Tiburon Insurance Rates and Teens
As an example of how the type of car you drive affects insurance rates let’s look at the Hyundai Tiburon.
The Tiburon is a sporty car that has good performance and is not very expensive. It was popular with young drivers since 1997 when Hyundai began production.
But there was a hidden flaw.
The Tiburon topped the charts for the worst rate of theft for 4 years in a row through 2003 (IBC data). And Hyundai did not even build any in 2002.
Because there was no anti-theft device thieves soon learned it was easy to steal. The low likelihood and high cost of recovering stolen cars made Tiburon insurance more expensive.
In 2003, Hyundai added a theft deterrent: an electronically coded vehicle immobilizer. As thieves discovered it was now hard to steal they moved on to easier targets. Insurance rates dropped dramatically.
If you are considering buying a used Tiburon you would benefit from picking models no older than 2003. Then the vehicle will be at lower risk of loss and you can get lower auto insurance rates.
This is good news if you are a teen driver. You can still consider this popular, sporty car but know that it won’t be the most expensive to insure. Since Tiburons from 2003 on have an approved anti-theft device you can get a discount and cheaper car insurance.