Surprise! Many trucks cost less to insure than cars

By James Raia
Trucks are bigger and more versatile, and are often required to drive in more difficult terrain and more severe conditions than cars. But requiring trucks to do bigger tasks doesn’t always mean their insurance premiums are also larger.

In its latest and just-released automotive study, Insure.com calculated the average yearly cost to insure a truck is $1,750. The average yearly cost to insure a car this year is $2,209, or 26 percent more than a truck.

Like cars, trucks are available in base and luxury models. The most expensive truck to insure costs 6 percent more than the national average to insure a car. It also costs 67 percent more than the cheapest truck to insure.

Why trucks might cost less to insure than cars

“People may be surprised to know that trucks can actually be cheaper to insure than cars,” said Penny Gusner, senior consumer analyst for Insure.com. “But there are several factors to consider beyond being cheaper to repair, such as their popularity in rural areas where there are fewer accidents and the fact that trucks offer very basic models.”

This year’s list of the most and least expensive new trucks to insure shows the GMC Canyon SL 2WD has the lowest average national insurance premium of $1,411 annually.

Here are the top five least expensive new trucks to insure in 2020:

GMC Canyon SL 2WD Extended Cab 4-door: $1,411;
Nissan Frontier S 2WD King Cab: $1,424;
Ford Ranger XLT: $1,437;
Chevrolet Colorado Extended Cab 2WD: $1,439;
Ford F-150XL: $1,440.

Insure.com has served as a comprehensive consumer resource for insurance information for 35 years. It offers advice, articles, news, and tools about car, home, health and life insurance.

James Raia, a syndicated columnist in Sacramento, California, publishes a free weekly automotive podcast and electronic newsletter. Sign-ups are available on his website, www.theweeklydriver.com. He can be reached via email: james@jamesraia.com.

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