InsWeb released this year's list of the least and most expensive vehicles to insure. The online insurance rate comparison provider developed the list by examining all auto insurance rate quotes requested by its customers between January and September of this year for 2010 model year vehicles, including more than 400 different model types.

According to the study, the ten least expensive vehicles to insure are:

  1. Kia Sedona
  2. Mazda Mazda5
  3. Ford Escape
  4. Hyundai Santa Fe
  5. Mercury Mariner
  6. Chrysler PT Cruiser
  7. Ford Explorer
  8. Subaru Outback
  9. Kia Optima
  10. Chevrolet Equinox

The ten most expensive vehicles to insure are:

  1. Acura ZDX
  2. Audi TTS
  3. Audi A5
  4. Cadillac Escalade
  5. Chevrolet Corvette
  6. BMW Z4
  7. Lexus SC
  8. Jaguar XF
  9. Cadillac STS
  10. Dodge Challenger

Jonathon D. Tudor of InsWeb media services explained the process of the study a little further, noting that the information used is based on real consumer quotes gathered from a large database of information from all states. "We worked with Quadrant Information Services to correlate data from across the country on a wide range of vehicles," explained Tudor. "The data was split and sorted by vehicle type and model in order to determine an accurate median rate for each."

The majority of the vehicles on the most-expensive-to-insure list are performance vehicles that cost at least $40,000, as opposed to the more family-friendly autos on the least expensive list.

"It's no coincidence that the majority of the most expensive vehicles to insure are performance vehicles," said Brad Cooper, senior vice president of operations at InsWeb. "It's possible that the types of drivers who purchase these vehicles are more aggressive by nature, which could lead to a higher likelihood of claims. On the other end of the spectrum, most of the vehicles on the least-expensive-to insure list are minivans, wagons, and small SUVs. Those vehicle types are often preferred by individuals with families, perhaps the least likely people to engage in risky driving behavior."

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