Insuring a Lincoln

Lincoln is one of those venerable car brands that springs to mind when people think of upscale vehicles. It is fitting because the brand really hit its stride when it decided to devote itself to producing higher-end cars. Lincolns tend to be popular with older people, but the automaker's SUVs have helped to make it more appealing to the younger crowd as well. One thing is certain: Lincoln cars and SUVs are not cheap. While they aren't the most expensive vehicles on the road by any stretch of the imagination, they are far from being the cheapest too. In addition to having somewhat pricey MSRPs, these vehicles are fairly expensive to insure as well. The average annual cost to insure a Lincoln vehicle is $1,693.48, which puts in the 26th place on a list of 36 car brands. Learn more about why Lincolns are so costly to insure below.

Brief History of Lincoln Vehicles

Henry Leland, who was also the founder of the Cadillac brand, founded Lincoln in 1917. He named the brand after Abraham Lincoln, which should come as no surprise. Things didn't go very well for the new brand, however, and it was purchased by the Ford Motor Company in 1922. From that point, it took a short period of time for Lincoln to hit its stride. By the 1930s, however, Lincoln vehicles has become the preeminent luxury automobiles. The famous Lincoln Continental made its debut in the 1940s and went on to serve as a line of presidential limousines. The Town Car, which proved to be one of the brand's biggest hits, debuted in 1981.

Lincoln Vehicles are Not Targeted by Thieves

Car insurance companies use theft statistics while calculating premiums. The good news is that Lincoln cars aren't popular with auto thieves. The National Insurance Crime Bureau, or NICB, maintains top-ten lists of the country's most popularly stolen vehicles. Not a single Lincoln car or SUV appears on the national list, and no Lincoln vehicles appear on the individual top-ten lists that are compiled for each state either. This is a positive factor that helps to keep insurance costs in check.

Strong Safety Ratings Keep Insurance Prices Reasonable

Another thing that the Lincoln brand has going for it from an insurance cost standpoint is safety. Insurance agencies take safety ratings into consideration when calculating premiums. Vehicles that don't fare well in crash tests are more likely to result in expensive claims. In tests by the U.S. government, the MKZ received three-star and four-star ratings. The Navigator received four stars and five stars, which is the best rating of all. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have the MKX mostly "Good" ratings. In general, then, these are very safe vehicles.

High Prices Drive Insurance Premiums through the Roof

If Lincoln cars are safe and not targeted by thieves, why are they so costly to insure? It's primarily because they are expensive in general. The MKZ has a starting MSRP of $34,755, and the MKX has a starting MSRP of $39,545. Those prices may seem so-so, but the Navigator typically costs at least $57,000, and that is before any options or higher trim levels are selected. As upscale vehicles, Lincolns come with high price tags. It's just the way things are.

The average cost to insure popular Lincoln vehicles includes:

• MKX 6-Cylinder Crossover - $1,349.00
• Navigator 8-Cylinder SUV - $1,586.00
• MKZ 6-Cylinder Sedan - $1,436.00