Insurers Claim HP Should Cost You More In Premiums Regardless Of Record

The freedom to drive fast in a powerful car is fundamental to the mystique that auto makers use to sell cars. Now, as if the auto industry didn't have enough trouble, come more signs of a looming war on horsepower and speed.

The average horsepower for new cars has risen steadily since 1985, both in absolute terms and in terms of horsepower per 100 pounds of vehicle weight. A 1981 Honda Accord had a base engine with just 75 horsepower. A base model 2008 Accord has a 177 horsepower four-cylinder engine, and you can buy a six-cylinder model with 275 horsepower. As recently as the mid-1990s, that would have made the current Accord more powerful than a Cadillac Eldorado.

Meanwhile, motorists are stepping on the gas, especially since the demise of the national 55 mile-per-hour speed limit in 1995. the average vehicle speed exceeded the posted limit on freeways in eight urban areas monitored by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. (The cities were Albuquerque, Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, Omaha, Tampa and Washington, D.C. The Institute didn't visit Detroit, evidently. No need. We Motowners tend to view speed-limit signs as reminders of the minimum speed required to justify taking up space on the freeway.)

 

w209w114 - 2/13/2008 2:50:23 PM

+2 Boost

No. Horsepower is a safety feature in certain scenarios that could help you avoid an accident. Higher rates should go to those who use it irresponsibly

Agent009 - 2/13/2008 2:58:25 PM

+4 Boost

It's all about grouping and risk assessment

07G35J - 2/13/2008 3:07:43 PM

+1 Boost

I totally agree with you, w209w114.

Obliv - 2/13/2008 3:44:39 PM

+6 Boost

Dugit, thats ridiculous.

An accident is solely dependant on whos driving the vehicle. Speed can be argued to even be better to avoid an accident, if theres a competent driver behind the wheel.

My 80 year old grandmother shouldnt have her insurance increased if she drivers a 80hp or 800hp car. Shell drive them the same.

This is simply an excuse for the insurance companies to gouge some more money out of our pockets.

EnnNorak - 2/13/2008 8:00:54 PM

+2 Boost

duqit, it makes nonsense not sense. Having lots of power at my disposal has saved my ass many times. This is just another excuse for nasty insurance companies to raise rates -- no wonder car insurance in some jurisdictions in otherwise free-enterprise nations has been made a government monopoly.

zorbeeze - 2/14/2008 1:50:15 PM

+2 Boost

"Horsepower is a safety feature in certain scenarios that could help you avoid an accident."

An it can just as easily cause a small accident into something alot more serious.
Yes horsepower is directly correlated to accidents.

zorbeeze - 2/14/2008 1:53:50 PM

0 Boost

"Speed can be argued to even be better to avoid an accident"
Speed does not help you avoid accidents. What speed will do is help you avoid one accident and then cause another accident and most of the times an even bigger accident.

"My 80 year old grandmother shouldnt have her insurance increased if she drivers a 80hp or 800hp car. Shell drive them the same."
Are you on crack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do you kow what it takes to carefully control an 800hp car? Do you know why all these celebs always crash their high end cars? Because they have too much POWER and your average individual can not control that power.

w209w114 - 2/13/2008 2:48:30 PM

+3 Boost

Heh!. I can bet you that Insurance company wont have my business or that of many others.

Rupert - 2/13/2008 6:09:00 PM

+1 Boost

Are the Mercs in your screen name yours?
If so, great cars, especially at your age. The W114 is such a classic, so simple and elegant. What Mercedes is famous for. Coupe or sedan, and what engine?
And the W209, coupe/convertible, which engine?

Rupert - 2/13/2008 7:28:49 PM

+1 Boost

Sorry, my question looks so accusatory...but I can't think of a better way to rephrase it!

w209w114 - 2/14/2008 9:36:39 AM

+2 Boost

w114 is a 1973 280 Sedan, Ivory colored with Orange "bamboo" colored interior, black dash, and Ivory colored steering wheel with the metal ring as the horn. Its one of the last here in America with the all chrome bumpers (before the 1974 came out with the hideous plastic extensions here) It also has a carburated 2.8 Engine delivering 169 HP (I believe) which is a pain considering carburators. You guys had the bosch mechanical fuel injection in England with more HP on the same engine. Ive spent LOTS of time and $ on restoring this car but I feel its deserving of it considering its one of the top models of its series (equivalent to an E550 of today) the 280E was compared to modern AMGs

The W209 is a 2006 CLK350 Coupe cadet blue exterior with the ash interior and walnut wood trim.

You can tell which is my favorite cant you? lol

Rupert - 2/14/2008 9:47:25 AM

+3 Boost

I can only just tell...

We used to have a W123 280 TE, green with velour interior - but we got rid of it years ago...loved it though.

You have an orange interior? :S
The 280 was the top of the line model, pretty quick for its day, far outdid the competition.

w209w114 - 2/14/2008 10:56:08 AM

+2 Boost

Well, I call it orange but its like a very bright camel color, the interior has not faded one bit which is remarkable (The W123 MB Tex especially the palomino, faded a lot in the sun). You can still see it today in some cars as a special edition color. Mercedes no longer has that color as of the 70's

Just a note: Other "groovy" colors of the late 60s and early 70's were "Avocado Green" Bright Red, Blue, and Tobacco :)

Rupert - 2/14/2008 5:52:15 PM

+1 Boost

I'm not sure what our colour was called but it was lime/kiwi/greyish green. Like those avocado bathroom suites that were popular in Britain at least) in the 70s. Interior was brown. It was very (cough) trendy.

w209w114 - 2/14/2008 11:32:04 PM

+1 Boost

This one still seems nice. I like it a lot. Its different without being over the top.

no1listensanyway - 2/14/2008 1:16:37 PM

+1 Boost

Thats because they want to go home and crawl into a ball after the suffered a defeat from the superior NY Giants. You thought the World Series was going to go un-answered?

BigShow50 - 2/13/2008 3:14:50 PM

+4 Boost

Insurance companies are a joke when it comes to finding any reason to hike up the premiums. How about when a driver claims no accidents or no tickets for the year, that we get some sort of kick back? Insurance companies will deny proposal of coarse. It does not matter how much horse power in a vehicle, it could be a shitbox or the best of the best. Bottom line, they will still exceed speed past 150kms/hr, from there anything goes...Insurance companies are monopoly hogs.

SS21CA - 2/14/2008 1:25:53 PM

+1 Boost

Insurance companies just trying to nickle and dime the consumer for every penny they can get out of them.

If you pay attention to the people around you when you drive, you will notice that over half of them are on the phone without a headset (even with a headset they probbaly aren't paying attention). A large percentage do not signal, and if they do they feel that means they can automatically merge into the next lane or just glancing at their mirror instead of looking(while running the person next to them into the next lane or off the road). A fair amount have no sence of depth perception nor do they pay attention to their surroundings.

I would love to see how many accidents occur below the speed limit and in traffic as apposed to people who are speeding. Granted, there are stupid people who push their car too far, but looking at the big picture; I would like to see some unbaised and thorough data providing an objective look at what causes accidents, and how this can honestly be prevented.

Whelan - 2/13/2008 3:27:11 PM

0 Boost

I'm still amazed that the government doesnt see anything in this. Cars have gotten better, more reliable, safer, and faster (able to handle higher speed). Yet we are stuck in the dark ages with a 55mph speed limit. Not sure what they are talking about with the abolishment of the 55 zone. I know Florida has 70 in some places and most areas have 65. But I also know that the gov't also has the right to deny funding for roads if certain limits are not followed. Hence Montana ended their no limit road.

I say raise it to 65-70 in places where it is 55, then raise it to 80 in places where it is 70. I typically will do 80 all the time on the highway, I get in the left lane and go.

Shredmo - 2/13/2008 3:48:08 PM

+1 Boost

Did you just admit that you are a left-lane bandit?

EnnNorak - 2/13/2008 8:07:10 PM

+1 Boost

Whelan, I was a passenger in a car when the state trooper pulled us over for speeding in Montana. It was on a divided highway (I-15) and there was nobody else on the road as far as we could see. Driving conditions were excellent. I suspect the evil insurance companies have been lobbying politicians in Montana.

Whelan - 2/14/2008 9:15:16 AM

+1 Boost

It's called keeping with traffic. And in CT on 95 or even the parkway unless you want to get run off the road you need to keep the speed. Typically police will let you get by with 10-15 over depending on where you are.

Not to mention that the tractor trailers on the highway are insane. Ever been in the left lane doing 70 and gotten passed by a 18 wheeler doing 80-85. Happens everyday on 95 so I take our parkway Route 15, no commercial vehicles, trucks, trailers allowed. Only passenger cars and motorcycles. Makes for a safer ride.

Not to mention the left lane in CT on 95 is probably the safest place to be, no merging to deal with, no tractor trailers allowed in your lane.

Shredmo - 2/13/2008 3:52:50 PM

+1 Boost

Under-rated HP or sleeper FTW! If you have a sleeper, likely it is reasonable to insure, whereas a flashy high hp car is more expensive. Makes sense, as the type of person that likes the flashy car also likes to show off in it.

EnnNorak - 2/13/2008 8:08:44 PM

+1 Boost

Shredmo, are you projecting yourself?

kpaxx - 2/13/2008 4:48:34 PM

+2 Boost

I am surprised they haven't altered our insurance rates according to race. I mean the discriminate according to sex....and now this?

EnnNorak - 2/13/2008 8:16:22 PM

+1 Boost

kpaxx, the only reason they have not done that yet is because that would not be politically correct and they might be sued for violating the civil rights of some minority groups including those of certain ethnic groups usually associated with learning disabilities when it comes to driving.

A powerful car that is properly maintained and has high-performance tires is the absolute safest way to go, even at 10 or 20 mph above the legal limit that is set for the average guy who probably can't remember the rules of the road anyway.

g2ok - 2/13/2008 6:19:54 PM

+2 Boost

This is becoming a police state run by private companies.

AMGZING_fanboy - 2/13/2008 6:38:29 PM

0 Boost

for some reason I agree with the insurance companies, and I am not being biased.

disclaimer:I am an insurance agent.

toolatetorace - 2/13/2008 10:01:24 PM

+2 Boost

I tbink this a ploy by the insurance companys to justify a rate increase . Next thing they will try is to raise rates if you are driving with 3/4 wore out tires if you live in the rust belt

jprieur - 2/14/2008 7:29:20 AM

+3 Boost

This is a joke. HP has very little correlation to likeliness to speed. Case in point, how many times do you pass a corvette or porsche going 55 on the interstate only to be passed by some 10 year old civic with a spoiler that would befit a Boeing 747. This just goes to show you how lame traveling on our highways has become, just one point of my many pet peeves:

1) Don't ticket me for speeding 15 mph over the speed limit when the roads are dry and there is NO nearby traffic: ticket the a holes who drive through a torrential downpour without the lights on (NO ONE CAN SEE THEM now thats dangerous).

kpaxx - 2/14/2008 9:01:38 AM

+2 Boost

I agree completely, I guess I will go out and buy an ATOM low HP but goes like stink...because it is so light!

KinGofNY - 2/14/2008 4:54:10 PM

+2 Boost

I agree... I think the speed limits should be raised on most highways... on average, most traffic exceeds the speed limit by about 15mph... its the person in the middle lane that keeps to the limit and not the flow of traffic that causes the issue. If speed limits were based on traffic patterns i think roads would be safer... so rush hour traffic, when there are many cars on the road, the limit would be 55... but during mid day when there are not many cars the limit gets raised to 65-70. This would increase traffic flow... less accidents and would probably reduce traffic jams.. as the speed limit is regulated by volume rather than by politicians...

mkk21 - 2/14/2008 3:17:18 PM

+1 Boost

This is stupid...yeah horsepower has increased, but so have safety measures.

vman1013 - 2/14/2008 11:28:25 PM

+1 Boost

I gave up on complaining about insurance rates years ago. Its a necessary evil that has to be dealt with like taxes!

XYZZ - 2/15/2008 9:29:29 AM

+1 Boost

i recall a few years back, insurance rates were ROLLED BACK.

the increased safety features meant there were LESS crashes and more important, less PERSONAL INJURY claims. the latter are the ones that REALLY cost the insurance companies big bucks.

a couple i know recently had their 2 yr old Prius totalled. they also suffered injuries, she more than he. (she was napping and had no time to react or brace herself.) (the injuries were NOT from contact with interior hard surfaces, thanks to the airbags, but from the shoulder straps.)

to my friend's surprise, the ins. co. was prompt and GENEROUS with a check for the property damage. our take was they were anxious (paranoid even?) that the PERSONAL INJURY parts of the claim would not get out of hand.

XYZZ - 2/16/2008 5:44:03 AM

+1 Boost

i don't know about others, but it seems i've been getting ever more offers to "save by switching" auto insurance companies. even from MY OWN company! lol!

if claims and payouts are down due to safer vehicles, the companies could well AFFORD to cut rates and get in bidding wars.

yet, they're also looking for excuses to RAISE rates? plain greed, it seems to me.