Car shoppers are paying more than ever for new models, and the cost of insuring them has also been going up in recent years.
The average cost of full-coverage car insurance in the United States in August 2026 was $2,922 annually, or $243 per month, according to Experian data that the group said was based on policies sold through their automotive insurance marketplace. That's down from the average annual payment of $2,899 that Experian reported in September 2025, but up significantly from the average payment of $2,613 that the group reported in September 2024.
The findings come as consumers paid an average of $50,089 for new cars in August 2026, according to Cox Automotive's Kelley Blue Book.
It's important to also keep in mind that individual driver's
insurance rates are set based on factors such as a person's driving record, location and sometimes even the types of models they drive and how prone those are to be broken into or stolen.
With all of that in mind, the USA TODAY Cars team took a look Compare.com's list of the top 10 2025 and 2026 model cars that had the biggest dropsin average insurance cost, and we compiled some information for consumers about those vehicles.
1. Hyundai IONIQ 5

Starting price: $35,000
Average annual full-coverage insurance cost: $2,990
Change from 2025: -19%
Average insurance savings from 2025 to 2026: $704
2. Nissan LEAF

Starting price: $29,990
Average annual full-coverage insurance cost: $3,096
Change from 2025: -18%
Average insurance savings from 2025 to 2026: $687
3. Dodge Charger

Starting price: $49,995
Average annual full-coverage insurance cost: $4,146
Change from 2025: -18%
Average insurance savings from 2025 to 2026: $917
4. Subaru Impreza

Starting price: $26,595
Average annual full-coverage insurance cost: $2,392
Change from 2025: -18%
Average insurance savings from 2025 to 2026: $509
5. Toyota Sequoia

Starting price: $65,725
Average annual full-coverage insurance cost: $2,714
Change from 2025: -17%
Average insurance savings from 2025 to 2026: $561
6. Lexus UX

Starting price: $37,455
Average annual full-coverage insurance cost: $3,040
Change from 2025: -17%
Average insurance savings from 2025 to 2026: $616
7. Toyota Highlander
Starting price: $46,270
Average annual full-coverage insurance cost: $2,606
Change from 2025: -17%
Average insurance savings from 2025 to 2026: $522
8. Subaru WRX

Starting price: $37,750
Average annual full-coverage insurance cost: $2,845
Change from 2025: -16%
Average insurance savings from 2025 to 2026: $561
9. Audi A3

Starting price: $40,100
Average annual full-coverage insurance cost: $3,700
Change from 2025: -16%
Average insurance savings from 2025 to 2026: $725
10. BMW 2 Series
Starting price: $40,000
Average annual full-coverage insurance cost: $3,255
Change from 2025: -15%
Average insurance savings from 2025 to 2026: $579
Keith Laing is an automotive reporter on the National Trending Desk at USA TODAY. Contact Keith at klaing@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Drivers are feeling squeezed. These 10 cars got cheaper to insure













