Cheapest cars to insure for a teen driver
Of 33 popular first cars, SUVs, and trucks, the 2022 Subaru Forester, Outback, and Crosstrek cost the least to add a new 16-year-old: about $1,000 more a year nationally. Teslas cost the most, at about $1,690 more a year.
These are 2022 models, about the age of a typical first car, from the site's lists of popular first cars, SUVs, and trucks, for a new 16-year-old joining a 40–64-year-old parent's policy with full coverage, at the national typical price. Your state moves every figure up or down by the same share.
Popular first cars
| Car | Added to your policy | On their own policy |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Subaru Crosstrek | +$1,010 a year | $4,400 a year |
| 2022 Hyundai Kona | +$1,120 a year | $4,860 a year |
| 2022 Subaru Impreza | +$1,150 a year | $5,010 a year |
| 2022 Honda HR-V | +$1,170 a year | $5,080 a year |
| 2022 Toyota Prius | +$1,180 a year | $5,130 a year |
| 2022 Mazda 3 | +$1,260 a year | $5,490 a year |
| 2022 Kia Soul | +$1,270 a year | $5,520 a year |
| 2022 Honda Accord | +$1,290 a year | $5,610 a year |
| 2022 Volkswagen Jetta | +$1,290 a year | $5,610 a year |
| 2022 Toyota Corolla | +$1,290 a year | $5,630 a year |
| 2022 Toyota Camry | +$1,300 a year | $5,640 a year |
| 2022 Honda Civic | +$1,340 a year | $5,830 a year |
| 2022 Hyundai Elantra | +$1,390 a year | $6,050 a year |
| 2022 Nissan Sentra | +$1,410 a year | $6,130 a year |
| 2022 Kia Forte | +$1,410 a year | $6,150 a year |
Popular SUVs
| Car | Added to your policy | On their own policy |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Subaru Forester | +$1,000 a year | $4,370 a year |
| 2022 Subaru Outback | +$1,010 a year | $4,380 a year |
| 2022 Honda CR-V | +$1,080 a year | $4,700 a year |
| 2022 Toyota RAV4 | +$1,100 a year | $4,780 a year |
| 2022 Mazda CX-5 | +$1,110 a year | $4,830 a year |
| 2022 Chevrolet Equinox | +$1,130 a year | $4,890 a year |
| 2022 Toyota Highlander | +$1,150 a year | $5,000 a year |
| 2022 Hyundai Tucson | +$1,150 a year | $5,000 a year |
| 2022 Nissan Rogue | +$1,180 a year | $5,120 a year |
| 2022 Ford Escape | +$1,200 a year | $5,240 a year |
| 2022 Kia Sportage | +$1,250 a year | $5,420 a year |
| 2022 Tesla Model Y | +$1,630 a year | $7,110 a year |
Trucks and fun ones
| Car | Added to your policy | On their own policy |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Jeep Wrangler | +$1,130 a year | $4,900 a year |
| 2022 Toyota Tacoma | +$1,150 a year | $4,990 a year |
| 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 | +$1,210 a year | $5,250 a year |
| 2022 Ford F-150 | +$1,240 a year | $5,400 a year |
| 2022 Ford Mustang | +$1,340 a year | $5,800 a year |
| 2022 Tesla Model 3 | +$1,690 a year | $7,370 a year |
“Added to your policy” is how much the household's bill goes up a year with the teen driving that car. “On their own policy” is the teen's whole bill if they had one.
Why some cars cost less
Insurers pay out more for some cars than others. The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) publishes how each model's insurance losses compare with an average car's, one coverage at a time: crash repairs, non-crash damage (theft, weather, fire, vandalism, glass, and animal strikes), and damage to others' property, plus how often injury claims are filed. HLDI rates each one from “substantially better than average” to “substantially worse than average”.
- Subaru Forester: crash repairs better than average; damage to others' property better than average; injury claims better than average (HLDI's ratings).
- Tesla Model 3: crash repairs worse than average; damage to others' property average; injury claims average (HLDI's ratings).
On these lists, the 2022 Subaru Forester, Outback, and Crosstrek cost the least to add a teen with, and the 2022 Kia Forte, Tesla Model Y, and Tesla Model 3 the most. A newer car also costs more to replace, so an older version of the same model usually costs less.
The same order in every state
The order is the same in every state, because our car data is national. What changes from state to state is the price level.
With the 2022 Subaru Forester, adding a teen costs about $720 more a year in Ohio, one of the cheaper states (alongside Maine and North Dakota), and about $1,390 more a year in Florida, the most expensive of the 50 states and DC (with Texas, California, Washington, and New York in between). Your state's page has its own figures, its minimum coverage, and its neighbors.
Added to your policy, or their own?
Many families add a new driver to the policy they already have. The household's bill goes up, but by much less than the teen would pay alone: with the Subaru Forester, about $1,000 more a year added, against about $4,370 a year on their own policy. What adding a teen driver costs, state by state.
What this doesn't cover
- Safety. A cheap car to insure isn't automatically a safe one. For crash tests and safety features, see the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's ratings and NHTSA's 5-star ratings. IIHS also publishes a list of safer used cars for teens.
- The car's price, reliability, and fuel. Insurance is one cost of owning a car, not the only one.
- Your family. Your record, your address, your insurer, and discounts like good grades change real prices. Our figure for adding a teen comes from one state's published prices, so its range is wide.
Compare shows them for a new 16-year-old in your own state; nothing on your list changes until you choose. Here's how we got these numbers.
This is an estimate to help you plan, not a quote. We don't sell insurance, and nothing you type is sent to us. Only an insurer can give you a real price.