My understanding is Ford Panther platform vehicles (Crown Vic) are cheap to insure, reliable, cheap to repair, and safe in an accident.

I know that GM W-Body sedans without the supercharger, Impala, Grand Prix, Regal (through 2004 IIRC) are all reliable, relatively safe, cheap to fix, and easy to repair. Avoid anything with a 3.1 or 3.4 under the hood and go with the 3.8. If you baby the gas you can get 20/30 MPG for real.

I've ready articles that say SWB regular cab short bed pickup trucks are cheap to insure - however they aren't the safest thing.

You can do a web search and if you work with an independent insurance agent, they can help you also.

Low performance <> cheap to insure

Power <> expensive to insure

There are lots of things insurance companies consider. Cost of repair, chances of injury and severity in an accident, availability of parts, shops to do work (longer a car is down, longer they are paying alternatives).

Yes a Corvette isn't going to be cheap to insure

However there are some surprises out there to. A V6 Camry SE can roast a lot of other cars out there - won't be that expensive to insure. For that matter the 3.8L V6 GM W-bodies above have almost diesel engine like torque but again, enjoy cheap insurance.

A 4-banger 5-door Mazda 6 sedan you'd think would be cheap to ensure - nope - rated as a "sports car"

Pontiac G8 GT - surprise - rated as a family truckster (although collision rates keep going up - body work is insanely expensive on them)

Best bet - ask your agent.