Cheapest cars to insure

What are the cheapest cars to insure by age group?

Insurance costs change significantly depending on your age and driving experience.

Cheapest cars for younger drivers

Unfortunately, young drivers aged 17-25 typically pay much higher car insurance prices than most other age groups. For this reason, young and new drivers could benefit from:

• Smaller engines
• Lower car insurance groups
• Cars with good safety ratings

If you’re a younger driver, you could look at models like the:

• Hyundai i10
• Kia Picanto
• Citroën C1
• Fiat 500

These tend to be popular with younger drivers because they’re relatively affordable to insure. Plus they’re easy to drive (and park!).

Don’t forget that you can compare car insurance before you actually buy a vehicle. Knowing what cars are actually cheaper to cover could steer you towards a more economical choice.

Cheapest cars for experienced drivers

Older and more experienced drivers will generally find a wider range of vehicles which are affordable to insure.

For example, an SUV might be unaffordable for a young driver. But when you clock up more experience and a good no-claims bonus (NCB), they can become cheaper to cover and a lot more appealing. Plus, they’re a bit more roomy for young families.

For example, you might consider a:

• Ford Kuga
• Honda CR-V
• Volkswagen Tiguan

Again, it’s a good idea to compare insurance costs before you commit to buy, to keep you from any surprises.

What are the cheapest cars to insure by vehicle type?

Cheapest small hatchbacks to insure

Compact hatchbacks are often among the cheapest cars to insure because they:

• Cost less to repair
• Have smaller engines
• Are commonly placed in lower car insurance groups

Popular examples include:

• Hyundai i10
• Citroën C1
• Kia Picanto
• Skoda Fabia

Cheapest compact SUVs to insure

Smaller SUVs can still offer reasonable insurance costs while providing extra room and practicality.

Examples include:

• Renault Captur
• Peugeot 2008
• Vauxhall Mokka

Cheapest family cars to insure

For drivers who need more space, some larger models could still offer relatively affordable premiums, including:

• Skoda Octavia
• Honda CR-V
• Ford Kuga

What affects the price of car insurance?

Insurers look at a wide range of factors when calculating car insurance premiums.

Insurance group

This is a big one, as car insurance groups serve as a guide to insurers when pricing their policies (although they can and do take other factors into account). Cars in lower groups – like groups 1 to 10 – will usually be cheaper to insure.

The grouping system itself takes into account a comprehensive range of factors. Generally speaking, vehicles in lower groups:

• Have smaller engines
• Have lower market values
• Are easier and cheaper to repair
• Have good safety records

Safety and security

Features like autonomous emergency braking, car immobilisers, alarms and tracking systems can help reduce car insurance costs.

Likewise, where you park your car overnight – can affect what you pay. This is because more secure areas will pose less of a theft risk, for example. Speaking of which…

Theft risk

Cars commonly targeted by thieves are likely to cost more to insure. Similarly, your location affects the price of cover because – among other reasons – local crime statistics are taken into consideration when pricing policies.

How can I reduce the price of my car insurance?

Here are a few practical tips to reduce the cost of your car insurance:

Consider a black box policy

Telematics, or black box car insurance, monitors your driving behaviour and can reward safer driving with lower premiums.

This can be especially helpful for younger drivers.

Reduce your mileage

Put simply, the more you drive, the more likely you’ll be involved in an accident. Keeping your miles down can help reduce insurance costs.

Adjust your voluntary excess

Choosing a higher voluntary excess will generally reduce your premium. Although you’ll pay more towards a claim if you need to make one, which is why you should always set your excess at a level you can afford.

Get quotes at the right time

Buying insurance too close to your renewal date has a tendency to increase costs. Getting quotes around two to three weeks before renewal could help you find cheaper prices.

What are the best low-insurance cars to buy used?

Buying a used car might well result in reducing both your purchase cost and your premium. Popular used cars that are often relatively cheap to insure include:

• Skoda Fabia
• Nissan Micra
• Hyundai i10
• Citroën C1
• Suzuki Swift

These models are widely available on the secondhand market, are frequently reliable and usually have low running costs. Win-win!

Find out more about how to buy a car.