getting the best deal when they buy a new vehicle?

A new study finds that some vehicles offer much better value than others when it comes to insurance.

The Quadrant Information Services study, commissioned by Denver-based comparison-shopping site insuranceQuotes.com, examined 20 of the most popular 2015 models, dividing the average annual cost to insure each vehicle by its manufacturer’s suggested retail price, to determine which vehicles are an insurance bargain and which ones carry a high insurance burden.

"There are so many factors that go into pricing an insurance policy for a vehicle, but the average driver rarely takes these into account," says Christopher Paradiso, owner of Stafford Springs, Conn.-based Paradiso Financial & Insurance Services. "A lot of drivers think that a cheaper car means cheaper insurance, but that's not necessarily the case."

For example, the analysis reveals that although the Ford Explorer has an MSRP of $34,345, it only costs an average of $1,300 a year to insure. Meanwhile, the Ford Focus, which has an MSRP of $18,045 costs nearly $1,400 a year to insure, making it a relatively poor deal when it comes to the cost of insurance.

Laura Adams, insuranceQuotes.com’s senior analyst, said it is very important to shop around for car insurance before purchasing a vehicle.

"The recent insuranceQuotes study showed that buying a relatively inexpensive vehicle doesn’t mean that your insurance will also be inexpensive. In addition to important factors — such as your gender, years of driving experience, driving history, and annual mileage — the make and model of the vehicle you drive plays an important role in your auto insurance rate. If you don’t do your homework and shop rates before you buy a vehicle, you could be surprised by an insurance rate increase," she told PropertyCasualty360.com.

Talking with current Auto insurance customers about costs before they consider purchasing a new vehicle can help them — and you — in the long term.

"This is a really important factor to consider when it comes to buying a car, because you may buy a less expensive vehicle that will wind up costing you more in the long run because it's relatively expensive to insure," says Karl Brauer, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book. "But it's also something people often forget to consider. You may be able to afford the car, but can you afford to maintain and insure that car after it leaves the lot?"

Here are the 20 most popular 2015 vehicles, ranked from worst to best by insurance cost ratio:

Ford Focus

(Photo: PRNewsFoto via AP Photo)

20. Ford Focus

Type: Sedan.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,391.

MSRP: $18,045.

Insurance cost ratio: 7.71%.

Toyota Corolla

(Photo: Paul Sancya/AP Photo)

19. Toyota Corolla

Type: Sedan.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,400.

MSRP: $18,665.

Insurance cost ratio: 7.5%.

Hyundai Elantra

(Photo: PRNewsFoto via AP Photo)

18. Hyundai Elantra

Type: Sedan.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,384.

MSRP: $19,085.

Insurance cost ratio: 7.25%.

Honda Civic

(Photo: Paul Sancya/AP Photo)

17. Honda Civic

Type: Sedan.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,368.

MSRP: $19,910.

Insurance cost ratio: 6.87%.

Chevrolet Cruze

(Photo: Paul Sakuma/AP Photo)

16. Chevrolet Cruze

Type: Sedan.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,318.

MSRP: $19,695.

Insurance cost ratio: 6.69%.

Hyundai Sonata

(Photo: PRNewsFoto via AP Photo)

15. Hyundai Sonata

Type: Sedan.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,367.

MSRP: $21,975.

Insurance cost ratio: 6.22%.

Nissan Altima

(Photo: Handout)

14. Nissan Altima

Type: Sedan.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,414.

MSRP: $23,125.

Insurance cost ratio: 6.61%.

Ford Fusion

(Photo: PRNewsFoto via AP Photo)

13. Ford Fusion

Type: Sedan.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,359.

MSRP: $22,985.

Insurance cost ratio: 5.91%.

Toyota Camry

(Photo: Paul Sancya/AP Photo)

12. Toyota Camry

Type: Sedan.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,371.

MSRP: $23,905.

Insurance cost ratio: 5.74%.

Toyota Prius

(Photo: John Locher/AP Photo)

11. Toyota Prius

Type: Sedan.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,409.

MSRP: $25,035.

Insurance cost ratio: 5.63%.

Honda Accord

(Photo: Katsumi Kashara/AP Photo)

10. Honda Accord

Type: Sedan.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,289.

MSRP: $23,725.

Insurance cost ratio: 5.43%.

Toyota RAV4

(Photo: Mark Lennihan/AP Photo)

9. Toyota RAV4

Type: SUV.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,288.

MSRP: $24,580.

Insurance cost ratio: 5.24%.

Ford Escape

(Photo: Reed Saxon/AP Photo)

8. Ford Escape

Type: SUV.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,210.

MSRP: $23,995.

Insurance cost ratio: 5.04%.

Ford F Series

(Photo: PRNewsFoto via AP Photo)

7. Ford F Series

Type: Truck.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,341.

MSRP: $27,225.

Insurance cost ratio: 4.93%.

Honda CRV

(Photo: Remy de la Mauviniere/AP Photo)

6. Honda CR-V

Type: SUV.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,183.

MSRP: $24,325.

Insurance cost ratio: 4.86%.

Dodge Ram 1500

(Photo: Seth Perlman/AP Photo)

5. Dodge Ram 1500

Type: Truck.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,302.

MSRP: $26,855.

Insurance cost ratio: 4.85%.

Chevrolet Equinox

(Photo: Andrew A. Nelles/AP Photo)

4. Chevrolet Equinox

Type: SUV.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,265.

MSRP: $26,105.

Insurance cost ratio: 4.85%.

Chevrolet Silverado

(Photo: Andrew A. Nelles/AP Photo)

3. Chevrolet Silverado

Type: Truck.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,269.

MSRP: $27,815.

Insurance cost ratio: 4.56%.

GMC Sierra

(Photo: Paul Sancya/AP Photo)

2. GMC Sierra

Type: Truck.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,272.

MSRP: $28,315.

Insurance cost ratio: 4.49%.

Ford Explorer

(Photo: M. Spencer Green/AP Photo)

1. Ford Explorer

Type: SUV.

Average annual insurance cost: $1,301.

MSRP: $43,345.

Insurance cost ratio: 3.79%.

Special Reports /

20 most popular vehicles of 2015, ranked from worst to best for insurance cost

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