Are station wagon cheaper to insure than four door sedans?

Answer 1

Yes. Wagons are cheaper to insure than their sedan versions for a variety of reasons:

1) Wagons have a very low theft rate compared to all other cars (except minivans). This is an even bigger factor if you live in a high crime area.

2) While modern wagons are every bit as fast and sporty as sedans, they're still seen as a utilitarian, family vehicle. Therefore they are less likely to be driven in a dangerous manner and command lower premiums. Audi's first high performance street car, the RS2 Avant, was offered only as a wagon because the sedan would be prohibitively expensive to insure.

3) Compared to crossovers and especially SUVs, wagons are much safer to drive due to a lower center of gravity. This makes them less likely to rollover or cause serious damage to other cars in a crash.

4) Image. Despite the existance of high performance wagons like the Cadillac CTS-V and Mercedes E63 AMG, most people still think of Clark Griswold's "family truckster" when they hear station wagon. They're typically driven by families and responsible adults. While this seems silly, image has a lot to do with the way insurance companies price cars. This is the exact same logic that leads to 2 door coupes being significantly more expensive to insure than sedans.

In short, wagons offer the best combination of practicality, handling, fuel economy and insurance savings of just about any vehicle on the market. However they are a dying breed, as most people will sacrifice these for the added style and AWD capabilities of a crossover or SUV.

Source: I've owned about 30 cars over the years of all types and brands. My wife is also an insurance agent.