Mr. Abubakar is a car insurance advisor with 5 years of experience helping individuals find the best auto insurance plans and coverage options. This guide is based on real testing conducted in March 2026 to ensure accurate and up-to-date information.
The Car You Buy Has a Long-Term Relationship with Your Wallet
Most people spend hours researching fuel economy, boot space, and infotainment screens before buying a car. Insurance costs? An afterthought — usually remembered on the drive home from the dealership. That is an expensive habit.
The car you choose doesn’t just affect what you pay at the pump. It locks in your insurance rate for years. Two cars parked on the same street, owned by the same type of driver, can carry premiums that differ by £500 or $600 a year simply because of make and model. Pick the wrong one and you’re paying that premium every single year you own it.
This guide cuts through the noise. It covers which cars consistently attract the Cheapest Cars to Insure, why those models are cheaper to insure, what types of vehicle to avoid if keeping costs down is a priority, and what else you can do to reduce your bill regardless of what you drive.
It’s worth being clear about what this guide isn’t: a list of cars to buy purely on insurance grounds. Insurance is one cost among many. But for drivers already weighing up two or three similar options, knowing which one will cost less to insure over the next five years can be genuinely decisive.
The key number to hold in your head
The national average full-coverage premium in 2025 sits at around $2,895 per year — roughly $241 a month. The cheapest models to insure come in at $1,877 to $1,900 per year. That’s a difference of close to $1,000 annually, just from choosing a different car.
Why Are Some Cars So Much Cheaper to Insure?
Cheapest Cars to Insure isn’t priced on vibes. Every premium is built from data — specifically, data about how often a particular model gets into accidents, how much those accidents cost to fix, how likely it is to be stolen, and how badly it tends to hurt people when things go wrong.
Models that consistently produce cheap claims get cheap premiums. It’s that direct. Here’s what actually drives the numbers.
Safety ratings — the single biggest factor
A car that earns top scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) doesn’t just win awards. It tends to be involved in fewer serious accidents, and when accidents do happen, the injuries are less severe. Fewer serious claims means lower premiums — the insurer’s risk drops, and they pass some of that saving on.
The Mazda CX-5, for example, has won the IIHS Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ designation nearly every year since 2013. That’s not a coincidence — that’s why it consistently appears near the top of cheapest-to-insure lists.
Repair costs — what parts actually cost matters
A car that’s expensive to fix will always attract higher premiums. Think of it this way: the insurer is essentially pre-paying for your future repairs. If your car uses specialist parts that only a handful of approved workshops can source, or if the bonnet needs a complete structural realignment after a low-speed bump, your insurer knows that before you do.
Common cars with widely available, affordable parts — your Honda CR-Vs, your Toyota RAV4s — are far cheaper to repair than niche models, imports, or anything where every part has to be ordered from abroad. That repair cost difference feeds directly into your monthly premium.
Theft rates — some models are targets, others aren’t
Certain cars attract thieves. High-demand models — especially those with strong resale value for parts — show up disproportionately in NICB (National Insurance Crime Bureau) theft statistics, and insurers price that risk in. The models that consistently score cheapest to insure tend to have strong anti-theft features and lower theft claim histories.
Driver profile — who tends to buy this car?
This one surprises people. Insurers look not just at the car but at the statistical profile of drivers who typically buy it. A family-oriented SUV attracts a different demographic than a high-performance coupe. Minivans are cheap to insure partly because the data shows their drivers file fewer claims — not because of anything mechanical about the vehicle itself. A sports car attracts younger, higher-risk drivers on average, so everyone who buys one pays for that statistical reality.
Claim frequency — what the historical data shows
Cheapest Cars to Insure pricing is fundamentally backward-looking. If a model has generated expensive claims over the past several years, its premium goes up. If a model consistently produces low-value, low-frequency claims, that track record earns it lower rates. The cars on the cheapest-to-insure list have earned their place through years of actual claims data — not just theoretical safety ratings.
The bottom line Cheap-to-insure cars share a profile: strong safety scores, low theft rates, affordable parts, and a claim history that gives insurers no reason to charge you more than they have to.
The 8 Cheapest Cars to Insure in 2025
These rankings draw on data from Insurify, CarEdge, Consumer Reports, and MoneyGeek — all cross-referenced against 2025 full-coverage benchmarks. Rates assume a 40-year-old driver with a clean record, good credit, and roughly 13,000 miles annually. Your number will differ, but the relative ranking of these models holds up across most driver profiles.
Cheapest by Vehicle Type — Finding the Right Category for You
The list above is dominated by compact SUVs and crossovers. That’s not a fluke. But if your needs or preferences sit elsewhere, here’s how the cheapest options break down by category.
Sedans
Sedans used to be the default cheap-to-insure choice. The data is more nuanced now — compact SUVs have caught up — but sedans with strong safety records and sensible spec levels still produce competitive premiums.
| Model | Why it’s cheap to insure |
| Honda Civic | Hugely common parts supply, strong safety history, low theft rates |
| Toyota Camry | One of the most reliable mid-size sedans on the road; claim frequency is low |
| Mazda3 | Safety-focused engineering similar to the CX-5, at sedan pricing |
| Toyota Prius | Eco-conscious buyer demographic; lower average mileage per driver |
| Kia Forte | Affordable purchase price keeps repair payouts manageable |
It’s worth noting the Toyota insight that Sean Tucker, managing editor at Kelley Blue Book, makes about the Camry and Lexus ES: they share a platform, but the Camry owner typically pays around $460 less per year in Cheapest Cars to Insure. Same engineering, very different premium.
SUVs and Crossovers
Compact and mid-size SUVs are currently the cheapest category to insure on average — cheaper than equivalent sedans in many cases. The reason is partly that repair shops now carry far more SUV parts as the segment has grown to represent over 60% of new car sales. Availability drives down parts costs, which drives down claims costs.
| Model | Annual avg. premium (approx.) |
| Mazda CX-5 | ~$1,877 |
| Honda CR-V | ~$1,881 |
| Subaru Outback | ~$1,895 |
| Subaru Forester | ~$1,900 |
| Hyundai Kona | ~$1,900 |
| Ford Bronco Sport | Under $2,400 — Consumer Reports top 5 |
| Toyota RAV4 | Competitive — strong safety, massive parts availability |
| Honda Pilot | Family-focused three-row; low claim frequency |
| Ford Escape | Affordable parts, strong safety rating |
Pickup Trucks
Full-size trucks get a bad reputation for Cheapest Cars to Insure costs, but the reality is more complicated. The Jeep Wrangler above illustrates that a rugged, four-wheel-drive vehicle can still carry a cheap premium. Among pickups specifically, the GMC Sierra 3500 and certain Ford F-150 configurations show lower collision claim rates than you’d expect — partly because their buyers tend to be experienced drivers, and partly because these vehicles are designed to take a hit.
Minivans — the underrated option
Minivans are the category that generates the most surprised reactions when people see insurance data. They are, as a group, among the cheapest vehicles on the road to insure. The Chrysler Voyager and Pacifica both appear in multiple cheapest-to-insure analyses. If you’re a family buyer and image isn’t a constraint, this is worth knowing.
Electric vehicles — not as cheap as you’d hope
It’s worth being clear about EVs. The popular assumption is that simpler mechanics should mean lower Cheapest Cars to Insure costs. In practice, most EVs — especially Teslas — are significantly more expensive to insure than equivalent petrol or hybrid vehicles. The reason is structural: Tesla batteries are integrated into the chassis, meaning even minor damage can require a total battery replacement costing tens of thousands of dollars.
The exception is the Kia Niro EV, which uses a more conventional construction approach and keeps Cheapest Cars to Insure costs in line with mid-range ICE vehicles. General EV insurance rates are falling as the cars become more common and repair infrastructure improves — but in 2025, if you want to electrify cheaply, hybrid models like the Niro or Prius are still the safer choice from an insurance standpoint.
The bottom line Compact SUVs are the sweet spot in 2025 — combining practical purchase prices, strong safety scores, and Cheapest Cars to Insure premiums that run $1,000+ below the national average. If you’re choosing between a sedan and a compact SUV at a similar price point, check the insurance quote before you decide.
Cheapest Brands to Insure Overall
Looking at brands rather than individual models is useful if you’re open to a range of options within a manufacturer’s lineup. Insurify’s 2025 data shows the following brands producing the lowest average premiums across their model ranges.
| Brand | Avg. Monthly Premium | Why they’re cheap |
| Subaru | ~$127/month | Exceptional safety record across all models; loyal, low-risk driver demographic |
| MINI | Competitive | Smaller vehicles with modest repair costs; lower theft than luxury alternatives |
| Honda | Competitive | Huge parts availability; consistently strong safety scores across Civic, CR-V, Pilot |
| Mazda | Competitive | Safety-first engineering philosophy; CX-5 and CX-30 lead on claims history |
| Hyundai | Competitive | Improved safety tech across range; affordable parts keeping claim costs down |
| Toyota | Competitive | Low claim frequency across all models; unmatched reliability reduces total loss claims |
Subaru’s position at the top is consistent across multiple data sources and isn’t explained by any one model. It reflects a brand-wide engineering priority around safety — and a buyer demographic that skews toward older, experienced drivers who file fewer claims.
The bottom line If brand loyalty isn’t a consideration, Subaru is consistently the cheapest manufacturer to insure across its lineup. Honda and Mazda are close behind. All three produce multiple models that sit $1,000+ below the national average.
Side-by-Side: Top 10 Cheapest Models at a Glance
| Model | Avg. Annual Premium | Why it’s cheap |
| Mazda CX-5 | ~$1,877 | IIHS Top Safety Pick+ every year; low theft; affordable parts |
| Honda CR-V | ~$1,881 | Best-seller keeps parts costs low; low theft rate; family demographic |
| Subaru Outback | ~$1,895 | 30-year safety track record; AWD standard; low-risk buyers |
| Chrysler Voyager | ~$1,897 | Minivan driver demographic; strong safety structure; low claim frequency |
| Subaru Forester | ~$1,900 | Consumer Reports top 5; consistently low claims across all categories |
| Hyundai Kona | ~$1,900 | Strong safety tech standard; $1,000/yr below national average |
| Mazda CX-30 | ~$1,900 | Standard AWD since 2022; CX-5 safety record in a smaller body |
| Kia Niro Hybrid/EV | ~$1,920 | EV that bucks the EV premium trend; low repair costs |
| Toyota RAV4 | Competitive | Safety scores + massive parts availability keeps claims manageable |
| Subaru Crosstrek | ~$1,900 | Entry point to cheapest brand; standard AWD; low-risk buyer profile |
How to Pay Even Less — Regardless of What You Drive
Choosing the right car is the most powerful lever. But there are other moves worth making once you’ve made the purchase decision.
Compare quotes — every single year
Cheapest Cars to Insure market is competitive and pricing changes constantly. Your circumstances change too — a year of clean driving, an improved credit score, a birthday that moves you into a lower-risk age bracket. Any of those could mean your current insurer is no longer the best deal.
Most drivers who shop around find a lower price. The ones who don’t are at least confident they’re already on the best deal available. It costs nothing to check. The Cheapest Cars to Insure Information Institute recommends comparing at least three quotes before renewing.
Cheapest Cars to Insure Information Institute — how to shop for car insurance
Raise your deductible thoughtfully
Moving from a $250 deductible to $1,000 on collision and comprehensive typically reduces that portion of your premium by 15–25%. It’s not the right move for everyone — you need to be confident you can cover the higher deductible if something happens. But for drivers who have that financial cushion and don’t tend to make small claims, it’s a straightforward saving.
Bundle your policies
If you have home or renters Cheapest Cars to Insure separately from your car insurance, bundling both with the same insurer usually produces a discount on each. The saving varies by insurer, but 5–15% on each policy is typical. Given that you need both policies anyway, there’s rarely a good reason not to combine them.
Take a telematics or usage-based policy seriously
If you drive less than average, or if you drive carefully and mostly at low-risk times of day, telematics pricing can save you meaningful money. Progressive’s Snapshot, State Farm’s Drive Safe & Save, and similar programmes from most major insurers now track driving behaviour and adjust your premium accordingly.
Think of telematics as the insurer saying: we’ll price you as an individual rather than as a statistical category. For safe drivers, that’s a good trade.
Clean up your credit
In most US states, your credit-based insurance score affects your premium. The correlation between financial responsibility and claim frequency is statistically real — which is why insurers use it. In practical terms, a move from poor to good credit can reduce your annual premium by 20–40% in states where credit scoring is permitted.
Ask about every discount — including the ones not offered automatically
- Good driver discount — 3 to 5 years clean record
- Good student discount — B average or better for full-time students
- Defensive driving course — approved courses reduce premiums for many insurers
- Low-mileage discount — driving less than 7,500 miles per year
- Paperless billing and auto-pay — small but real
- Anti-theft device — factory or aftermarket approved systems
Some of these get applied automatically. Others only exist if you ask. Five minutes on the phone with your insurer asking specifically about available discounts is a worthwhile call.
Use The Zebra to compare rates across multiple insurers at once
The bottom line Car choice is where the biggest savings start — but annual rate shopping, raising your deductible, bundling policies, and asking about every available discount can add up to hundreds more per year on top of that.
Questions People Ask About Cheapest Cars to Insure
The Bottom Line on Cheapest Cars to Insure
Cheapest Cars to Insure is one of those costs that’s easy to treat as fixed — a bill that arrives, gets paid, and is largely out of your control. The truth is it’s one of the more malleable expenses in car ownership, and the biggest opportunity to influence it comes at the point of purchase.
Choose a Mazda CX-5 over a sporty coupe at a similar price point and you could save $1,000 or more per year — before you’ve done anything else. That’s not a marginal difference. Over five years of ownership, it’s $5,000 out of your pocket or into it, depending on the choice you make today.
The cars that sit at the cheap end of the Cheapest Cars to Insure spectrum share a common profile: strong safety records, affordable and available parts, low theft rates, and driver demographics that file fewer claims. None of that is magic. It’s just good engineering and sensible design choices rewarded by an industry that prices risk carefully.
Pick the right model, compare quotes annually, bundle where it makes sense, and don’t leave available discounts on the table. That combination — car choice plus active management — is how drivers consistently pay well below the national average.
Premiums shown are averages based on a 40-year-old driver with a clean record and full coverage. Your rate will vary by location, driving history, credit score, and coverage level. Always get personalised quotes before making a purchase decision.