Insuring a Jeep

For a company whose roots originate with the U.S. Army, Jeep has managed to carve out an impressive niche for itself with everyday drivers. When most people think of Jeeps, rugged, off-road adventures still spring to mind. However, today's Jeep vehicles are decked out with top-notch amenities and are designed to compete with popular SUVs and crossovers. Compared with many comparable vehicles, most Jeeps are actually useful off the road and have surprisingly affordable price tags. Another thing that's sure to raise an eyebrow is the average cost to insure a Jeep. It costs an average of $1,250.71 per year to insure a Jeep, which ranks the make second on a list of 36 brands. You will not only spend less to acquire a Jeep, but you will spend less to keep it insured too. Find out why Jeeps are so cheap to insure below.

Brief History of Jeep

In the beginning, Jeeps were designed to be strictly utilitarian. They were basically the first SUV, and many people use the terms "Jeep" and "SUV" interchangeably. Willys-Overland and the Ford Motor Company developed the first Jeep for the U.S. Army. The first Jeep for civilians was produced in the 1940s. Jeep really hit its stride during the 1950s, when its vehicles became popular with drivers around the country. The 1960s saw the debut of the Wagoneer, which held the distinction of being the first four-wheel-drive vehicle to have an automatic transmission.

Low Theft Rates Barely Make a Dent on Insurance Costs

Vehicles that are targeted by car thieves tend to have higher insurance rates. Fortunately, this isn't the case with Jeep vehicles. These cars are not stolen very often. There is one exception: the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which appears on top-ten lists for individual states by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. In states like Connecticut, Alaska and Colorado, 1990s-era Jeep Grand Cherokees appear to be popular with car thieves. Despite that, though, insurance rates for Jeep SUVs tend to be very, very low. Clearly, there are other factors at play here.

Mediocre Safety Ratings don't Impact Insurance Rates Too Much

It's surprising to learn that Jeeps, which are considered to be tough, rugged and durable, don't always have the best safety ratings. The Jeep Wrangler, for instance, has mixed ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It earned a few perfect "Good" ratings, but it also received several "Marginal" and "Poor" scores as well. The Jeep Liberty is in the same boat and has received so-so safety ratings from the IIHS. Meanwhile, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has received "Good" ratings across the board. Safety ratings impact insurance premiums, but they don't affect insurance prices for Jeeps too much.

Affordable MSRPs Keep Insurance Prices Low

As the second-cheapest make to insure in the United States, Jeeps clearly have something going for them. In this case, it is pricing. Jeeps generally have very affordable price tags, especially when you consider how rugged they are. These vehicles are unlikely to be damaged in collisions, so their rates stay even lower. The Grand Cherokee has a starting MSRP of $26,995 while the Wrangler has a starting MSRP of $22,045. At $23,395, the starting MSRP for the Liberty is also quite affordable.

The average cost to insure various Jeep models is as follows:

• Grand Cherokee 6-Cylinder - $1,192.00
• Liberty 6-Cylinder - $1,202.00
• Wrangler 6-Cylinder - $1,184.00