Most Expensive Cars to Drive: Acura RSX

The Acura RSX is known for its sporty design, powerful engine, and luxurious amenities. What you might not know is that the RSX is also notorious for another, less-desirable feature as well: its exorbitant insurance costs. The Acura RSX ranked eighth on the Highway Loss Data Institute’s list of the top ten costliest cars to insure. The ranking means that some of the highest collision losses were reported for the RSX between 2002 and 2004. High collision losses indicate two things: the car tended to be involved in more accidents, and the losses associated with these accidents tended to be high. If you are thinking about buying an RSX, you should be aware of the high insurance costs associated with this car and factor this information into your buying decision. In what follows, we’ll discuss exactly why insurance premiums are so high for the Acura RSX.

Risky Features of the Acura RSX

The way consumers view cars is very different from how insurers see them. Carbuyers interested in this genre are probably looking for performance, amenities, and curb appeal. For insurers, the only thing that matters about the car is risk. To determine your premiums, insurance underwriters will analyze statistical collision data for the make and model of the vehicle you drive. For the RSX, the data are not good. Acura RSX drivers tend to go faster, drive more recklessly, and get into more crashes than other drivers. Looking at the car through an insurer’s eyes, here are the riskiest features of the RSX:

• Fairly expensive vehicle
• 200-horsepower engine
• 0-60 mph time of 6.5 seconds (2005 model year)
• Requires expensive import parts
• High risk of theft
• Promoted as a luxury sports vehicle

How Features Relate to Premiums

An insurer will look at the list of features provided above and conclude that the RSX is a high-risk vehicle. Here is how they arrive at that conclusion:

• Higher-priced vehicles cost more to insure. If you buy any sort of luxury vehicle, the price of the car will be fairly high. A higher-priced car means more expensive repairs, and this correlation will drive up both your comprehensive and collision premiums. In addition, the Acura RSX will require imported parts, which also tend to be more expensive.
• Attractiveness to car thieves. Thieves love to steal sporty luxury vehicles because these cars are always in demand and have high-priced parts. Whether the thief tries to sell the entire vehicle on the black market or dismantles it for parts, he will make a lot of money from stealing your car, which puts the RSX at a high risk for theft.
• Serious performance means serious trouble to insurers. Statistically, high-performance cars like the RSX are involved in more collisions and tend to be driven at higher speeds. This represents added risk for the insurer, which results in higher premiums.

Additional Resources

• Costliest Cars to Insure
• Acura RSX