New-car prices receive most of the attention during the shopping process, but the monthly payment is only one piece of the ownership-cost puzzle. Insurance can add thousands of dollars a year, and two vehicles with similar sticker prices can carry surprisingly different premiums.
A new analysis from Compare.com identifies the 2025 and 2026 models that recorded the largest year-over-year declines in average full-coverage insurance costs. Electric vehicles, hybrids, SUVs and sedans all made the list, demonstrating that lower rates weren’t limited to one corner of the market.
Hyundai IONIQ 5
The Hyundai IONIQ 5 delivered the largest percentage decrease. Its average annual premium dropped 19%, or $704, to $2,990. Compare.com noted that Hyundai also cut the electric crossover’s base price considerably for 2026, bringing the starting MSRP to $35,000. Because insurers consider a vehicle’s replacement cost when calculating rates, that lower price may have contributed to the insurance decline. The IONIQ 5’s strong safety performance—it earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award—could also work in its favor.
Nissan LEAF
Close behind was the redesigned 2026 Nissan LEAF. Its average premium fell 18%, or $687, to $3,096 per year. Nissan transformed the LEAF from a hatchback into a small electric crossover and increased its maximum estimated driving range to 303 miles. Despite those changes, its starting price remains below $30,000.
Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger also posted an 18% decrease and produced the largest dollar savings in the study. Its average annual premium declined by $917. Before Charger fans begin planning how to spend that windfall on rear tires, however, there is an important qualifier: At $4,146 per year, the Charger remains one of the most expensive vehicles on the list to insure.
Subaru Impreza
The Subaru Impreza was fourth, with its average insurance cost falling 18%, or $509, to $2,392. That was the lowest annual premium among the 10 models with the biggest declines. The Impreza combines standard all-wheel drive with a practical hatchback body, although Subaru eliminated its least-expensive base trim for 2026 and made the Sport the new entry model.
Toyota Sequoia, Toyota Highlander, Lexus UX
Three family-oriented SUVs also placed among the leaders. The Toyota Sequoia’s premium fell 17%, or $561, to an average of $2,714. That is notable considering the three-row hybrid SUV starts at $65,725, making it the most expensive vehicle in the top 10.
The smaller Toyota Highlander recorded a 17% decrease of $522, lowering its average annual premium to $2,606. The Lexus UX, a small luxury hybrid SUV, also dropped 17%. Its $616 reduction brought the annual average to $3,040.
Compare.com suggested that the Sequoia and Highlander may benefit from their family-focused missions, available safety technology and favorable loss histories. The Lexus UX also has strong safety scores and an average-or-better loss history in previous model years, according to Highway Loss Data Institute information cited in the report.
Subaru WRX
Performance cars were not excluded from the insurance relief. The Subaru WRX’s average premium decreased 16%, or $561, to $2,845. The all-wheel-drive sport sedan returned to a lower-priced base trim for 2026, which may have helped reduce its expected replacement cost.
Audi A3
The Audi A3 also recorded a 16% decline, saving an average of $725 per year. Nevertheless, its $3,700 annual premium remains well above the $2,879 average Compare.com calculated for new 2025 and 2026 vehicles. The company said insurers now have several years of claims data for the current-generation A3, which could be helping carriers assess its risk more accurately.
BMW 2
Rounding out the top 10 was the BMW 2 Series. Its average premium fell 15%, or $579, to $3,255 per year.
In order, the models with the largest percentage decreases were:
- Hyundai IONIQ 5: Down 19% to $2,990
- Nissan LEAF: Down 18% to $3,096
- Dodge Charger: Down 18% to $4,146
- Subaru Impreza: Down 18% to $2,392
- Toyota Sequoia: Down 17% to $2,714
- Lexus UX: Down 17% to $3,040
- Toyota Highlander: Down 17% to $2,606
- Subaru WRX: Down 16% to $2,845
- Audi A3: Down 16% to $3,700
- BMW 2 Series: Down 15% to $3,255
Not every new model moved in the right direction. The Audi S5 recorded the study’s largest increase, climbing 23%, or $939, to an average of $4,937 per year. The Acura RDX increased 10% to $2,581, while the Nissan Murano and Genesis GV80 each rose 9%, reaching $2,745 and $3,151, respectively. The Chrysler Pacifica increased 7% to $2,803.
Those figures also illustrate why a percentage decrease does not necessarily make a vehicle inexpensive to insure. The Charger and Audi A3 enjoyed some of the largest reductions, yet both still carry above-average premiums.
Compare.com based its report on more than 58 million insurance rates from applications across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The vehicle data came from applications submitted between January 2025 and May 2026. Annual prices reflect two-year rolling median premiums for drivers ages 20 through 70, helping reduce the effect of short-term market swings.
The study’s full-coverage policies included bodily-injury, property-damage, comprehensive and collision coverage, with a $1,000 deductible. Actual rates will vary—sometimes substantially—based on a driver’s age, location, driving history, credit-based insurance score where permitted, coverage limits and other personal factors.
The practical takeaway is simple: Get an insurance quote before signing the purchase paperwork. Vehicle price, interest rate and fuel economy may be easier to compare, but an unexpected premium can erase part of an otherwise attractive deal. Shopping several insurers is also worthwhile because each company weighs risk differently.
There is no sense negotiating $500 off the price of a new car only to give it back to an insurance company every year.
