What Are The Cheapest Cars To Insure For 17-Year-Olds?

Because teen drivers are more likely to get into car accidents, their insurance premiums are often more expensive. In addition to choosing an insurer that offers discounts for things like being a good student and taking a driver’s ed course, finding the cheapest cars to insure for 17-year-olds is one way to lower policy costs.

Along with individual driver profiles, insurers base car insurance rates on the age, make, model, and safety features of your car. In this guide, we’ll recommend some of the cheapest cars to insure for 17-year-olds and explain how to choose the best auto insurance for teen drivers.

You can see how much your teen’s auto insurance premiums will cost by calling (844) 246-8209 or entering your zip code into the free tool above.

In the chart below, you’ll find what we’ve determined to be the cheapest cars to insure for 17-year-olds. Vehicles from brands such as Honda, Subaru, Ford, and Mazda often have lower premiums thanks to their dependability. Added safety features including brake assistance, advanced air bags, a rearview camera, and blind-spot monitors can also drive down car insurance costs.

*According to data from Forbes, Insure.com, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Buying an inexpensive vehicle does not always lead to a lower car insurance rate, but if your reasonably priced vehicle comes with a number of safety features, it will certainly drive down your average cost. In addition to the elements mentioned in our chart above, look for vehicle features including:

• Anti-lock brakes
• Electronic stability control
• Lane-drift protection
• Adaptive cruise control
• Seatbelt pretensioner
• Keyless entry and ignition
• Alarm system

If you add extra security items, such as a removable bar across your steering wheel, you may also be able to get a discount.

You also need to consider the age of your car. You’ll notice there are no model-year 2020 or 2021 vehicles on our list of the cheapest cars to insure for 17-year-olds. This is because, according to the IIHS, 83 percent of teens’ cars are bought used.

If you purchase a new vehicle with all the bells and whistles, those high-tech parts may make the car more expensive to insure, which is something to keep in mind when choosing the right ride for your teen driver. On the flip side, if you buy a used car that ends up being expensive to repair or uses hard-to-find replacement parts, it could cost more to insure.

There are also a few features the IIHS recommends avoiding, as they can make cars less safe for new drivers – and more expensive to insure. These include:

• Smaller, lightweight vehicles that can more easily be damaged in an accident
• Strong engines with a lot of horsepower
• Low ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

When trying to get an affordable policy, finding the cheapest cars to insure for 17-year-olds is just one part of the puzzle. State laws dictate what other information a company can use to determine your car insurance rates.

Along with your vehicle information, here are the main factors that generally go into determining insurance premium costs:

• Gender: Men tend to pay higher rates than women for car insurance, up to a certain age. At a higher age, women’s rates tend to surpass men’s rates.
• Age: Teens pay anywhere from 59 percent to 116 percent more for insurance, according to financial technology company SmartAsset.
• Location: In certain states and areas with a high population density or above-average accident rates, premiums will be higher.
• Marital status: Trends show that married people, especially married men, have lower accident rates than single people. Therefore, rates may be slightly lower.
• Profession and commute: Drivers with long commutes or who travel for work may pay higher rates than people who routinely work close to home.
• Driving history: Poor marks on your driving record or a lack of driving experience can lead to higher rates. This is one main reason teens can be difficult to insure.

How much is it to insure a 17-year-old driver? Though prices vary, car insurance for teens can be more expensive than for an older, more experienced driver. Luckily, there are many ways to decrease your car insurance premium. In addition to purchasing one of the cheapest cars to insure for 17-year-olds, you may be able to save money by taking advantage of various discount opportunities.

Many of the industry’s biggest car insurance companies offer discounts for drivers still getting the hang of things, such as those for being a good student, going away to college without your vehicle, taking a driver training course, or just for being a new driver.

You’re more likely to get a good rate on teen car insurance if you add your new driver to your existing plan. Many companies offer multi-vehicle discounts to encourage loyalty. It’s likely you will still see an increase in your insurance payments, but usually not as much as if your teen took out insurance on their own.

Our top recommended car insurance providers offer the following discounts for young drivers and their families:

*May vary by state.

Another way to save on car insurance for new drivers is to enroll in safe driving programs, which are offered by various car insurance companies. These programs are in everyone’s best interest – they help teen drivers with defensive and non-distracted driving tips, lower the risk for the auto insurance company, and keep premiums low. Companies that currently offer these types of auto insurance programs include Liberty Mutual and Allstate.

Choosing the best car insurance company is just as important as finding the cheapest car to insure for 17-year-olds. The purchases go hand in hand. In our recent study of the best insurance companies for teens, Liberty Mutual and State Farm stood out for their industry reputations, teen discounts, and affordability.

Read on to learn more about our top picks, or start comparing multiple car insurance quotes right away. Simply enter your zip code below or call (844) 246-8209 to get free auto insurance quotes from the industry’s top providers.

Liberty Mutual: Best for Teens

In our industry review, we determined Liberty Mutual to be the best insurance provider for teens thanks to its many young driver discounts and resources for parents, like guides on how to coach new drivers and how to talk to your teen about the responsibility of driving a car.

The popular mid-sized auto insurance company offers the discounts mentioned above, as well as the Liberty Mutual RightTrack^® program. With RightTrack, you can plug a provided device into your teen’s car or use a dedicated mobile app to track driving habits for potential savings. Drivers can save up to 30 percent on their premiums when they show good driving habits.

Read more: Liberty Mutual Insurance review

State Farm: Best Overall

We named State Farm the best insurance provider for students. It has many young driver discounts, including those for maintaining a high GPA, leaving your car at home when you go away to college, and taking driving lessons. Additionally, State Farm offers plans in all 50 states, which makes it easy to start a new policy if your teen moves away after college.

Like Liberty Mutual, State Farm has a safe-driving discount program for young drivers called Steer Clear^®. However, it’s a little more involved, and you must maintain a clean driving record for three years to qualify. In order to get a discount through Steer Clear, you must complete a six-month program that includes training on a mobile app, tracked practice sessions, mentoring, and final certification.

Read more: State Farm Insurance review

In an effort to provide accurate and unbiased information to consumers, our expert review team collects data from dozens of auto insurance providers to formulate rankings of the best insurers. Companies receive a score in each of the following categories, as well as an overall weighted score out of 5.0 stars.

• Industry Standing: Insurers with strong financial ratings and customer-first business practices receive the highest scores in this category.
• Availability: We consider availability by state as well as exclusions for specific groups of drivers.
• Coverage: This rating is based on types of insurance available, maximum coverage limits, and add-on policies.
• Cost and Discounts: Our research team reviews auto insurance rate estimates generated by Quadrant Information Services for a variety of drivers in every state. Companies with lower prices and many car insurance discount opportunities receive the best scores.
• Customer Service: We comb through customer reviews and consumer feedback studies from experts like J.D. Power.
• Technology: Auto insurers with mobile apps, advanced online services and telematics are more likely to meet consumer needs.