The Cheapest Cars to Insure in 2023

Alongside your age, driving record, and other factors, your car plays a significant role in how much you pay for car insurance. Most insurers look at things like your vehicle’s year, make, model, and even body style when calculating your premiums.

At this point, you’re probably wondering which vehicles are the cheapest to insure.

The Subaru Crosstrek, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Kicks are the three most affordable cars to insure. And on the other end of the spectrum, Dodge Chargers tend to be more expensive to insure than any other vehicle on the market.

Our latest guide will help you understand what factors affect insurance premiums and outline several ways you can save on your monthly bill.

Key Takeaways:

• Subaru Crosstreks are the cheapest cars to insure, with average rates of just $143 per month.
• Cheaper cars typically cost less to insure, while luxury vehicles tend to have higher rates.
• Your vehicle’s safety features, repair costs, theft rates, body style, and trim level all affect how much you pay for insurance.

The 15 Cheapest Cars to Insure

The cost of a new vehicle has skyrocketed since 2020, making it harder than ever to afford a car. But if you’re flexible when it comes to the car you drive, you might be able to offset the higher loan payment with cheaper auto insurance rates.

We compared quotes from Compare.com customers in 2023 to find the 15 cheapest cars to insure. You can find them ranked from cheapest to most expensive in the table below.

1. Subaru Crosstrek

The average car insurance premium for a Subaru Crosstrek is $143 per month. The 2024 model year starts at $24,995 and comes in four other trim options: Premium, Sport, Limited, and Wilderness.

Every Subaru is equipped with standard symmetrical all-wheel drive. Even the base model of this compact SUV comes with other standard safety features like EyeSight driver assist technology, anti-lock brakes, vehicle dynamics control, rear-vision camera, and multiple airbags.

These safety features earn the Subaru Crosstrek a 5-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and help make it the cheapest car to insure in 2023.

2. Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V comes in as the runner-up cheapest car to insure, with an average cost of $154 per month. The 2024 Honda CR-V SUV starts at $29,500 MSRP and has six trim levels to choose from — three of which are hybrid models.

Each trim level has Honda Sensing Safety and driver-assist technology, plus other safety features such as road departure, collision braking, lane keep assist, lane departure, and forward collision warning.

With so many available safety features, it’s no surprise the Honda CR-V earned the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) 2023 Top Safety Pick+ award.

3. Nissan Kicks

The Nissan Kicks is another affordable option, with average car insurance rates coming in at $162 per month. The 2023 model starts at just $20,590, making it one of the most affordable vehicles on this list when combining MSRP and insurance costs.

The next-gen 2024 Nissan Kicks has been halted in production due to equipment theft, but it’s expected to be larger and equipped with AWD once it’s released. It will also come standard with blind-spot warning and a 360-degree birds-eye view to make parking easier and help prevent collisions.

Adding to its overall affordability, the Nissan Kicks boasts excellent fuel mileage of 31 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway.

15 Cheapest Car Brands to Insure

Knowing which car brands typically have the cheapest rates can make new car shopping easier. Let’s take a look at which brands have the cheapest average rates in 2023.

Subaru, Buick, and GMC are the three cheapest makes to insure, with Mazda, Jeep, and Ford following closely behind. This is largely due to a combination of factors, from affordable MSRPs to each brand’s high safety ratings.

However, you may notice that luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, or Lexus don’t appear on this list. That’s because luxury cars tend to cost more to insure than other brands. This is due to their more complex driving systems, higher repair costs, and more expensive MSRPs.

You might also notice that economy brands Hyundai and Kia fall significantly behind many of their competitors. Unfortunately for owners of the popular cars, many insurance companies have increased rates or even flat-out refused to insure Kia and Hyundai vehicles due to their sky-high theft rates after viral TikTok videos showed how to steal certain models.

The Cheapest Car Body Styles to Insure

If you don’t have a specific brand or model in mind, shopping by body style might help you narrow down the best car insurance rates. Let’s check out which body types are cheapest to insure in 2023.

Out of eight body types, we found vans, SUVs, station wagons, and pickup trucks to be the cheapest body styles to insure. On the other hand, convertibles and coupes are the most expensive body styles to insure, according to Compare.com data.

The 10 Most Expensive Cars to Insure

Although you might think the most expensive vehicles to insure are high-end luxury cars, that’s not always the case, as you’ll see in the table below.

“Pony cars” like the Dodge Charger and Ford Mustang top the list with the highest average insurance costs. Drivers who own these cars tend to speed and make riskier decisions than other vehicles, which increases the chance of an accident. The IIHS found that these cars — along with the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro — have some of the highest driver death rates of any vehicle on the road.

You might be surprised to see some less expensive vehicles on this list. Several Hyundai and Kia models appear largely due to the higher theft rates we previously mentioned. And the Kia K5, Forte, Chevrolet Malibu, and Hyundai Elantra have high rates of driver deaths, which can also contribute to higher insurance premiums.

What Makes a Car Expensive to Insure?

Insurance companies base premiums on risk. The more risk they take on when insuring your vehicle, the more you’ll pay to insure it.

For example, cars with higher theft rates will cost more to insure. One way to combat higher premiums is to install an anti-theft device and tracking system in case your vehicle is stolen.

Repair costs often directly correlate to car insurance rates. The more the insurance company pays to repair your vehicle, the more you can expect your insurance policy premium to be.

Older cars lacking modern safety features could also cost more to insure than newer ones. Updated safety features that reduce the risk of an accident and lower its severity also lower the insurance company’s risk, which can help you get cheaper car insurance. Chances are that the better the safety ratings, the less you’ll pay for your insurance policy.

Factors That Affect Car Insurance Rates

Multiple factors affect how much you pay for car insurance. Here are some of the most significant:

• Age: Young drivers have less experience and are likelier to cause an accident or get a ticket. As you age and get more experience behind the wheel, your insurance premiums should go down.
• Gender: Men are statistically more likely to practice riskier driving behaviors, increasing their chances of getting tickets or crashing their car. Because of this added risk, men typically pay more for auto insurance than women.
• ZIP code: Where you live also matters. Crime rates, medical costs, vehicle repair costs, and weather patterns are just a few reasons why rates vary by ZIP code.
• Driving record: A clean driving record can help you get the best rates and be eligible for benefits such as accident forgiveness, as well as safe driving discounts. But you’ll pay higher premiums if you have tickets or at-fault accidents in your recent driving history.

Top 5 Ways to Get Cheaper Car Insurance

Consider these tips if you’re looking to get the cheapest car insurance:

• Ask about discounts: Adding discounts is a great way to get cheaper rates, and you can stack them together for even greater savings. Bundling your home and auto with the same insurance company often provides a significant discount.
• Lower coverage on older cars: Although many drivers need full coverage (especially if you have a newer car), you might not need comprehensive or collision coverage if your vehicle is older and no longer worth much.
• Raise your deductible: If you need to carry comprehensive and collision insurance, consider increasing your deductibles. Your annual premium will be lower, but remember that you’ll pay more if you file a claim.
• Work on your credit score: A good credit score can help you get cheaper insurance premiums. Increase your credit score by paying your bills on time and keeping your credit usage low.
• Switch to usage-based car insurance: If you’re usually a safe driver, you could save if you allow the insurance company to track your driving habits. Pay-per-mile insurance might also offer savings if you don’t drive much.

FAQs About the Cheapest Cars to Insure

Knowing what cars are the cheapest to insure and which are the most expensive can help you stay on budget. We answered the most common questions on the topic below.

What’s the cheapest car to insure?

The Subaru Crosstrek is the cheapest car to insure in 2023, according to Compare.com data. Vehicles with low repair costs and high safety features — which many Subaru models have — are typically the cheapest to insure.

Is a new car cheaper to insure than an old one?

Not always. A new car isn’t necessarily cheaper to insure than an old one. Although age is a factor, so is the coverage and insurance company you choose. Your driving record, age, ZIP code, gender, and other factors also affect how much you’ll pay to insure your car.

Are older cars cheaper to insure?

Older cars can be cheaper to insure, especially if you only need liability insurance and not full coverage. Safety ratings, theft rates, and repair costs factor into insurance premiums for each make and model. Although older cars typically lack anti-theft and safety features, they might be cheaper to repair, which can make them less expensive to insure.

What are some of the cheapest cars to insure?

The Subaru Crosstrek, Honda CR-V, Nissan Kicks, and Toyota RAV4 are some of the cheapest cars to insure, according to our analysis. We also found the cheapest brands for insurance coverage are Subaru, Buick, and GMC.

What is the cheapest car color to insure?

Auto insurance companies usually don’t record your vehicle’s color, so there isn’t a car color that’s cheapest to insure. However, car colors that stand out, like red or yellow, could make you easier to spot if you’re speeding, which could increase your rates if you’re convicted.

Methodology

Data scientists at Compare.com analyzed more than 50 million real-time auto insurance rates from more than 75 partner insurance providers in order to compile the quotes and statistics seen in this article. Compare.com’s auto insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers’ vehicles, driving records, insurance histories, and demographic information. All of the quotes listed in this article have been gathered from a combination of real Compare.com quotes and external insurance rate data gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. All vehicles mentioned in this article are from model year 2018 to present. Compare.com uses these observations to provide drivers with insight into how auto insurance companies determine their premiums.

Sources:

1. Federal Reserve Economic Data, “Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: New Vehicles in U.S. City Average,” Accessed August 24, 2023.
2. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “2023 Honda CR-V Safety Rating,” Accessed August 24, 2023.
3. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “Driver death rates by make and model,” Accessed August 24, 2023.
4. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “Latest driver death rates highlight dangers of muscle cars,” Accessed August 24, 2023.
5. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “2023 Subaru Crosstrek Safety Rating,” Accessed August 24, 2023.