Why Are Kias So Expensive To Insure? (Top 10 Reasons)
When you’re shopping for a car, there are two big expenses to consider.
The first is the actual price of the car which can determine your monthly payment.
The second is car insurance which can also add a substantial amount to your monthly payment.
Kias are expensive cars to insure with an average cost of $1,270 a year at its lowest and $1,631 at it’s highest.
Here are 10 reasons Kias are expensive to insure.
Why Are Kias So Expensive To Insure? (Top 10 Reasons)
1. Electric Vehicle
A Kia is expensive to insure if it’s an electric model.
Kia has several different models of cars, and one of those happens to be its EV model.
In particular, its EV6 Kia is an electric car boasting 339 miles per full charge.
It can even charge up to 80% in 18 minutes when charged at a fast charging station.
Clearly, there are a lot of features and interest in this type of car.
However, the problem with electric vehicles is that they’re still relatively new compared to gas-powered vehicles.
They haven’t hit the mainstream just yet.
There are a few reasons behind this.
First, most electric cars are still a bit too expensive for average car owners to buy.
Second, there aren’t enough public charging stations to make drivers feel confident that they can charge their cars when they need to.
Third, many drivers prefer to have a charging station at their home, too, which adds complexity to the whole situation.
This impacts demand which means suppliers only have a few electric vehicles available at a time.
That, in turn, affects the price of electric vehicles.
Since the price of the electric vehicle is higher, the insurance price is going to be higher, too.
That’s especially true if you have a comprehensive insurance policy.
This policy means that the insurance company will pay the value of the car if it’s damaged or its repairs if it’s damaged.
The more expensive car you have, the more the insurance company has to pay.
To ensure they’re able to afford that and still generate a profit, they have to place a higher insurance rate on your car.
The Kia EV6 and other electric vehicles are expensive which makes their insurance expensive, too.
2. Braking Technology
Kia cars come with a lot of advanced safety features when it comes to their brakes.
Some of its key features include:
- Electronic brake-force distribution
- Traction control systems
- Electronic stability control
All these features make it easier and safer to operate your car.
An electronic brake-force distribution system makes braking your car easier and safer.
You’re able to stop a lot faster, which can help you avoid accidents in the first place.
The traction control system helps keep the car on the road when the tires start to slip on the road.
That makes it ideal for driving on wet roads or snow-covered roads.
Finally, its electronic stability control systems help keep your car upright and on the road when you drive over potholes, uneven ground, or when you’re hit.
Almost every Kia has these various safety systems on them.
That means there are several more parts to your car that need insuring.
In particular, these safety systems are a bit more complex than standard safety systems.
As such, it usually requires more parts or manpower to repair them.
Since it’s going to cost more to repair them, then your insurance is going to need to pay more.
To ensure they’re still able to generate a profit after giving you money to repair your car, they have to charge a high rate.
3. Kia Wise Driving Assistance
When shopping for a Kia, you’ll see that some of the cars come with a Kia Wise feature.
Kia Wise is Kia’s version of driving assistance.
According to the manual, the driving assistance feature is capable of helping you avoid certain types of collisions.
The features of the Kia Wise Driving Assistance feature include:
- Forward Collision
- Blind Spot Collision Warning System
- Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist
- Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist
- Blind Spot View Monitor
- Lane Keeping Assist
- Lane Following Assist
- Smart Cruise Control
The forward collision driving assistance feature gives you a brief warning when you’re about to collide with something in front of you.
The car will attempt to stop before you hit the object that it’s detecting.
You’ll also receive a warning when something is in your blind spot.
If the car believes that this object in your blind spot is going to collide with your car, then it will attempt to move out of the way.
The back of your car is another vulnerable area that can be difficult to see and tell if something is about to hit it.
The Driving Assistance features have rear-collision avoidance which can get your car moving to avoid someone crashing into it.
You’ll also be able to see your blind spots better thanks to the blind-spot view monitor.
If you’re unsure if someone is coasting in your blind spot, the monitor can make you aware of them.
The car also has several different safety features designed to help you stay in your lane.
All these driving assistance features mean your car needs more sensors and a smart computer to analyze the data that the sensors are giving to it.
Since that means more parts, it also means there’s more to insure in your car.
That results in a higher price of insurance on your car.
4. Turbo Engine
When it comes to cars, a lot of people care about the engine.
A high-powered engine can allow them to quickly get up to speed on the highway and to their destination a bit faster.
Kia cars don’t disappoint.
In particular, the Stinger GTS has a 3.3-Liter Twin-Turbo V6 engine.
It’s capable of producing 365 horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque.
This essentially means the engine can take the Kia from zero to 60 MPH in 4.7 seconds.
That sort of performance is something some people love to have in their cars.
However, it also means that there’s going to be more expensive insurance on it.
Having a high-powered engine leads to higher insurance for a few reasons.
The first is that high-powered engines need more expensive repairs.
They usually use high-quality parts that don’t come cheap.
When you need an engine repair, then you’re looking at an expensive fix.
To ensure the insurance company can still make money, they charge high rates on Kias with a high-powered engine.
Another reason it leads to higher insurance costs is because of its ability to get to a fast speed so quickly.
While this is ideal for quickly getting up to the right speed when merging onto a highway, it’s also something that someone can abuse.
There may be a higher incidence of accidents involved, for example, since a driver can easily go a bit faster than perhaps they intended to.
That may lead to an increase in collisions.
Since the chance of getting into an accident is a bit higher, the insurance rate is also higher.
The insurance company wants to make sure that they can make enough of a profit and still be able to cover an inevitable repair from a crash.
5. HUD Displays
A unique feature that some Kia cars have is a heads-up display on the windshield.
The HUD details information about your car in an easy location for you to see.
It also ensures not to obscure your view of the road.
You can see everything from how much gas you have left to whether there are any obstacles around you that your car is detecting.
For example, if someone is in your blind spot, you’ll get a notification on your HUD display.
It can also provide you with other information like the weather and certain driving conditions.
If you connect the HUD display to the Kia Wise system, then you get even more important information.
You can get real-time GPS directions on your HUD display.
No longer will you need to look away from the road to see where you’re going.
Instead, the HUD display will show when to turn, what lane to get in, and when to continue on your current path.
If there are traffic alerts, then you’ll also get a notification about them on your windshield.
Clearly, the heads-up display is a pretty powerful tool that can make driving a Kia a bit more enjoyable and easier.
However, it’s also a reason insurance is more expensive.
To get that information on the windshield, manufacturers need to create a new type of windshield.
Not only does it need to be safe in the event of a crash, but it also needs to be able to display information.
Since it’s a smarter version of a standard windshield, it will take more expensive repairs to fix.
Since it’s more expensive to repair, it’s going to cost more to insure.
6. Towing Power
Not all Kias are capable of towing much.
However, the Kia Telluride has a 3.8L V6 engine which allows it to tow up to 5,000 pounds.
That can take care of your basic needs like towing a small boat or camper trailer.
However, it also means that drivers are most likely going to use this model of Kia for towing.
Since it’s towing boats, trailers, and other things, this vehicle going to have more stress put on the car.
To tow something, a car needs to be able to overcome the friction of itself and also the weight of the object that it’s towing.
A powerful engine allows the car to do that.
However, in the act of towing, it’s also putting a strain on the engine.
Since the engine is under more strain, other parts of the car are going to be under strain, too.
For example, the radiator may get more use since it needs to keep the engine cooler.
You’ll also likely use more gas which means the fuel systems will also take some strain.
Not every driver is going to obey the 5,000-pound limit either.
Some may try to push their Kias even further to tow what they need.
As a result, their vehicle is put under even more strain.
Towing essentially makes a vehicle deteriorate a bit faster.
It increases the chances of it needing a repair down the line.
Since it’s increasing the chance of needing a repair, its insurance rate is going to be higher.
That’s because insurance companies know that the Telluride is more likely going to be in the shop than non-towing Kia models.
Kia vehicles are expensive to insure when they have towing capabilities.
7. Smart Features
Another feature of Kia models that make insurance rates higher is the fact that they have several smart features.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are two examples.
They allow you to use your iPhone or Android phone to connect to your Kia.
You can easily switch between various playlists or use your smartphone’s features with your car.
It’s easier to chat while never taking your eyes off of the road.
You can even send and receive text messages which are completely controlled by your voice.
With these two features, you’re able to get most of your smartphone’s apps on the control panel of your Kia.
Finally, it also has wireless charging.
You only need to put your phone on the charging station, and it will charge up your phone while you drive.
This ensures that even if you forget your charging plug, your car can still keep your phone juiced up.
Of course, you’ll need to have one of the smartphones that allow non-cable charging.
These features make your insurance rate more expensive because it’s more tech that the company has to cover.
Electronics can sometimes have problems in cars.
They can get exposed to water or other things that can cause them damage.
The more electronics and smart features that your Kia has, the more it will cost to repair them.
Insurance companies want to make as much profit as possible while also shoring up enough money to cover those repairs.
To do so, they put a high rate on your insurance policy.
8. Increased Number Of Accidents
If you’re more likely to be in an accident, then you can expect your insurance rate to be high.
That’s one of the reasons Kias can sometimes be expensive to insure.
During a study performed by data scientists at Insurify, the Kia Stinger came in second place of the car models with the highest accident rates.
The ability to reach top speeds quickly is likely a factor.
Getting to such a speed in a short amount of time can sometimes surprise drivers.
It can cause drift which can force the driver off of the road or into another car.
Since Kia Stingers have a high incidence of accidents, insuring them is going to be more expensive.
That’s because they’re more likely to get into accidents and require insurance coverage for their repairs.
Since insurance companies essentially end up paying more money on Kia Stingers, anyone who chooses to buy one is going to end up with a higher insurance rate.
It ensures that the company can still make a profit while covering the repairs for Kia Stingers.
Kia cars are expensive to insure if they have high accident rates associated with them like the Kia Stinger.
9. Kia Model
The type of Kia you buy can also determine how expensive your insurance becomes.
Kia cars tend to be smaller and compact, but there are a few models that are larger as well.
For example, they have several SUVs which are a good size larger than their sedans.
If you choose to buy an SUV, then you can expect a more expensive insurance rate.
That’s because there’s more for the insurance policy to cover.
SUVs are larger than sedans.
They use more materials and larger parts to support the vehicle and its performance.
Any time there are more or larger things involved, more money is also involved.
For example, it will cost a manufacturer more to make a basic SUV than a basic sedan simply because they need more materials to produce it.
Since an SUV tends to be more expensive than a sedan, it has a higher insurance rate.
10. Type Of Insurance
The type of insurance that you get for your Kia also determines how expensive it is going to be.
For example, if you get basic, no-fault, insurance, you’re going to have slightly cheaper insurance than someone who chooses full coverage.
That’s because there are few instances in which you qualify for your insurance to cover your repairs.
Since they have fewer obligations in which to give you money, they don’t have to collect as much from you.
Those who opt for full coverage, on the other hand, have more instances in which they can ask the insurance company to cover their repairs.
Since the insurance company will likely spend more on that particular Kia, the insurance rate is higher to generate profit on top of collecting enough money for future repairs.
Conclusion
Kia cars have pretty expensive insurance rates at around $100 a month at its cheapest.
Several special safety and smart features of the car increase interest rates.
The type of insurance coverage and Kia model that you buy can also increase your insurance rate.