There is an epic battle between minivans and SUVs, with some drivers swearing they would never be caught in a minivan. My wife said the same thing until she test drove and ended up buying a Honda Odyssey.
After trading the Odyssey, the car sequence went Chevy Traverse, Chevy Suburban, Honda CR-V. So we have plenty of experience owning, driving, and insuring minivans as well as compact, midsize, and full-size SUVs.
The convenience of having more space and especially the ability to open side doors by pushing a button was enough to sway my wife, and I’m sure plenty of other drivers, who previously swore off minivans.
In this article, we are going analyze car insurance cost for minivans and all sizes of SUVs to find an answer to the question: Is car insurance cheaper for a minivan or SUV?
Minivan vs SUV car insurance rates
Minivans have basically one size, which is considered midsize for most comparisons. SUVs, however, come in a lot of different sizes, from compact models like the Ford Escape and Nissan Rogue up to the full-size beasts like the Ford Expedition and Chevy Suburban.
For our minivan versus SUV car insurance comparison, we’ll cover the minivan car insurance rates first, then we will compare those rates to each SUV segment and see which comes out on top.
Minivan car insurance rates
For 2024 minivan models, the cheapest minivan insurance rate goes to the Honda Odyssey, costing an average of $1,734 per year. The most expensive minivan to insure is the Kia Carnival, costing $1,962 per year.
It will cost around $228 more to insure a Kia Carnival each year compared to the cheapest minivan to insure, the Honda Odyssey. Going forward with our minivan vs SUV car insurance rate comparison, the average cost to insure a 2024 model-year minivan is $1,879 per year.
The table below details each minivan model and the average annual and monthly budgeting amounts for each.
| Rank | Make/Model | Annual Premium | Cost Per Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honda Odyssey | $1,734 | $145 |
| 2 | Chrysler Pacifica | $1,876 | $156 |
| 3 | Toyota Sienna | $1,944 | $162 |
| 4 | Kia Carnival | $1,962 | $164 |
Data Methodology: Rates are based on the 2024 model year and the 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
Minivan vs compact SUV car insurance rates
Now that we know the average car insurance cost for a 2024 model year minivan is $1,879, we can dive into the compact SUV segment to see what the average annual insurance cost for those models tallies up to.
Average car insurance rates for the 2024 compact SUV segment ranges from the Subaru Crosstrek at $1,402 per year to the Ford Mustang Mach-E at $2,220 per year. The average cost of insurance for the compact SUV segment is $1,745 per year.
Based on the $1,745 figure, a compact SUV on average will cost around $125 less to insure each year than a minivan.
This conclusion uses average rates, however, so for your own comparison, look at the actual average annual rate for each model you are considering. For example, if you are looking at buying either a Honda Odyssey minivan or a Hyundai Nexo compact SUV, the Nexo actually costs about $325 more per year to insure than the Odyssey.
| 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
Minivan vs midsize SUV car insurance rates
Now that we know that compact SUVs on average are cheaper to insure than minivans, lets move up to the midsize SUV segment to see how car insurance rates compare.
For midsize SUVs, the Honda Passport has the cheapest car insurance rates at $1,512 per year for full coverage. The Dodge Durango is the most expensive model to insure at $2,330 per year. The overall average cost of midsize SUV car insurance is $1,874 per year.
Remember, the average minivan car insurance rate is around $1,725 per year, so the average midsize SUV costs almost the same to insure than a minivan for the 2024 model year.
Again, average car insurance rates are just a gauge for each segment as a whole. Be sure to compare the specific rates for each vehicle you are considering in order to make a more accurate cost comparison.
If you want to get even more precise, click over to each of the specific model pages (linked from Make/Model name in each table) in order to get car insurance rates for the different trim levels of each model. Car insurance rates can vary considerably based on trim level.
| Rank | Make/Model | Annual Premium | Cost Per Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honda Passport | $1,512 | $126 |
| 2 | Nissan Murano | $1,594 | $133 |
| 3 | Subaru Outback | $1,618 | $135 |
| 4 | Buick Envista | $1,622 | $135 |
| 5 | Subaru Ascent | $1,652 | $138 |
| 6 | Volkswagen Atlas | $1,684 | $140 |
| 7 | Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport | $1,690 | $141 |
| 8 | Ford Explorer | $1,722 | $144 |
| 9 | Toyota Highlander | $1,728 | $144 |
| 10 | Toyota Venza | $1,732 | $144 |
| 11 | Chevrolet Traverse | $1,770 | $148 |
| 12 | Mitsubishi Outlander Sport | $1,782 | $149 |
| 13 | Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV | $1,784 | $149 |
| 14 | Kia Sorento | $1,800 | $150 |
| 15 | Ford Edge | $1,802 | $150 |
| 16 | Buick Enclave | $1,828 | $152 |
| 17 | GMC Acadia | $1,832 | $153 |
| 18 | Honda Pilot | $1,848 | $154 |
| 19 | Mazda CX-9 | $1,852 | $154 |
| 20 | Jeep Grand Cherokee | $1,898 | $158 |
| 21 | Nissan Pathfinder | $1,928 | $161 |
| 22 | Hyundai Santa Fe | $1,930 | $161 |
| 23 | Hyundai Palisade | $1,932 | $161 |
| 24 | Chevrolet Blazer | $1,958 | $163 |
| 25 | Kia Telluride | $1,978 | $165 |
| 26 | Toyota 4Runner | $2,036 | $170 |
| 27 | Mazda CX-90 | $2,044 | $170 |
| 28 | Toyota Grand Highlander | $2,066 | $172 |
| 29 | Kia EV9 | $2,080 | $173 |
| 30 | Tesla Model Y | $2,100 | $175 |
| 31 | Ford Bronco | $2,104 | $175 |
| 32 | Jeep Wrangler | $2,168 | $181 |
| 33 | Rivian R1S | $2,328 | $194 |
| 34 | Dodge Durango | $2,330 | $194 |
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
Minivan vs large SUV car insurance rates
Last but not least, we look at average car insurance rates for the full-size SUV segment. This isn’t a very large segment numbers-wise, similar to the minivan segment. But these are the gas-guzzling brutes that offer the most hauling capacity and also the highest price tags.
Average car insurance rates for full-size SUVs range from the Chevrolet Tahoe at $1,782 per year to Toyota Sequoia at $2,376 per year. The overall average car insurance rate for all 2024 large SUV models is $2,096 per year.
When compared to average minivan insurance cost, it will cost on average $200 more per year to insure a large SUV than a minivan.
As mentioned before, it’s more useful to compare average rates for each specific vehicle than to use the average segment car insurance rates. For example, comparing insurance rates for the Toyota Sienna minivan to the Toyota Sequoia full-size SUV only results in about at $15 car insurance cost difference on average.
And to get more specific, if you compare the insurance cost for a Toyota Sienna Platinum AWD trim level to the Toyota Sequoia SR5 2WD model, the Sienna actually costs $190 more per year at $2,044 versus $2,234 for the Sequoia.
| Rank | Make/Model | Annual Premium | Cost Per Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevrolet Tahoe | $1,782 | $149 |
| 2 | Chevrolet Suburban | $1,882 | $157 |
| 3 | Nissan Armada | $1,966 | $164 |
| 4 | GMC Yukon | $2,042 | $170 |
| 5 | Ford Expedition | $2,044 | $170 |
| 6 | Jeep Grand Wagoneer | $2,204 | $184 |
| 7 | GMC Hummer EV | $2,210 | $184 |
| 8 | Jeep Wagoneer | $2,360 | $197 |
| 9 | Toyota Sequoia | $2,376 | $198 |
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
Minivan vs SUV insurance battle conclusion
We covered a lot of rates in this article, and there are two things we can conclude:
- Minivan car insurance, on average, is cheaper than both midsize and large SUVs
- Minivan insurance, on average, is slightly more expensive on average than compact SUVs
But as noted throughout the article, it’s better to compare car insurance rates for specific models than to use segment averages. However, it is useful to know that overall, a compact SUV will probably cost less to insure than a minivan. Or that buying a midsize or large SUV will probably cost more to insure than a minivan.
In the end, the best way to know if car insurance is cheaper for a minivan or SUV is to just get some free car insurance quotes. This will give you a much more accurate idea of how much auto insurance will cost based on your specific age, driving characteristics, and vehicle, than using overall average rates.
If you were really paying attention to the models we used on our SUV comparisons, you may have noticed there are no luxury brands like Acura, Lexus, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, etc.
We reserve those models for their own luxury car insurance and luxury SUV insurance comparisons due to the higher average cost of car insurance. Since there are no “luxury” minivans per se, it just makes sense to compare the cost of minivan insurance to mainstream “affordable” SUVs. We say “affordable” tongue-in-cheek because the MRSP of a Chevy Suburban High Country trim level STARTS at $77,445 before additional options are added. Ouch.