Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) are popular choices for many drivers. Small SUVs can fit in more compact spots like sedans can, and some SUVs have towing capabilities and cargo space.
Car insurance for SUVs doesn’t have to break the bank either. The average SUV insurance rate is $107 per month, which is less than the national average of $143 per month.
Cheapest SUVs to insure
When buying an SUV, consider all associated costs, such as maintenance and car insurance. SUVs usually have features that set them apart from other car models, and these features may mean more expensive repair costs. Higher repair costs can lead to more expensive car insurance rates.
The table below shows overall average car insurance quotes for different SUVs.
Cheapest car insurance for SUVs
One way to ensure you’re getting the cheapest car insurance rate for your SUV is to research and shop around. Insurance companies use their own underwriting processes when giving a quote for your vehicle. Because of this, your quotes may vary among companies.
Here are the average costs and cheapest insurance companies for various SUV models.
Subaru Forester
The Subaru Forester is a compact SUV that can take you off-road with the best of them, with a spacious interior so you can invite people along. Kelley Blue Book (KBB) has also awarded this SUV with the lowest five-year cost to own among compact SUVs and best resale value.
USAA offers the cheapest car insurance policies for the Subaru Forester, but here are average costs from other auto insurers.
Toyota Highlander
The Toyota Highlander offers passengers a smooth ride and better fuel efficiency than other SUVs. It offers a hands-free rear door lift on certain trims and power-folding mirrors.
USAA offers the cheapest insurance costs for Toyota Highlanders, with an average cost of $67 per month. However, USAA is only available for military members, veterans, and their families. The next-cheapest car insurance company for the Highlander is State Farm.
Ford Escape
This compact SUV has the latest tech, two fuel-efficient hybrid options, and a spacious interior. Its fuel efficiency is 40 miles per gallon, while its counterparts score around 32 MPG.
USAA is the cheapest car insurance for military members, with an average rate of $66 per month, while State Farm comes next for cheap Ford Escape car insurance, at $73 per month.
Nissan Murano
While the Nissan Murano leaves an impression with its exterior, the roofline can restrict the driver’s vision, which may make driving an SUV harder than it needs to be. However, the Nissan Murano offers spacious and comfortable seating for passengers.
The cheapest average car insurance quote for the Nissan Murano is from USAA, but another option for non-military members, State Farm, offers competitive auto insurance rates starting at $76 per month.
Buick Encore
The Buick Encore offers a luxury SUV feel without a luxury model price tag. Not only does it have leather seats, but it also offers a cabin-air ionizer to help people with asthma and allergies breathe better.
Military members can snag the cheapest average insurance quotes with USAA, at an average rate of $68 per month. Non-military customers may find cheap rates with State Farm, which has an average rate of $76 per month.
Ford Edge
Smaller than a Ford Expedition, the Ford Edge offers an important feature for an SUV: a perimeter alarm. This alarm alerts you when you’re too close to another vehicle with lane-departure warnings and helps you navigate squeezing into a tight space.
While military members, veterans, and their families can find cheap SUV coverage rates for the Ford Edge with USAA, State Farm offers the lowest average rates to the general public, at $77 per month.
Honda HR-V
The Honda HR-V has a KBB rating of 4.7 and one of the best safety ratings with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for its features.2 While the Honda HR-V may have extra bells and whistles, USAA still offers the cheapest SUV coverage, with an average monthly quote of $69.
Still, State Farm is the cheapest auto insurer for non-military members, with an average cost of $76 per month.
Chevrolet Trailblazer
It may be an SUV, but the Chevrolet Trailblazer offers ample cargo space with a flat folding seat front and can handle lightweight adventures with its smaller engine, making it perfect for camping.
The cheapest auto insurer for the Chevy Trailblazer is American Family, with an average monthly quote of $61.
Chevrolet Equinox
The Chevrolet Equinox has relatively affordable pricing and a better resale value. Due to its highway safety, the Equinox is one of America’s top-selling compact SUVs — behind the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.
Military members, veterans, and families with a Chevy Equinox can find cheap SUV insurance with USAA, at an average of $72 per month. However, State Farm and GEICO offer cheap rates for non-military drivers.
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer offers a powerful engine and above-average safety features. Remember that while these SUVs start with a retail price of $38,885 for the basic trim level, they can quickly become one of the most expensive SUVs if you add more optional features.
State Farm and GEICO offer some of the cheapest car insurance coverages for the Ford Explorer, at $81 and $84 per month, respectively.
How to get the cheapest SUV insurance
You can do a few things to help make sure you’re getting the cheapest SUV insurance possible:
Shop around to compare rates. This is one of the most significant ways to save. Insurance companies use different methods when determining insurance premiums based on where you live, your age, gender, driving record, vehicle, and more. Get quotes from at least three different insurance companies to compare rates.
Check and improve your credit score. Laws vary from state to state, but most states allow insurance companies to use your credit information when determining car insurance rates — people with poor credit tend to pay more expensive car insurance rates. Pay your credit accounts on time, keep your credit utilization less than 30%, and report any inaccuracies on your credit report to help improve your score.
Raise your deductible. Your deductible is what you pay up front before your car insurance company covers the rest. Higher deductibles mean lower premiums, and vice versa. Just make sure you can afford the out-of-pocket cost before you increase your deductible to get lower car insurance rates.
What SUV insurance covers
SUV insurance coverage is the same as standard coverage on a sedan or truck. Let’s quickly review some coverages you might need to insure your vehicle, depending on state driving laws:
Factors that affect your car insurance rates
Remember that many factors affect your car insurance premium, including:3
Location: Where you live, down to your ZIP code, can affect your car insurance rates. Your area’s rates of car thefts and accidents influence the cost of SUV car insurance for everyone who lives there.
Make, model, and year of vehicle: The make and model of your SUV can influence your insurance rates. Safety features, size, repair costs, and more affect how much you pay for car insurance.
Driving record: It’s essential to keep a clean driving record. Driving incidents such as speeding tickets, at-fault accidents, and driving under the influence (DUI) can signal to insurance companies that you’re a high-risk driver, and insurers increase costs to compensate for this added risk.
Age: Young drivers pay much more for car insurance than experienced drivers older than 25, but insurance rates drop significantly once drivers reach their 30s.
SUV insurance FAQs
Use Insurify’s guide to discounts to help you look for the cheapest insurance. Below are the answers to some commonly asked questions when researching cheap SUV insurance.
Who has the cheapest SUV insurance?
USAA, State Farm, and GEICO offer the cheapest SUV insurance on average, according to Insurify data. It’s important to remember that what’s cheapest for someone else may not be the cheapest for you, so you should always compare quotes and research companies.
How much does SUV insurance cost?
The national average monthly SUV insurance rate is $107, but some car insurance companies have average rates of less than $100 per month.
Which SUV is cheaper to insure?
The cheapest SUV to insure is a Subaru Forester. This compact SUV is also rated as having the best resale value once you’re ready to move on to another car.
What’s the cheapest compact SUV to insure?
The Subaru Forester is the cheapest compact SUV to insure, based on Insurify data. The average car insurance rate for a Forester is $132 per month.