Our cheapest car to insure came out as the Hyundai i10
From Hyundai to Volkswagen, here’s Autocar’s guide to the most affordable new cars to insure in the UK
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 out of 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 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 after an accident.
Shopping around essential
Once you’ve settled on the new car that’s right for you, we’d 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 were retrieved 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 in 2023 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.
1. Hyundai i10 1.0 MPi SE 5dr – £15,015. (Group 3.) Lowest insurance quote: £253.69
If we acknowledge the amount of cabin space it affords, the assured driving experience it offers, the equipment and perceived quality it has and the technical sophistication and safety features it brings, we can only conclude the i10 has taken significant strides and represents the very best A-segment hatchback on sale.
2. Kia Picanto 1.0 2 5dr – £13,750. (Group 3.) Lowest insurance quote: £267.46
While we don’t rate the Picanto as a class leader, its smart and spacious interior still cuts a swathe among its rivals, and so long as you’re not expecting fireworks from its 65bhp engine, it’s a comfortable and undemanding city car with tidy handling and decent practicality.
3. Seat Ibiza 1.0 SE MPi 80 5dr – £17,955. (Group 3.) Lowest insurance quote: £278.78
On top of its stiff, clever platform, Seat has constructed a brilliantly modern compact car, and one that seeks to absorb the gruelling boredom of everyday driving and return it as frothy, imperturbable ease of use. Only its handling is marginally overshadowed by other class rivals.
4. Skoda Fabia 1.0 MPI S 5dr – £18,600. (Group 4.) Lowest insurance quote: £267.10
Skoda’s supermini is easy to use, comfy and grown-up, smart but anonymous to look at, and classy but forgettable to drive. That said, pragmatic buyers will happily accept this car’s considerable practicality and quality, carefully hewn dynamic maturity, obliging ease of use and unquestionable value for money.
5. Kia Rio 1.2 DPi 5dr – £16,170. (Group 4.) Lowest insurance quote: £296.52
The Rio is now more practical, parsimonious and mature than ever, and you could hardly ask for a more worthy and grown-up supermini. But while its capacious cabin will find favour with some buyers, all its rivals drive in a way better suited to indulging either the enthusiasm or the comfort-bias of their owners.
6. Volkswagen Polo 1.0 MPI 80 Life – £20,075. (Group 3.) Lowest insurance quote: £305.51
The Polo comes with a breadth of ability that most supermini makers wouldn’t even aim for, never mind achieve. There’s a price premium to pay, but with its reassuring road manners, rounded blend of performance, drivability, economy and refinement, it can justify being one of the more expensive choices in its class.
7. Dacia Sandero 1.0 Essential TCe 5dr – £12,995. (Group 4.) Lowest insurance quote: £304.16
Still praised as one of the cheapest cars on sale, the Sandero lives up to its reputation as the cheapest car in this group. Despite this, it’s remarkably likeable, with enough interior flourishes and creature comforts to make it habitable. The engines have plenty of shove in the mid-range, too, making it easy to drive around town.
8. Volkswagen Up 1.0 65PS 3dr – £14,630. (Group 2.) Lowest insurance quote: £310.61
With its fine interior, respectable rolling refinement, comparative spaciousness, real-world economy and covetable branding, the Up is among the class leaders. Only automotive idealists will note the persistent lack of charisma that authentic technical originality might have ultimately gifted the Up.
9. Ford Fiesta 1.1 75 Trend 3dr – £19,330. (Group 7.) Lowest insurance quote: £367.67
While there’s no doubting that the Fiesta is still the dynamic benchmark for most rival manufacturers in this class, handling prowess alone can’t make it a market leader. Cabin space and desirability mean that it isn’t as well rounded a city car as the Ibiza, but neat styling and that familiar badge will doubtless win over many buyers.
10. Renault Clio 1.0 Evolution TCe 90 5dr – £19,015. (Group 3.) Lowest insurance quote: £357.46
Renault went the extra mile to drive up the perceived quality, refinement, drivability and handling composure of the current-generation Clio to what we might call ‘big car’ levels. However, ride suppleness has taken a back seat to others in this class, as has cabin space.
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