About $1,000 a year for full coverage on a national average — 31% less than the $1,438 average car. Insurers rate the Mazda MX-5 at an index of 69 where 100 is a typical vehicle, based on how often and how expensively these cars actually generate claims (latest data covers 2022-2024).
The premium isn't spread evenly across the Mazda MX-5: Personal injury (PIP) — no-fault injury cover in some states — carries its highest loss index at 84, while Property damage sits at 51. Those 33 points are the real reason behind the price, and they are the part a quote form never shows you. Among 15 sports cars we hold data for, the MX-5 ranks #1 from cheapest, below the class median of 138. Against what the car is worth the bill looks different again: a 2020 MX-5 sells for a median $30,000, so a year of cover costs 3.3% of the car's value. Calculated from 18 insurance-loss records and live US listing prices.
Why a MX-5 costs what it does
Insurers don't price a car with one number — they track losses separately for each kind of cover. An index of 100 is the average vehicle, so anything above means this model generates costlier claims of that type:
Read it as «where the money goes». A high Collision figure means these cars are expensive to repair after a crash; a high Comprehensive figure points at theft, weather and vandalism instead. Estimated annual split at $1,000: Liability (BI + PD) $480 · Collision $280 · Comprehensive $120 · Other (UM / PIP) $120.
The MX-5 against its class
Every sports cars we hold insurance data for, cheapest to insure first. The MX-5 is highlighted — rivals are clickable if you're cross-shopping:
Class as defined by insurers (Sports cars), not by us — it groups cars by how they're actually driven and repaired. Median for this class is 138, roughly $1,987 a year.
How it changed by generation
Insurance-loss index of the MX-5 across every generation in the data. Newer isn't automatically cheaper — driver-assist systems cut crash frequency, while sensors and aluminium panels push repair bills up:
Each point averages every recorded variant of that generation. The MX-5 has become more expensive to insure over time (+3 points).
What a MX-5 costs by state
Where you park matters as much as what you drive. The MX-5's index applied to each state's average premium — the same car, the same cover, different postcode:
| State | MX-5 est. / yr | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | +39% vs US | |
| Louisiana | +38% vs US | |
| New York | +32% vs US | |
| District of Columbia | +26% vs US | |
| Georgia | +21% vs US | |
| Texas | +20% vs US | |
| Wisconsin | -31% vs US | |
| Hawaii | -31% vs US | |
| Idaho | -32% vs US | |
| North Dakota | -33% vs US | |
| Vermont | -33% vs US | |
| Maine | -36% vs US |
Six priciest and six cheapest states shown. Figures are the state's average premium scaled by the Mazda MX-5's loss index of 69 — your own quote also depends on age, record, deductible and ZIP.
Mazda MX-5 insurance — frequently asked
How much is insurance for a Mazda MX-5?
About $1,000 a year for full coverage at the national average, versus $1,438 for a typical car. That's the model's insurance-loss index of 69 applied to the US average premium.
Why is the MX-5 expensive or cheap to insure?
For the Mazda MX-5 the costliest area is Personal injury (PIP) at an index of 84, covering no-fault injury cover in some states — against 51 for its cheapest. Insurers set premiums from claim history like that, not from the sticker price — which is why the Mazda MX-5 lands at 69, not at what it costs new.
Is the MX-5 cheaper to insure than rivals?
It ranks #1 of 15 in the sports cars class, where the median index is 138 against this car's 69. Cheaper rivals are listed in the chart above.
Is that a lot relative to the car's value?
A year of cover is 3.3% of what a 2020 MX-5 sells for — $1,000 against a median price of $30,000. Cheap cars often show a higher percentage even when the dollar premium is lower, and at 3.3% the MX-5 sits on the cheap side of it.
Where does this data come from?
Insurance-loss indices published for real vehicles, combined with NAIC state average premiums. It's claim history, not a quote engine — so it shows what these cars actually cost insurers rather than what one company would offer you.
Will my own quote match this?
Treat it as a baseline for the car itself. Your figure also moves with age, driving record, deductible, mileage and ZIP code — the same MX-5 can differ by hundreds between two drivers.
How we work this out
Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.