Insuring a Pontiac

Although it was discontinued in 2010, Pontiac continues to be a popular brand with people who put a top priority on performance, style and affordability. The brand was acquired by GM and used to add performance-oriented vehicles into the mix. Through the years, the automaker spearheaded many exciting innovations. The brand also became known for offering a compelling mix of affordability, quality and performance. If you're thinking about buying a Pontiac, you're going to have to settle for a used model. However, you are sure to be tickled by how little you'll have to pay. Even when they were fresh off the assembly lines, these vehicles were usually quite affordable. Now that a few years have gone by, they are even less expensive. Although specific figures are not available, it is safe to assume that these cars aren't too expensive to insure either. You can expect to enjoy relatively affordable insurance premiums. Learn how those premiums are calculated below.

Model Statistics

GRAND AM

What type of Coverage do Grand Am Owners Choose?

$789

Average Annual Cost to Insure

GRAND PRIX

What type of Coverage do Grand Prix Owners Choose?

$722

Average Annual Cost to Insure

G6

What type of Coverage do G6 Owners Choose?

$744

Average Annual Cost to Insure

SUNFIRE

What type of Coverage do Sunfire Owners Choose?

$724

Average Annual Cost to Insure

BONNEVILLE

What type of Coverage do Bonneville Owners Choose?

$426

Average Annual Cost to Insure

VIBE

What type of Coverage do Vibe Owners Choose?

$893

Average Annual Cost to Insure

FIREBIRD

What type of Coverage do Firebird Owners Choose?

$841

Average Annual Cost to Insure

MONTANA

What type of Coverage do Montana Owners Choose?

$1,024

Average Annual Cost to Insure

G5

What type of Coverage do G5 Owners Choose?

$500

Average Annual Cost to Insure

AZTEK

What type of Coverage do Aztek Owners Choose?

$1,025

Average Annual Cost to Insure

TORRENT

What type of Coverage do Torrent Owners Choose?

$3,517

Average Annual Cost to Insure

GTO

What type of Coverage do Gto Owners Choose?

$400

Average Annual Cost to Insure

G8

What type of Coverage do G8 Owners Choose?

$875

Average Annual Cost to Insure

SOLSTICE

What type of Coverage do Solstice Owners Choose?

$500

Average Annual Cost to Insure

TRANS SPORT

What type of Coverage do Trans Sport Owners Choose?

$352

Average Annual Cost to Insure

SUNBIRD

What type of Coverage do Sunbird Owners Choose?

$630

Average Annual Cost to Insure

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How Pontiac Rose to Prominence

The brand started out as the Oakland Car Company, which was headquartered in Pontiac, Michigan and founded by Edward Murphy in 1907. Only two years later, the brand was acquired by GM, who wanted to create a division that was focused on performance-oriented cars. The first car to officially have the brand's name debuted in 1926. From there, the brand took off in popularity. It is largely credited with producing the first real muscle cars, which started being manufactured during the 1960s. The oil crisis of the 1970s prompted the carmaker to develop more compact vehicles. GM's financial troubles during the early 2000s finally prompted the automaker to phase out the brand, which was officially discontinued at the end of 2010.

Strong Safety Ratings Prompt Low Insurance Rates

Safe cars tend to come with lower premiums. The brand's vehicles generally received high safety ratings, which undoubtedly contributed to their low insurance rates. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety performed crash tests on several of the manufacturer's popular vehicles through the years. The Pontiac Grand Am earned an overall top score of "Good" from the organization. The Pontiac Vibe managed to pull off the same feat. This automaker's vehicles are typically loaded with large array of safety features.

Low MSRPs Keep Expenses Down

Pricing dramatically affects insurance rates. Insurance companies assume a lot of risk when they provide coverage. The more expensive a vehicle is, the more costly it will be to repair or replace. However, these cars generally have very reasonable price tags. That's truer than ever since used vehicles are the only available options nowadays. The Pontiac G6 has a starting price tag of around $13,000. The Vibe is similarly priced. The Pontiac G8 has a price that starts right around $20,000, but it's loaded with many exceptional features.

Theft Rates have an Impact As Well

Car insurance companies need to be careful about covering cars that are targeted by thieves. Certain cars are more likely to be stolen, and those cars usually have higher insurance premiums. The National Insurance Crime Bureau publishes a list of the top 100 most-stolen cars. The Pontiac Grand Am appears at number 14 while the Grand Prix ranks in 38th place. The Bonneville is also on the list at number 40. This may slightly increase the insurance costs of these cars, but it shouldn't make them dramatically more expensive to insure.