But substitute the trade-in, and the outcome is very different. Swapping a Toyota Tundra for a Prius would save $428 a year in insurance, not to mention all that money at the pump. The insurance savings would jump to $518 a year with an Accord.

Garrett Barnes of Sugar House is more at the break-even point.

The Sugar House resident is trading in a Civic and a truck for two Priuses. He has one Prius and is on Mark Miller's waiting list for the other. With the Civic trade-in, his insurance went up less than $2 a month.

"We were a couple months ago watching news and gas-price stories ... and thought, what is it going to take to change things around?" Barnes said. "For us, yes, it's gas prices, but it's also less emissions into the environment."

As for those whose insurance would go up, the long-term investment in fuel efficiency could outweigh the cost.

"They may spend more on auto insurance," Gorman said, "but (that) probably won't be anywhere near the money they're going to be saving with a more fuel-efficient car."

Also, some insurance companies — Travelers and Farmers, for example — offer hybrid discounts. Travelers also has a Web site, hybridtravelers.com, with information about state and federal tax credits.

You can look at other ways to bring your quote down, too, said Dave Snyder, American Insurance Association's vice president and assistant general counsel.

Many insurance companies give discounts for buying policies online. Some offer discounts for belonging to the AAA motor club and paying for the policy up front.

"Shop around for companies," Balber said. "Find the insurer that gives (you) the best rate for that kind of car."

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E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com