When it comes to choosing a new vehicle, many shoppers place style over safety, according to a new survey by Progressive Insurance Co.

Progressive found that consumers place more emphasis on the look and amenities offered in a new car rather than safety features. The survey consisted of results from 333 users of Progressive's Web site over a five week period in November and December, according to Kathleen Colan, a Progressive spokesperson. Colan says that despite the small number of respondents, the company feels the results accurately reflect the view of the total U.S. population.

Alex Ho, marketing manager at Progressive, says that safer cars often have lower car insurance rates. While consumers cannot find out the models that are most expensive to insure, sports cars, sport utility vehicles, and minivans generally tend to cost the most to insure because they frequently have the lowest safety ratings.

"While consumers are kicking the tires or checking the price of the leather package when shopping for a new car, they rarely take the time to compare auto insurance premiums," Ho says. "Some safety features can slightly increase the overall cost of a new car, but this doesn't necessarily translate into higher premium rates."

Among the findings of the survey:

• 47 percent said that the color of the car was more important than side airbags in their decision to purchase a new car.

• 22 percent said a CD player was more important than anti-lock brakes.

• 24 percent said that leather seats were more important than four-wheel drive.

• Twice as many respondents said that the monthly payment amount for a new car was more important than its safety features.

• 27 percent of the respondents think that auto insurance premiums do not vary by vehicle type.

• If price were not a concern, divorced respondents said that "sophistication and coolness" would be the top factor of a new car, beating out safety features by 10 percent.

• 81 percent of the respondents factor in the additional cost of insurance when purchasing or leasing a new vehicle, while 46 percent of those surveyed thought that insurance rates will be the same regardless of the type of car or insurance company.

• Respondents making more than $75,000 a year were nearly twice as likely to be concerned about the purchase price of a new car, compared to respondents making less than $25,000 a year.