Outback insurance rates higher than MDX and SRX???

club619

I'm pricing a few SUV's/Crossovers, and I just got a quote back from my insurance company (has a small green spokesperson). I currently drive a 2006 4Runner, and the 2010 SRX and the 2010 MDX premiums were close to the '06 4Runner. However for a 2010 Outback, my rates were going to be about $220 more every 6 months. That just doesn't make sense to me at all. Anyone else have similar experience?

curve

I just got a '10 Outback ($30k+) and the premium was lower than my '05 Acura TSX (value $12k) . I was very surprised and asked why and the answer is that it cost much more to fix a premium car than a common one.

I called two other places and the differences can be up to $300/yr. Shop around for a better quote.

club619

Same thing I was thinking! But they told me the rate was different based on a certain score. And surprisingly they said the Acura MDX was rated as being cheaper to fix after an accident?!?!?!?? How can a ~$50k vehicle be cheaper to fix after an accident than a ~$30k vehicle? Doesn't make any sense at all to me! The agent tried to tell me that "a lot of the newer cars hold up better in accidents"...ummm...isn't a 2010 Outback just as "new" as a 2010 MDX? I don't think I'll ever figure this out...might be time to do some shopping around, but wanted to see if anyone else was seeing similar premium jumps for the 2010 OB.

ateixeira

Makes no sense, I agree you should get another quote.

My theory is it's a brand new model and that insurance company just doesn't know what it would cost, so they're guessing high to be on the safe side.

club619

I'm going to call back and ask them to recheck, and I'm going to look online as well. I echo your response in that it makes zero sense to me either! Both the SRX and the OB are new for 2010. The MDX, I have no clue as to when it was redesigned. However, common sense alone one would think would apply in that if a vehicle costs 1.5 times as much new, it would cost about 1.5 times as much to fix if in an accident! Maybe all the money that goes into an MDX goes into the interior, so if in an accident, the outer body panels & parts are cheap...I'm still baffled.

easypar

Although my car is a Legacy, not an Outback, I had the opposite response from my company. My old car was a 2003 Nissan Maxima SE with a value of about $9K, which is what I sold it (private party) for.

The day I picked up my new Legacy Limited, purchase price about $25,000 the total change on my annual premium was only $23! When I commented on that the guy on the phone told me that because newer cars have more safety features; stability control, AWD, more airbags etc that there is less cost for them on the collission/comprehensive side.

Still it does seem odd that the Subie would cost more to insure than an Acura with a much higher cost factor.

easypar

maximafan

I remember several years ago being told by an insurance agent --
I don't remember which one it was -- maybe Progressive -- that if the company has a high rate of claims on particular vehicles, that they tend to be more expensive to insure. But I'm not sure if that would even apply in today's standards.

otis123

I had a 2001 LLBean Outback (totaled it 4/2012) and still have a 2004 MDX - both purchased new. The Outback was consistently $225 per year (give or take, depending on the year) more to insure than the MDX. The MDX just has a lower claim rate for certain coverage. The Insurance Institute has great stats on insurance claims for every car model...

ateixeira

I'm not surprised at all, it's a big family vehicle, I bet the next step after Odyssey ownership. Families with kids are careful, so rates are low.

thallberg

Interesting. Both my old 2003 Outback VDC and the 2007 Outback LL Bean (both H-6) were considerably lower to insure than the old 2009 Legacy SE and 2011 (both 2.5) my wife now drives. I always had thought the more HP the higher rates, but evidently not so with Subies. We both have spotless driving records.

dcm61

Outback = wagon
Legacy = sedan

Wagons typically have lower insurance rates.

BTW, Impreza hatchback has lower insurance rate than the sedan, because the hatchback is classified as a wagon. It would most likely be higher than a sedan if it was classified as a hatchback instead of a wagon.