The Jeep Wrangler was named most affordable vehicle to insure in a recent report from Insure.com, though it wasn’t the only Jeep SUV listed among the cheapest 2015 models to pay insurance for. As it turns out, the Patriot was ranked behind the wrangler as second-cheapest.
According to Insure.com, Jeep Wrangler Sport owners in the United States pay an average of $1,134 in insurance a year. The Patriot Sport ($1,136) ranked as second-most affordable, while another Jeep, the Compass Sport ($1,160), came in at sixth place. In fact, most of the cheaper vehicles to insure were crossovers, smaller SUVs, and minivans, with the only car in the top ten – the ninth-place Smart Fortwo – being a compact. More than 1,500 different vehicles were covered by the Insure.com report , with the site taking into account the difference in rates across the country.
On the other hand, Insure.com’s list of most expensive vehicles to insure was dominated by gas-guzzling high-performance vehicles, such as the list-leading Nissan GT-R, a supercar powered by a 600-horsepower engine. The GT-R ($3,574 per year to insure) was trailed at second by the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG and at third by the Dodge SRT Viper.
Insure.com consumer analyst Penny Gusner pointed out that it really was not a surprise that minivans and smaller SUVs dominated the top ten. “Vehicles that are driven by cautious moms and dads tend to be in fewer collisions and thus cost less to insure,” said Gusner. And touching on tips for consumers wanting to save on insurance costs, Gusner suggested that car buyers may want to pass on superfluous features such as navigation, and choose options such as lane departure warning, forward collision warning, and other safety features “that may impress insurers.”