Depending on the condition of your driving licence, finding the cheapest car insurance can either have you breaking out into a cold sweat come premium renewal time, or looking forward to a well-earned discount if you’ve managed to stay points- and accident-free.
Whatever your circumstances, being insured to drive on the UK’s public roads is a legal requirement, so selecting the right new car is vital if you want to take some of the pain from paying premiums.
Are you a high risk?
As a driver, how much you pay for insurance will also depend on your circumstances. In addition to the dreaded licence points and any claims made as a result of an accident, you will also be rated on your age – with younger drivers tending to attract higher premiums – and your postcode. Insurers will also look at how long you’ve held a full licence, and how you will use the car; will it be for social, domestic and pleasure journeys only, or will it be for commuting and as part of your professional life? Each of these factors will affect the premium you pay.
Lowest-risk cars equal cheapest premiums
But one thing is for sure, no matter what level of risk you are as a driver, choosing a car with a lower insurance group will make sure that your premiums are kept in check. Every new car sold in the UK has an advisory rating from 1-50 set by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), and these are determined by a number of different factors. A high-performance car, as you would expect, will attract a higher insurance group, but this may be partly offset by an excellent security rating, or an abundance of safety equipment. Other factors come into play, too, such as the cost of repairing the car if it were involved in an accident.
Shopping around essential
Once you’ve settled on the new car that’s right for you, we would always recommend doing your homework first and trying a number of different brokers before you buy insurance. Almost all insurers have online portals, making searching for quotes a relatively fuss-free task. Just make sure that you apply the same criteria for each quote you request, and of course, always be transparent and honest when answering questions.
The following insurance quotes originate from Compare the Market and are based on the cheapest deal available at that time. The quote is based off a 35-year-old teacher living in Swindon with a clean driving record.
And the cheapest cars to insure are…
Based on the insurance groups set by the ABI, which are advisory and provided to all UK brokers, here are the 10 cars that will currently keep your premium lower than any others.