Cheapest Cars to Insure in 2026

The Mazda CX-5 and Subaru Forester lead our rankings at $364 and $367 annually through Nationwide, but the more useful finding is what they have in common. Both carry top IIHS safety ratings, modest repair costs and low theft rates. Those three factors consistently yield the lowest insurance rates in our analysis, across all vehicle categories.

The Subaru Impreza is the standout value in the sedan category at $376 annually with GEICO, 63% below the average sedan rate of $1,019. That gap is larger than anything we found between compact SUV models, which tells you that model selection within a category matters as much as category selection itself.
The table below shows the cheapest insurance rates for each model in each car type category.

Rates based on MoneyGeek's analysis of 83,056 quotes from 46 providers across 473 ZIP codes. State minimum coverage shown, toggle to full coverage using the filter above for financed or leased vehicles.

As noted above, the Mazda CX-5 and Subaru Forester lead all SUV models at $364 and $367 annually. The more surprising finding in our data is what sits just below them. The Volvo XC40 and Audi Q5 both come in under $380 annually despite being luxury models, beating most standard SUVs in the table. Both have strong safety ratings and relatively affordable repair costs for their segment, which offsets the premium you might expect from a luxury badge.

At the other end, Jeep models tell a different story. The Jeep Wrangler comes in at $466 and the Jeep Cherokee at $480, the two most expensive SUVs in our dataset. Both models carry higher theft rates and repair costs than comparable SUVs, which shows directly in the premium. If you are deciding between a Wrangler and a similarly priced compact SUV, the insurance gap alone can exceed $1,200 annually.

The MINI Cooper leads all sedans at $374 annually with GEICO, and the Subaru Impreza follows at $376. Both sit below most compact SUVs in our dataset, making them the strongest value picks in the sedan category.

The pattern we see most often with sedan shoppers is that affordable sticker price does not predict affordable insurance. The Hyundai Elantra at $462 and the Nissan Altima at $448 are two of the most popular sedans in the country and two of the most expensive to insure in our dataset. Both consistently appear on the most stolen vehicles list, which pushes comprehensive premiums well above what buyers expect when they budget for a practical, affordable car. A driver who buys an Elantra expecting low ownership costs often gets a surprise at their first insurance quote.

On average, SUVs are cheaper to insure than sedans. That's partly because larger vehicles are generally safer. The Highway Loss Data Institute found that SUVs have lower bodily injury claim rates than smaller cars. If insurance savings matter, size could work in your favor.

The Hyundai Elantra appears near the bottom of the cheapest sedans table, but it ranked as one of the most stolen vehicles in the U.S. in 2024 per the NICB. Its rates have increased as theft claims climb. If theft protection is a priority, the Subaru Impreza or Toyota Corolla offer comparable premiums with significantly lower theft exposure.

Trucks surprise drivers in two directions in our data. The Honda Ridgeline has the cheapest insurance for all pickup trucks at $382 annually with Nationwide and is cheaper than most sedans and nearly every SUV in our dataset. The Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma follow at $397 and $408, both well below what most truck buyers budget for insurance.

The other direction is the American full-size trucks. The Chevy Silverado at $452 and Ram 2500 at $469 sit at the bottom of the table. Both consistently rank among the most stolen vehicles in the country, which pushes comprehensive premiums significantly higher than their midsize counterparts. A driver choosing between a Tacoma and a Silverado will pay roughly $500 more annually to insure the Silverado, a cost most buyers never factor into their purchase decision.

The Ford F-150 is worth a specific callout. As the bestselling vehicle in America, many buyers assume it is a safe insurance bet. At $414 annually it sits in the middle of the truck table, but rates vary more by trim level on the F-150 than any other truck we analyzed. Higher trims with advanced technology and expensive parts push repair costs well above the base model average shown here.

The sports car table has the most counterintuitive findings in our entire dataset for minimum liability coverage. The Audi R8, a supercar with a six-figure sticker price, comes in at $365 annually with GEICO,. The Chevrolet Corvette and Subaru BRZ follow at $373 and $375. All three beat the sports car category average by a wide margin.

Full coverage cost show a different story. The R8 jumps to $2,016 annually, the most expensive sports car in our dataset by a significant margin. Protecting a six-figure vehicle costs what you would expect. The Corvette holds up as the strongest value on full coverage at $1,221, the cheapest in the category and a meaningful finding for buyers financing one.

The reason comes down to who drives these vehicles. High-end sports cars tend to attract older, experienced drivers who garage their cars carefully and drive them infrequently. Insurers price that behavior into the premium. 

To get the cheapest sports car insurance, compare quotes from at least three providers using similar coverage levels. Insurers evaluate risk differently, so your cheapest option may not be the same as someone else's.

The EV table is the most compressed in our dataset. All five models fall within a $17 annual range, from the Tesla Model X at $415 to the Tesla Model S at $432. That tight clustering reflects how quickly EV insurance pricing has normalized. Two years ago, electric vehicles carried a meaningful premium over gas-powered vehicles. Our 2026 data shows that gap has largely closed, with EVs now averaging around $1,600 annually, nearly identical to gas-powered sedans.

For EV shoppers, model choice matters less than carrier choice. Run quotes from at least three insurers before assuming State Farm is cheapest for your specific profile and location.

Used cars offer a real insurance advantage over new vehicles, but only on full coverage. State minimum rates run nearly identical between new and used models since liability coverage reflects your risk as a driver, not your car's value. Full coverage is where the savings appear. A new Subaru Forester runs around $1,035 annually for full coverage. A 10-year-old Forester drops to $948, a meaningful difference that grows larger as the vehicle ages.

The MINI Cooper leads both tables, at $360 for minimum coverage and $888 for full coverage. The Honda CR-V and Subaru Outback round out the strongest full coverage values, both under $920 annually.

The more important question with a used car is whether full coverage still makes financial sense at all. Our analysis consistently shows that once your annual premium exceeds 10% of your car's actual cash value, full coverage stops paying for itself. A 10-year-old vehicle worth $8,000 paying $900 annually is right at that threshold. Below it, dropping to minimum coverage and self-funding repairs is usually the smarter financial move.

Compact SUVs and minivans are the cheapest to insure, with average annual premiums ranging from $1,400 to $1,600. Sedans and midsize SUVs sit in the midrange. Luxury vehicles can cost over $3,000 per year to insure.

Sports cars and luxury EVs tend to be the most expensive overall, but EV insurance rates are beginning to drop as they become more common. Use the table below to compare average insurance costs by car type.

Most car buyers compare sticker price, fuel economy and features before making a purchase decision. Insurance cost rarely enters the conversation until the first bill arrives. Our data shows that two similarly priced vehicles can differ by $1,200 or more annually in insurance cost, a gap that adds up to real money over a typical ownership period.

Every insurer maintains detailed loss histories for every make and model, tracking how often each vehicle is involved in claims and how expensive those claims run. The vehicles with the lowest insurance rates in our dataset consistently score well on the same three factors:

Choosing the right car can impact your car insurance costs. MoneyGeek answered common questions about finding the cheapest car to insure:

Finding the cheapest car to insure means understanding how insurance companies price different vehicles, and most car buyers don't realize how much their choice affects their monthly premiums. We designed this analysis to help you identify models that won't break your budget on insurance costs.