That hot new car you've been eyeing will cost you some cold hard cash to insure. If the thought of cruising in a rugged 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport sends thrills down your spine, get ready for some eye-popping statistics. This car ranks as the most expensive vehicle to insure, according to the top auto insurers in the country.

And before you dream of letting your hair blow in the wind while driving a 2002 Chevy Corvette convertible, make sure you shop around for insurance rates. It is the second most expensive car to insure.

The 10 most expensive 2002 vehicles to insure are:

1. Mitsubishi Montero Sport
    
2. Chevrolet Corvette Convertible
    
3. Lexus GS 430
    
4. Cadillac Escalade
    
5. BMW 7 Series
    
6. Honda Civic Coupe
    
7. Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
    
8. Mitsubishi Mirage Coupe
    
9. Toyota 4Runner
    
10. BMW 5 Series

While cars like Porsches, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis are also incredibly expensive to insure, they don't factor into this compilation because they are limited-production cars and therefore don't generate enough claims data to make the list.

The 10 least expensive 2002 cars to insure
If saving money on car insurance is important to you, think about driving a more conservative car.

This advice might deflate your dreams of that little red sports car, but the 2002 Buick LeSabre tops the list of least expensive 2002 cars to insure according to the top three auto insurers in the country (State Farm, Allstate, and Farmers). The LeSabre is No. 1 based on its lowest claim record for injury, theft, and collision.

These 2002 cars can save you money on your auto insurance policy:

1. Buick LeSabre
    
2. Oldsmobile Silhouette
    
3. Honda Odyssey
    
4. Buick Park Avenue
    
5. Pontiac Montana
    
6. Mercury Grand Marquis
    
7. Buick Century
    
8. Chevrolet Venture
    
9. GMC Safari
    
10. Oldsmobile Bravada

While none of these cars may make your heart race, they do a better job of protecting you in an accident, and they aren't likely to get stolen from the parking lot. In fact, they have the lowest reported claims rates of injury, theft, and collision among 2002 cars on the market, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).

Mike Trevino, a spokesman for Allstate Insurance Co., says the list of cars that are least expensive to insure reflects what the insurance industry has known for several years. "Information collected by the HLDI doesn't take into account things like small dents that aren't caused by accidents that people still make claims on," he says. "But for the accident claims, we've seen that bigger cars that provide better protection to passengers cost more for liability (because they do more damage to other vehicles), and less for medical because they protect passengers better. The reverse is true for smaller cars."

The cars on the least expensive to insure list are ones that are, for the most part, large enough to protect but not so large as to do extensive damage to other vehicles.

If you have a history of motor vehicle violations or auto insurance claims, buying one of these cars may not do much to reduce your insurance costs. But if you're a good driver with a clean history with insurers and your state Department of Motor Vehicles -- and you need to watch your pennies -- these cars are a good starting point for shopping.