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Cheapest Cars to Insure for Young Drivers

The cheapest cars to insure for young drivers are practical, safe, low-loss models — the Chevrolet Express is cheapest at about $690/yr. Ranked from real HLDI insurance-loss data; sporty and high-power cars excluded.

By ForCar Research · Loss data HLDI · Premiums NAIC
Cheapest cars to insure

The cheapest cars to insure share a clear profile: low theft, low repair cost and low injury claims. On our data the Chevrolet Express is cheapest — about $690/yr at the US average, roughly 52% below a typical car. Every figure below is the state-average premium × each car's real HLDI insurance-loss index — use the calculator for your state.

Across the 309 cars we price, insurance averages 102% of what a typical vehicle costs to insure — roughly $1,467/yr against the $1,438 national average. Within this list the gap is $3,937 a year between the cheapest and the other end — same coverage, different car. The top of this ranking is mostly Ford, Subaru, Volkswagen. HLDI loss data × NAIC premiums.

CHEAPEST
Express
cheapest ($690/yr)
PER YEAR
$690
cheapest est. premium
GROUP AVG
$1,467
average for these cars
RANKED
309
cars with real data

Cheapest Cars to insure — full ranking

Estimated annual premium at the US average, cheapest first — real HLDI insurance-loss index. Click a model for its full page.

FIG.01
#VehicleEst. premiumvs averageVerdict
1Chevrolet Express$690/yr48% of avgCheap
2Pontiac Montana$923/yr64% of avgCheap
3Buick Rendezvous$938/yr65% of avgCheap
4Subaru Forester$946/yr66% of avgCheap
5Buick Terraza$951/yr66% of avgCheap
6Ford E-350$951/yr66% of avgCheap
7GMC Acadia$958/yr67% of avgCheap
8Mini Cooper$959/yr67% of avgCheap
9Subaru Outback$959/yr67% of avgCheap
10GMC Savana$961/yr67% of avgCheap
11Subaru Crosstrek$978/yr68% of avgCheap
12Subaru Ascent$989/yr69% of avgCheap
13Volkswagen Golf Alltrack$992/yr69% of avgCheap
14Volkswagen Golf$1,001/yr70% of avgCheap
15Ford Freestyle$1,002/yr70% of avgCheap
16RAM ProMaster 3500$1,011/yr70% of avgCheap
17Ford Five Hundred$1,015/yr71% of avgCheap
18Nissan Xterra$1,018/yr71% of avgCheap
19Ford Transit$1,020/yr71% of avgCheap
20Honda Pilot$1,020/yr71% of avgCheap
21Ford Taurus X$1,021/yr71% of avgCheap
22Ford Ranger$1,038/yr72% of avgCheap
23Hyundai Entourage$1,044/yr73% of avgCheap
24Saturn Relay$1,044/yr73% of avgCheap
25Volkswagen GTI$1,047/yr73% of avgCheap
26Fiat 500X$1,054/yr73% of avgCheap
27Toyota FJ Cruiser$1,064/yr74% of avgCheap
28Mazda CX-50$1,067/yr74% of avgCheap
29Mazda MPV$1,079/yr75% of avgCheap
30Toyota 4-Runner$1,080/yr75% of avgCheap
ROWS 30·SOURCE HLDI × NAIC

Top 15 cheapest cars to insure

Estimated annual premium at the US average — the cheapest cars to insure.

FIG.02
01
Chevrolet Express48% of avg$690
02
Pontiac Montana64% of avg$923
03
Buick Rendezvous65% of avg$938
04
Subaru Forester66% of avg$946
05
Buick Terraza66% of avg$951
06
Ford E-35066% of avg$951
07
GMC Acadia67% of avg$958
08
Mini Cooper67% of avg$959
09
Subaru Outback67% of avg$959
10
GMC Savana67% of avg$961
11
Subaru Crosstrek68% of avg$978
12
Subaru Ascent69% of avg$989
13
Volkswagen Golf Alltrack69% of avg$992
14
Volkswagen Golf70% of avg$1,001
15
Ford Freestyle70% of avg$1,002
TOP 15·UNIT est. $/yr (US avg)·SOURCE HLDI × NAIC
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What makes a car cheap to insure

Insurers price a car on how much it costs them — exactly what the HLDI loss index measures. The big factors:

Repair costCheap, common parts and simple builds keep collision claims low.
Theft rateRarely-stolen models keep comprehensive premiums down.
Power & speedModest engines mean fewer and less-severe crashes.
SafetyStrong crash ratings and driver-assist cut injury claims.
Who drives itFamily-oriented cars are driven more carefully; sporty ones aren't.
ValueA pricier car costs more to replace, raising collision and comprehensive.

Safety is one of the biggest levers — cars with top crash-test scores file fewer injury claims. See the safest cars by crash-test score.

Check any car in your state

This ranking uses the US average. Pick a specific car and state below for its estimated annual premium — same real HLDI loss data.

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Cheapest Cars to Insure for Young Drivers — frequently asked

What is the cheapest car to insure?

The Chevrolet Express is the cheapest car to insure in our data — about $690/yr at the US average, roughly 52% below a typical car.

How is this ranking calculated?

We rank cars by their real HLDI insurance-loss index (how much each costs insurers versus an average car, 100 = average) and estimate the premium as the US-average premium × that index. It's an estimate for a typical driver, full coverage — not a quote.

Are cars cheaper to insure than other cars?

The cars on this list run well below the average car; cars with low theft, repair and injury losses are among the cheapest vehicles to insure overall.

Does the state I live in change this?

Yes — these figures use the US average. Your state can move the premium up or down by 30%+ . Use the calculator or see cost by state.

Ranking computed by ForCar from HLDI/IIHS insurance-loss indices (relative losses versus an average car, 100 = average) combined with NAIC US average premium (2023). Estimates assume a typical driver, full coverage; your quote varies with state, age, record and coverage. For research and comparison, not a quote. Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.