Insuring a Range Rover

Range Rover cars are like upscale, more finely appointed Jeeps. The fact that they come from a British automaker also enhances their image for many drivers. If you're looking for a vehicle that is just at home off the road as it is on a smooth, freshly paved freeway, you might want to consider a Range Rover. As a type of Land Rover, the Range Rover has an impeccable pedigree. However, you have to be prepared to spend a pretty significant amount of money because the Range Rover is anything but an economy car. After you've paid for your Range Rover, you'll have to continue to spend a lot on it in the form of insurance payments. On a list of 36 makes, Land Rover cars are ranked 29th. With an average annual insurance cost of $1,873.75, they are not cheap to own. However, their superior off-road capabilities should more than make up for that.

The Recent History of Range Rover

The original Land Rovers were inspired by Jeeps, which were the vehicles of choice for the U.S. Army during World War II. Two British brothers, Maurice and Spencer Wilks, decided to create a vehicle that could compete with the Jeep. They partnered up with Rover, a British automaker, to bring their ideas to fruition. The first Land Rover debuted in 1948. Although it was a little rough around the edges, it performed admirably. The Range Rover came around in 1970 and offered exceptional performance and superior refinement too. It debuted in the U.S. in 1987 and has continued to be wildly popular ever since. BMW and Ford briefly owned Land Rover, but the company is currently owned by Tata Motors.

In This Case, Standard Safety Features don't Bring Down Insurance Prices

As tough and brawny as it is, the Land Rover has not been subjected to crash tests by organizations like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. As a result, there are no safety ratings available. The vehicle is expensive, which is probably why it hasn't been tested. However, the Range Rover is jam-packed with plenty of standard safety features. It doesn't seem to matter, though, because the car's insurance costs are still on the high end of the scale.

High MSRPs Make Insurance Prices Soar

The factor that has the biggest impact on the cost to insure a Range Rover is its base price. You will need to have at least $80,000 in order to buy the Range Rover. There are cheaper Land Rovers, but none of them is close to being affordable. The LR4, for instance, has a starting MSRP of around $50,000. The LR2 has a starting price of around $35,000, which is a little more reasonable but still beyond the financial reach of most people.

Low Levels of Theft Make for Cheaper Coverage

The National Insurance Crime Bureau keeps track of car thefts in the United States. The organization publishes a list of the top 100 stolen vehicles. Insurance rates are affected by theft rates, so it's smart to consider the likelihood of whether or not a car will be stolen before buying it. In the case of the Range Rover, theft is not an issue. It does not appear on the NICB's list, and thieves don't tend to target this vehicle. Despite that, keeping insurance on a Range Rover is a very costly proposition.