If you’re in the market for a new car, be careful not to be too enticed by the sticker price. There are numerous hidden costs:

• Registration fees
• Emission fees
• Leasing fees
• Extended warranties
• Extra options, like electronics
• Document preparation fees

The biggest of all of these hidden costs is auto insurance. You’ll be paying it for however long you plan on owning or leasing your vehicle. Fortunately, it isn’t very difficult to get a very good idea of how much insurance each car will cost.

It’s all in the statistics

Various agencies are in charge of tracking statistics, such as safety, collision, and theft, for every automobile in the United States. This means that insurance providers also know which cars are the biggest risk for them to insure.

Quick tips:

• Buy a 4-Door, not a 2-Door. Four door vehicles are stolen upwards of 90% less.
• Paint matters. Avoid red. Red cars seem to get into more collision. Must be the whole bullfighting thing.
• Avoid sports cars. They may look nice and drive wonderfully, but they will also cost you a lot in insurance, since they are stolen as much as 6 times more than the average vehicle. However, if you’re going to buy a sports car and won’t drive it in a dangerous area, you can save money by not getting theft coverage
• Choose cars that are top safety picks. Auto insurance companies know that those cars are lesser risks and charge accordingly.

To really get a good idea, you are going to have to research a little bit. Check with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Highway Loss Date Institute to determine if the car you’ve got your eye on will crumple completely in a collision—which will cost you a lot of money in collision insurance—or if the fatality rate is extremely high. This information is a big part in determining what your insurance quote will be.

If you’re concerned about the theft insurance, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) records all the data on stolen cars and makes it publicly accessible. Buick LaSabres are famous for almost never being stolen. Checking the NICB might be the difference between buying the coupe or the hatchback.

Though following the quick tips will give you a rough idea on the price, it is not as simple as buying a Volvo instead of a Porsche. In fact, some Porsches and many BMWs have very cheap auto insurance

The 5 least expensive vehicles to insure by class

Here’s my list of the five least expensive automobiles to insure in 2010. These choices are based on their safety rating, theft rating, and collision damage records.

1. The Kia Rio5 – One of the cheapest small cars to insure.
2. Kia Sportage – A good value and very reasonable to insure.
3. Chrysler Town&Country LX – A great bargain for your money.
4. Saturn Vue Hybrid – Reasonable list price, a great insurance rate, and decent milage to boot.
5. Mazda Tribute i 4WD – The two-wheel drive will save you some cash, but the 4WD isn’t much more to insure. If you live in a snowy area, it might save you money to get the 4WD in the end.

No matter what, it’s best to get as many quotes as you can before you purchase. Get car insurance quotes freely and conveniently online right now!