When purchasing a new car, drivers will likely consider the cost of the vehicle, its gas mileage, and safety features. Yet many will overlook how high their monthly insurance payments will be.
Car insurance rates vary based on a number of factors, such as the age, location, and driving record of the policy holder. Perhaps the most important factor is the type of vehicle being insured — and how much it costs car insurance companies to insure these vehicles. These costs directly affect car insurance premiums. The average vehicle from the 2017 to 2019 model years costs insurers $963 to insure annually. Yet certain vehicles from that time period cost insurers hundreds of dollars less per year.
To determine the 25 cars with the lowest insurance costs for insurance companies, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on insurance claim payments insurers made by make and model from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit research organization funded by auto insurers.
Typically, the less expensive a car is to buy, the less expensive it will be to insure because they have less expensive repairs and car parts. The majority of the 25 cheapest cars to insure have a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of less than $30,000 for the most recent model available.
SUVs are the best represented among the list of the least expensive vehicles to insure, accounting for 12 of the 25 cars on this list. There are also five station wagons and four pickups, as well as a pair of small four-door sedans and a pair of sports cars. SUVs drivers tend to file fewer claims, indicating they get into fewer accidents. This is part of the reason many SUVs rank among the most likely vehicles to make it to 200,000 miles. These are the longest lasting cars on the road.
Click here to see the least expensive cars to insure.
To determine the 25 cars with the lowest insurance costs, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on insurance claim payments insurers made by make and model from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit research organization funded by auto insurers. The costs include six types of insurance: collision, property damage, comprehensive, personal injury, medical payment, and bodily injury. The model that is least expensive to insure has the highest overall average cost to the insurer per year. These data are for 308 vehicles of 2017-2019 model years sold in the United States. Average annual insurance payments account for both the frequency of accidents as well as the average payment made by model. The IIHS breaks down the data for models to sometimes include certain safety-relevant features, such as all-wheel drive and driver assistance technology. To avoid repetition, each model nameplate is listed only once, and the less expensive version to insure is always listed. We also excluded those vehicles where a relative cost figure was not included by the IIHS for all six payout categories.
The current retail model price came from auto industry data resource Kelley Blue Book and represents the manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the most recent model year. Some of the models on this list have been discontinued, and in those cases, the most recently available resale value of a previous model year is listed.
25. GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $740
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $384
> Type: Large pickup
> Current model retail price: $29,700
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Source: Courtesy of Subaru
24. Subaru Legacy 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $736
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $334
> Type: Midsize 4-door
> Current model retail price: $22,995
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Source: automobiles.honda.com
23. Honda Pilot 4dr
> Annual average cost to insurer: $732
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $329
> Type: Midsize SUV
> Current model retail price: $32,250
Source: DarthArt / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
22. Honda Odyssey
> Annual average cost to insurer: $730
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $361
> Type: Very large minivans
> Current model retail price: $32,090
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Source: toyota.com
21. Toyota 4Runner 4dr 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $728
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $334
> Type: Midsize SUV
> Current model retail price: $36,590
Source: Domagoj / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
20. Mazda CX-5 4dr
> Annual average cost to insurer: $723
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $343
> Type: Small SUV
> Current model retail price: $25,270
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Source: G0d4ather / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
19. Toyota RAV4 4dr
> Annual average cost to insurer: $721
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $334
> Type: Small SUV
> Current model retail price: $26,050
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Source: Tramino / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
18. Subaru Impreza 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $714
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $343
> Type: Small station wagon
> Current model retail price: $18,795
Source: Truck Hardware / Flickr
17. Toyota Tacoma xtra cab 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $714
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $343
> Type: Small pickup
> Current model retail price: $26,150
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
16. Volvo XC60 4dr 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $712
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $361
> Type: Midsize luxury SUV
> Current model retail price: $41,700
Source: Tramino / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
15. Mazda MX-5 Miata convertible
> Annual average cost to insurer: $705
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $379
> Type: Mini sports car
> Current model retail price: $26,830
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14. Ford F-150 SuperCab 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $701
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $302
> Type: Large pickup
> Current model retail price: $28,940
Source: Courtesy of Honda
13. Honda CR-V 4dr
> Annual average cost to insurer: $690
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $302
> Type: Small SUV
> Current model retail price: $25,350
Source: Tramino / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
12. Volkswagen Golf Alltrack 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $686
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $338
> Type: Small station wagon
> Current model retail price: $24,115
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11. Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport 2dr
> Annual average cost to insurer: $684
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $425
> Type: Midsize sports car
> Current model retail price: $58,900
Source: Tramino / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
10. Volkswagen Tiguan 4dr 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $667
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $324
> Type: Midsize SUV
> Current model retail price: $25,245
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Source: DarthArt / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
9. Chevrolet Colorado ext. cab 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $656
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $311
> Type: Small pickups
> Current model retail price: $25,200
Source: shaunl / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
8. Chevrolet Bolt electric
> Annual average cost to insurer: $651
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $306
> Type: Small 4-door
> Current model retail price: $31,000
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
7. Ford F-250 SuperCab 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $650
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $247
> Type: Very large pickups
> Current model retail price: $34,700
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Source: Robert Hradil / Getty Images
6. Subaru Forester 4dr 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $641
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $283
> Type: Small SUV
> Current model retail price: $24,795
Source: Courtesy of Subaru
5. Subaru Outback 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $633
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $279
> Type: Midsize station wagon
> Current model retail price: $26,945
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Source: YuriyVlasenko / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
4. Acura RDX 4dr 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $630
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $320
> Type: Midsize luxury SUV
> Current model retail price: $38,200
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Source: Courtesy of Subaru
3. Subaru Crosstrek 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $613
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $274
> Type: Small station wagon
> Current model retail price: $22,245
Source: Drew Angerer / Getty Images
2. Subaru Ascent 4dr 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $605
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $306
> Type: Midsize SUV
> Current model retail price: $32,295
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Source: MousePotato / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
1. Jeep Wrangler 2dr 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $567
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $197
> Type: Midsize SUV
> Current model retail price: $28,295
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