Everyone assumes their insurance bill is mostly about them. Their age, their record, their ZIP code. Those matter, sure. But when I actually dug into how insurers set a premium, the biggest lever turned out to be something else entirely: the car itself. And the data on which cars are cheap genuinely surprised me.
Insurers score every vehicle on how much it costs them in real claims, on a scale where 100 is average. Pick one well under 100 and you can cut your bill nearly in half before you change a single thing about yourself.
| Vehicle | Body type | Insurance index (100 = avg) | vs. average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeep Wrangler | Midsize SUV | −64% | |
| GMC Sierra 1500 | Full-size pickup | −62% | |
| Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | Full-size pickup | −53% | |
| Subaru Outback | Wagon / crossover | −48% | |
| Ford Escape | Compact SUV | −47% | |
| Honda CR-V | Compact SUV | −43% | |
| Chevrolet Traverse | 3-row SUV | −42% | |
| Subaru Forester | Compact SUV | −41% |
Look at what's sitting at the top. Not econoboxes. Family SUVs, wagons and full-size pickups. The Jeep Wrangler and big trucks land around 60% below average, because nobody's stealing them, they protect the people inside, and their parts are cheap and everywhere. This is the exact reason every insurance agent quietly steers a teen driver toward a boring crossover.
Why they're cheap, in plain English
Four things drag a car's number down: low theft appeal, cheap and plentiful parts, strong crash protection so fewer injury payouts, and a calmer owner base that files fewer wild claims. A car that hits all four saves you money for as long as you own it.
Now the other end of the scale
The same data gets brutal fast. Luxury and performance cars stack pricey repairs on top of theft appeal on top of high-speed claims:
| Vehicle segment | Insurance index (100 = avg) | vs. average |
|---|---|---|
| Luxury performance sedans | 13× avg | |
| Luxury SUVs (e.g. BMW X6) | 8× avg | |
| Sports cars | 3× avg | |
| Small subcompacts (teen-driven) | 1.6× avg |
A luxury performance sedan can cost 13 times what a Wrangler does to insure. And here's the twist that catches people out: a cheap little subcompact can land above average the second a young driver's on the policy. Cheap to buy and cheap to insure are not the same thing.
My move to pay even less
Beyond picking a low-number car: bump your deductible, bundle with home or renters, ask about usage-based tracking discounts, and re-shop every single renewal, because loyalty gets quietly punished. And before you buy anything, see an exact quote range with our car insurance cost calculator, check resale with our value estimator, and run a free VIN check.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest type of car to insure?
Family SUVs, wagons and full-size pickups are consistently the cheapest to insure. They have low theft rates, cheap parts, strong crash protection and lower-risk owners — vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler, Honda CR-V, Subaru Outback and full-size pickups sit well below the average insurance index.
Does the car really affect insurance more than the driver?
Both matter, but the vehicle sets the baseline. Insurers price each car against its real claims history (theft, repair cost, injury rate). The same driver can pay half as much on a CR-V as on a luxury SUV.
Why are SUVs cheaper to insure than small cars?
Mainstream SUVs are stolen less, protect occupants better (fewer injury claims) and are driven by lower-risk owners. Small sporty cars and luxury models cost more because of theft appeal, expensive parts and higher-speed claims.
What is the cheapest car to insure for a teenager?
A mainstream compact SUV like a Honda CR-V, Ford Escape or Subaru Forester is the usual pick — low insurance index plus strong safety scores keep the (already high) teen premium as low as possible.
Denis Kataev is a serial solopreneur and the founder of ForCar. With 15+ years in software engineering and 10 years in SEO, he builds data-driven products end to end — backed by a sharp eye for design. At ForCar he mines proprietary vehicle datasets, turning raw numbers into buying advice you can actually trust.