Hybrids cost insurers more

Hmmmm..... My '09 Prius was cheaper to insure than the '06 Mazda 5 I traded for it.... by about $350 a year.

 

Prius accidents do appear to be substantially more expensive on average. Plus the cost of Toyota dealers and OEM parts is such that one is more likely to file a claim with a Prius if "minor" damage occurs.

No surprise at all as a hybrid makes far more sense for those who drive more miles than for those who drive fewer.

Maybe it is all the PC'ers who threw out their radar detectors? Actually, I'm not surprised. It has been my experience that you are more likely to get stopped near or below the speed limit than well above it.

Honestly though, I've been behind quite a few other Prius drivers on entrance ramps and such, they are NOT taking it slow. Other drivers might think we will slow them down, but they are mistaken.

We drive more miles in our Prius, fewer in other vehicles. A more complete analysis would look at the before/after mileage in other vehicles. The Prius does also make many 30-90 mile trips very cheap, so we are less reluctant to make those trips.

 

Detailed analysis of total cost of ownership shows insurance costs to be relatively large for Prius, and not easy to reduce. This is the owners' perspective.

I have yet to see an insurance company without a deluxe hq building and highly paid upper staff. So, when I hear their complaints my response is 'cry babies, show me you know how to control costs in your own operation'

 

It helps to read the original press release to understand their methodology. What is interesting is looking at another data source.

"2009 Relative Collision Insurance Cost Information Booklet" February 10, 2009. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

The reason this is a document of interest are the Prius and Honda Civic numbers:

	Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
0	Make	Four-Door Models	121
1	Ford	Focus	86
2	Toyota	Prius[/B]	103[/B]
3	Volkswagen	Rabbit	106
4	Honda	Civic Hybrid	107[/B]
5	Honda	Civic	111[/B]
6	Volkswagen	GTI	112
7	Toyota	Corolla	115
8	Nissan	Versa	118
9	Subaru	Impreza	122
10	Kia	Spectra	126
11	Hyundai	Elantra	127
12	Chevrolet	Cobalt	130
13	Suzuki	Reno	133
14	Nissan	Sentra	135
15	Suzuki	Forenza	136
16	Mazda	3	138
17	Nissan	Versa	139
18	Honda	Civic_Si	143[/B]
19	Suzuki	SX4	151
20	Nissan	Sentra_SE-R	203
21	Subaru	Impreza	224
22	Mitsubishi	Lancer	241

So on one side, we have a report by a private company and the other, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reporting something else. Funny how that works out.

Bob Wilson

 

This is the comment I left with WSJ:

 

Wow, Bob! Thanks for clearing that up with government data. That's the new kind of attack on hybrids.

 

Oh C'mon, it's all those street racers that have been using Prii...

Step 1) Replace rear axle with two 50hp electric motors.

Step 2) Add 5 kW-hr in NiCad batteries to rear cargo area, cool with PCBs.

Step 3) Win Race.

Step 4) Sell opponent's Subaru and buy more NiCads...

 

There is one interesting data point from this group:

What is the distribution of traffic tickets? Are they parking or are they moving violations? Are hybrids getting HOV tickets because the driver didn't realize they needed a special HOV sticker, not just driving a hybrid?

BTW, based upon the Prius sales, a rate of 0.38 violations perf 100,000 miles would result in about 37,500 tickets per year ... Hummmm, sounds like the basis of a poll, don't you know. <GRIN>

Bob Wilson

 

In the UK, the Gen 2 Prius is rated at group 7 out of 20, apart from the top-spec T Spirit model with Nav, Bluetooth, IPA etc, which is group 8. On the new range, all cars are group 7E, which is saying that it would be group 8, but the security is higher than the standard for that group so it's been reduced by one. Lower numbers mean cheaper insurance.

The group does at least partially reflect the purchase (and therefore replacement) cost of the vehicle. The Auris (hatchback Corolla) is anywhere from group 4 to group 7 in the normal range, then there are SR180 and T180 'hot hatch' models equipped with ~180hp 2.2L diesel engines, which are in group 12 and 13 respectively.

The competition (Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall Insignia) have at least some models in group 7, but the 2.0L models are generally in group 8. Honda's current Civic seems to have a hole in the range - 1.4L engines are group 4 or 5, then there's a big jump to 1.8L in group 9, 10 or 11 depending on trim (source). Our Civic hatch is quite a bit smaller than the saloon model that the HCH is based on - that is in group 7.

 

From a very cynical point of view: How many insurance companies have their fingers deep in oil? In the old days, insurance companies take your money, bank it and payout when they have to... Now a days, they take your money and put it in some form a direct investment. (ie. equities.) How much of that is in oil companies?

 

With the economic slow-down, there has been a slacking of oil demand and fewer miles driven ... at least for the non-Prius folks. It is likely a lot of gas cars have been retired and taken off of the insurance roles ... saving the owner's insurance premiums. Although we don't need to go into it much, someone who just has unemployment to live on may find the insurance premium ... a budget item of marginal value. Also, there may be a desire by some to sustain their industry by the "gloriously wealthy and not too bright hybrid owners" who seem to be making regular premiums and adding cars. ... Pure, paranoid speculation, of course. ... Couldn't happen and I'm not Richard Belzer (plays detective munch in Law and Order.)

Bob Wilson

ps. Anyone seen my foil hat around here?eep:

 

That's odd. Our new 2009 Prius is $7 a month cheaper to insure than the Corolla it replaced....

 

OK that settles it. We need leather jackets and bandannas made available in the Priuschat shop. Time for the Prius Posse to roll!!!!!

 

Are you sure that isn't just you getting old?

Seriously, my insurance company for our company van (a chevy lumina) wanted about twice for the prius compared to the lumina. The company that I now insure the prius with wants about 1.5 times more to insure the lumina...

It's all a matter of which insurance company. Without a track record, an insurance company just guesses on much of the math...

 

They mentioned hybrid drivers doing more "pleasure" driving and I'm reminded:

• lower noise
• less vibration
• reliable
• safe
• excellent A/C and heating
• comfortable seats (for those who like them)
• plenty of space for 'stuff'
• excellent cruise control mileage

I would call this pleasurable driving but "Quality" may have a point.

To end "pleasure" driving, we need to have all cars revert to the past practices of the Big-3 that led to their loss of market share:

• noisy
• vibration
• unreliable
• safe
• poor A/C and heating
• uncomfortable seats (remember having to take stretch breaks)
• poor use of space with awkward or limited access
• mileage was always bad

Perhaps we need to offer to make the "Quality" vehicles 'uncomfortable' so they too will stop "pleasure" driving. Yes, it is time to make their vehicles into human endurance test cells and having many years of Model A Ford driving, I know exactly what is needed. <GRINS>

All seriousness aside, I found this quote in their mission statement:

These folks are critics of Insurance companies and near as I can tell, do not underwrite or offer insurance policies. They are a 'gadfly' tilting at those in the business. So part of their business model requires they prove the 'in house guys are wrong' and this report is just another marketing ploy not backed up by publicly available empirical data.

Bob Wilson

 

I noticed but some of them just reprint trash and have no clue. If any of my regular sources: GreenCarCongress, Consumer Reports, or Cars.Com echos the story, I'll put in the facts and data. But I don't see any value in dealing with Edmunds and the other anti-hybrid crowd.

This may seem mean and cruel but some people deserve what they pay for. <WINK>

Bob Wilson

 

Where can I get the gun rack option ?

Keith