I just passed my driving test and want to buy a car that's cheap to insure. What's the best choice?

Along with reliability, gas mileage and other factors, insurance cost is an important, yet often neglected, consideration when shopping for a car. The general rule of thumb: If a soccer mom drives it, then it's probably cheap to insure. Modest, family-style vehicles generally cost much less to insure than flashy sports cars and luxury sedans.

Insurers consider the claims histories for vehicles when setting premiums, and soccer moms happen to be among the safest drivers. Cost to repair and replace a vehicle also plays into the premium price.

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Minivans are among the most affordable to insure. The Chrysler Town & Country LX minivan tops the least-expensive-to-insure list this year, according to a study commissioned by Insure.com. The average annual national premium is $1,091.80. That's less than one-third of the price for insuring the most-expensive-to-insure vehicle, the Mercedes SL65 AMG, which has an average annual premium of $3,543.81.

These premiums are based on a 40-year-old man with a good driving record. Assuming you're a teenager, given the recent passage of your driving test, you will pay more for car insurance simply because of your age and driving inexperience. Teens are much more likely to be involved in car accidents than adults.

Moderately priced SUVs also tend to have relatively low car insurance rates. The Nissan Murano SL, Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport, Ford Escape XLS and Toyota Highlander all make Insure.com's top 10 least-expensive-to-insure vehicles.

Before you buy a car, get car insurance quotes for the makes and models you're considering and compare prices. Also check out the safety ratings for vehicles. The Highway Loss Data Institute lets you look up a car's safety rating as well as records of insurance losses for vehicles.

For more, see Car insurance comparison: The most and least expensive 2011 vehicles to insure.