Insurance companies consider several factors when setting a premium and vehicle type is one of those.
In the world of 2-door vs. 4-door insurance, a coupe (2-door) is often more expensive to insure than a sedan (4-door) because although not all coupes are sports cars, many sports cars are coupes.
Sports cars are always more expensive to insure than sedans. Insurers not only ding sports cars due to their large engines and the fact that they are designed for speed, but also for who tends to own them.
Sedans, which are commonly targeted towards families, are involved in fewer accidents (parents with kids in the car tend to drive more carefully), while a sports car that is popular with fast driving young men cost more to insure due to accidents as well as the cost to repair or replace a pricey vehicle.
Each car insurance company has its own proprietary rating system that impacts rates, so depending on where your specific vehicle falls on, the rating will vary by insurer.
Read on to find out more about insuring a 2-door vs. 4-door car.
2-door vs. 4-door insurance: Are coupes more expensive than sedans?
In general, the answer to this question is a big yes, and the difference is usually at least a few hundred dollars. However, the difference can quickly skyrocket if you are looking to insure a high-end sport or luxury vehicle.
There are several reasons that 2-door car insurance is more expensive than insuring a sedan. We mentioned that most sports cars are coupes. Everything from the engine size, price tag, and target audience will impact the cost of insurance, and coupes tend to fall into the risky category more often than a sedan.
Penny Gusner, senior consumer analyst for CarInsurance.com explains, “It’s not a blanket statement that all sedans are cheaper than coupes to insure, you have to be comparing like model vehicles. A four-door Mercedes is going to cost more than a two-door Honda Civic for a variety of reasons, including the luxury cars higher sticker price due to their higher finishes and many times higher end tech systems.”
Here are just a few vehicle factors insurers will consider:
- Target audience: This is a significant factor and one we touched on above. Vehicles such as sedans, minivans, and other vehicles targeted towards families are always less expensive to insure than high-performance and luxury vehicles that are targeted toward risk-takers. Statistics show that sports cars are involved in more accidents at higher speeds, leading to higher premiums.
- Repair costs: Sport and luxury vehicles are often loaded with technology as well as luxury materials. It is always cheaper to repair a plastic dash than one made of teak wood. High-end technology also pushes up the cost of repairs, and that cost is considered when setting a premium.
- Sticker price: If the car is destroyed, your insurer will have to pay for a new one, so the sticker price of the vehicle is always a factor and sports and luxury vehicles (think coupes) tend to cost more than a family sedan.
- Claim rates: Insurance companies love claim data, and unfortunately, statistics show that car thieves are more interested in sports and luxury cars than family sedans. Even if you have never experienced a car theft, if car thieves like your vehicle model, you will pay more for car insurance.
These are just a few factors that insurers consider when looking at sedan vs. coupe insurance rates. Let’s look at the numbers and see just how much more you will pay to insure your coupe compared to a sedan.
How much is car insurance for a 4-door car?
When we ran the numbers, we found that insuring a 4-door sedan is, on average, cheaper than insuring a 2-door coupe. The average premium for a 4-door sedan came in at $2,142 or $400 less expensive than 2-door insurance. However, not every sedan comes with a low insurance bill. There are plenty of luxury sedans out there that cost a small fortune to insure.
The Mercedes S65 AMG is a prime example. It comes with an average premium of $3,911, a whopping 82.6% more than the national average and a shocking 183.6% more than the Honda Fit LX Sensing, which was the cheapest sedan to insure with an annual premium of $1,379.
All of this just reinforces what we already talked about, luxury or sports cars are always more expensive to insure than a more basic car.
The Benz highlights many of the factors that push up insurance costs. It is expensive, it has a starting price of $235,000, it is filled with luxury appointments (Nappa leather and carbon fiber trim) as well as the latest technology (it can drive itself). In addition, car thieves line up to steal it, which means you will spend a small fortune insuring it.
On the other hand, the Honda Fit LX starts at around $16,000 and is a favorite with families. It is also pretty cheap to repair and has yet to make the most stolen cars in America list. All of this leads to a very affordable insurance premium.
How much more is insurance for 2-door cars?
So, what is the insurance cost difference between coupe and sedan? According to our data, the average premium for a 2-door coupe is $2,542, which is $400 or 18.7% more than a sedan. However, the cheapest coupe to insure, the Toyota Yaris L, comes in a mere $118 more than the cheapest sedan (Honda Fit LX). That drives home the point that your insurance bill revolves around a wide variety of vehicle factors, not just the number of doors on your car.
The most expensive coupe to insure was another Mercedes, the AMG GTR, which comes with a $4,082 insurance premium. Once again, the number of doors on the Benz is not the driver of high insurance costs. It’s the nearly $165,000 sticker price, a 550-horsepower engine, climate-controlled cup holders, and front seats that will give you a message that runs up the insurance bill.
The Yaris, much like the Honda Fit, has a low starting price ($17,750), a small engine (106 horsepower) as well as plenty of safety features that come standard. Most car thieves basically ignore the Yaris and explain the $1,497 annual premium, which is 69.8% less than the national average for coupes and a shocking 172.7% less than the AMG GTR.
Should I buy a 2-door coupe or a 4-door sedan?
There is no definitive answer to this question; it comes down to your personal taste, budget and which car you decide is the right choice for you. However, we can discuss a few differences between a coupe and a sedan to help you decide.
Coupes
A coupe is almost always going to be the sexier choice when it comes to aesthetics and speed. They tend to have a sleeker, clean design that screams sporty. Removing the second row of doors allows for more curvature of the vehicle’s body and a more sloping roofline. There are exceptions, but overall, coupes just look really cool.
Coupes are usually easier to get in and out of (at least for the front seat passengers) because they have large front row doors. Also, there is usually much more front-row space in coupe because the vehicle design is focused on the front row occupants with less attention given to the second row.
In general, coups are also sportier. They tend to be faster, handle better and are usually more fun to drive. They are often available with a manual transmission if you like a car with a stick. Sedans with a manual tranny are few and far between these days.
Finally, coupes are often the pricier choice, but they tend to hold their value better than a sedan. In addition, you now know that the answer to the question, “do coupes cost more to insure” is a big yes, so you will need to factor that into your decision-making process.
A coupe is probably better suited to someone that doesn’t need to access the backseat often (childfree), enjoys driving and doesn’t require a lot of cargo space from their vehicle.
Sedans
The big advantage that sedans have is the ability to carry cargo and passengers. If you need frequent (and easy) access to the backseat area, a sedan is the way to go. The cramped back seat of a coupe can make installing a child seat difficult and challenging to get a child in and out of the car.
The larger backseat of a sedan combined with the extra door makes it much easier to access the back row, particularly for older folks. If you drive your elderly parents around frequently, a sedan is probably the best choice.
Cargo space is usually at a premium in coupe, making the sedan a better choice if you have to haul lots of cargo regularly. Sedans tend to have a longer wheelbase that offers more trunk space, and the larger size of a sedan often makes them a bit safer. In a crash, the person in the bigger vehicle often emerges from the accident in better shape. Family sedans are often loaded with safety features as well. The final reason to consider a sedan may be that in the battle of 2-door car insurance vs. 4-door, the sedan is almost always the cheaper choice.
The verdict on 2-door vs. 4-door insurance
While there are always exceptions, in general, the answer to the question, “are coupes more expensive to insure” is yes. The numbers show that you will pay roughly 18.7% more to insure a coupe when compared to a sedan. However, that price difference is not always a budget buster.
In the end, it comes down to your personal preferences as well as lifestyle factors when deciding between a coupe and a sedan. If your ideal vehicle is sleek, sexy, fast and comes with a limited back seat and trunk space while also being more expensive to insure, a coupe is probably your best bet.
If you put a premium on the backseat and cargo space, safety features and cheap car insurance, you may want to put a sedan in your garage.
Methodology
Rate analysis methodology: Averages are based on full coverage for a single 40-year-old male who commutes 12 miles to work each day, 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 coverage. This hypothetical driver has a clean record and good credit. The rate includes uninsured motorist coverage.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Laura Longero
Executive Editor
Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.
Ask the Insurance Expert
John McCormick
Editorial Director
John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Leslie Kasperowicz
Managing Editor
Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Nupur Gambhir
Managing Editor
Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.