Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on The Zebra.
Auto insurance rates are important to consider when purchasing a new vehicle: after all, insurance is Americans’ fourth-largest expense.
You might be able to afford the monthly car payments, but car insurance premiums for a new luxury model or upscale sports car can cost thousands of dollars per year.
High-performance autos and luxury cars often cost more to insure. Factors like a driver’s age, driving record of past tickets or accidents, credit score, or even state-specific laws can exacerbate rate hikes, underlining the importance of considering insurance cost consequences when shopping for a new car.
As the nation’s leading insurance comparison site, The Zebra has access to millions of rates from across the United States. Using our proprietary auto insurance quote engine, we found the most expensive cars to insure in 2021.
1. Maserati Quattroporte
The Maserati Quattroporte is a luxury sedan that typically costs over $2,500 per six-month policy period to insure, making this car the most expensive vehicle to purchase auto insurance for in 2021. That’s 239% more than the national average premium for auto insurance.
In terms of price, the Quattroporte is the fifth most expensive car on our list with an MSRP of $102,190.
In our survey of the cheapest insurance companies for this particular make and model, Auto-Owners had the most affordable rate at $895 for six months’ coverage. Other fairly-priced insurers include Infinity ($1,058) and Nationwide ($1,115).
- Average annual premium: $5,024
- Type: Luxury sedan
- Insurance as % of MSRP: 4.92%
- Cheapest insurance company: Auto-Owners
- Most expensive insurance company: Allstate
2. Audi R8
Costing an average of $2,284 per six-month insurance policy (or $381 a month), the Audi R8 is the second-priciest car to insure and has an MSRP of over $142,000.
To find the best deal on car insurance for this luxury sports car, consider Alliance, which costs $176 per month or $1,054 for a six-month policy. Nationwide ($1,330) and Erie ($1,538) could also be good options for Audi R8 insurance.
- Average annual premium: $4,568
- Type: Luxury sports car
- Insurance as % of MSRP: 3.2%
- Cheapest insurance company: Alliance
- Most expensive insurance company: AAA
3. BMW i8
The second most expensive vehicle to buy on our list, the BMW i8 comes with the third most expensive auto insurance costs.
The i8 is a sports car and a hybrid vehicle, and both of these factors make insurance pricey compared with sedans or SUVs.
It costs an average of $364 per month to insure, but Nationwide could be the cheapest insurer at $203 per month or $1,219 per six-month policy. Other affordable companies include Farmers ($1,489) and Erie ($1,542).
- Average annual premium: $4,372
- Type: Hybrid sports car
- Insurance as % of MSRP: 2.96%
- Cheapest insurance company: Nationwide
- Most expensive insurance company: Infinity
4. Mercedes-AMG GT
The Mercedes-AMG GT is a luxury sports car and runs about $2,065 to insure every six months.
At $1,007 per six-month policy, Nationwide could be the most budget-friendly car insurance company and potentially offer over $1,000 in savings. Farmers ($1,264) and Country Financial ($1,353) could also offer similar savings for this make and model.
- Average annual premium: $4,130
- Type: Luxury coupe
- Insurance as % of MSRP: 4.59%
- Cheapest insurance company: Nationwide
- Most expensive insurance company: Infinity
5. Nissan GT-R
Insurance costs are midrange for a vehicle that costs nearly $114,000 — the Nissan GT-R.
With an average monthly cost of $334 or $2,032 for six months’ coverage, this high-performance sports car costs over $2,500 in extra premium yearly compared with the average rate in the U.S.
The cheapest insurance providers for the Nissan GT-R were State Farm ($661), Nationwide ($1,083), and Erie ($1,318).
- Average annual premium: $4,064
- Type: Luxury sports car
- Insurance as % of MSRP: 3.58%
- Cheapest insurance company: State Farm
- Most expensive insurance company: Infinity
6. Maserati Ghibli
The Maserati Ghibli costs $2,009 every six months to insure and, despite having the second-lowest MSRP in our list at $72,190, is still over well the cost of an average vehicle.
We found that Auto-Owners has the best-priced coverage at $895 per six-month policy, while Nationwide and Erie are slightly more expensive at $974 and $1,039, respectively.
- Average annual premium: $4,018
- Type: Luxury sedan
- Insurance as % of MSRP: 5.57%
- Cheapest insurance company: Auto-Owners
- Most expensive insurance company: Allstate
7. Mercedes-Benz S-Class
With an average six-month rate of $1,871 (or $312 per month), the Mercedes S-Class is expensive to own — among all of the vehicles on our list, it commands the highest list price at over $173,000.
To land the best deal on Mercedes S-Class auto insurance, consider starting your search with Auto-Owners. This company had the lowest rate at $910 per six-month policy. Other providers worth looking into are Nationwide ($1,014) and State Farm ($1,280).
- Average annual premium: $3,742
- Type: Luxury sedan
- Insurance as % of MSRP: 3.41%
- Cheapest insurance company: Auto-Owners
- Most expensive insurance company: Infinity
8. Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a high-performance sports car that costs nearly $100,000 to buy and runs an average of $1,867 for a six-month policy ($311 per month) to insure.
Nationwide could furnish the most savings at $748 or $124 a month, while Auto-Owners ($859) and Travelers ($1,067) are the second- and third-cheapest insurers, respectively, for the Porsche 911.
- Average annual premium: $3,734
- Type: Luxury sports car
- Insurance as % of MSRP: 3.76%
- Cheapest insurance company: Nationwide
- Most expensive insurance company: Infinity
9. Tesla Model S
The all-electric Tesla Model S has the lowest-priced MSRP in our list and the ninth most expensive average insurance premium at $1,810 every six months.
Nationwide, American Family and Erie proved to be the most wallet-friendly companies for the Model S; rates from these insurers range from $818 to $986 per six-month policy.
- Average annual premium: $3,620
- Type: Luxury electric sedan
- Insurance as % of MSRP: 5.21%
- Cheapest insurance company: Nationwide
- Most expensive insurance company: Infinity
10. BMW 7-Series
The BMW 7-Series is a luxury sedan that costs $1,761 per six-month policy to insure, making it the tenth most expensive vehicle in terms of auto insurance expenses.
American Family could potentially provide the most savings at $891 for six months or $149 per month. Nationwide doesn’t cost all that much more ($946) while Mercury is more expensive ($1,256) but still lower than the overall average insurance cost of the 7-Series.
- Average annual premium: $3,522
- Type: Luxury sedan
- Insurance as % of MSRP: 4.06%
- Cheapest insurance company: American Family
- Most expensive insurance company: Infinity
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