Most «estimators» are quote forms wearing a costume — they want your postcode and phone number before showing a number. This one works the other way round: the vehicle is the input. Insurers already track how much each model costs them in claims, published as an index where 100 is the average car, and that index moves the premium more than almost anything else about the car itself. We hold it for 669 models, so the estimate appears the moment you pick one.
What actually moves the number
Two things set the estimate above: the car's loss index and the state you register it in. The first says how expensive this model is for insurers relative to an average vehicle; the second sets the base premium, and the gap between states is bigger than most people expect:
| State | Average premium | vs US average |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | +39% vs US | |
| Louisiana | +38% vs US | |
| New York | +32% vs US | |
| District of Columbia | +26% vs US | |
| Georgia | +21% vs US | |
| Hawaii | -31% vs US | |
| Idaho | -32% vs US | |
| North Dakota | -33% vs US | |
| Vermont | -33% vs US | |
| Maine | -36% vs US |
Five priciest and five cheapest states. The same car can differ by more than double between them, which is why the estimator asks for a state and nothing else personal.
The cheapest and priciest cars to insure
Across all 669 models the index runs from 48 (Chevrolet Express) to 736 (McLaren 720S) — a spread of roughly $9,899 a year on the same national base. Sorted by what they'd cost you:
Full rankings: cheapest cars to insure and the insurance cost hub.
Estimate by make
Every make we hold loss data for — each page carries the full model list with its own estimate:
Car insurance estimator — frequently asked
Can I estimate car insurance without giving my details?
Yes — that is the point of this page. Choose a make, model and state and the figure appears immediately. We ask for nothing else because the estimate is built from published claim data for the vehicle, not from a quote engine.
How accurate is an estimate by car?
Treat it as the baseline for the car itself, typically within about ±15% for a standard driver on full coverage. Your own premium also moves with age, record, deductible, annual mileage and ZIP — the same model can differ by hundreds between two drivers on the same street.
What does the insurance index mean?
It compares a model's claim losses with the average vehicle, where 100 is average. An index of 130 means insurers lose about 30% more on that model, and the premium follows. Across our 669 models the median sits at 107.
Which cars are cheapest to insure?
On our data the Chevrolet Express leads at an index of 48 — roughly $690 a year at the national average. Family models and modest engines dominate the cheap end; performance and luxury models the expensive one.
Why do two identical cars cost different amounts to insure?
Because the state, and often the ZIP, changes the base premium underneath the car's index. Repair costs, theft rates, weather claims and local legal rules all differ — the state table above shows a spread of more than double between the priciest and cheapest.
Where does the data come from?
Vehicle loss indices published for real models, combined with NAIC state average premiums (2023). It is claim history rather than marketing — what these cars actually cost insurers.