Perhaps, the biggest surprise this year is the addition of a truck in the top 10. The Nissan Frontier S King cab is the first truck to make the least expensive list.
Oldham suggests two reasons for the Frontier’s placement on the list:
The Frontier hasn’t been redesigned in a long time.
Because it hasn’t had any changes for longer than a normal vehicle cycle, typically 4-5 years, the parts have been mass-produced at low cost and made easily accessible. This drives down production and repair costs. Nissan hasn’t had to reinvest in the Frontier, and the long life cycle has kept the cost down, he says.
A new kind of top 10
No longer is the top 10 list dominated by compact cars. The wide variety of vehicles in the top 10 means there’s a low-cost insurance option for consumers’ varying needs. Cars, trucks and SUVs are no longer viewed as single-purpose vehicles. For instance, work trucks have extended cabs that fit car seats, minivans have folding rear benches to make room for camping gear or furniture, and technology like wifi easily turns vehicles into mobile offices.
