The obvious and not so obvious

Here at LotPro.com, we realize that it doesn’t take a genius to conclude that it’s going to cost you a bundle to insure a sports car like the Nissan GT-R, Dodge Viper or Audi R8. All three are very expensive, very fast, and attract traffic cops in much the same way that Brad and Angelina attract the paparazzi – you can’t miss them and they’re usually good for a money shot (using a radar with the former and a camera with the latter).

What is surprising is the inclusion of the Cobalt SS in the top 20, while Chevy’s big gun, the Corvette, is MIA (demographics may have something to do with it, since Cobalt buyers are younger and more prone to “mashing the foot feed”, as it were). BMW is well represented with the four models (M6, M5, M3 and X6), the most from any single manufacturer. Of the top 20, 14 are sports cars (we take exception to the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class being classified as a “passenger car” and have included it in this category), 4 are large SUV’s, the Cadillac Escalade EXT is the lone truck and, sans the aforementioned SL, the Audi S8 is the lone passenger car.

The results

Insure.com lists the Nissan GT-R at the top of the list, noting that “Owners of the GT-R buy it for power and speed, and their driving habits are often reflected in frequent and expensive insurance claims (insert here the Japanese word for ‘obviously’).” Not far behind is the Dodge Viper, followed by the BMW M6, Ford Shelby GT 500 and, rounding out the top 5, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

Here is the complete list of the most expensive 20:

The bottom 20 for the rest of us

Lacking a payment and insurance budget that might equal the GDP of a small third world country, the rest of us can always aim for the top least expensive vehicles to  insure.

Again, it doesn’t take a Mensa candidate to realize that this list will be populated, for the most part, by small and mid-size passenger vehicles equipped with 4 and 6-cylinder engines. Indeed, the top 5 vehicles are all Korean, with 3 Kia models and 2 from sister company Hyundai. Most of this list is comprised of various and sundry forms of family haulers with minivans (6), passenger cars (6, but really 7 if you include the Rio5 which is a hatchback) and  SUVs (5) accounting for most of the listed vehicles. The remaining two include the Scion xB (almost a minivan) and the list’s only truck, a Mazda (we’re assuming the B-Series).

The list’s biggest surprise, in more ways than one, was the venerable Lincoln Town Car, parked at number 17.

Here is the complete list of the least expensive 20:

How to save more green

Insure.com also had a number of other tips to help you save on your car insurance bill:

•    Trade higher deductibles for lower premiums – but make sure you can afford your deductible in case you crash your car

Yes it’s a popularity contest

It’s getting on towards the end of another year, which means that those of us here at LotPro.com can report with a relative degree of accuracy those models with the largest number of searches for the year. We also know that wading through 50 different models might seem like a large pain. But look at it this way, with fifty different vehicles to pick from, there’s a good chance that at least one of them might also be on your “best” list, too.

So here, in alphabetical order, are the top 50 searches. Want to know the top 2? See if you can guess (they’re listed at the end of the article).

Chevrolet Aveo

Chevrolet

Aveo
Impala
Silverado 1500
Tahoe

Chevrolet division had 4 models in our top 50 list this year. The Aveo, from the General’s Daewoo partnership, is one of the highest-mileage vehicles in the U.S. The Impala also offers a lot of bank for the buck in addition to great fuel economy, while the Silverado and the Tahoe both made late recoveries from mid-year sales slides.

Chrysler 300

Chrysler

300-series

The lone Chrysler entry was the 300-series – one of the few domestic full-size vehicles with a sense of style.

Dodge Challenger

Dodge

Avenger
Challenger
Charger
Ram 1500
Ram 2500

Dodge hits the list with the Avenger, the new Challenger, the Charger and both the half ton and three quarter ton Ram.

Ford F-150

Ford

Escape
Explorer
F-150
F-250 Super Duty
Focus
Mustang
Ranger

Ford brand has seven vehicles on the list with both the Escape and Explorer SUV’s, the Focus and Mustang passenger vehicles as well as three trucks – the Ranger, the F-150 and the F-250 Super Duty.

Honda Fit

Honda

Accord Coupe
Accord Sedan
Civic Coupe
Civic Hybrid
Civic Sedan
CR-V
Fit
Odyssey
Pilot

Honda ties for first place in the nameplate segment with nine entries including the Accord (2 versions), Civic (3 versions), the Fit, the CR-V, the Odyssey and the Pilot.

Hyundai Elantra

Hyundai

Accent
Elantra

Hyundai places with both the Accent and the Elantra sedans. While neither vehicle breaks any new ground, both represent Hyundai’s mantra of affordable transportation with excellent fuel economy.

Jeep Wrangler

Jeep

Wrangler

Jeep hits the list with the Wrangler, the Dorian Gray of sport utility vehicles.

Kia Rio

Kia

Rio

Kia’s most affordable sedan, the Rio, is also its best-selling vehicle – a big reason why it’s on the list.

Mazda Mazda3

Mazda

Mazda3
Mazda6

Both of Mazda’s “zoom-zoom” sedans made the list for 2008.

Nissan Altima

Nissan

Altima
Maxima
Murano
Rogue
Versa

Nissan placed three sedans – the Altima, Maxima and Versa – in the top 50 as well as SUV’s the Rogue and its big brother the Murano.

Scion tC

Scion

tC

By any other name a Toyota, the tC was also one of our top 50 searches.

Toyota Corolla

Toyota

Camry
Camry Hybrid
Corolla
FJ Cruiser
Prius
RAV4
Sienna
Tacoma
Yaris

Toyota ties for first in the nameplate division with 9 entries and wins the manufacturer’s category (10 including Scion) with 5 passenger cars, 2 SUV’s, 1 truck and 1 van.

And the winners are

Congratulations to the Ford F-150 which placed first overall and the Nissan Altima, which took second place.

In what has become almost a monthly mantra, Korea-based Kia Motors reports another record-setting month along with solid year-over-year sales gains.

(SEOUL) August 11, 2008 – Kia Motors Corporation announced today that its global sales (export sales, domestic sales and sales from overseas plants) of passenger cars, recreation vehicles (RVs) and commercial vehicles in July 2008 recorded 122,230, representing a 24.1% year-on-year increase.

By region, Kia posted large, year-on-year sales increases in China (11,110 units, a 114.1% year-on-year increase), Korea (27,514 units, a 37.5% year-on-year increase) and general markets (22,973 units, a 37.3% year-on-year increase).  Sales increases were also significant in Europe and North America where 28,670 (8.4% year-on-year increase) and 31,963 (6.2% year-on-year increase) Kia vehicles were sold in July, respectively.

Cumulatively, through the first seven months of 2008, Kia’s global sales increased by 16.9% year-on-year and reached 839,384 units. China (90,863 units sold) and general markets (142,402 units sold) have experienced the largest gains of 42.7%, and 33.3%, respectively. Cumulative year-on-year sales increases have also been experienced in all other sales regions: Korea (18.2% gain with 181,544 units sold); Europe (12.4% gain with 216,332 units sold); and North America (3.5% gain with 208,243 units sold).

Kia Spectra5

So far in 2008, Kia’s best selling model in overseas markets has been the C-segment Cerato (known as ‘Spectra’ in some markets) with 124,058 units sold.   It is followed by a close group of three vehicles: the B-segment Rio at 94,340, the C-segment cee’d at 91,857 and Kia’s Sportage compact SUV at 87,547.  Meanwhile the A-segment Picanto continues to perform well with 61,498 units sold.

Kia Rio

Hyoung-Keun Lee, Senior Executive Vice President, International Business Division, said, “As we enter the second half of 2008, we continue to experience strong sales growth across all markets, and we have achieved consistently high and significant year-on-year gains in China and general markets in particular. These results represent great performance by our sales team, especially given the difficult industry environment.”

Editor’s notes:
* Global sales figures are based upon CBU export sales and sales from overseas and Korean production plants
** Includes figures from Western and Eastern European markets
***General markets includes the regions of Central and South America, Asia and the Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa

Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) — a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart — was founded in 1944 and is Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. As part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the world’s premier automotive brands. More than 1.4 million vehicles a year are produced in 14 manufacturing and assembly operations in eight countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 165 countries. Kia today has over 40,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of almost US$17 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. Kia is an official automotive partner of FIFA — the governing body of the FIFA World Cup — as well as a EUROTOP partner of UEFA. Kia Motors Corporation’s brand slogan — “The Power to Surprise” — represents the company’s global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through continuous automotive innovation.

IRVINE, Calif., Aug 01, 2008 — Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced its best July ever with record sales of 28,021 units, an increase of 5.0 percent over the same period last year, and year-to-date sales of 185,640 units, an increase of 2.5 percent over the same period last year.

Kia Sportage 

The Kia Sportage had its best month of the year with 4,035 units, a 6.2 percent increase over the same period last year, while Spectra had strong sales of 5,910 units. Kia Rio and Kia Optima both had increases of 22.1 percent and 49.1 percent respectively over the same period last year with 3,707 and 6,258 units sold.

“For the fourth month in a row Kia has achieved record sales, something rare for the auto industry in 2008,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). “During this difficult economic time, consumers are looking for quality vehicles that are fuel efficient and offer great value — for this they are heading to Kia dealerships.”

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 640 dealers throughout the United States. For 2007, KMA recorded its 14th consecutive year of record U.S. sales. Kia Motors subscribes to a philosophy of building high value, high quality, safe and dynamic vehicles. Kia Motors prides itself on producing vehicles that are exciting and enabling and evoke the Kia tagline “The Power to Surprise.”

Kia Motors America is the “Official Automotive Partner of the NBA.” Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its Web site – www.kia.com.

IRVINE, Calif. – Kia Motors America (KMA) announced its best June ever with record sales of 28,292 units, an increase of 7.6 percent over the same period last year, and year-to-date sales of 157,619 units, an increase of 2.1 percent over the same period last year.  For the just completed quarter, the company reported sales of 89,405 units.

Kia Spectra

Kia’s June record sales were led by Spectra and Optima, with 7,131 and 6,865 units sold respectively.  Small car Rio and family vacation favorite Sedona also had strong sales with 3,337 units and 3,719 units respectively, both increases over the same period last year.

Kia Optima

“As the economy continues to fluctuate, consumers are turning to vehicles that are known for value and quality,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG).  “Thanks to a strong marketing plan and the hard work of the Kia dealer network, Kia continues to have success during this difficult economic time.”

Kia Rio

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea.  KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 640 dealers throughout the United States.  For 2007, KMA recorded its 14th consecutive year of record U.S. sales.  Kia Motors subscribes to a philosophy of building high value, high quality, safe and dynamic vehicles.  Kia Motors prides itself on producing vehicles that are exciting and enabling and evoke the Kia tagline “The Power to Surprise.”

Kia Motors America is the “Official Automotive Partner of the NBA.”  Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its Web site – www.kia.com.

Rio is the 7th least expensive vehicles to own in the U.S.

In compiling the latest list of ownership data for vehicles in America, the auto editors of Forbes magazine compared a number of different factors. In addition to initial cost, Forbes also took into consideration estimates for interest costs as well as maintenance and repair histories.

Low initial cost and maintenance overcomes depreciation

Many of us at LotPro.com are always looking for a good deal, and while depreciation on the Rio is a bit higher than average, the Kia more than made up for that with a lower initial cost. Deduct from that the availability of rebates and special programs, and the Rio is a bargain compared to many of the vehicles on the list. Moderate maintenance and repair costs also added to the Kia’s economy of ownership.

Kia Rio
Base MSRP: $10,890
Five-year cost of ownership: $32,750*
Depreciation: $8,460 (78 percent)
Interest and opportunity cost: $4,454
Fuel: $8,900
Maintenance and repairs: $2,958
Insurance: $7,092
Taxes and fees: $886

IRVINE, Calif., June 3, 2008 – Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced its best sales month ever for the second consecutive month with record May sales of 31,047 units, an increase of nine percent over the same period last year, and year-to-date sales of 129,327 units.

May’s record sales were led by the Kia Spectra and Kia Optima, which both had their best months ever with 9,407 and 8,197 units sold respectively, increases of 10.5 and 120.8 percent over same period last year. The Kia Rio also continued with strong sales in its best month of the year at 4,474 units, a 28.6 percent increase over the same period last year.

“With gas prices continuing to rise, record sales of the fuel-efficient Spectra and Optima are proof that consumers are recognizing Kia’s value now more than ever,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). “Achieving the best month ever for two months in a row is the result of enhancement efforts to Kia’s brand image and the Kia dealer network’s total endeavors in a difficult market environment to sell more vehicles.”

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 640 dealers throughout the United States. For 2007, KMA recorded its 14th consecutive year of record U.S. sales. Kia Motors subscribes to a philosophy of building high value, high quality, safe and dynamic vehicles. Kia Motors prides itself on producing vehicles that are exciting and enabling and evoke the Kia tagline “The Power to Surprise.”

IRVINE, Calif., March 12, 2008 – Kia Motors America (KMA) has broken its all-time sales record, inked a major sponsorship deal as the Official Automotive Partner of the NBA and launched its all-new Borrego midsize SUV. KMA also is proud to announce seven models, including the Optima, Rio, Rondo, Sedona, Sorento, Spectra and Spectra5 have achieved The Car Book “Best Bet” distinction. Rio and Optima are recipients of the award for the third consecutive year, while the Spectra, Spectra5 and Sorento have achieved this award for the second year in a row.

“We are pleased to have several of Kia’s top-selling models distinguished as “Best Bets” by The Car Book,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). “As we continue to raise our brand profile, we are proud to receive these awards based on safety features and performance characteristics in our vehicles.”

The Car Book 2008 is an updated and expanded guide to buying a new 2008 car, van, truck or SUV. It presents the latest safety ratings, dealer prices, fuel economy, insurance premiums, maintenance costs, tires, as well as a chart of state lemon laws, and is published in cooperation with the Center for Auto Safety, the nation’s leading auto safety advocacy group.

The Car Book’s “Best Bet” distinction, given annually, is based on objective information collected from government and independent sources that evaluate the safety and performance needs of the American consumer. Only cars that have ratings in all of the key Car Book categories – safety features, fuel economy, rollover, front and side crash tests, maintenance and repair costs, warranties, insurance costs, and complaints, with the greatest emphasis placed on crash test performance – are considered as potential “Best Bets.”

“The Car Book has long been the consumer’s best guide to smart and sensible car buying,” said Jack Gillis, author of The Car Book. “We appreciate the fact that Kia continues to make a significant contribution to improving the market choices for the American car buyer.”