Every accident, alcohol-related offense, speeding ticket on your driving record could result in higher premiums the next time you renew your auto insurance policy. Insurance companies like to play Santa, punishing the bad drivers with higher premiums and rewarding the good ones with the same rates. Insurance companies march to their own drummers, and some might not even forgive you a single accident. Even if you have had a clean driving record for years, one accident could set you back by around $400, with your premium being raised to $2237. Two accidents on your record in West Virginia could increase your premium to $3337.

If you decide to switch insurance companies in Martinsburg (which is the least expensive auto insurance zip code in West Virginia, with an average annual insurance rate of $1479) and if you have been in an accident in the past three years, your premium might increase up to $1849 to $2219.

If you have been at fault in an accident that resulted in serious medical injuries or extensive property damage, your insurance rates can go up between 50% and 100% of your original rates.

If the accident was not your fault, you could talk to your insurance carrier about keeping your rates the same. Also, some insurance companies forgive minor accidents taking into consideration your overall driving record. You could also take a defensive driving course to reduce your premium.

The average annual insurance rate in Charleston, the capital of West Virginia, is $1,667. This may be lower than West Virginia’s average, though it is still higher than most of the other states. When you live in such a state, where insurance costs form a major chunk of your expenses, which used car can you buy to reduce your financial angst?

Let’s look at the insurance rates and median prices of some of the most popular cars in Charleston.

If the Honda Accord is the car of your choice, you would get a better deal in Charleston than the rest of West Virginia. The median price of the Accord is $12,995 in Charleston, but is much higher ($18,500) in West Virginia. You might also consider buying it from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where the median price of the Accord is as low as $7,995. Adding shipping costs of $600-1,000, and a further $500 on auto transport insurance, and you still end up saving a huge chunk on your upfront costs.

The cost of insuring the Ford F-150 is relatively lower in Charleston, when compared to the cost of insuring the other cars. But the median price of this full-size pickup is extremely high, making it difficult to afford. The Chevrolet Silverado, on the other hand, is another full-size pickup with a median price of $26,995, and an insurance average of $1 more than the Ford F-Series. In Charleston, you might be better off preferring the Silverado over the Ford F-150.