Car Insurance for SUVs: Everything You Need to Know About SUV Insurance

Wondering about SUV insurance rates? You’ve come to the right place.

There’s a lot to love about SUVs: they can carry a load of people, they have more leg and head room, offer more comfortable driving, and because they are bigger, they tend to fare better in poor weather and accidents.

Another huge perk of SUVs: they give larger families a vehicle option that’s not a minivan. Finally.

While SUVs aren’t particularly fuel efficient (about 1/4 less than the typical car), this is a trade off many people are willing to make to reap the benefits of this more spacious vehicle. In fact, SUVs are on the rise globally, with SUVs making up about 46% of vehicle sales in 2022.

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But does a bigger vehicle always mean more costly insurance?

The answer: it depends. SUVs insurance is generally less than for trucks or sedans, but the exact amount you are going to pay depends on multiple factors, including:

Your driving history. If you’ve been in a lot of accidents, your SUV insurance will cost you more.
Your age. Younger and older drivers tend to pay more for auto insurance, since —statistically —they tend to be behind the wheel in more accidents.
Where you live. Certain states have higher auto insurance rates, and certain cities can cost more to insure a car due to vandalism and theft.
If you have other insurance policies with the provider. If you have multiple auto policies with a provider, they may offer you a multi-car discount.
The SUV’s make and model. The difference between SUV insurance rates between different makes and models is significant. Ranging from just over $1,200/year to over $3,000.
The limits and deductibles you choose. Bigger deductibles (the amount you agree to pay up front) and lower limits mean cheaper insurance. But in the case of the lower limits, be careful: too low and you may not get the protection you need.
Safety features in your vehicle. Having anti-theft and other safety features in your SUV can lower the cost of your insurance.

So, the answer to the often asked question, “are SUVs more expensive to insure?” is, it depends.

What You Need to Know About SUV Insurance Rates

Smaller SUVs are generally cheaper to insure than larger ones. The cheapest SUV to insure is the Honda CR-V, which costs about $1,673/year. The larger and most popular SUV, the Tesla Y, is $2,884/year to insure.

In between these two extremes you have SUV insurance rates like this:

Jeep Wrangler: $1,771
Subaru Forester: $1,805
Toyota Highlander: $1,818
Ford Explorer: $1,822
Toyota RAV4: $1,865

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How to Choose the Best SUV Insurance

The best SUV insurance will be coverage that gives you all the protection you need at the best price for your particular model of SUV.

If you don’t have an SUV yet and are simply in the market for one and doing your research, then you can take the insurance costs into account before you buy. Get a free quote and shop around. There’s no point purchasing a vehicle you can’t comfortably afford to insure, or can’t afford to insure with all the protection you need.

It’s also important to know that insurance providers can vary widely on their pricing. Consider this: to insure a Chevrolet Equinox, AIG charges $3,428/year, whereas State Farm only charges $1,229/year.

This is a stark and sobering example of why it is so important to shop around for your SUV insurance. Don’t just assume the insurance provider you have now and has had for years will give you the best price, because even if they offer a loyalty discount for your SUV insurance—which is usually only around 10% or less—you’re not getting the best price.

This is why we offer fast and free no obligation SUV insurance quotes. Get yours here to educate yourself and save money.

Questions to Ask Your Provider About SUV Insurance Rates

Before you commit to SUV insurance with any given provider, be sure to ask them a few questions to insure you really are getting the best protection at the best price.

Ask what your coverage includes. For instance, comprehensive coverage may sound like you’re covered against everything, but you’re actually not. Comprehensive will protect your SUV if a tree falls on it, but won’t offer coverage if you hit another vehicle or object.
Ask about discounts. There are a ton of auto insurance discounts many people don’t even know about, like good driver discounts, student discounts, military and veteran discounts, and discounts for safety features and bundling your home and auto insurance. Ask about any available discounts because insurance providers won’t always bring them up.
Ask if your SUV insurance rate is cheaper if you pay by the year. Almost all insurance companies will charge you less if you pay for the whole year up-front. Why? Because they don’t have to process payments every month, so when they save time, you save money.

Is SUV Insurance Cheaper Than Other Types of Car Insurance?

As mentioned, SUVs insurance rates are typically less than sedan and truck rates. The reason for this that SUVs are considered safer and they are less likely to be stolen. (Ford and Chevrolet pickup trucks are the most stolen vehicles, for the record.)

Still, just because SUVs are generally less expensive to insure does not mean that they always are. Remember, there are a multitude of factors that go into determining your insurance rate, so the best defense is a good offense: shop around. Make sure you’re getting the best SUV insurance rates possible.

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The Takeaway: Getting SUV Insurance at The Best Price

The best SUV insurance rate won’t just be the cheapest, but also the one that provides you the coverage you need to stay protected against an incident or accident. Paying a few bucks less a year may look enticing, but if you’re not fully covered against certain perils, then your SUV insurance isn’t actually doing your job.

We’ll say it again: shop around. We can help. Get access to fast and free SUV insurance quotes here. We’ve partnered with our nation’s top providers to make sure you’re covered.

Jessica Fox Jessica Fox has been a freelance writer for five years, with a specialty in health, wellness, and insurance. During this time, she’s written for some of the biggest B2B and B2C brands from around the world. Jessica is also the mother of two young daughters and loves coffee, writing, and working out.