Buying a used SUV is one of the smartest financial moves a family can make today. You get space, safety, and savings all wrapped into one practical package.
But most families focus only on the sticker price when shopping for a vehicle. They forget that insurance costs follow you every single month for as long as you own the car.
The good news is that SUVs as a category are genuinely cheaper to insure than sedans. On average, SUV drivers pay about $1,935 per year for car insurance roughly 9% less than sedan drivers pay annually.
That gap exists because insurers look at real-world crash outcomes. SUVs tend to perform better in crash tests and offer added protection due to their height and structure, which reduces injury severity and medical claim costs.
For families, this matters enormously. You are not just protecting metal and glass you are protecting the people you love most. A used SUV with strong safety ratings, low repair costs, and minimal theft exposure rewards you with lower premiums year after year. That is money that stays in your pocket instead of going to your insurer.
In this guide, we have identified ten used SUVs that consistently rank among the lowest for annual insurance costs. Each model combines family-friendly practicality with genuinely wallet-friendly premiums.
Whether you need a nimble compact crossover or a roomy midsize hauler, this list covers every family size and every budget. Read on to discover which used SUV could save your family hundreds of dollars every single year.
1. Mazda CX-5
The Mazda CX-5 sits at the very top of nearly every credible insurance cost ranking available today. It is the rare vehicle that manages to feel genuinely premium while costing almost nothing to insure.
The Mazda CX-5 takes the top spot as the cheapest car to insure in 2025, combining strong safety ratings, a smooth ride, and a cabin with a premium feel. For families shopping used, this ranking is extraordinarily good news.
The average cost of insuring the CX-5 is around $1,877 per year, which puts it over $1,000 below the national average. That is a staggering annual saving that compounds powerfully over years of ownership.
The reason insurers consistently reward CX-5 owners comes down to its unbroken safety record. Since its debut in 2013, the CX-5 has been an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ every single year. A continuous streak like that tells insurers this vehicle protects occupants reliably and consistently.
Fewer serious injury claims translate directly into lower premiums for every owner. Insurers price risk, and the CX-5 simply presents very little of it.
Beyond safety, the CX-5 earns its low insurance costs through competitive repair economics. It uses common, widely available parts that mechanics across the country stock regularly. Labor times are efficient, and parts pricing stays competitive because of the model’s strong global sales volume.
Families will genuinely love the interior of this vehicle. The CX-5 offers a premium cabin feel that rivals luxury brands costing twice as much. Soft-touch materials, intuitive controls, and supportive seats make every school run and family road trip noticeably more pleasant.
The Mazda CX-5 earns a high rating on JD Power of 82 out of 100, with owners scoring it 82 out of 100 for quality and reliability and 81 out of 100 for driving experience. That reliability score is critically important for used buyers especially. A dependable car means fewer unexpected repair bills landing on top of your regular insurance payments.
All-wheel drive is standard equipment across the CX-5 lineup, giving families year-round confidence in all weather conditions. That built-in safety margin is one more reason insurers offer such favorable rates on this outstanding model.
2. Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V is perhaps the most family-tested SUV on this entire list. It has spent most of its life as America’s best-selling compact SUV, and the numbers behind that success tell a compelling story.
As one of the best-selling vehicles in the United States, the Honda CR-V is considered by many to be the ultimate everyday crossover for families, with an expected annual insurance premium of only $1,881. That figure reflects everything insurers respect about this model’s safety and reliability profile.
The Honda CR-V boasts a five-star NHTSA safety rating, a five-star side crash rating, and a four-star rollover resistance rating. These scores directly shape the actuarial tables that determine what you pay every month. Better safety outcomes mean insurers pay out less, and they pass those savings on to CR-V owners.
The CR-V’s advanced safety features and low theft rates contribute significantly to its impressively low insurance costs. Theft rate is a factor many buyers completely overlook when comparing vehicles. The CR-V’s excellent security systems and strong community of ownership keep theft claims refreshingly rare.
For families, the CR-V’s interior dimensions are consistently among the best in its class. Rear legroom is genuinely generous, comfortably accommodating teenagers and adults on longer journeys without complaints.
Cargo space behind the rear seats is class-leading, swallowing strollers, sporting equipment, and weekly grocery hauls without any struggle. The practical interior layout makes everyday family logistics significantly easier to manage.
The Honda CR-V is available with leather-trimmed seats, a Bose premium sound system, a one-touch power moonroof, and dual-zone climate control across various trim levels. Even used examples from 2017 onward offer a genuinely strong feature set. Honda’s legendary build quality means these vehicles age remarkably well, both mechanically and cosmetically.
The Honda CR-V proves a practical option for families in need of fuel efficiency, safety, and reliable performance, while also offering a strong resale value. That strong resale value is actually another insurance positive that most buyers never consider. Insurers know the vehicle holds its worth well, which reduces their total payout risk on comprehensive claims.
3. Subaru Outback
The Subaru Outback occupies a completely unique niche in the used SUV market. It is part wagon, part crossover, and entirely practical for active families who need versatility above everything else.
The Subaru Outback is a perennial favorite with an average annual insurance premium of $1,427, topping the list for insurance affordability among popular family vehicles. That number is extraordinarily low for a vehicle this capable and this spacious.
The Outback achieves this distinction through Subaru’s legendary commitment to safety engineering. The Subaru Outback is one of the only vehicles to receive the highest crash test ratings from the IIHS consistently since 2010, and all in an unbroken row. An uninterrupted decade-plus of top safety honors is a genuinely extraordinary achievement in the automotive world.
The Subaru Outback features standard all-wheel drive and a suite of advanced safety features including blind-spot monitoring and forward collision warning, making it one of the most affordable used SUVs to insure. Standard all-wheel drive on every single trim level provides a meaningful safety advantage that compact SUV rivals simply cannot match.
It reduces the risk of weather-related accidents across all seasons. Insurers reward this built-in safety margin with premiums that consistently beat the segment average.
The Outback comes equipped as standard with LED Steering Responsive Headlights, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and nearly nine inches of ground clearance even at base trim level. That ground clearance proves practically useful for families going through the school parking lots, unpaved driveways, and winter-affected roads every single day.
The Outback’s interior is spacious and thoughtfully designed with real family life in mind. Rear passenger headroom is exceptional thanks to the wagon-style roofline that maximizes vertical space beautifully.
Cargo capacity is class-leading, rivaling vehicles that are significantly larger and more expensive. Subaru’s EyeSight driver assistance suite has been widely available since 2014, meaning used examples deliver sophisticated safety technology at genuinely bargain prices.
The Subaru Outback ranks among the cheapest midsize SUVs to insure, at approximately $1,994 annually based on 2024 model year insurance data. For families who want reliability, all-weather capability, and financial sense combined in a single vehicle, the used Outback delivers on every single promise it makes.
4. Honda HR-V
The Honda HR-V is the smallest SUV on this list, but it carries the biggest insurance advantage of any vehicle in the entire category. Its compact size delivers massive financial rewards for families who can work within its dimensions.
The Honda HR-V is the cheapest SUV to insure at just $1,673 annually, making it the most affordable vehicle in the entire SUV category for insurance purposes. That figure makes the HR-V genuinely exceptional among family vehicle choices available in today’s used market.
The Honda HR-V has one of the best safety ratings with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its features and protection performance. Top safety ratings mean fewer serious injury claims landing on insurer books. Fewer serious claims mean lower risk pools, and lower risk pools mean lower premiums for every single HR-V owner.
For families with younger children, the HR-V is sized just right for daily urban and suburban driving. It handles city traffic and tight school parking zones with the ease and confidence of a much smaller car.
At the same time, it offers dramatically more cargo and passenger space than any traditional family sedan. The clever rear seating system allows the back row to fold flat or flip up, handling everything from bicycle wheels to flat-packed furniture with surprising ease.
Honda’s build quality ensures that used HR-V examples hold up impressively well through multiple years of ownership. Engines and transmissions in this model carry strong reliability records across many ownership generations, giving used buyers real confidence.
Maintenance costs stay low because parts are universally available and independent mechanics can service these vehicles without expensive specialized tools. That ease of ownership contributes to the HR-V’s outstanding total cost of ownership picture.
The HR-V’s fuel efficiency also helps the financial equation significantly. It consistently achieves strong real-world MPG figures, meaningfully reducing fuel costs across school runs, commutes, and weekend errands.
Used examples from 2019 onward include Honda Sensing technology across most trim levels, adding automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control at used market prices. For families who want the absolute lowest annual insurance bill combined with genuine Honda dependability, the HR-V simply cannot be beaten.
Also Read: 5 Reasons Why Buying a Car From a Private Seller Is Riskier in 2026
5. Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 needs no introduction whatsoever. It is the best-selling SUV in America and has held that title dominantly for many consecutive years.
Both the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 have strong reputations for reliability and safety, with crash-test results, wide availability of replacement parts, and modest price tags making them consistent top picks among the cheapest used SUVs to insure.
Wide parts availability is one of the single most important factors keeping RAV4 insurance costs manageable for families. Every body shop and parts supplier across the country stocks RAV4 components in volume.
Repair turnaround is fast, labor costs are competitive, and insurers calculate favorable repair cost estimates that flow directly into lower annual premiums for owners.
The RAV4’s safety credentials are equally strong and well-documented. Toyota Safety Sense which includes pre-collision braking, radar cruise control, and lane departure alert became standard equipment from 2016 onward on most trim configurations.
Used examples carrying these features provide advanced protection that reduces injury claim frequencies in real-world data. Insurers recognize these technologies with genuinely reduced annual rates across all RAV4 trim levels.
For families, the RAV4’s interior dimensions are a consistent strength across all model years. Rear passenger space comfortably seats three adults, making carpooling practical and pleasant for school activities and weekend trips.
Cargo space is generous and practically shaped, accepting strollers and large shopping loads without rearranging your entire cargo organization. The available third-row seat in older configurations extends capacity for growing families without the cost of a full-size SUV.
The RAV4’s resale value is legendary in automotive finance circles worldwide. Toyota’s reliability reputation means used examples hold strong prices, but it also means the vehicle lasts remarkably long with normal care.
Hybrid versions of the RAV4 are increasingly common in the used market and bring additional insurance advantages for savvy buyers. Hybrid powertrains are consistently associated with calmer, more deliberate driving patterns a behavioral profile that correlates directly with fewer accident claims and lower annual insurance costs.
6. Chevrolet Equinox
The Chevrolet Equinox is one of the most underrated family SUVs available in the used market today. It offers generous interior space, solid safety credentials, and a purchase price that leaves meaningful room in the family budget for other priorities.
With a low purchase price and favorable safety ratings, the Chevrolet Equinox is an excellent option for families seeking genuinely low car insurance rates. Its lower acquisition cost cascades directly into lower insurance premiums in ways that many buyers never fully appreciate.
Comprehensive and collision coverage is priced by insurers relative to the vehicle’s replacement value. A used Equinox purchased at a competitive market price carries proportionally modest insurance costs that families will appreciate month after month.
The Equinox received significant and meaningful safety upgrades with its 2018 redesign. From that year onward, the model included forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and rear cross-traffic alert across most trim configurations.
These active safety technologies have measurable positive impacts on accident frequency data accumulated over millions of ownership miles. Buying a post-2018 Equinox gives families both the real-world safety protection and the ongoing financial reward of lower insurance costs.
Interior space is a genuine strength that the Equinox delivers with thoughtful engineering. The rear seat slides fore and aft, allowing families to prioritize either passenger legroom or cargo capacity depending on the specific needs of each journey.
The cargo area is practical and well-shaped, with a low load floor that makes loading strollers and grocery bags simple and strain-free. Storage cubbies throughout the cabin keep the inevitable family clutter organized during every trip.
General Motors’ widespread service network means Equinox maintenance stays straightforward and affordable everywhere across the country. Parts pricing is competitive, and labor rates at independent shops are typically lower than for many import brands of similar size.
The Equinox’s ride comfort on longer journeys is genuinely underappreciated by reviewers and shoppers alike. Its suspension absorbs highway imperfections well, meaningfully reducing driver fatigue during family road trips. For budget-conscious families who want a reliable, comfortable, low-insurance-cost SUV, the used Equinox deserves serious, careful consideration.
7. Ford Escape
The Ford Escape has spent decades as one of America’s most popular compact family SUVs. Its combination of practicality, fuel efficiency, and safety technology makes it a natural and logical fit for family buyers watching their annual insurance costs carefully.
The Ford Escape offers genuine versatility, strong fuel efficiency, and a wide range of available safety features, with premiums staying low thanks in part to its affordable starting price in the used market. That lower starting price cascades directly into lower insurance premiums in a very predictable way.
Comprehensive and collision coverage is always priced relative to the vehicle’s actual value. A used Escape purchased at a reasonable market price carries proportionally modest insurance costs that stay manageable year after year.
Ford’s Co-Pilot360 safety suite, introduced from 2020 onward, brought automatic emergency braking, blind-spot information system, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-centering to the Escape lineup comprehensively. These technologies demonstrably reduce accident severity and frequency across real-world driving conditions. Insurers reward vehicles equipped with proven driver assistance systems with meaningfully lower annual premium calculations.
State Farm offers some of the lowest average insurance rates for the Ford Escape at approximately $73 per month for qualified drivers. At that rate, annual insurance costs stay comfortably low for many family driver profiles. Shopping multiple insurers typically yields further savings on top of these already-competitive baseline figures.
The Escape’s interior is well-suited to the practical demands of family life every day. The rear seat offers adequate legroom for adults and plenty of space for child seats and booster configurations.
The cargo area expands impressively with the rear seats folded completely flat. Available hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains improve fuel economy dramatically, reducing total cost of ownership for urban and suburban families significantly.
Ford’s widespread dealer and independent service network keeps maintenance costs consistently competitive across all regions. Technicians everywhere are familiar with the Escape’s engineering, and parts pricing reflects the model’s very high production volume history.
For families who want a proven American compact SUV with a low purchase price, low running costs, and low insurance bills working together, the used Ford Escape makes genuinely excellent financial sense.
8. Hyundai Tucson
The Hyundai Tucson has matured into one of the most compelling compact family SUVs available anywhere in today’s used market. It offers strong value, genuine modern safety technology, and insurance costs that consistently undercut many well-established segment competitors.
The Hyundai Tucson is a popular compact SUV offering a balance of affordability, technology, and fuel efficiency, with Hyundai’s excellent manufacturer warranty and top safety scores keeping insurance costs impressively low. That combination of warranty coverage and safety scores addresses two of the most important concerns every family buyer carries.
Hyundai’s investment in safety technology has been extraordinary over the past decade of development. SmartSense features — including forward collision avoidance, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot collision warning, and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance — appear across multiple trim levels of the used Tucson market.
These systems actively prevent accidents before they happen, which is the most powerful way to reduce insurance claim frequency. Insurers have incorporated years of real-world outcome data into their pricing models, and Tucson owners directly benefit from the resulting premium reductions every renewal cycle.
The Tucson’s powertrain lineup now includes hybrid options that carry additional insurance advantages for budget-focused buyers. Hybrid drivers statistically demonstrate calmer driving patterns and lower accident involvement rates across large population datasets.
Interior quality in the Tucson is notably higher than many buyers expect when they first consider this brand. Soft-touch surfaces, well-damped controls, and thoughtful storage solutions create a cabin that genuinely feels premium at every price point.
Rear passenger space is generous for a compact SUV, comfortably accommodating child seats and older children on journeys of any length without complaint. The available panoramic sunroof and large infotainment screens make the Tucson feel genuinely upmarket for a vehicle at this price level.
Hyundai’s America’s Best Warranty famously 10 years on the powertrain when purchased new transfers meaningfully to certified pre-owned buyers. This coverage provides real financial protection against unexpected mechanical expenses that can destabilize a family budget unexpectedly.
The Tucson’s reliability record has improved dramatically across recent model generations with clear consistency. For families who want a modern, technology-rich, genuinely safe compact SUV with low annual insurance costs, the used Hyundai Tucson delivers outstanding value at every budget level.
9. Subaru Crosstrek
The Subaru Crosstrek is the compact, nimble, adventure-ready sibling of the legendary Outback. It carries the same remarkable insurance-friendly DNA in a smaller, more maneuverable package that urban and suburban families will appreciate deeply.
The Subaru Crosstrek offers similar insurance appeal to the Outback with an average annual premium of approximately $1,469, combining the practicality of a compact SUV with Subaru’s renowned all-wheel-drive system. At that premium level, the Crosstrek sits among the most affordable vehicles to insure in any category, not just among SUVs.
Standard all-wheel drive on every single Crosstrek is the biggest single factor behind its insurance advantage. Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive provides constant, active traction management regardless of road surface or weather conditions throughout the year.
This engineering measurably reduces weather-related accident frequency across millions of real-world ownership miles. Insurance companies have accumulated years of accident data on the Crosstrek, and the results consistently justify the favorable premiums owners enjoy at every renewal.
The Subaru Crosstrek is a great choice for those who need a versatile compact SUV with genuinely low long-term costs across all ownership expenses. Those low long-term costs include insurance, maintenance, fuel, and depreciation all working together simultaneously. For families on a disciplined budget, this holistic financial efficiency is enormously valuable over a full ownership period.
Subaru’s EyeSight driver assistance technology, standard on most Crosstrek trims from 2019 onward, adds automatic pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane sway warning. These features have demonstrated real accident reduction in multiple independent research studies conducted across different markets.
The Crosstrek’s compact dimensions are actually a meaningful family advantage in many real-world situations. It navigates urban traffic, school drop-off zones, and tight parking structures with ease that larger SUVs simply cannot match on a daily basis.
Meanwhile, its raised ride height and standard all-wheel drive give it genuine all-weather confidence that front-wheel-drive compact rivals cannot provide. Families with outdoor-oriented lifestyles will appreciate the Crosstrek’s ability to handle light trails, ski resort parking lots, and muddy camping grounds without hesitation.
Used Crosstreks from 2018 onward represent outstanding value for families in every budget bracket. They carry modern safety technology, refined powertrains, and Subaru’s excellent long-term reliability reputation at prices well below newer alternatives available in showrooms today. The Crosstrek is one of the smartest possible used family SUV decisions available anywhere in today’s market.
10. Honda Passport
The Honda Passport closes this list as the undisputed champion of the midsize used SUV insurance category. It delivers genuine midsize capability with compact SUV insurance economics — a combination that very few vehicles in any segment can honestly claim.
The Honda Passport is the cheapest midsize SUV to insure, costing approximately $1,866 annually for a typical family driver profile. For a vehicle this spacious and this capable, that annual figure is genuinely remarkable when compared to midsize segment competitors.
The Honda Passport is a midsize SUV known for its reliability and off-road capability, featuring excellent safety ratings and a low frequency of insurance claims — a combination that makes it a cost-effective choice for families seeking insurance savings. Low claim frequency is the single most powerful driver of affordable insurance premiums, and the Passport’s record is exemplary.
Honda Sensing comes standard across the Passport lineup, delivering collision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and traffic sign recognition. This comprehensive safety suite reduces accident frequency and severity in ways that are well-documented across extensive real-world outcome data.
Insurers have priced these demonstrated safety benefits into the Passport’s favorable annual rates comprehensively. Every owner who chooses this vehicle automatically benefits from Honda’s investment in genuine accident prevention technology.
The Passport’s interior is genuinely spacious and thoughtfully appointed for midsize family needs. Rear passenger space is exceptional, with headroom and legroom that accommodate tall adults comfortably on even the longest family journeys without complaint.
The cargo area is impressively vast, making this vehicle ideal for families who regularly transport sporting equipment, camping gear, large weekly grocery hauls, or occasional large purchases. Practicality is built into every dimension of the Passport’s design philosophy.
The Honda Pilot platform, which the Passport shares, delivers stellar safety ratings and reliability, making it one of the most favorable vehicles for insurance cost calculations relative to its size class. Sharing engineering with the Pilot means the Passport benefits from years of proven, real-world reliability data. Dependable vehicles generate fewer mechanical failure claims, which keeps comprehensive coverage costs impressively controlled.
Available all-wheel drive provides confident, predictable traction management in all weather conditions across all seasons. This safety foundation reduces adverse weather accident claims meaningfully, contributing directly to the Passport’s outstanding insurance cost profile.
Used Passports from the 2019 redesign onward offer families a compelling complete package. Space, safety, Honda reliability, and midsize capability combine with insurance costs that rival compact SUVs in many markets. For families who need genuine room to grow without paying luxury-level insurance bills, the used Honda Passport is one of the very best decisions you can make in today’s used vehicle market.
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