Though we’re sure Editor Turner’s spotless driving record rewards him with a lower premium than outlined here, membership has its rewards, and its punishments. Those that prefer to purchase high-performance vehicles also pay the highest insurance premiums. One conspicuous absentee on this list is Chevrolet’s Corvette, but oh yeah, they don’t really drive their cars – much less fast. Here’s the list of the most expensive vehicles to insure – Steve’s beloved Shelby GT500 places in the number 4 spot. No, I’m still never buying a Kia...

Topping the list is the Nissan GT-R, which Nissan bills as a "multi-performance supercar" that delivers fantasy driving.
The GT-R’s supercharged engine helped drive it to the top. It’s a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged 24-valve V6 with 485 horsepower. Compare that to the Honda Accord Coupe EX-L V6, with a horsepower of 271. Or take the Smart Fortwo, the smallest car available and one of the least expensive to insure, which has 71 horsepower.
Owners of the GT-R buy it for power and speed, and their driving habits will be reflected in frequent and expensive insurance claims.
GT-R owners who are young with less-than-spotless driving records could easily see their annual car insurance premiums zoom to several thousand dollars.
Sports cars dominate the “most expensive” roster, along with theft favorites like the Cadillac Escalade.
The 20 most expensive 2009 vehicles to insure
 
Rank Average
Premium Vehicle Class 
1 $2,533 Nissan GT-R Sports car
2 $2,446 Dodge Viper Sports car
3 $2,236 BMW M6 Sports car
4 $2,186 Ford Shelby GT500 Sports car
5 $2,088 Mercedes-Benz G-Class Large SUV
6 $2,071 Audi S8 Passenger car
7 $2,020 BMW M5 Sports car
8 $1,912 Hummer H2 Large SUV
9 $1,881 Lexus ISF Sports car
10 $1,819 Porsche 911 Sports car
11 $1,762 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Sports car
12 $1,717 Jaguar XK Series Sports car
13 $1,714 BMW M3 Sports car
14 $1,694 Cadillac XLR Sports car
15 $1,637 Audi R8 Sports car
16 $1,603 Land Rover Range Rover Large SUV
17 $1,592 Cadillac Escalade EXT Truck
18 $1,587 Honda S2000 Sports car
19 $1,584 BMW X6 Large SUV
20 $1,577 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Passenger car
If your readers are looking to lower premium costs, the “least expensive” list contains a good selection of SUVs, minivans and passenger cars. Low insurance rates tend to reflect a vehicle’s safety because drivers of those models have submitted fewer and less-expensive insurance claims.
Enjoying the bottom spot, with the lowest average car insurance rate, is the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe, an SUV.
The 20 least expensive 2009 vehicles to insure
 
Rank Average
Premium Vehicle Class
1 $832 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV
2 $840 Kia Sportage SUV
3 $848 Hyundai Entourage Minivan
4 $857 Kia Sedona Minivan
5 $870 Kia Rio5 Passenger
6 $871 Honda Odyssey Minivan
7 $881 Smart fortwo Passenger
8 $911 Saturn Vue SUV
9 $913 Mazda Tribute SUV
10 $915 Chrysler Town & Country Minivan
11 $921 Scion xB Passenger
12 $929 Mazda Mazda5 Minivan
13 $936 Volkswagen Passat Passenger
14 $939 Jeep Wrangler SUV
15 $951 Honda Accord Passenger
16 $954 Suzuki Forenza Passenger
17 $955 Lincoln Town Car Passenger
18 $957 Mazda Truck Truck
19 $959 Chevrolet Impala Passenger
20 $960 Dodge Grand Caravan Minivan
 
Complete rankings can also be viewed on MSN Money at http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/marketplace/auto-insurance/insurance-premiums-main.aspx.
About the rankings
To compare car insurance rates, Insure.com used a driver profile of a 40-year-old single male who drives 12 miles to work with policy limits of 100/300/50 ($100,000 for injury liability for one person, $300,000 for all injuries and $50,000 for property damage in an accident) and a $500 deductible on collision and comprehensive. Policies quoted include uninsured motorist coverage of 100/300. Rates were averaged across multiple ZIP codes and insurance companies. Average rates are for comparative purposes; drivers’ own rates will depend on personal factors such as age, driving history, location, discounts and other factors.
Average premiums for the profile used ranged from $2,533 to $832. When all vehicles were averaged together, the Chevy Tahoe ranked at the center, with an average car insurance premium of $1,169.