Autos

The most and least expensive vehicles to insure in 2016

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If you're looking to buy a car, the sticker price is not the only cost you'll incur. Insure.com's annual rankings of the most and least expensive vehicles to insure found a vehicle's price tag does not necessarily correspond to its premium rate.

"Insurance companies base rates on multiple factors, such as cost of repair, safety ratings and the number of claims on a vehicle model. And that's before taking into account your driving record," Penny Gusner, a consumer analyst for Insure.com, said in a press release.

What's more, when determining premium rates, insurers also factor in metrics such as population density, crime rate, average weather, frequency of claims, and civil services, including road maintenance and emergency response times.

Here are the top five each of the most and least expensive cars to insure in 2016.

5. Porsche Panamera S Executive - $3,484

Source: Porsche

The Porsche Panamera S Executive costs owners about $3,484 on average to insure each year.

The S-Class brochure for the more than $200,000 car boasts extreme luxury for its drivers and passengers, with an excellence-pioneering goal in luxury design. This four-door sedan can travel up to 189 MPH and can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in four seconds.

4. Mercedes S63 AMG 4Matic - $3,513

Source: Daimler

The Mercedes S63 AMG 4Matic has a premium rate of $3,513.

The car, which has a handcrafted V-8 engine with 577 horsepower, can accelerate to 60 mph in under four seconds. The S-Class sedan can fit up to five passengers and starts above $143,000.

3. Mercedes S600 BI-T - $3,539

Source: Daimler

The Mercedes-Benz S600 BI-T comes in third on Insure.com's list, with an average annual premium of $3,539.

This is the first time the S-Class sedan has made Insure.com's top 10 most expensive list in several years. The V-12 engine has a 523 horsepower, gets 12 MPG in the city and 21 MPG on the highway, and costs more than $169,000.

2. Mercedes SL65 AMG - $3,797

Source: Daimler

This "One Man, One Engine" convertible is Mercedez-Benz's most expensive model on the list, with a MSRP of $217,550, and an average annual premium of $3,797.

The handcrafted V-12 engine has a 621 horsepower and can accelerate to 60 miles an hour in under four seconds but, compared to the Dodge, caters to an audience prioritizing luxury over speed.

1. Dodge GT Viper - $4,048

Source: Chrysler

At a $4,048 premium, the Viper is the most expensive car to insure with the least expensive price tag on this list — the 2016 model starts just under $90,000. The hot rod's premium rate, however, is still $200 more than the next most expensive model's premium.

Advertised as an "American-built supercar," the Viper has a reputation for speed, with its 645-horsepower, V-10 engine that can propel you to 60 mph in about three seconds.

5. Jeep Wrangler Sport 4WD - $1,181

2016 Jeep Wrangler Sport.
Source: Jeep

The Jeep Wrangler Sport 4WD was the cheapest car to insure in 2015. While the compact SUV has dropped a few spots in the rankings since then, it's still a relative bargain to insure. The car's average annual premium is just $1,181, just a dollar more than the Jeep Patriot Sport 2WD's average premium.

The car, marketed for off-road driving and starting at about $24,000, is equipped with numerous safety features, including electronic stability control and four-wheel disc antilock brake system for both on-road and off-road rides.


4. Jeep Patriot Sport 2WD - $1,180

The 2016 Jeep Patriot Sport.
Source: Jeep

The Jeep Patriot Sport 2WD, a compact, trail-rated crossover, costs drivers an average of $1,180 a year to insure. Last year, the Patriot Sport had the second-lowest premiums of all cars on Insure.com's rankings. The 2016 model starts at $17,500.

Every Jeep Patriot Sport is equipped with six airbags, a brake assist system that helps drivers maximize control when they're panic braking, and electronic roll mitigation, a system of motion sensors that Jeep says can lessen the chance of a rollover accident.

3. Dodge Grand Caravan AVP - $1,174

The 2016 Dodge Caravan AVP.
Source: Dodge

Third on the list is the Dodge Grand Caravan AVP, a minivan loaded with safety features, including seven air bags, active front head restraints, four-wheel antilock disc brakes, and even a panic alarm.

The car costs drivers an average of $1,174 a year in premiums, making it the third-least expensive model to insure. A 2016 model starts at about $22,000.

2. Honda CR-V LX 2WD - $1,170

Source: Honda

Honda's CR-V LX, a compact SUV with two-wheel drive that starts just under $24,000, claimed No. 2 in Insure.com's rankings. The SUV costs drivers an average of $1,170 a year in premiums, meaning the car is the second-least expensive car in the country to insure.

Part of the CR-V LX's budget-friendly premiums might be due to its extensive safety features. The SUV has received numerous awards, including a five-star crash rating from the NHTSA, a top safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, making it a popular choice of car among families.

1. Honda Odyssey LX - $1,113

2016 Honda Odyssey LX.
Source: Honda

Looking for a family vehicle with cheap insurance? The Honda Odyssey LX is your car. Starting at $29,400, Honda's minivan, which rose four spots in the rankings from 2015, costs drivers an average of $1,113 a year to insure, the lowest annual premium of all vehicles Insure.com examined.

"It's no surprise that a family vehicle such as a minivan has taken over the top spot," Gusner said in a press release. "The Odyssey has a five-star crash rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is relatively inexpensive to repair, and the driver carting around children tends to be more cautious than the person driving a muscle car."

This is the Odyssey's first time in the top spot, though it has been runner-up twice in the past six years and always makes the top 10 least expensive list.