Compare Rates and Save on Auto Insurance

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Several factors impact your insurance rate, but one of the major contributors to your overall insurance cost is your vehicle’s make and model. The age of your vehicle, the cost of repair after an accident and the likelihood that your vehicle will be stolen all affect the cost of your insurance. The good news is that you can use this information to your advantage: choosing to buy one of the best cars to insure can lower your premiums.

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CHEAPEST CARS TO INSURE IN 2022

Cars With the Cheapest Insurance Rates

The 2020 models of the Honda CR-V, Subaru Outback and Honda Fit top our list of the cheapest new cars to insure. The Honda CR-V and Subaru Outback were both named top safety picks by the International Institute of Highway Safety. The Honda Fit rated slightly lower than the other two vehicles, but all three have excellent safety ratings.

When it comes to affordability, Kelley Blue Book named the Honda Fit one of the most affordable overall vehicles of 2020 and the Honda CR-V one of the most affordable SUVs. While the Subaru Outback isn’t as affordable as the other two vehicles, it is still a vehicle you should consider when thinking about low-cost insurance.

The chart below includes the lowest insurance rate for each vehicle. USAA may have cheaper rates than those listed for some vehicle models, but their rates were not included because USAA insurance is not available to most drivers.

Cheapest Insurers for Your Model
2020 Model
Average Annual Premium
Cheapest Provider

1.

Honda CR-V

$1,172

GEICO

2.

Subaru Outback

$1,207

GEICO

3.

Honda Fit

$1,210

GEICO

4.

Ford Escape

$1,220

GEICO

5.

Jeep Wrangler

$1,225

GEICO

6.

Toyota RAV4

$1,266

GEICO

7.

Toyota Tacoma

$1,266

GEICO

8.

Chevy Equinox

$1,267

GEICO

9.

Ford F-150

$1,269

Progressive

10.

Jeep Cherokee

$1,282

GEICO

11.

Subaru Impreza

$1,283

GEICO

12.

Chevy Silverado

$1,323

GEICO

13.

Ford Explorer

$1,336

GEICO

14.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

$1,337

GEICO

15.

Acura MDX

$1,345

Progressive

16.

Chevrolet Cruze

$1,355

GEICO

17.

Jeep Gladiator

$1,355

Progressive

18.

Honda Accord

$1,356

GEICO

19.

Mazda3

$1,356

GEICO

20.

Toyota Corolla

$1,376

GEICO

21.

Hyundai Elantra

$1,388

GEICO

22.

VW Jetta

$1,392

GEICO

23.

Chevy Malibu

$1,397

GEICO

24.

Ford Focus

$1,400

GEICO

25.

Chevy Tahoe

$1,402

GEICO

26.

Nissan LEAF

$1,406

GEICO

27.

Ford Taurus

$1,410

Nationwide

28.

VW Beetle

$1,411

Progressive

29.

Nissan Sentra

$1,412

GEICO

30.

Honda Civic

$1,414

GEICO

31.

Toyota Camry

$1,414

GEICO

32.

Nissan Altima

$1,469

GEICO

33.

Ram Rebel

$1,472

GEICO

34.

Chevy Bolt

$1,534

GEICO

35.

Subaru WRX

$1,573

GEICO

36.

Chevrolet Camaro

$1,595

GEICO

37.

Subaru BRZ

$1,595

GEICO

38.

Audi Q5

$1,597

Progressive

39.

Dodge Charger

$1,605

GEICO

40.

Ram 2500

$1,609

GEICO

41.

BMW 3 Series

$1,666

Progressive

42.

Dodge Challenger

$1,697

GEICO

43.

Nissan Maxima

$1,733

GEICO

44.

Nissan 370Z

$1,748

Nationwide

45.

Chevrolet Corvette

$1,757

Nationwide

46.

Tesla Model 3

$1,767

Nationwide

47.

Audi A4

$1,773

GEICO

48.

Ford Mustang

$1,797

GEICO

49.

Mercedes C-Class

$1,889

Progressive

50.

Tesla Model S

$2,665

Nationwide

51.

Tesla Model Y

$2,878

Progressive

52.

Tesla Model X

$2,878

Progressive

53.

BMW i8

$2,909

Progressive

54.

Audi R8

$2,963

Progressive

55.

Nissan GT-R

$3,096

Nationwide

Insurance prices are determined based on multiple factors, not just the make and model of the car you drive. It is important to get a quote based on your specific situation to find the cheapest car insurance companies for you.

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LOOKING FOR A SPECIFIC TYPE OF CAR?

MoneyGeek analyzed rates for new and used cars and vehicles of different types including sports cars, trucks and luxury vehicles.

Cheapest Used Cars to Insure

It is common knowledge that new cars begin to lose value as soon as you drive them off the lot, so many drivers choose to purchase used cars instead. MoneyGeek reviewed the cheapest used cars to insure for 2016 model vehicles, and when it comes to used cars, you will get the biggest savings with the Honda CR-V, Subaru Outback, Honda Fit, Ford Escape and Jeep Wrangler.

Almost every used vehicle is cheaper to insure than a new model, but often the difference in premium is small, sometimes saving you as little as $50 or $60 per year. This is partially because the liability portion of your insurance costs doesn’t change as your vehicle ages.

Average Cost to Insure a Used Car
Model
Model Year
Premium
Cost Change vs. 2020 Model

1.

Honda CR-V

2016

$1,116

-$56

2.

Subaru Outback

2016

$1,127

-$80

3.

Honda Fit

2016

$1,148

-$61

4.

Ford Escape

2016

$1,153

-$67

5.

Jeep Wrangler

2016

$1,157

-$69

6.

Jeep Patriot

2016

$1,159

No 2020 Data

7.

Chevy Equinox

2016

$1,172

-$95

8.

Jeep Cherokee

2016

$1,190

-$92

9.

Toyota Tacoma

2016

$1,208

-$58

10.

Toyota RAV4

2016

$1,214

-$51

11.

Ford F-150

2016

$1,227

-$42

12.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

2016

$1,232

-$106

13.

Chevrolet Cruze

2016

$1,244

-$111

14.

Ford Explorer

2016

$1,248

-$88

15.

Honda Accord

2016

$1,261

-$94

16.

Chevy Silverado

2016

$1,267

-$57

17.

Subaru Impreza

2016

$1,269

-$13

18.

Chevy Malibu

2016

$1,287

-$109

19.

Hyundai Elantra

2016

$1,292

-$96

20.

Ford Focus

2016

$1,301

-$99

21.

Mazda3

2016

$1,302

-$54

22.

Ford Taurus

2016

$1,302

-$108

23.

Nissan Sentra

2016

$1,304

-$109

24.

VW Beetle

2016

$1,304

-$107

25.

Toyota Camry

2016

$1,306

-$107

26.

Toyota Corolla

2016

$1,312

-$64

27.

VW Jetta

2016

$1,314

-$78

28.

Honda Civic

2016

$1,329

-$85

29.

Nissan Altima

2016

$1,347

-$123

30.

Acura MDX

2016

$1,352

$6

31.

Nissan LEAF

2016

$1,357

-$48

32.

Chevy Tahoe

2016

$1,358

-$44

33.

Ram Rebel

2016

$1,421

-$51

34.

Audi Q5

2016

$1,450

-$147

35.

Dodge Charger

2016

$1,459

-$146

36.

Ram 2500

2016

$1,470

-$139

37.

Subaru BRZ

2016

$1,474

-$121

38.

BMW 3 Series

2016

$1,475

-$191

39.

Chevrolet Camaro

2018

$1,481

-$113

40.

Subaru WRX

2016

$1,487

-$86

41.

Nissan Maxima

2016

$1,510

-$223

42.

Dodge Challenger

2016

$1,513

-$185

43.

Chevy Bolt

2017

$1,517

-$17

44.

Mercedes C-Class

2016

$1,558

-$331

45.

Audi A4

2016

$1,565

-$208

46.

Tesla Model S

2016

$1,584

-$1,081

47.

Ford Mustang

2016

$1,600

-$197

48.

Tesla Model 3

2017

$1,618

-$149

49.

Nissan 370Z

2016

$1,654

-$94

50.

Chevrolet Corvette

2016

$1,693

-$64

51.

Tesla Model X

2016

$2,155

-$724

52.

Nissan GT-R

2016

$2,656

-$440

53.

BMW i8

2016

$2,903

-$6

54.

Audi R8

2017

$3,072

$109

If Your Car Is Over 10 Years Old, You May Want Liability-Only

Full coverage insurance, which means carrying comprehensive and collision coverage in addition to liability insurance, is typically required by lenders for people purchasing new vehicles. Drivers with used cars, especially those that are more than 10 years old, may want to consider keeping their insurance costs low by carrying liability-only insurance.

Comprehensive and collision coverage is designed to pay for damages to your vehicle, but as the value of your vehicle drops over the years, the payment for those services will get lower and lower. For example, someone driving a 2010 Toyota Corolla may find that their vehicle is worth less than $2,000, meaning even a minor accident could cause enough damage for your car to be considered totaled. If the value of your vehicle is low enough, you might not want to pay higher rates for comprehensive and collision coverage each year. Finding the cheapest liability-only coverage can be a good option for drivers with older vehicles. Still, it is important to realize that you will be responsible for the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle in the event of an at-fault accident, so plan ahead and make sure you can afford those costs out of pocket.

For example, our sample driver who carries liability levels of 100/300/100 and full comprehensive and collision coverage would pay $1,379 for their insurance each year. If that same driver carried liability levels of 500/100/50 and had an older vehicle that did not require full coverage, they would only pay $864 each year, saving them $515 on their annual insurance premium.

Average Annual Cost by Coverage Level

car2 icon
100/300/100 Comprehensive and Collision:
$1,379
carInsurance icon
50/100/50 Liability Only:
$864
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Cheapest SUVs to Insure

Typically, a lower purchase price for an SUV equates to a lower insurance premium, which is part of the reason why the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape and Toyota RAV-4 top our list of the cheapest SUVs to insure. The cost of repairing or replacing a cheaper vehicle is lower than its pricier counterparts, which means you will probably pay less to insure a less expensive SUV.

Average Annual Premium for SUV Models
2020 SUV Model
Annual Premium

1.

Honda CR-V

$1,172

2.

Ford Escape

$1,220

3.

Toyota RAV4

$1,266

4.

Chevy Equinox

$1,267

5.

Jeep Wrangler

$1,225

6.

Jeep Cherokee

$1,282

7.

Ford Explorer

$1,336

8.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

$1,337

9.

Chevy Tahoe

$1,402

10.

Acura MDX

$1,345

11.

Audi Q5

$1,597

Cheapest Sports Cars to Insure

Sports cars are designed for speed, which can mean higher liability rates. Sports cars are also more expensive to repair or replace in an accident, which can mean higher comprehensive and collision rates. Even though these factors translate to higher insurance rates for your sports car, we have put together a list of the cheapest sports cars to insure, including the Subaru WRX, Chevrolet Camaro and Subaru BRZ.

Average Annual Premium for Sports Car Models
2020 Model
Annual Premium

1.

Subaru WRX

$1,573

2.

Chevrolet Camaro

$1,595

3.

Subaru BRZ

$1,595

4.

Dodge Charger

$1,605

5.

Dodge Challenger

$1,697

6.

Nissan 370Z

$1,748

7.

Chevrolet Corvette

$1,757

8.

Ford Mustang

$1,797

9.

BMW i8

$2,909

10.

Audi R8

$2,963

11.

Nissan GT-R

$3,096

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How Your Car Choice Impacts Insurance Costs

Your age, what state you live in, the number of accidents in your neighborhood, and many other factors beyond your control help determine your insurance rates. But one factor that you control completely is the type of car you choose to drive. Choosing to drive a sports car or a luxury vehicle will generally increase your insurance rates, often by several hundred dollars each year.

Drivers looking to keep their insurance costs low should consider a less flashy vehicle to avoid paying extra on their car insurance each month. A Lexus or a Corvette might be fun to drive, but a Subaru Outback or a Honda Fit could be just as likely to meet your needs and save you a significant amount of money on your insurance premiums.

Choosing a used model can help you reduce your premiums even further, possibly eliminating the need for comprehensive and collision coverage altogether if you choose a vehicle that you can afford to replace out of pocket. This means that drivers who want a brand-new car might be better off purchasing one of the cars from our list of most affordable vehicles to insure. And drivers who want a flashy sports car or luxury vehicle might be able to bring their insurance to an affordable level by purchasing a used model.

Average Annual Premiums by Car Type
Model Bucket
2020 Premium

1.

Compact SUV

$1,231

2.

SUV

$1,317

3.

Compact

$1,367

4.

Pickup Truck

$1,382

5.

Sedan

$1,409

6.

Electric

$1,470

7.

Luxury SUV

$1,471

8.

Sports Car

$1,671

9.

Luxury Sedan

$1,774

10.

Luxury Electric

$2,807

11.

Luxury Sports Car

$2,989

The make and model of your vehicle can impact your insurance premium for a variety of reasons, some of which might be surprising.

  • Stolen Cars: The likelihood that your insurance company will have to replace a stolen vehicle is one of the things that impacts the rate of your comprehensive coverage. The most stolen vehicles of 2019 were the Ford Pickup, Honda Civic and Chevrolet Pickup, which means those cars will have higher insurance rates to compensate for the increased possibility of theft.
  • Electric Cars: Cars with newer technology that require specialized repairs will see an increase in insurance premiums because of it, which means choosing an electric vehicle can boost your insurance costs. However, some insurance companies offer discounts for drivers with electric vehicles, so do your research when choosing which car to purchase.
  • Sports Cars: Cars that cost more to repair will cost more to insure, which means people purchasing sports cars should prepare for a higher insurance premium.
  • Luxury Cars: Much like sports cars, the increased cost of repairing or replacing a luxury vehicle causes higher car insurance premiums.

What Factors Impact Cost More Than Car Model

Although car choice impacts the cost of your insurance, many other factors also play a part in determining your insurance rates. Everything from your ZIP code to your gender can potentially be used to help determine your insurance rates. Some, though not all, of these factors are things you can control, which means it is possible to use them to help reduce your car insurance costs over time.

  • Age: Your age plays a huge part in determining your insurance rates, which is why insurance costs are so high for teens and young drivers. The lack of experience behind the wheel coupled with a higher likelihood of reckless, impulsive behavior means insurance companies are more likely to pay out claims for younger motorists. Seniors and older drivers, on the other hand, typically find their rates go down over time.
  • Gender: Depending on which state you live in, your gender can be used to help determine your insurance premiums. This is more pronounced with younger drivers, but drivers of any age can see premium differences based on gender. There are multiple states, including California, Montana, Michigan, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, that no longer allow auto insurance companies to consider your gender when determining your insurance rate.
  • Driving Record: The biggest factor in determining your insurance rate is your driving record. Brand-new drivers have no record at all, so they typically see the highest rates. Drivers with multiple accidents, tickets, DUIs and other offenses are also likely to receive some of the highest rates available. Avoiding tickets, accidents and other issues can go a long way towards keeping your insurance premiums low.
  • Location: Each state has its own rules and regulations when it comes to insurance, which means rates can vary wildly from state to state. Even within a single state, moving from one ZIP code to another can change your premiums significantly due to rates of accidents, vehicle thefts and other potential claims issues in each area.
  • Coverage Level: Your coverage level is one of the biggest factors in determining your insurance rates. Drivers with older cars may choose to carry liability-only insurance. But people with newer cars or those who cannot afford to replace their vehicle on their own will want to carry full coverage, which includes comprehensive and collision in addition to liability. Financial companies typically require drivers to carry full coverage when taking out a loan for a vehicle.
  • Deductible: Your car insurance deductible is the portion you agree to pay out of pocket in the event of a claim. A higher deductible can help keep your insurance premiums low because it reduces the amount your insurance company will pay in the event of an accident.
  • Credit Score: Your credit score can directly impact your insurance premiums in many states. The concept is that people with lower credit scores are more likely to file a claim, while people with higher credit scores are less likely to need to file a claim and more likely to pay the costs out of pocket to avoid an increase in their premiums when they do have an accident. You can get good car insurance, even with bad credit, but it is important to get multiple quotes. That way, you can make sure you’re getting the best possible rate.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Cars With the Lowest Rates

Methodology

MoneyGeek partnered with Quadrant Data Services to gather car insurance quotes from the top seven auto insurance providers for 57 car models and eight model years to determine which cars are cheapest to insure. Our analysis assumed drivers choose a full-coverage 100/300/100 as this is our recommendation for most drivers with a new car. See our detailed methodology page for more information.

About Rachael Brennan


 Rachael Brennan headshot

Rachael Brennan is a licensed insurance agent who has worked in the insurance industry for over a decade. She specializes in property, casualty, health, life, accidental death and disability insurance. She is P&C-licensed in all 50 states, and life, health and AD&D-licensed in New York and the surrounding states. Rachael has worked for respected companies such as 21st Century Insurance and BlueCross BlueShield, and was the insurance plans coordinator for the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) for three years.

Rachael earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Texas A&M University-Commerce. As a writer, she is committed to using her insurance and personal finance experience to share practical knowledge and help people make informed financial decisions.


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