Most Expensive Cars to Insure: Nissan 350Z

According to U.S. News, the Nissan 350Z ranks #2 in its list of most affordable sports cars. With a starting MSRP of $28,510, the ranking seems justified. However, the Nissan 350Z also ranked highly on another list: the ten most expensive cars to insure. The 350Z ranked #9 on this list, which may make it an affordable car to buy but an expensive car to own. The Highway Loss Data Institute compiles its list of the priciest cars to insure based on the reported collision losses for various makes and models of vehicles. According to data collected from 2002 to 2004, the Nissan 350Z was one of the ten worst offenders. This means that the 350Z gets into frequent and very costly accidents, which would explain its sky-high car insurance premiums. We'll tell you more about why the Nissan 350Z is one of the most expensive cars to drive in this post.

Facts about the 350Z

You might like the Nissan 350Z because it can pack quite a punch for a car that costs under $30,000. It offers high performance without putting too much strain on your wallet. Unfortunately, insurers don't see eye-to-eye with you on the interpretation of these features. From an insurer's perspective, these features are little more than risks. Here are a few characteristics of the 350Z that would be most troubling to a car insurance company:

• Appeals to younger drivers
• 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds
• 3.5 L V-6 engine with 306 horsepower
• Categorized as compact sports car

What Causes High Premiums

Insurers don't like writing policies for cars that encourage high-speed or reckless driving. Such cars are statistically more likely to be involved in collisions, which cuts into the insurer's profits. To compensate for these losses, the insurer charges the owners of these vehicles higher premiums. The main reasons that car insurance costs are so high with the Nissan 350Z are:

• Type of driver. It's no secret that affordable sports cars appeal most strongly to the young male demographic. Of course, young men are the highest-risk demographic, which means the premiums for the 350Z will be higher because of the kind of driver it attracts.
• Size. You might think that because the 350Z is smaller and more maneuverable that you will pay lower premiums. Though this makes sense, small sports cars and sports cars in general are more likely to be involved in collisions. Again, more risk for the insurer means higher premiums for the driver.
• Strong performance. High-performance vehicles are meant to be driven fast, so it's not surprising that these vehicles are more likely to be driven at higher speeds than other cars. Vehicles driven at higher speeds are more likely have accidents, so "high performance" to an insurer means "high risk."

Find out which cars are most expensive to insure in 2009. The premiums for these cars might have you think twice about buying.