Car insurance is mandatory in order to legally drive on UK roads, with a minimum of third-party car insurance required on your vehicle. Car insurance renews annually, so it is a good idea to shop around each year to ensure you are getting the best deal. There are numerous factors that can affect how much you pay for your car insurance policy including your age and where you live. Another factor is the type of car that you wish to insure.
In this article, we look at the cheapest car to insure in the UK and tell you how to compare cheap quotes from over 110 UK car insurance providers with Quotezone* - you could save you up to £504**.
What are the different types of car insurance?
There are three main types of car insurance; fully comprehensive, third party, fire and theft and third party car insurance. Third party car insurance is the legal minimum required for you to drive your car on UK roads and despite being the least comprehensive car insurance policy it can actually be one of the most expensive. Fully comprehensive car insurance offers the most cover by protecting you against damage to both your vehicle and the other driver's vehicle. We summarise the different types of car insurance policies and what each covers in our article, 'What are the different types of car insurance?'
How much does car insurance cost?
How much you pay for your car insurance premium varies depending on numerous factors including where you live, your age and your occupation as well as the type of car insurance policy you choose to purchase. The car you drive can also have an impact on the amount you pay for your car insurance as each car is placed into a car insurance group, which helps to determine the cost of your premium. We explain more in our article, 'How much does car insurance cost?'
Find the right Car Insurance for you
Our partner Quotezone will compare cheap quotes from over 110 UK insurance providers
- You could save up to £504**
What are the cheapest cars to insure?
The amount you will pay for your car insurance premium will vary depending on where you live and your age but also driving a car from a lower insurance group will usually see a lower insurance premium compared to a car in a higher insurance group.
Below we have listed some of the cheapest cars to insure for new drivers (those aged 17 years old), young drivers (those aged between 17 - 25 years old) and the cheapest cars to insure for families (those with children aged 16 and under). We also list examples of some of the cars from the lower insurance groups which typically mean lower insurance policies. If you are a new driver and looking to get a vehicle you should consider vehicles in lower insurance groups to try and lower your car insurance premium. You can learn more in our article 'Cheapest car insurance for new drivers – which is the best?'
Cheapest cars for new drivers (17 year olds)
If you have just passed your driving test your car insurance premium is likely to be high as you lack experience and if you are young it is likely to be even higher due to your age and your insurance risk. In the following table, we share data from car insurance provider Admiral, which lists 10 of the cheapest vehicles for new drivers.
| Car | Average annual premium |
| Hyundai i10 | £1450.27 |
| Ford Ka | £1544.01 |
| Toyota Aygo | £1545.65 |
| Citroen C1 | £1734.33 |
| Peugeot 107 | £1755.49 |
| Fiat 500 | £1767.75 |
| Skoda Fabia | £1794.78 |
| Vauxhall Corsa | £1984.80 |
| Volkswagen Polo | £1990.14 |
| Nissan Micra | £2001.38 |
(based on Admiral comprehensive car insurance for new customers from September 2023)
Cheapest cars for young drivers (17 - 25 year olds)
Young drivers are also likely to experience high insurance costs, particularly those under the age of 25. In the following table, we share data from the car insurance provider Admiral, which lists 10 of the cheapest vehicles for drivers aged between 17 and 25 years old.
| Car | Average annual premium |
| Ford KA+ | £1026.08 |
| Ford Puma | £1031.71 |
| Volkswagen Up! | £1032.43 |
| Volkswagen T-Roc | £1074.78 |
| Renault Twingo | £1088.04 |
| Vauxhall Mokka | £1090.83 |
| Fiat 500 | £1105.12 |
| Vauxhall Adam | £1130.08 |
| Hyundai i10 | £1132.25 |
| Citroen C1 | £1133.82 |
(based on Admiral comprehensive car insurance for new customers from September 2023)
Cheapest cars for families (drivers with children under 16)
The following table lists data from the car insurance provider Admiral, which shows 10 of the cheapest vehicles for drivers that have a child aged 16 and under.
| Car | Average annual premium |
| Ford Puma | £612.65 |
| Dacia Duster | £703.07 |
| Skoda Karoq | £711.20 |
| Volkswagen T-Roc | £719.05 |
| Volkswagen ID | £737.59 |
| Dacia Sandero | £750.67 |
| Vauxhall Grandland | £785.21 |
| Mini One | £794.11 |
| Cupra Formentor | £795.96 |
| Hyundai i10 | £794.02 |
(based on Admiral comprehensive car insurance for new customers from September 2023)
Cars in lower insurance groups
If you are looking for cheap vehicles to insure you should consider cars from lower car insurance groups. Below we have listed some examples of cars in the lowest car insurance groups but other vehicles may also be cheaper for you depending on numerous other factors such as your driving experience, where you live and your age. More information on the cost of car insurance can be found in our article 'How much does car insurance cost?'
Car Insurance Group 1
- Chevrolet Spark
- Citroën C1
- Fiat Panda
- Ford Ka+
- Seat MII
- Skoda Fabia Hatchback
- Skoda Citigo
- Volkswagen Fox Urban
Car Insurance Group 2
- Citroën C3
- Dacia Sandero
- Fiat Panda 4x4
- Kia Picanto
- Nissan Pixo
- Seat Ibiza Hatchback
- Skoda Fabia Hatchback
- Smart Forfour
- Toyota Aygo
- Vauxhall Corsa Hatchback
- Volkswagen UP!
How to save money on your car insurance
Car insurance can be expensive and as it is a mandatory purchase it is something that you cannot go without. However, there are ways that you can save on your car insurance policy and we list some of these below. For more money-saving tips, read our article 'How to save money on your car insurance'.
Tips to save money on your car insurance policy:
- Buy a car in a low insurance group - As shown above, cars that are in lower insurance groups are cheaper to insure
- Pay your premium annually - Paying your car insurance premium annually can save you money as some insurers will apply an additional credit charge for paying your premium monthly
- Increase the policy excess - Increasing your policy excess can reduce your premium as you are agreeing to contribute more towards the cost of a claim
- Consider telematics insurance - Telematics insurance - also known as 'black box' insurance - can help to reduce your car insurance premium as it tracks your driving and can lower your premium if you are seen to be a safe and careful driver.
- Drive fewer miles - How many miles you drive in your car in a year can affect the cost of your car insurance premium. Using public transport more often and driving fewer miles can help to lower the premium cost. Don't lie about how many miles you actually drive though as you could invalidate your insurance premium.
How to buy car insurance
If you need to purchase a car insurance policy one of the quickest and easiest ways to do so is via a comparison site such as Quotezone*. Comparison sites allow you to compare multiple providers at once to find the cheapest policy for your car. We have partnered with Quotezone* so that you can search and compare quotes from over 110 UK car insurance providers. Not all comparison sites are whole of market though, so you need to ensure you compare multiple providers to get the best deal. Remember not all providers feature on comparison sites either so you may be able to get a better deal elsewhere.
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