Best Cars for Low Insurance Costs and Affordability
USAA, an insurance and financial company, has created a list of Best Values in 16 vehicle segments.
USAA focuses on affordability, lifetime costs, depreciation and safety.
Top choices include the 2011 Dodge Charger, Hyundai Sonata and Chevrolet Cruze and Traverse.
Vehicles on USAA's list must also receive the top two scores in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash-test ratings, which means a Good or Acceptable rating.
While USAA's methodology is rational, it's important to consider that — as an insurer and financial firm — the company is motivated to suggest vehicles that will keep insurance or financial losses at a minimum.
Below are the insurer's top choices.
| Large sedan | Dodge Charger |  |
| Midsize sedan | Hyundai Sonata |  |
| Small sedan | Chevrolet Cruze |  |
| Large luxury sedan | Hyundai Genesis |  |
| Midsize luxury sedan | Audi A4 |  |
| Large SUV | Chevrolet Traverse |  |
| Midsize SUV | Toyota FJ Cruiser |  |
| Small SUV | Kia Sportage |  |
| Large Luxury SUV | Audi Q7 |  |
| Midsize luxury SUV | Lexus RX 450h |  |
| Large pickup | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hybrid |  |
| Small pickup | Suzuki Equator |  |
| Sports | Ford Mustang |  |
| Coupe | Scion tC |  |
| Wagon | Scion xB |  |
| Minivan | Kia Sedona |  |
3 Steps Every Car Buyer Needs to Take to Save Maximum Money
The key to getting the best deal is to gather price or lease bids from as many local dealers as possible. Then shop that best price around until no one can beat it. Here are the steps:Step 1 Get Prices From My Trusted Network
Select the vehicle you're interested in to see if there are local dealers in my network who will provide you with their best upfront price. You will get direct access to an internet sales manager who you can further negotiate with online (no need to visit dealership).Step 2 Get Prices From TrueCar / CarsDirect
TrueCar, and CarsDirect are my top 2 online price quote recommendations. These services show you pre-negotiated prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually pretty decent. But remember, you can still negotiate further.Step 3 Complete my Checklist
Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.- Gregg Fidan
Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author
Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate
the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
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