The Rocky Mountains are definitely the most striking difference between Calgary and Toronto, closely followed by the settings of each city. In a largely rural province covered in small towns and farmland, Calgary is an urban oasis that is growing at an amazing rate. Approximately 3,400 kilometres away is Toronto, Canada’s largest city, that is surrounded by development and towering buildings with only tiny pockets of agriculture and green space. However, when it comes to car insurance, drivers in these two cities are much more alike than their opposing landscapes would lead you to believe. Let’s take a look at how similar these cities really are.

Provincial Car Insurance Systems
In Ontario and Alberta, auto insurance is sold by private property and casualty insurance providers but regulated by the government. You cannot legally drive in either province without the necessary minimum amount of insurance that is required by law.

But, the amount of coverage in Alberta and Ontario does differ. The minimum auto insurance in Ontario is: $200,000 third liability, which includes accident benefits of up to $3,500 for minor injury and medical costs; up to $65,000 for non-minor but non-catastrophic injury; and up to $1 million for catastrophic injury. Ontario’s third liability policy also includes funeral expenses up to $6,000, and death benefits $25,000 to the spouse, and $10,000 to each dependent.

The minimum auto Insurance in Alberta is: $200,000 third liability coverage, which includes $200,000 third party liability coverage, which includes up to $50,000 for each person. Alberta’s third liability coverage also includes funeral expenses up to $5,000 and death benefit with a $10,000 base, plus additional amounts for surviving dependents.

Average car insurance quotes in Calgary

The average 23-year old male in Calgary pays an insurance rate of $3,500, which is just a little over the lowest rate available – $3,324. In our example, we are thinking of a 23-year old male that drives a 2010 Honda Civic and has a contract with Peace Hills. The average 25-year old female in Calgary has a policy with SGI Canada and pays an insurance rate of $2,700, with the lowest rate available being $2,418. This female drives a 2013 Toyota Prius.

The average 52-year old male, who possesses an auto insurance in Calgary, pays the rate of $2,565, and the lowest rate available is $1,921. The 52-year old male drives a newer model car, most likely a 2016 BMW 550, and chooses SGI Canada for insurance. The average 49-year old female in Calgary is insured by Travelers and pays an insurance rate of $1,709, with the lowest rate available being $1,260. This female drives a 2014 Toyota Rav4.

Top 10 cheapest and top 10 bestselling automobiles

According to InsuranceHotline.com the Honda Civic has been Canada’s best-selling car for 20 consecutive years, with more than 2 million Civics being sold in Canada since it first launched in 1973. If you don’t have a Honda Civic insured on your auto insurance policy right now, you probably know someone who does. It is a definite fixture in driveways across the country.

With these numbers, the Honda Civic beats out its closest competitor, the Toyota Corolla, with ease. Last year, more than 69,000 Honda Civics were sold, which outsold the Toyota Corolla by almost 18,700 cars.
“We are thankful for and deeply humbled by the loyalty and trust that our customers have placed in Honda and the Civic in the past 20 years,” said Jean Marc Leclerc of Honda Canada Inc. in a press release.

Alongside the Honda Civic, the following cars also made the list as one of Canada’s 10 bestsellers: The Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda 3, Chevrolet Cruze, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Jetta, Kia Forte, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Sentra.

How do the bestselling cars rank in their auto insurance costs?
InsuranceHotline.com compared car insurance quotes for Canada’s top-selling cars in six Ontario cities—Ajax, Cambridge, London, Ottawa, Peterborough, and Toronto—and then ranked the trends they noted. The results are in, and the car that regularly came out on top as the cheapest to insure was the Volkswagen Golf, followed by the Chevrolet Cruze. The eight runners up were: Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Jetta, Mazda 3, Hyundai Elantra, Honda Civic, Kia Forte, Nissan Sentra, and Toyota Corolla.

The difference between insurance for a Volkswagen Golf, which is in the first position, to the Toyota Corolla, in the 10th position, is around $297. Would saving $297 a year in car insurance premiums sway which new car you bought?

If you need an advice on the auto insurance in Calgary or Toronto, feel free to contact brokers from InsurEye, a platform for consumer reviews, price comparison tools, and insights into insurance market in Canada.

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