Top 20 Cheapest Cars to Insure in 2026 (And Why They Cost Less)

Picking the right car can save you hundreds—sometimes over a thousand dollars a year—on insurance. And yet, most people don't even think about insurance costs until after they've signed on the dotted line at the dealership. Big mistake.

Your vehicle's make and model is one of the biggest factors insurers use to calculate your premium, right alongside your driving record and where you live. So if you're shopping for a new ride, or just curious whether your current car is costing you more than it should, you're in the right place.

We've pulled together the latest data on the cheapest cars to insure across every category—SUVs, sedans, trucks, and even the best picks for teen drivers. Let's dig in.

Top 20 Cheapest Cars to Insure in 2026

Here's the deal—insurance companies look at a combination of factors when setting rates for a specific vehicle: how often it's involved in accidents, how much it costs to repair, how likely it is to be stolen, and even what kind of driver typically buys it. The cars that score well across all these categories end up costing less to insure.

Based on the latest 2026 data for a 40-year-old driver with good credit, a clean record, and full coverage, here are the 20 cheapest cars to insure:

Rank	Vehicle	Annual Premium	Type
1	Mazda CX-5 Best Value	$1,947	Compact SUV
2	Honda CR-V	$1,951	Compact SUV
3	Hyundai Kona	$1,960	Subcompact SUV
4	Subaru Outback	$1,964	Wagon/SUV
5	Chrysler Voyager	$1,968	Minivan
6	Subaru Crosstrek	$1,968	Compact SUV
7	Hyundai Tucson	$1,975	Compact SUV
8	Mazda CX-30	$1,980	Subcompact SUV
9	Jeep Wrangler	$1,984	SUV
10	Kia Niro	$1,984	Compact SUV
11	Honda HR-V	$1,990	Subcompact SUV
12	Volkswagen Tiguan	$1,995	Compact SUV
13	Subaru Forester	$2,003	Compact SUV
14	Hyundai Venue	$2,009	Subcompact SUV
15	Ford Escape	$2,035	Compact SUV
16	Toyota RAV4	$2,048	Compact SUV
17	Kia Sportage	$2,065	Compact SUV
18	Ford Maverick	$2,124	Compact Truck
19	Subaru Impreza	$2,120	Sedan
20	Subaru Legacy	$2,148	Sedan

Notice a pattern? Compact SUVs absolutely dominate this list. There's a good reason for that—they're practical family vehicles with excellent safety ratings, reasonable repair costs, and they don't attract the kind of aggressive driving that sports cars do.

Cheapest Car Brands to Insure Overall

If you haven't settled on a specific model yet, knowing which brands tend to be cheaper across their entire lineup can help narrow your search. Here's how the most affordable brands stack up:

Rank	Brand	Avg. Annual Cost	Best For
1	Chrysler Cheapest	$2,000	Families needing affordable minivans
2	Mazda	$2,071	Drivers who want fun + affordable coverage
3	MINI	$2,150	City drivers wanting compact cars
4	Honda	$2,231	Reliable everyday commuters
5	Buick	$2,233	Older drivers wanting comfort + low rates

Here's what most people don't realize—the cheapest cars to insure aren't always the ones with the lowest sticker price. A $22,000 Mazda CX-5 can actually cost less to insure than a $19,000 sedan because the SUV has better crash test results and its typical driver demographic has fewer claims.

Cheapest SUVs to Insure

SUVs are the most popular vehicle category in America right now, and luckily, they're also some of the cheapest to insure. Compact SUVs in particular hit a sweet spot—they're big enough to be safe in collisions but small enough to keep repair costs down.

• Mazda CX-5 – $1,947/year. Top Safety Pick+ from IIHS, great reliability scores, and affordable parts make this the reigning champ.
• Honda CR-V – $1,951/year. One of the best-selling SUVs in America, and parts are everywhere, which keeps repair costs low.
• Hyundai Kona – $1,960/year. A subcompact SUV with surprisingly strong safety tech at a budget-friendly price point.
• Subaru Crosstrek – $1,968/year. Standard AWD and outstanding safety ratings make it a favorite in the Northeast and Pacific Northwest.
• Toyota RAV4 – $2,048/year. Slightly pricier to insure but Toyota's legendary reliability keeps long-term costs down.

Cheapest Sedans to Insure

Sedans might be losing the popularity contest to SUVs, but they're still solid choices for budget-minded drivers. That said, sedans actually tend to cost slightly more to insure than compact SUVs on average. The reason? They're more vulnerable in collisions with larger vehicles, which means higher injury claim payouts.

Still, the right sedan can keep your insurance bill reasonable:

• Subaru Impreza – $2,120/year. Standard AWD and excellent safety scores make it the cheapest sedan to insure.
• Subaru Legacy – $2,148/year. A midsize sedan with top-tier safety features and all-wheel drive as standard.
• Honda Civic – Affordable parts and strong safety ratings keep this perennial favorite's premiums reasonable.
• Toyota Camry – America's best-selling sedan benefits from widespread parts availability and a conservative driver profile.
• Kia Forte – Budget-friendly purchase price translates to lower comprehensive and collision coverage costs.

Cheapest Trucks to Insure

Trucks are a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to insurance. Full-size pickups can be pricey to cover because of their high repair costs and powerful engines, but compact trucks? They're surprisingly affordable.

• Ford Maverick – Around $2,124/year. This compact hybrid truck is a game-changer for budget-conscious truck buyers.
• Nissan Frontier – Solid midsize option with affordable full coverage rates, especially with State Farm.
• Honda Ridgeline – One of the most affordable trucks for minimum coverage at around $382/year.
• Toyota Tacoma – Strong resale value and reliability keep claims costs—and premiums—in check.
• Chevrolet Colorado – Midsize truck with competitive insurance rates across most carriers.

If you absolutely need a full-size truck, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 tend to have the most competitive insurance rates in that segment. A GMC Sierra 1500 averages about $145/month for full coverage—that's actually lower than many crossovers.

Cheapest Cars to Insure for Teen Drivers

Let's be honest—insuring a teenager is expensive no matter what they drive. But the vehicle choice makes a massive difference. We're talking thousands of dollars a year difference between a good pick and a bad one.

For teens added to a parent's policy with full coverage, these vehicles keep costs as low as possible:

• Subaru Outback – Around $440/month on a parent's policy. Excellent safety features, AWD, and a family-car reputation work in your favor.
• Honda CR-V – Similar pricing. Insurers love the CR-V's crash test performance and low claim frequency.
• Mazda CX-5 – Also hovering around $440/month. The Top Safety Pick+ rating helps offset the young driver surcharge.
• Subaru Forester – About $1,774/year standalone. High safety ratings, low value, and affordable repairs are the trifecta insurers want to see.

What Makes a Car Cheap to Insure?

Ever wonder why two cars with similar price tags can have wildly different insurance costs? It all comes down to five key factors that insurers weigh when setting rates for a specific vehicle.

Safety Ratings Matter Most

Vehicles that earn top marks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) consistently get lower premiums. Strong safety ratings mean fewer injuries in accidents, which means smaller claims for the insurance company. Features like automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control all help.

There's a catch though—those same advanced safety features can be expensive to repair or recalibrate after a fender bender. A cracked bumper on a car with radar sensors behind it can cost three times more to fix than one without. So there's a bit of a balancing act going on.

Repair Costs and Parts Availability

This is huge. Cars that use common, widely available parts cost less to repair, which means cheaper collision coverage. That's why Hondas and Toyotas consistently rank well—their parts are everywhere, and pretty much any shop can work on them.

On the flip side, luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi cost more to insure because their parts are pricier and repairs often require specialized technicians. A Maserati Quattroporte, for example, costs around $7,090 per year to insure—more than three times what you'd pay for a Honda CR-V.

Theft Rates Impact Your Premium

If your car is popular with thieves, you'll pay more for comprehensive coverage. Vehicle theft dropped 17% nationwide from 2023 to 2024 according to the NICB, but certain models remain hot targets.

In the first half of 2025, the most stolen vehicles were:

1. Hyundai Elantra – 11,000+ thefts
2. Honda Accord – 8,531 thefts
3. Chevrolet Silverado – 8,006 thefts
4. Honda Civic – 6,396 thefts
5. Kia Optima – 6,011 thefts

The top five most stolen cars have an average annual full-coverage rate of $2,510—about 14% higher than the national average. Hyundai and Kia models have been especially hard hit due to missing engine immobilizers in certain model years, though both manufacturers have since addressed this.

Vehicle Type and Driver Demographics

Insurance companies have mountains of data on who drives what and how they drive it. Sports cars and muscle cars attract younger, more aggressive drivers statistically, so they cost more to insure regardless of who's actually buying them.

Minivans and compact SUVs? They're driven by families with kids in the back, which means careful driving and fewer claims. That's why a Chrysler Voyager minivan has one of the lowest premiums out there at just $1,968/year.

Vehicle Value and Age

Generally, the more expensive your car, the more it costs to insure. But here's an interesting wrinkle—a seven-year-old car is about 13% cheaper to insure than a brand new version of the same model. As cars depreciate, the potential payout on a total loss drops, so your comprehensive and collision premiums drop too.

Cheapest Used Cars to Insure

Buying used? Smart move for keeping insurance costs down. Older vehicles have lower values, which translates directly to lower premiums. Here are the best bets in the used market:

Used Sedans

• Honda Civic
• Toyota Camry
• Mazda3
• Toyota Prius
• Kia Forte

Used SUVs

• Subaru Outback
• Honda CR-V
• Honda Pilot
• Ford Escape
• Toyota RAV4

Used Trucks

• Toyota Tacoma
• Ford F-150
• Chevrolet Silverado 1500
• Toyota Tundra
• GMC Sierra

What About Electric Vehicles?

Here's something that catches a lot of EV shoppers off guard—electric vehicles cost significantly more to insure than their gas-powered equivalents. On average, full coverage for an EV runs about $3,874 per year, which is 57% more than the average $2,461 premium for a small gas-powered sedan.

Why the big gap? A few reasons:

• Battery replacement costs – EV batteries can cost $5,000 to $20,000+ to replace. Even minor damage to the battery pack can total the car.
• Specialized repairs – Not every shop can work on EVs. Fewer qualified technicians means higher labor rates.
• Higher purchase prices – Even with tax credits, most EVs have higher MSRPs than comparable gas vehicles.
• Performance capabilities – Instant torque and quick acceleration can lead to more frequent or severe accidents statistically.

For context, a Tesla Model Y costs about $241/month for full coverage, compared to $145/month for a GMC Sierra 1500. That's a 66% premium for going electric.

7 Ways to Lower Your Car Insurance No Matter What You Drive

Choosing the right car is just one piece of the puzzle. These strategies can slash your premiums regardless of your vehicle:

1. Shop Around Every Year

This one move saves drivers an average of $694 per year. Insurance companies recalculate rates constantly, and the cheapest insurer for you last year might not be the cheapest this year. Get at least 3–5 quotes, and don't forget to include regional insurers—they often beat the big national names.

2. Bundle Your Policies

Combining your auto and home (or renters) insurance with one company typically saves 15–25%. Amica offers the largest multi-policy discount at up to 30% off.

3. Raise Your Deductible

Bumping your deductible from $500 to $1,000 can reduce your collision and comprehensive premiums by 15–30%. Just make sure you've got that cash set aside in case you need to make a claim.

4. Ask About Every Discount

Most people miss at least one or two discounts they qualify for. Common ones include:

• Safe driver discount (clean record for 3–5 years)
• Low mileage discount (under 7,500–10,000 miles/year)
• Autopay and paperless billing (3–10% off)
• Good student discount (B average or better)
• Telematics/usage-based programs (up to 30% off)
• Anti-theft device discount

5. Maintain Good Credit

In most states, your credit-based insurance score significantly impacts your premium. Drivers with excellent credit pay dramatically less than those with poor credit. Pay your bills on time and keep credit utilization low.

6. Review Your Coverage Annually

As your car ages and depreciates, you may be over-insured. Drop collision and comprehensive on older vehicles where the premium exceeds 10% of the car's value. Also remove coverage you don't need—like rental reimbursement if you have a second car.

7. Take a Defensive Driving Course

Many states allow insurers to offer discounts for completing an approved defensive driving course. It usually takes 4–8 hours and can save you 5–10% for three years.

Most Expensive Cars to Insure (What to Avoid)

Just as useful as knowing the cheapest cars is knowing which ones will destroy your insurance budget. These vehicles sit at the other end of the spectrum:

• Maserati Quattroporte – ~$7,090/year. Exotic parts, specialized repairs, and high theft appeal.
• BMW M-series models – High performance means high premiums, often $4,000+ per year.
• Tesla Model S Plaid – Incredible performance but astronomical repair costs if anything goes wrong.
• Dodge Charger/Challenger – Muscle car demographics drive claims rates through the roof.
• Mercedes-AMG models – Specialized parts and high value push premiums to $3,500–5,000+ range.

The pattern is clear—luxury brands, high-performance vehicles, and sports cars cost dramatically more to insure. If you're on a budget, steer clear of anything with "M," "AMG," "GT," or "Plaid" in the name.

State-by-State Considerations

Where you live affects your insurance costs just as much as what you drive. Some state-specific factors worth knowing:

• Michigan – Historically the most expensive state for car insurance due to its unique no-fault system, though recent reforms have helped bring rates down.
• Louisiana, Florida, and New York – Consistently rank among the priciest states for auto insurance.
• Maine, Vermont, and Idaho – Among the cheapest states, with average premiums well below the national average.
• California – One of few states that prohibits using credit scores for insurance pricing, which can benefit drivers with lower credit.

The car that's cheapest to insure nationally might not be the cheapest in your specific state. If you live in a high-theft area like certain parts of California or Texas, theft-resistant vehicles become even more important for keeping premiums low.

Frequently Asked Questions