What cars cost the least to insure?

When lots of Americans buy their cars, they haggle and debate everything from interest rates to purchase price to gas mileage. But one thing most people take as a given is the cost of car insurance.

After all, it's legally required. You just have to take the price the insurance company gives you, right?

That's true to a certain extent, but you can help manage your insurance costs by choosing the right kind of car. Getting a great deal on a luxury car can still cost you in the long run. Insurance premiums for those kinds of cars can be higher than the average car. In some cases, you'll be paying double what you would on some of the nation's least expensive cars to insure.

In the spring of 2009, auto insurance premiums were dropping - down to $1,871 a year per car in May from the national average of $1,982 per car in October.

So how can you go way below the national average and come out ahead on your car insurance? The answer may be in purchasing or trading for one of these 10 cars.

10 Cheapest Cars to Insure

1. Hyundai Santa Fe - $832
2. Kia Sportage - $840
3. Hyundai Entourage - $848
4. Kia Sedona - $857
5. Kia Rio5 - $870
6. Honda Odyssey - $871
7. Smart fortwo - $881
8. Saturn Vue - $911
9. Mazda Tribute - $913
10. Chrysler Town & Country - $915

See the 10 most expensive cars to insure