When you purchase a luxury vehicle, particularly one with the long history and prestigious status of a Mercedes-Benz, you know you’re going to be paying for the privilege. Mercedes-Benz is rightly hailed as some of the most luxurious cars in the world — and that also means paying higher insurance premiums than you would for a more average car. But how much do Mercedes-Benz cars cost to insure?

Perhaps not surprisingly, the most expensive Mercedes-Benz to insure is the S-Class sedan, which represents a premium luxury driving experience. With a digital cockpit, fingerprint and voice recognition, driver assist technology, and even features such as customizable inside lighting, 3D surround sound in the vehicle, and a host of safety features, it’s no wonder the S-Class has a premium insurance rate as well. The average yearly premium for car insurance in the United States is $1,655 per year. Insuring a Mercedes-Benz S-class will cost you an average of $3,574 per year. All the Mercedes-Benz models will cost you a bit more than average to ensure, with the luxurious S-class at the top of the list.

But there’s a flip side to that coin. The Zebra compared insurance rates for the Mercedes-Benz line and reports the GLA and GLC classes of SUV are some of the most affordable — not that much higher than the average.

The Mercedes-Benz GLC class is a midsize SUV that also happens to be among the most affordable vehicles to purchase from the company. SUVs are very popular, and consumers looking for a luxury experience in their SUVs will likely find the Mercedes-Benz models very appealing. The GLC features the premium materials and high performance that often come standard with Mercedes-Benz vehicles, alongside high-tech features such as MBUX, a voice command system that will turn up the heat if you say “I’m chilly” or guide you via GPS to the nearest coffee shop if you say you need a coffee. It also shares many features with the S-Class, such as a 10-inch touchscreen, integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, remote start and locking, and safety sensors for blind spot assistance. The Mercedes-Benz GLC will only cost you a (relatively) inexpensive $1,915 yearly to insure.

Similar in car insurance premium pricing is the GLA compact SUV, which also offers many of the same features as the larger GLC, but is more affordable, has a better fuel economy rating, and has a smaller form factor that makes it easier for close quarters and driving in urban environments. The GLA doesn’t have quite as many premium features as the GLC, but that’s to be expected at over $6,000 less than the GLC to purchase. Not surprisingly, the GLA also has less storage space than the GLC: 56 cubic feet of storage space as compared to the GLA’s 43. One thing that’s almost identical, however, is the average car insurance premium: $1,915 a year.

Why Are Mercedes-Benz Vehicles so Expensive to Ensure?

So why are luxury cars that much more expensive to insure? Granted, someone in the market for top-end luxury vehicles like Mercedes-Benz might not be worried about their car insurance premiums to begin with — but that isn’t the main reason why premiums can be so steep. There are a few reasons why they cost more to insure, mostly to do with the financial risk the insurance company has to take when insuring a luxury vehicle.

• Luxury cars are built for performance and speed. The design of a high-performance car can, ironically, make it easier for drivers to get into an accident; because they offer such a smooth ride, drivers may not have a good sense of how fast they’re going. The car won’t be shaking or jolting, and there’s no engine strain noise to warn a driver when they’re going too fast.
• Premium materials. Luxury cars feature more high-quality parts as a matter of course, from the interior to the trim and pain, and especially the engine and mechanical parts, not to mention the high-end electronics like touch screens. These can be expensive and time-consuming to replace, especially if the availability of parts is limited.
• All that luxury appeal and those high-tech features can be a far more tempting target for thieves, meaning a potentially large bill for the insurance company if the car gets stolen.

How Can You Lower Your Mercedes-Benz Insurance?

So what can you do to keep those above-average insurance premiums low?

Of course, there’s always maintaining quality and accident-free driving record, which is universally beneficial for any driver. You may also be able to get a luxury car insurance discount for safety features.

You might also get some discounts for having good credit, paying your insurance up-front for the year, and joining a local Mercedes-Benz club and getting discounts that way. Ask your insurer what kind of discounts they offer, and shop around and compare quotes to find the best insurance policy you can — in terms of both affordability and coverage.