In the United States, the car we drive is an extension of who we are—it expresses our values, sense of style and, to some extent, eccentricities. But the car we drive also plays a major role in determining how much we pay for car insurance, and many drivers fail to factor in this reality. That’s why it pays to know which vehicles get rock-bottom car insurance rates, and with this in mind, we've turned to our friends at insurance marketplace Insure.com for a list of 20 of the cheapest vehicles to insure across several categories. It’s complicated to come up with such a list, since there are so many variables, but Insure.com’s database determines the rankings based on the median insurance rate for each model.
Top 20 Cheapest Cars to Insure
Making a smart choice could save you some big bucks
Car Insurance X-Factors – What Determines Your Rate?
There are many factors that determine car insurance rates, including gender, age, driving record, ZIP code, annual mileage and, in most states, credit scores. The factor that often trumps them all, however, is the car you drive. Common sense holds that a more expensive vehicle will cost more to insure than a cheaper one, but it’s not always that simple. A vehicle’s safety rating, accident frequency and theft rate also play a major role in determining its insurance premium. Cars such as family-friendly SUVs and crossovers might be less expensive because they tend to be owned by more responsible drivers. On the flip side, certain subcompacts are cheap to insure because their owners tend not to stray far from home, and because the insurance company won’t be facing a big settlement if such a car is wrecked. With that, flip to the next page to see the top 10 cheapest cars to insure, as well as 10 more across a range of categories.
20) 2016 Honda Civic Sedan
Base MSRP: $18,640
NHTSA crash safety rating: 5-Star Overall
Changes for 2016: Totally redesigned
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety scores, low price
19) 2016 Hyundai Veloster
Base MSRP: $18,000
NHTSA crash safety rating: 5-Star Overall
Changes for 2016: New trim level and new transmission option
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety scores, low price
18) 2016 Ram 1500
Base MSRP: $26,145
NHTSA crash safety ratings: A mix of 4-star and 5-star scores
Changes for 2016: No major changes
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety scores
17) 2016 Mazda CX-5
Base MSRP: $21,795
NHTSA crash safety ratings: A mix of 4-star and 5-star scores
Changes for 2016: New features and options
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety scores
16) 2016 Acura RDX
Base MSRP: $35,370
NHTSA crash safety rating: 5-Star Overall
Changes for 2016: New safety features
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety scores, typically owned by mature drivers
15) 2016 Ford F-150
Base MSRP: $26,540
NHTSA crash safety rating: 5-Star Overall
Changes for 2016: Updated features
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety scores, low price
14) 2016 Buick Enclave
Base MSRP: $39,065
NHTSA crash safety rating: 5-Star Overall
Changes for 2016: Updated features
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety scores, typically owned by mature drivers
13) 2016 Kia Sorento
Base MSRP: $25,100
NHTSA crash safety rating: 5-Star Overall
Changes for 2016: Totally redesigned
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety scores
12) 2016 Toyota Tacoma
Base MSRP: $23,660
NHTSA crash safety rating: A mix of 4-star and 5-star scores
Changes for 2016: Totally redesigned
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety scores, full redesign
11) 2016 Subaru Forester
Base MSRP: $22,395
NHTSA crash safety rating: 5-Star Overall
Changes for 2016: Technology and safety upgrades
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety scores, typically owned by mature drivers
10) 2016 Nissan Frontier
Base MSRP: $18,290
NHTSA crash safety ratings: Not tested
Changes for 2016: No major changes
Potential reasons for low premium: Low price
9) 2016 Jeep Cherokee Sport
Base MSRP: $23,495
NHTSA crash safety rating: A mix of 4-star and 5-star scores
Changes for 2016: New trim level, updated technology
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety scores
8) 2016 Buick Encore Sport
Base MSRP: $24,065
NHTSA crash safety rating: 5-Star Overall
Changes for 2016: New trim level
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety scores
7) 2016 Ford Escape
Base MSRP: $23,590
NHTSA crash safety rating: A mix of 4-star and 5-star scores
Changes for 2016: Updated technology
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety scores
6) 2016 Jeep Compass Sport
Base MSRP: $19,695
NHTSA crash safety ratings: Not tested
Changes for 2016: Updated standard technology
Potential reasons for low premium: Low price
5) 2016 Jeep Wrangler Sport
Base MSRP: $23,895
NHTSA crash safety ratings: Not tested
Changes for 2016: Minor trim updates
Potential reasons for low premium: Low price
4) 2016 Jeep Patriot Sport
Base MSRP: $17,695
NHTSA crash safety rating: A mix of 3-star, 4-star and 5-star scores
Changes for 2016: New features added
Potential reasons for low premium: Low price
3) 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan
Base MSRP: $22,595
NHTSA crash safety rating: A mix of 4-star and 5-star scores
Changes for 2016: No major changes
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety scores, typically owned by mature drivers
2) 2016 Honda CR-V
Base MSRP: $23,745
NHTSA crash safety rating: 5-Star Overall
Changes for 2016: New trim level
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety scores
1) 2016 Honda Odyssey
Base MSRP: $29,400
NHTSA crash safety rating: 5-Star Overall
Changes for 2016: New trim level
Potential reasons for low premium: Good safety scores, typically owned by mature drivers
What the Data Shows
Virtually every vehicle on this list has three things in common: affordability, good safety features and a tendency to be favored by mature, responsible drivers. Not surprisingly, family-friendly vehicles comprise the bulk of the list. sedans, wagons and crossover vehicles have a history of safe drivers and low theft rates, making them a dream for car insurance companies. Stellar crash test scores and low MSRPs help a few small and midsize family-friendly SUVs make the list.
Save Money on Car Insurance
Whether your vehicle made the list or not, you could save a fortune on car insurance by comparing free quotes and searching for a cheaper policy. With Insure.com, it only takes a few minutes to compare free car insurance quotes from several leading insurers. Car insurance rates can vary by hundreds of dollars between companies, and rates are always changing. So take a few moments to search for a cheaper policy—it could save you a few hundred dollars per year.
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Cars featured in this article
2015 Hyundai Tucson
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2015 Honda Pilot
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2015 Toyota Sienna
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2015 Mazda CX-5
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2015 Chrysler Town and Country
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2015 Toyota Tacoma
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2015 Chevrolet Spark
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2015 Buick Encore
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2015 Dodge Journey
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2015 Nissan Xterra
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2015 Ford Escape
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2015 smart fortwo
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2015 Ford Edge
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2015 Subaru Outback
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2015 Jeep Compass
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2015 Honda Odyssey
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2015 Dodge Grand Caravan
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Kia
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2015 Honda CR-V
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2015 Jeep Patriot
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2015 Jeep Wrangler
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Top 20 Cheapest Cars to Insure
- Car Insurance X-Factors – What Determines Your Rate?
- 2016 Honda Civic Sedan
- 2016 Hyundai Veloster
- 2016 Ram 1500
- 2016 Mazda CX-5
- 2016 Acura RDX
- 2016 Ford F-150
- 2016 Buick Enclave
- 2016 Kia Sorento
- 2016 Toyota Tacoma
- 2016 Subaru Forester
- 2016 Nissan Frontier
- 2016 Jeep Cherokee Sport
- 2016 Buick Encore Sport
- 2016 Ford Escape
- 2016 Jeep Compass Sport
- 2016 Jeep Wrangler Sport
- 2016 Jeep Patriot Sport
- 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan
- 2016 Honda CR-V
- 2016 Honda Odyssey
- What the Data Shows
- Save Money on Car Insurance