Is a 2018 Toyota Tacoma expensive to insure? Let’s just say the chances are pretty good if you’re comparing it to other midsize pickups.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the average price drivers can expect to pay to insure a 2018 Tacoma, and also how average Tacoma insurance rates match up to both midsize pickups and other popular models.
We also explore how various rating factors have an influence on the rate you pay to insure your Tacoma. Things like the deductibles you choose and the state you live in have a pretty significant impact on the rate you pay.
First, let’s take a look at what you can expect to pay based on some different driver ages and policy deductibles.
The chart below breaks out average rates for three different policy deductibles: $250, $500, and $1,000. Plus, it groups those rates by driver age, showing rates for the 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60-year-old age groups.
From the chart data, you can see that for the average forty-year-old driver, having $1,000 instead of $250 policy deductibles can save $462 per year: $1,366 compared to $1,828.
This deductible savings difference gets even larger for younger drivers. If the driver is twenty, the savings difference will be $914 per year: $2,742 compared to $3,656.
A lot of auto insurance providers offer policies with even lower deductibles. $100 and even $50 deductibles are actually a thing, but you’re going to pay a lot to have them.
We didn’t include it in the chart above, but insurance on a 2018 Tacoma with $100 deductibles would cost $668 more per year than a $1,000 deductible for a forty-year-old, and $1,340 per year more for a twenty-year-old.
That’s a ton of money to spend just to save a few bucks based on the possibility of having a claim. We compare rates for low and high-deductible policies because raising policy deductibles is hands down one of the easiest ways to pay less for auto insurance.
The cheapest 2018 Toyota Tacoma insurance
Everyone wants the cheapest insurance. But in this case, we aren’t talking about the cheapest insurance COMPANY for a Tacoma, but rather the cheapest TRIM LEVEL of Tacoma to insure.
Along with the physical damage deductibles and your age, which were already covered, a different contributing factor that has a big effect on the amount you have to pay to insure a 2018 Toyota Tacoma is the trim level.
There are exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, the more a vehicle costs, the more the price of insurance goes up.
The following table breaks down insurance rates for all 2018 Toyota Tacoma models. Premiums are shown for both annual and semi-annual coverage terms, as well as an amount for monthly budgeting.
| Toyota Tacoma Trim Level | Annual Policy | Six-Month Policy | Per Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access Cab SR 2WD | $1,424 | $712 | $119 |
| Access Cab SR5 2WD | $1,470 | $735 | $123 |
| Double Cab SR 2WD | $1,470 | $735 | $123 |
| Access Cab SR 4WD | $1,518 | $759 | $127 |
| Double Cab SR5 2WD | $1,544 | $772 | $129 |
| Access Cab TRD Sport 2WD | $1,560 | $780 | $130 |
| Access Cab SR5 4WD | $1,592 | $796 | $133 |
| Double Cab SR 4WD | $1,592 | $796 | $133 |
| Double Cab TRD Off-Road 2WD | $1,606 | $803 | $134 |
| Double Cab TRD Sport 2WD | $1,606 | $803 | $134 |
| Access Cab TRD Off-Road 4WD | $1,638 | $819 | $137 |
| Access Cab TRD Sport 4WD | $1,638 | $819 | $137 |
| Double Cab SR5 4WD | $1,638 | $819 | $137 |
| Double Cab TRD Off-Road 4WD | $1,638 | $819 | $137 |
| Double Cab TRD Sport 4WD | $1,638 | $819 | $137 |
| Double Cab Limited 2WD | $1,650 | $825 | $138 |
| Double Cab Limited 4WD | $1,728 | $864 | $144 |
| Double Cab TRD Pro 4WD | $1,728 | $864 | $144 |
The 2018 Tacoma trim level with the overall least expensive insurance rate is the Access Cab SR 2WD trim level, at the average price of $1,424 per year.
The highest-priced model to insure is the Double Cab TRD Pro 4WD at $1,728 per year.
The cost difference between those two trim levels is $304, which is fairly significant. It just goes to show how important it is to factor in the right trim level for your Tacoma when comparing insurance rates. Otherwise, a rate estimate could be off by several hundred dollars if the wrong trim level is used.
If you can afford to pay your entire 2018 Tacoma insurance bill at once, rather than in monthly payments, you could save anywhere from $80 to $159 per year, depending on the company.
2018 Tacoma versus the competition
The 2018 Toyota Tacoma ranks fifth out of five comparison vehicles in the 2018 midsize pickup segment for lowest-cost auto insurance. The Tacoma costs $1,592 per year for full coverage insurance, while the segment average price is $1,472, making the Tacoma $120 more expensive per year to insure than the segment average.
It could take some work to find “cheap” insurance on a 2018 Toyota Tacoma. However, when compared to all vehicles and not just the four other midsize pickups in its segment, the Tacoma fares much better.
When we average the insurance rates across all 2018 model-year vehicles, we come up with an average of $1,702. The Tacoma at $1,592 per year doesn’t look so bad in comparison.
The next table takes a look at how well Tacoma insurance rates fare against all other 2018 model-year midsize trucks. The Toyota Tacoma rate is shown in a light orange color, while the overall average segment rate is displayed in light blue.
| Rank | Make and Model | Insurance Cost | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GMC Canyon | $1,384 | -$208 |
| 2 | Honda Ridgeline | $1,416 | -$176 |
| 3 | Nissan Frontier | $1,416 | -$176 |
| 2018 Midsize Truck Average | $1,472 | -$120 | |
| 4 | Chevrolet Colorado | $1,550 | -$42 |
| 5 | Toyota Tacoma | $1,592 | -- |
The difference column in the table specifies how much higher or lower the insurance cost is for each model when compared to the Toyota Tacoma. Green indicates a lower rate for that model and any red values would indicate a higher cost. But since the Tacoma is the most expensive model to insure for 2018, there are no red values.
Here is an example. The Chevrolet Colorado ranks fourth in the comparison and has an average rate of $1,550. If you compare this rate to the Toyota Tacoma, which has an average rate of $1,592 per year, insurance cost on the Chevrolet Colorado is $42 less per year, therefore green is the cost difference color.
Tacoma versus other popular models
We determined in the previous section that the Tacoma has the most expensive insurance rates out of the 2018 midsize pickup segment.
However, midsize trucks actually have pretty low insurance rates when compared to other automotive segments.
The chart below takes popular models from other segments and compares the cost to insure them to the Tacoma.
The chart has a good mix of vehicles, from compact SUVs like the Crosstrek and CR-V, midsize car models like the Honda Accord, full-size trucks like the GMC Sierra, and full-size SUVs like the Chevy Tahoe.
Overall, the Tacoma hangs pretty well with most models other than the small SUVs. Those tend to have the best car insurance rates out of all segments. Surprisingly, the Toyota 4Runner beats the Tacoma by a pretty good margin as well, coming in at $1,408, which is $184 less per year than the Tacoma.
We recommend comparing rates between at least five different car insurance companies in order to find the best rates. Include several major companies (State Farm, GEICO, etc.) as well as smaller players in your area.
Average Tacoma insurance rates in your state
Where you live has an enormous effect on what you’ll pay to insure your Tacoma. Rates vary by state and even within a state rates can vary considerably.
The table below shows the average cost to insure a 2018 Toyota Tacoma in all fifty U.S. states. The table is sorted alphabetically by state name, but all columns are sortable to make it easy to find the states with the cheapest average prices.
| U.S. State | Annual Policy | Six-month Policy | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | $968 | $484 | $81 |
| North Carolina | $1,002 | $501 | $84 |
| Virginia | $1,064 | $532 | $89 |
| Iowa | $1,070 | $535 | $89 |
| New Hampshire | $1,074 | $537 | $90 |
| Hawaii | $1,090 | $545 | $91 |
| Ohio | $1,116 | $558 | $93 |
| Wisconsin | $1,142 | $571 | $95 |
| Idaho | $1,142 | $571 | $95 |
| Vermont | $1,160 | $580 | $97 |
| Indiana | $1,190 | $595 | $99 |
| Alaska | $1,208 | $604 | $101 |
| New Mexico | $1,306 | $653 | $109 |
| North Dakota | $1,316 | $658 | $110 |
| Nebraska | $1,328 | $664 | $111 |
| South Carolina | $1,332 | $666 | $111 |
| Minnesota | $1,364 | $682 | $114 |
| Utah | $1,390 | $695 | $116 |
| Illinois | $1,392 | $696 | $116 |
| Wyoming | $1,410 | $705 | $118 |
| West Virginia | $1,414 | $707 | $118 |
| Alabama | $1,428 | $714 | $119 |
| Washington | $1,432 | $716 | $119 |
| Arizona | $1,452 | $726 | $121 |
| Montana | $1,456 | $728 | $121 |
| Maryland | $1,474 | $737 | $123 |
| Texas | $1,474 | $737 | $123 |
| Oregon | $1,482 | $741 | $124 |
| Tennessee | $1,508 | $754 | $126 |
| Pennsylvania | $1,522 | $761 | $127 |
| Mississippi | $1,542 | $771 | $129 |
| Kansas | $1,558 | $779 | $130 |
| Georgia | $1,618 | $809 | $135 |
| South Dakota | $1,626 | $813 | $136 |
| Arkansas | $1,656 | $828 | $138 |
| Kentucky | $1,694 | $847 | $141 |
| Colorado | $1,696 | $848 | $141 |
| Massachusetts | $1,724 | $862 | $144 |
| Oklahoma | $1,746 | $873 | $146 |
| Connecticut | $1,760 | $880 | $147 |
| Missouri | $1,782 | $891 | $149 |
| Delaware | $1,798 | $899 | $150 |
| New York | $1,830 | $915 | $153 |
| Louisiana | $1,874 | $937 | $156 |
| Nevada | $1,888 | $944 | $157 |
| California | $1,908 | $954 | $159 |
| New Jersey | $1,910 | $955 | $159 |
| Rhode Island | $1,956 | $978 | $163 |
| Florida | $1,958 | $979 | $163 |
| Michigan | $2,140 | $1,070 | $178 |
Eight tips for finding cheaper Toyota Tacoma insurance
Nobody wants to overpay for car insurance. There are some things you can do to help ensure that you’re not overpaying on your current policy or a new one.
The tips and suggestions below are some of the best ways to either lower your rate OR keep it low.
1. Compare insurance quotes before buying a vehicle
Different vehicles, and even different trims of the same vehicle, have very different costs for insurance, and companies can sell coverages with a wide range of prices. Get plenty of comparison quotes before you purchase so you can avoid price shock when you get your first insurance bill.
2. Shop around for better prices
Taking a couple of minutes every year or so to get a few free car insurance quotes is one of the best recommendations for saving money on car insurance. Rates are always changing and you can switch anytime.
3. A clean driving record saves money
If you want to get cheap auto insurance, you need to be a safe driver (don’t speed, don’t get into accidents, etc.). In fact, just a few minor infractions on your driving record can potentially raise auto insurance rates by as much as $426 per year on a 2018 Tacoma.
4. Improve your credit rating to save on insurance
Having a high credit rating of over 800 may save $250 per year over a credit score ranging from 670-739. Conversely, a lower credit score could cost around $290 more per year. Not all states use credit-based insurance scores as a rating factor, so check with your agent or company to see if you’re getting penalized (or benefitting) from your credit history.
5. Stay claim free
Most auto insurance companies offer discounts if you have no claims. Car insurance is intended to be used for significant claims, not small claims that can be paid out-of-pocket.
6. Buy vehicles with cheaper insurance
The type of vehicle you drive has a big impact on the price you pay for auto insurance. As an example, a Hyundai Venue costs $788 less per year to insure than a Chevrolet Camaro. Lower-performance vehicles cost less to insure (although they’re less fun).
7. Save money by raising deductibles
Raising your policy deductibles from $500 to $1,000 could save around $226 per year for a 40-year-old driver and $444 per year for a 20-year-old driver. The more you raise them, the more you save. Just make sure you have adequate savings on hand to cover the out-of-pocket expense required by a higher deductible.
8. If your vehicle is older, reduce coverage
Removing physical damage coverage (comprehensive and collision) from older vehicles whose value has decreased will cut the cost of auto insurance significantly. Also, look at optional coverages like roadside assistance or lower glass deductibles and remove them if they are no longer needed.