Those feeling as if they are paying more for car insurance are not wrong. Car insurance premiums rose by more than 20% between 2011 and 2018 to a national annual average premium of $1,427. All signs suggest rates will continue to rise in the near future.
The amount Americans pay for car insurance depends on many factors, including driver age, driving record, and location. Of course, the kind of vehicle also makes a big difference in insurance costs.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit research organization funded by auto insurers, collects data on insurance claim frequency and insurance cost per vehicle. In a given year, insurance companies make claim payments of roughly $964 on average per vehicle. This is an average — so while insurers pay zero dollars for vehicles that go without incident in a given year, they might pay over $20,000 or more for vehicles involved in accidents or other events.
Insurers use average insurance claim payment as the basis for charging premiums, charging consumers more, of course, to make a profit. If models have a higher average insurance claim payment, insurers transfer the higher expected costs to the consumer. If the model has lower and less frequent payments, insurers will often charge lower premiums.
Some vehicles get into more accidents, and some have higher payouts for each accident. Insurers make claim payments on some models averaging less than $600, while they are more than double that on others. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 25 cars with the lowest annual cost to insurers. In the case of duplicates, we only listed the version of the model with the lowest insurance cost. We also excluded those vehicles where a relative cost figure was not included by IIHS for all six payout categories: collision, property damage, comprehensive, personal injury, medical payment, and bodily injury.
Generally, less expensive models tend to require lower insurance payouts in categories related to damage repair, in particular when covering collision costs. Just three of the 25 most expensive cars to insure are luxury vehicles or sports cars, compared to close to half of the 25 cars with the highest insurance costs.
In addition to price, the size of the vehicle appears to be a major determinant of insurance payouts. Many of the vehicles with low insurance claim payments are large and midsize SUVs. Such cars tend to have low personal injury, medical, and bodily injury insurance payouts, likely the result of being safer. While 17 of the 25 cars with the lowest annual insurance costs are SUVs, minivans, or pickup trucks, just two of the 25 cars with the highest insurance premiums are. Several of the least expensive cars to insure are among the safest cars in America.
Click here to read about 25 least expensive cars to insure
Click here to read our methodology
25. Ford Escape 4dr 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $780
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $320
> Type: Small SUV
> Current model retail price: $24,105 – $34,120
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24. Mini Cooper
> Annual average cost to insurer: $779
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $336
> Type: Mini two-door
> Current model retail price: $21,900 – $31,900
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23. Toyota Tacoma Xtracab 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $773
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $378
> Type: Small pickup truck
> Current model retail price: $25,850 – $35,830
22. Nissan Frontier Crew Cab SWB 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $764
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $320
> Type: Small pickup truck
> Current model retail price: $25,050 – $36,950
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21. Chrysler Pacifica
> Annual average cost to insurer: $761
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $332
> Type: Large minivan
> Current model retail price: $26,985 – $44,445
20. Ford Expedition 4dr
> Annual average cost to insurer: $760
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $344
> Type: Large SUV
> Current model retail price: $48,530 – $79,200
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19. Honda Odyssey
> Annual average cost to insurer: $750
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $324
> Type: Very large minivan
> Current model retail price: $30,190 – $47,070
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18. Fiat 500
> Annual average cost to insurer: $745
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $295
> Type: Mini two-door
> Current model retail price: $16,245 – $20,495
17. Honda Pilot 4dr
> Annual average cost to insurer: $742
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $311
> Type: Midsize SUV
> Current model retail price: $31,450 – $48,020
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16. Volkswagen Golf
> Annual average cost to insurer: $737
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $332
> Type: Small station wagon
> Current model retail price: $27,595 – $37,095
15. Honda Ridgeline Crew Cab 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $735
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $328
> Type: Large pickup truck
> Current model retail price: $29,990 – $43,420
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14. Acura MDX 4dr
> Annual average cost to insurer: $732
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $299
> Type: Midsize luxury SUV
> Current model retail price: $44,300 – $60,050
13. Subaru Crosstrek 4WD with Eyesight
> Annual average cost to insurer: $720
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $295
> Type: Small station wagon
> Current model retail price: $21,895 – $34,995
12. Ford F-150 SuperCab 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $717
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $278
> Type: Large pickup truck
> Current model retail price: $32,240 – $52,855
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11. Subaru Legacy 4WD with Eyesight
> Annual average cost to insurer: $714
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $299
> Type: Midsize four-door
> Current model retail price: $22,545 – $31,545
10. Volvo XC60 4dr
> Annual average cost to insurer: $702
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $336
> Type: Midsize luxury SUV
> Current model retail price: $39,200 – $60,250
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9. GMC Canyon Crew Cab 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $695
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $291
> Type: Small pickup truck
> Current model retail price: $27,600 – $44,200
8. Chevrolet Colorado ext cab 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $693
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $307
> Type: Small pickup truck
> Current model retail price: $26,700 – $42,900
7. Nissan LEAF
> Annual average cost to insurer: $692
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $324
> Type: Small four-door
> Current model retail price: $29,990 – $42,550
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6. Jeep Wrangler 2dr SWB 4WD
> Annual average cost to insurer: $678
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $212
> Type: Small SUV
> Current model retail price: $28,045 – $51,300
5. Mazda MX-5 Miata Convertible
> Annual average cost to insurer: $672
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $340
> Type: Mini sports car
> Current model retail price: $25,730 – $31,855
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4. Subaru Forester 4WD with Eyesight
> Annual average cost to insurer: $670
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $278
> Type: Small SUV
> Current model retail price: $24,295 – $34,295
3. Acura RDX
> Annual average cost to insurer: $634
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $261
> Type: Midsize luxury SUV
> Current model retail price: $37,400 – $47,500
2. Honda CR-V
> Annual average cost to insurer: $610
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $237
> Type: Small SUV
> Current model retail price: $24,350 – $34,150
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1. Subaru Outback 4WD with Eyesight
> Annual average cost to insurer: $595
> Annual average collision cost to insurer: $241
> Type: Midsize station wagon
> Current model retail price: $26,345 – $38,995
Methodology
To determine the 25 cars with the lowest insurance costs, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on insurance claim payments made by insurers 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 most expensive to insure has the highest overall average cost to the insurer per year. These data are for 596 vehicles of 2015-2017 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 more 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 range came from auto industry data resources Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book. 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.
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