The 10 Cheapest Cars to Insure for Young Drivers
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Finding the right car for a teen or young driver can take some research. Not only do you want to choose a car with good fuel economy and a good safety rating, but you want to make sure it won’t come with sky-high insurance premiums. Teenagers and other new drivers are considered higher-risk drivers, so insurance can be expensive.
Fortunately, some types of cars are cheaper to insure than others. By selecting the right make and model — and by shopping around for the best auto insurance quotes — you’ll be able to get behind the wheel without breaking the bank.
With that in mind, here are the 10 cheapest cars to insure for young drivers and three ways to lower the cost of car insurance coverage.
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The 10 Cheapest Cars to Insure for Young Drivers
To put together our list, we looked at auto insurance data from Compare.com to find the lowest monthly premiums for teen drivers. Since used cars tend to be cheaper to insure than new cars, we grouped them by model year. Most of the quotes on our list refer to 2010-2014 models, but some are still affordable to insure as 2015-2019 models.
These are average costs rounded to the nearest dollar, so use our comparison tool to get a personalized insurance quote based on your age and location. A 16-year-old from New York may be charged a different rate than a 19-year-old from Arizona for a similar insurance policy.
Now let’s take a look at the 10 cheapest cars to insure for young drivers, from the least expensive to the most expensive car to insure:
Toyota Prius (2010-2014)
Electric cars and hybrids generally have higher insurance costs than conventional vehicles, so you may be surprised to see the Toyota Prius on our list. True, you’ll need to stick to the 2010-2014 models to see these rates, but teenage drivers can expect to pay around $166 per month or $1,998 per year to insure their Prius.
In addition to an impressive fuel economy of 48 mpg, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) chose the 2014 Prius as a Top Safety Pick+.
Annual premium: $1,998
Monthly premium: $166
Nissan Versa (2010-2014)
The Nissan Versa is available as a hatchback and sedan, making it an affordable and fuel-efficient car for young drivers. Not only is it cheap to insure, but it also has one of the lowest sticker prices of any new car in America.
Choose a 2010-2014 model for the best insurance rates, which will set you back $184 per month.
Annual premium: $2,213
Monthly premium: $184
Ford Focus (2010-2014)
The 2014 Ford Focus gets 30 miles per gallon — not bad for a teenage driver who needs to commute to school or work. It’s also available in an electric version that can get up to 105 miles per gallon, but this version may come with higher insurance costs.
For a conventional Ford Focus produced between 2010-2014, auto insurance rates are around $190 per month.
Annual premium: $2,280
Monthly premium: $190
Kia Soul (2010-2014)
The Kia Soul is a hatchback known for its boxy exterior, giving it more interior space than some of the other cars on our list. A 2010-2014 model costs around $2,287 in annual premiums, making it one of the top five cheapest cars to insure for young drivers.
Annual premium: $2,287
Monthly premium: $191
Mazda 3 (2010-2014)
The 2014 Mazda 3 was a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS, making this a good choice for young drivers who want a newer car without sacrificing safety. Earlier model years don’t have all the same safety features but are still considered a Top Safety Pick. Young drivers can expect to pay around $2,297 per year to insure a Mazda 3.
Annual premium: $2,297
Monthly premium: $191
Ford Escape (2010-2014)
The Ford Escape is the only SUV on our list, but it’s a good choice for teenage drivers who need a bit more cargo space. Ford also produces a hybrid version of the Escape, which gets better gas mileage than its conventional counterpart.
Expect to pay around $192 per month to insure the 2010-2014 models, or $207 for model years 2015-2019.
Annual premium: $2,309
Monthly premium: $192
Ford Fiesta (2010-2014)
The 2017 Ford Fiesta made our list of the cars with the best gas mileage under $10,000 — but it costs up to $2,807 per year to insure. For lower insurance rates, choose an earlier model of the Fiesta. The 2010-2014 model years cost an affordable $2,323 per year for a young driver to get behind the wheel.
Annual premium: $2,323
Monthly premium: $194
Volkswagen Jetta (2010-2014)
The 2014 Volkswagen Jetta has a 5-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which should reassure parents who want a safe car for their teenage drivers. Insurance premiums are around $199 per month for model years 2010-2014, but as much as $254 per month for model years 2015-2019.
Annual premium: $2,392
Monthly premium: $199
Kia Soul (2015-2019)
The Kia Soul is the only car to make our list twice. More recent versions of the Kia Soul are still cheaper to insure than some older cars. You can expect to pay around $200 per month to insure a 2015-2019 Soul – only $8 more per month than earlier models.
Annual premium: $2,398
Monthly premium: $200
Chevrolet Impala (2010-2014)
The Chevrolet Impala has been around for decades, with the earliest model dating back to 1958. You’ll need classic car insurance for a car that old, but 2010-2014 models cost a reasonable $203 per month for young drivers to insure.
Annual premium: $2,431
Monthly premium: $203
3 Ways to Find Lower Car Insurance for Teens
Car insurance companies look at many factors to determine your car insurance premiums, and some of those factors aren’t easy to change. After all, you can’t turn a 17-year-old driver into an experienced driver overnight.
But there are a few things you can do to lower your auto insurance rates:
Get a Good Student or Safe Driver Discount
Many insurance providers, including Nationwide, Liberty Mutual, and AAA, offer steep discounts for students. Depending on location and driving record, young drivers may also qualify for other discounts like a distant student discount or a safe driver discount.
Choose a Plan With a Higher Deductible
A car insurance deductible is the amount you have to pay out of pocket before your auto insurance company covers the cost of car repairs or property damage if you get into an accident. Having a low deductible is usually a good idea, but if you want to keep car insurance costs down, then choosing a higher deductible is an easy way to lower your premium.
Stay On Your Parent’s Policy
Most of the time, you’ll save money by sharing an insurance policy with other members of your household. But in some cases, such as moving to college in another state, you may get better rates by taking out a policy in your new location.
Get the Best Car Insurance Quotes Today
Everything from your credit score to your car’s safety features can impact your car insurance rates. But if you’re looking for cheap car insurance coverage for a teen or young driver, these 10 makes and models should be on the top of your list.
Keep in mind that the cheapest car insurance isn’t necessarily the best car insurance for you. Be prepared to pay more for full coverage or collision coverage if you want more than the minimum protection required in your state. Educate yourself about how new driver car insurance works and which companies offer the best rates.
Compare.com makes it easy to find coverage with our comparison tool that shows you the best rates side-by-side. Simply enter your ZIP code below to get started:
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