The reality of car insurance in BC

I have been test-driving cars this week to assess which model is the best for our needs in Vancouver. I thought it would be prudent to check on the insurance costs before making a decision on the model. After all... BC is known for its high car insurance costs and I am a new driver to the province.

While I was prepared to pay a premium (for the premium) for a luxury car, I was stunned by the initial quote of more than $4300 per year for a Mercedes AMG C63. I have a letter from our insurance company in Tokyo but my record includes a claim from 2014 and thus I do not qualify for much of a "safe driver discount". I am starting over from square one.

Curious to know where the "sweet spot" lay for insurance in my case, I inquired about a couple of other cars further down the price range and discovered a Toyota Camry would be almost $3000 annually. In summary, I might as well buy what I want and pay a slight premium instead of buying what I don't want.

Enjoy your life.

Updated 22 October 2015. I ended up buying this car. Not this exact car but a 2016 model in black.