The Tesla Model Y SUV and BMW X5 SUV are among the most expensive. In general, smaller pickups and small SUVs cost less to cover, while larger sedans and SUVs cost the most.

Car insurance costs are higher for certain vehicles for various reasons — a car with high repair costs, a poor safety record or few anti-theft features will likely cost more to cover.

What's the cheapest car to insure?

The Ford F-150 is the cheapest car to insure out of the top-selling vehicles, with an annual auto insurance cost of $1,990.

This is 16% less than the average yearly cost across all vehicles analyzed. The F-150's insurance cost is $2,681 less per year than the cost for the most expensive car to insure — the BMW X5.

Cheapest cars to insure

Vehicles with values between $25,000 and $35,000 have the lowest auto insurance rates. At $2,223 per year on average, they cost 5% less to insure than the cheapest cars, or those valued at less than $25,000.

By contrast, the more expensive cars — with values of more than $35,000 — cost the most to insure, with an average annual car insurance rate of $2,640. This group includes the Tesla Model Y and the BMW X5 — two of the most expensive cars to insure.

Cheapest cars to insure by car type

Auto shoppers will most likely have a specific type of vehicle that they are looking for when buying a new car. For example, if you need a vehicle that can hold many passengers, you are more likely to look at SUVs or minivans.

Which car make is the cheapest to insure?

Americans have an extensive range of car brands to choose from when shopping for a new vehicle, and certain car makes tend to be more expensive than others. For example, a Mazda or Volkswagen tends to be cheaper to insure when compared to a luxury brand such as BMW or Tesla.

The cheapest car type to insure

The size and shape of your car impact the cost of insuring it. Generally, a car with a more powerful engine and more extras will cost more to insure. Electric vehicles also often cost more to insure than cars with gasoline engines.

Why does the car you drive affect your insurance rates?

Insurance companies set their rates based on the chance that a driver of a certain vehicle will file a claim and the expected cost of a claim should that vehicle be involved in an accident.

This is why sports cars, which are more likely to be involved in accidents, are often more expensive to insure.

Vehicles that cost more to repair — or have high market values — will also often have higher insurance rates. This is because insurance companies anticipate having to pay out more for any comprehensive and collision insurance claims, which cover the cost to repair or replace your vehicle. Because of this heightened risk for insurance companies, they increase rates. It is also why car insurance rates may decrease as your car ages — increasing the availability of replacement parts can make a repair cheaper.

However, sophisticated safety features such as early crash detection or advanced air bags may reduce your rates, as they may reduce the chances or severity of a crash, especially regarding an injury. While vehicle damage claims are more common than bodily injury claims, the average payout for the latter is much higher.

Lastly, car theft also plays a role in your rates. Some cars are stolen more often than others, so your rates will probably be higher if you are driving one of those cars. However, drivers should keep in mind that there are many other factors at play that impact auto insurance rates, such as age.

Are stick-shift cars cheaper to insure?

Overall yes, stick-shift cars are slightly cheaper to insure than automatic cars, although the difference is only a few dollars a month. This can vary depending on the insurance company, but many will provide slightly lower rates for manual vehicles since they tend to be less expensive to replace and repair.

Cheapest cars for young drivers to insure

For younger drivers, the Ford F-150, Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V are the cheapest cars to cover. Each one is at least 14% cheaper than average.

Younger drivers tend to pay considerably more for coverage. On average, a 21-year-old pays 53% more than a 30-year-old driver.

This means the vehicle you choose could make even more of a difference. For example, full coverage for the BMW X5 costs $4,322 more than full coverage for a Ford F-150.

Most expensive vehicles to insure

Each costs more than $3,000 per year for full coverage.

If you want to keep your car insurance rates down, it's a good idea to avoid standard-size SUVs and large sedans. Those tend to be the most expensive vehicles to insure.

Insurance for electric vehicles also tends to be pricier, largely because they have more technology on board and are more expensive to repair.

Methodology: How we got our data

ValuePenguin gathered insurance quotes for the 2023 models of the 48 top-selling cars of 2022 using sales for the first nine months of the year. Rates weren't yet available for all 2023 car models. In those cases, we included the 2022 model.

Sample rates are state averages in Illinois for a 30-year-old with a good driving record. Rates for young drivers are for a 21-year-old. All quotes are for full coverage. We included rates from the five largest insurance companies in the country: State Farm, Progressive, Geico, Allstate and USAA.

EPA size categories were collected from fueleconomy.gov. Car MSRPs are from car manufacturer websites.