What is Cheaper to Insure – A Car or Truck?

Are you trying to decide on your next vehicle? 62% of vehicle shoppers consider insurance costs when vehicle shopping. So what’s cheaper to insure – a car or a truck? Today, we’re getting to the bottom of the question.

It Depends on the Type of Truck and Car

You already knew this was the answer to the question. There are many different types of cars and many different types of trucks. We can’t definitively tell you that it’s cheaper to insure a car or a truck.

Insuring a Honda Civic will cost less money than insuring a semi-truck, for example, and insuring a Maserati will cost more than insuring a Ford F-150.

Beyond obvious differences in value, there are other things to consider when comparing car and truck insurance.

Cars and Trucks Often Cost About the Same to Insure

There isn’t a significant difference between insuring a car or a truck. In certain cases, truck repairs can be more expensive. In other cases, car repairs can be more expensive. Many trucks are domestic models, for example, which means repairs are typically cheaper. Cars are more likely to be imported, which typically means more expensive repairs.

In general, car and truck insurance policies are about the same price if both vehicles have approximately the same value. However, sometimes, the larger size of a truck can have a big effect on your insurance policy.

Are Trucks More Expensive to Insure?

You can cause more damage driving a Ford F-350 than you can driving a Prius. This is often reflected in the price of your insurance policy.

The larger size of trucks (and SUVs) tends to make them safer than cars. That may be true. Drivers and passengers are typically safer in a truck during a collision than they would be in a car. That means lower medical bills for insurance companies in many cases.

However, these cost savings are sometimes balanced out by higher costs for property liability. Trucks are larger, and they can cause significantly higher damage to other drivers and property.

Are Trucks Cheaper to Repair?

In certain situations, truck owners may pay less for insurance than car owners. That’s because it’s cheaper to physically repair a truck if damaged. The bed of a truck can easily make up over half the length of a vehicle. This bed is mostly sheet metal. The back-end of a car, in comparison, has seats, additional windows, doors, electronics, and other components that can raise repair costs.

Ultimately, insurance companies take data from previous vehicle repairs they’ve made. They use this data to cover the cost of future policies. Typically, this data shows that it costs less to repair physical damage on an average pickup truck than it does to repair physical damage on a car.

Trucks Aren’t Always Cheaper to Repair

Trucks are sometimes cheaper to repair – but not always. Modern trucks come with many of the same features you see in cars. Trucks have become less of a recreational vehicle and more of a practical vehicle. They’re not just used for work anymore. That means trucks have four doors, comfortable amenities, complex electronics, and smaller beds.

Furthermore, trucks often have four wheel drive systems that are much more costly to repair than the two wheel drive systems on cars.

All of these factors can lead to higher repair bills, raising the cost of truck repairs to about the same rate as car repairs.

How to Compare Insurance Quotes to Get the Best Rates on Car or Truck Insurance

Ultimately, there are countless factors that go into the price of car and truck insurance. Sometimes, the price varies widely between a car and truck of equal value. In other cases, it’s significantly cheaper to insure a car – or much cheaper to insure a truck.

Trucks tend to have cheaper external repairs but costlier internal repairs, for example. Cars can have more expensive repairs, but they also cause less damage to other vehicles and property during an accident.

Regardless of these factors, insurance companies will look at your personal factors – like your credit history, your driving history, your history of insurance claims, and the type of insurance requested – to set your rate. These factors can often have a more significant impact than just the type of vehicle you own.

Compare insurance quotes between providers to ensure you’re getting the best rate on your car or truck insurance.