The Volvo XC90 is one of the best mid-size luxury crossovers in the market. The Volvo XC90 is one of Volvo’s most successful cars. It was also Volvo’s best selling car worldwide in 2005. It is a very popular car in the used car market.
A used Volvo XC90 is available for a median price between $9995 and $37995. In addition to the cost of the car, you will have to consider the cost of insuring the car when you are planning to buy it. The total cost of buying the car will include the price of the car and the cost of insuring it for a year. If we consider both these factors, New Hampshire is the best state to buy and insure a used Volvo XC90.
The Volvo XC90 is available in New Hampshire for the lowest median price in the country – $9995. Let us put this number into perspective by considering the price of this 4-door SUV in the adjacent states. In Massachusetts, the median price of the Volvo XC90 is $27,488. In Maine, it costs around $28,717.
New Hampshire is one of the rare states that do not require motorists to carry an insurance policy to drive in the state. But it is strongly recommended that you carry auto insurance all the same. The average annual insurance rate of the Volvo XC90 in New Hampshire is $947. Insuring the Volvo XC90 is only cheaper in Maine and Iowa. New Hampshire is a state where auto insurance is generally cheap.
New Hampshire is the 6th least expensive auto insurance state in the country. This could be attributed to the fact that it is one of the smallest states, and is not very populated. The average annual insurance rate in New Hampshire is $1112, which is higher than the insurance averages in only five other states: Maine, Idaho, Iowa, North Carolina, and Ohio. The average insurance of the Volvo XC90 is significantly lower than $1112, thus making New Hampshire a great state to buy this car.
New Hampshire is one of the rare states where carrying proof of auto insurance is not a mandatory prerequisite to driving in the state. However, if you have been involved in an accident, alcohol-related driving offense, reckless driving conviction, or any traffic violation, you may be required to purchase auto insurance before you can legally drive again within the limits of the state.
The average annual premium in New Hampshire is $1112, which makes New Hampshire the 6th least expensive state to buy auto insurance in the United States. In some zip codes within New Hampshire, average premium could be much more expensive than the state average. In Derry, the average annual premium is $1226, and in Manchester it is $1383. Manchester is the most expensive zip code in New Hampshire, though the average premium in Manchester is still lower than the national average premium, $1496.
If you are convicted for driving under the influence (DUI), however, this cheap auto insurance state becomes a very expensive auto insurance state. In Manchester, for example, the annual average premium would increase from $1383 to $2572 after a drunk driving conviction. This is only $127 less than the average annual premium in Louisiana, the most expensive auto insurance state in the country. In Portsmouth, the average annual premium is $1141, but after a drunk driving conviction it shoots up to $2122.
The table below lists the average premium rates in New Hampshire and the cost of auto insurance after a DUI conviction.
| City |
Zip code |
Average Annual Premium ($) |
Average Annual Premium after DUI conviction |
| Concord |
3301 |
1,045 |
1,944 |
| Keene |
3431 |
1,059 |
1,970 |
| Laconia |
3246 |
1,100 |
2,046 |
| Portsmouth |
3801 |
1,141 |
2,122 |
| Dover |
3820 |
1,148 |
2,135 |
| Merrimack |
3054 |
1,184 |
2,202 |
| Hampton |
3842 |
1,185 |
2,204 |
| Nashua |
3060 |
1,220 |
2,269 |
| Derry |
3038 |
1,226 |
2,280 |
| Manchester |
3101 |
1,383 |
2,572 |
Taking a defensive driving course could help you get discounts on your insurance premiums. In New Hampshire, a defensive driving course completion certificate could lower your premium to $1758. In Manchester it would lower your premium to $2186, and in Portsmouth to $1804. Moreover, it also helps make you a better driver in hazardous weather conditions.
A study released by the Consumer Federation of America in November 2013 found that New Hampshire is one of only 12 states where auto insurance expenditure increased by less than the national average. The study tracks insurance trends across the country in the 21-year period from 1989 to 2010. In 1989, the national average auto insurance expenditure stood at $551.95. By 2010 the figure had risen to $791.22, an increase of 43.3 percent. In the same period the average for New Hampshire went from $603.13 to $706.24, a rise of just 15.9% over 21 years.
California and Hawaii are the only other states to show a better performance than New Hampshire during this period. In fact, New Hampshire went from being ranked 12th to the 29th most expensive state in terms of insurance expenditure. In absolute dollar terms, in 1989 it was almost $60 more expensive to buy insurance in New Hampshire, on average, compared to the national average. As of 2010, it was almost $90 cheaper than the national average to buy auto insurance in New Hampshire.
The study found that states that had better insurance regulation showed better results in keeping insurance costs lower than states with lax regulation. For instance, having a Prior Approval (PA) system that requires insurers to file rates and have them approved by the state before being implemented in the market was found to be one of the most effective ways of keeping rates low. And this without adversely affecting profit margins for insurers, as per the study. Using such measures along with pioneering insurance regulation California was able to reduce its insurance expenditure by 0.3% over the 21-year period. California is the only state in the country to show a reduction in costs.
Currently, New Hampshire has a File and Use system in place which requires insurers to file rates before use without any requirement for approval of rates. By following California’s lead, New Hampshire could capitalize on its excellent performance and deliver even lower insurance costs to consumers.
