Small SUVs and CUVs (Crossover Utility Vehicles) are the fastest growing segment in the automotive industry. In 20 years, the segment has grown to over 40% of the market and has shown no signs of slowing down.
With such a market dominance, how do small SUVs fare on the insurance side? Surprising well, actually. Costing on average 5% more than the average midsized car, small SUVs have a slight disadvantage in fuel economy numbers but more than make up for it with affordable auto insurance rates.
How much does insurance cost for a compact SUV?
The small SUV segment has surprisingly good insurance rates, ranging from the Subaru Crosstrek at $1,402 per year for full coverage insurance to the Ford Mustang Mach-E at $2,220 per year for 2024 models. The average cost of insurance for all small SUVs is $1,745 per year.
The table below ranks all 2024 compact SUVs by annual and monthly insurance policy cost.
| Rank | Make/Model | Annual Premium | Cost Per Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Subaru Crosstrek | $1,402 | $117 |
| 2 | Chevrolet Trailblazer | $1,424 | $119 |
| 3 | Kia Soul | $1,482 | $124 |
| 4 | Nissan Kicks | $1,494 | $125 |
| 5 | Buick Envision | $1,520 | $127 |
| 6 | Toyota Corolla Cross | $1,530 | $128 |
| 7 | Hyundai Venue | $1,540 | $128 |
| 8 | Mazda CX-5 | $1,548 | $129 |
| 9 | Ford Bronco Sport | $1,554 | $130 |
| 10 | Volkswagen Tiguan | $1,570 | $131 |
| 11 | Buick Encore | $1,612 | $134 |
| 12 | Honda CR-V | $1,618 | $135 |
| 13 | Volkswagen Taos | $1,624 | $135 |
| 14 | Kia Niro | $1,626 | $136 |
| 15 | Honda HR-V | $1,650 | $138 |
| 16 | Subaru Forester | $1,692 | $141 |
| 17 | Kia Seltos | $1,694 | $141 |
| 18 | GMC Terrain | $1,698 | $142 |
| 19 | Nissan Rogue | $1,704 | $142 |
| 20 | Hyundai Kona | $1,706 | $142 |
| 21 | Mazda CX-30 | $1,710 | $143 |
| 22 | Volkswagen ID4 | $1,720 | $143 |
| 23 | Ford Escape | $1,730 | $144 |
| 24 | Chevrolet Equinox | $1,746 | $146 |
| 25 | Toyota RAV4 | $1,748 | $146 |
| 26 | Mazda MX-30 | $1,760 | $147 |
| 27 | Hyundai Tucson | $1,764 | $147 |
| 28 | Chevrolet Trax | $1,794 | $150 |
| 29 | Mini Cooper Clubman | $1,798 | $150 |
| 30 | Mini Cooper | $1,800 | $150 |
| 31 | Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross | $1,820 | $152 |
| 32 | Jeep Renegade | $1,824 | $152 |
| 33 | Mitsubishi Outlander | $1,848 | $154 |
| 34 | Nissan Ariya | $1,856 | $155 |
| 35 | Kia Sportage | $1,858 | $155 |
| 36 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 | $1,864 | $155 |
| 37 | Fiat 500X | $1,870 | $156 |
| 38 | Mazda CX-50 | $1,884 | $157 |
| 39 | Toyota bz4X | $1,890 | $158 |
| 40 | Mini Cooper Countryman | $1,892 | $158 |
| 41 | Subaru Solterra | $1,898 | $158 |
| 42 | Mitsubishi Mirage | $1,900 | $158 |
| 43 | Kia EV6 | $1,958 | $163 |
| 44 | Dodge Hornet | $2,018 | $168 |
| 45 | Jeep Compass | $2,054 | $171 |
| 46 | Hyundai Nexo | $2,094 | $175 |
| 47 | Ford Mustang Mach-E | $2,220 | $185 |
Data Methodology: Rates and models are for the 2024 model year. Driver is a 40-year-old married male with no driving violations or at-fault accidents in the prior three years. Uninsured Motorist (UM), Underinsured Motorist (UIM) and medical payments coverages are included. Premium is averaged for all trim levels available for each vehicle. Updated February 23, 2024
As a monthly expense, auto insurance for the small SUV segment ranges from $117 to $185 per month. Assumptions made for these rates include full coverage, a middle-aged safe driver, and rates are averaged for all trim levels for each vehicle model.
Our small SUV segment could be called the “affordable small SUV” class, as it does not include small luxury SUVs like the Acura RDX, Lexus UX 200, or Audi Q3. We rank luxury vehicles separately in order to have more of an apples-to-apples comparison of insurance cost.
Next, we’ll cover some of the more commonly asked questions that might pop up when researching insurance for a small SUV.
Which small SUV is cheapest to insure?
The cheapest 2024 model year small SUV to insure is the Subaru Crosstrek, costing $1,402 per year. This breaks down to $701 for a 6-month policy or $117 per month. With the average small SUV costing $1,745 per year for insurance, the Subaru Crosstrek can potentially save around $343 a year.
The other models ranked in the top five small SUVs with the cheapest insurance cost include the Chevrolet Trailblazer at $1,424 per year, the Kia Soul at $1,482, the Nissan Kicks at $1,494, and the Buick Envision at $1,520.
Also see our complete SUV car insurance cost comparison including mid-size and full-size models to find out what is the cheapest SUV to insure.
Which small SUV is most expensive to insure for 2024?
The most expensive small SUV to insure for the 2024 model year is the Ford Mustang Mach-E, costing $2,220 per year. It will cost around $818 more to insure a Ford Mustang Mach-E each year compared to the cheapest small SUV to insure, the Subaru Crosstrek.
At $2,220 a year, that is a 24% premium over the $1,745 average for the small SUV class, and 16.4% more than the national average car insurance rate (all vehicles) of $1,883.
What does insurance cost on average for a small SUV?
The average insurance rate for all 47 vehicles in our small SUV insurance cost comparison is $1,745 per year. This compares very favorably to the overall all-vehicle national average insurance rate of $1,883, a difference of $138 per year.
What is the most popular small SUV?
By far, the Toyota RAV4 is the most popular small SUV in America. With third quarter 2023 sales of 115,814 units, it beats the second place Honda CR-V by about 17,000 sales. Incidentally, RAV4 insurance costs a little more than the average small SUV at an additional $3 more per year.
Does a Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V cost less to insure?
With the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V being #1 and #2 in small SUV segment sales, an obvious question is which one costs less to insure. The easy winner is the CR-V at $1,618 per year compared to the RAV4 at $1,748, a difference of $130 per year.
The insurance cost for each model does average rates across all trim levels, so it’s important to understand that comparing a base level Toyota RAV4 LE to the premium Honda CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid will have an entirely different result.