Cheapest cars to insure 2024 (2024)

With a cost-of-living crisis in full swing and fuel prices showing no signs of coming down by any great margin, the costs associated with running a car are higher than ever. But finding a car that’s cheap to insure is one way of cutting bills, especially if you’re an inexperienced driver.

Getting a high insurance quote can be a major blow, if you’ve already done the sums relating to finance and road tax. But by shopping carefully and getting insurance quotes in advance, you can keep a lid on costs.

Typically, younger, inexperienced and higher risk drivers pay more. If you have any driving convictions or live in an area with high crime levels, this will further add to your premium.

So it’s important to understand insurance groups – after all, there are 50 of them in total. Cars in group 1 are the least risky from an underwriter’s perspective and the cheapest to insure. Those in group 50 are the riskiest and most expensive – usually higher performance models and luxury SUVs.

While every insurance quote is personal to the driver and we can’t guarantee you a low quote, all of the 10 cars that are cheap to insure listed below will increase your chances of securing a manageable premium.

All the cars in our list are inexpensive to buy, too, especially if you go for a used model. Each will cost around £10,000 or less. Here are the ten cheapest cars to insure in Britain.

• Fiat Panda
• Volkswagen Up
• Skoda Citigo
• SEAT Mii
• Kia Rio
• Hyundai i10
• Vauxhall Corsa
• Citroen C1
• Toyota Aygo
• Nissan Micra

Fiat Panda

Best cheap car to insure for utilitarian chic
Our pick: Fiat Panda 1.1 Active ECO
Read our full Fiat Panda review

With its boxy body, spacious cabin and chunky utilitarian looks, the Fiat Panda is an appealing cheap car to insure for younger drivers, while used examples represent great value.

There are only a couple of models – the Fiat Panda Active and the Fiat Panda Active ECO – in the lowest insurance group 1, but they’re appealing and fun cars for younger drivers, while the 1.1-litre engine is simplicity itself, making it inexpensive to run and maintain. Reliability is pretty decent, too.

It’s been around a while, but that keeps prices low, while its practical touches, sprightly handling and comfortable ride all make it a great choice for those first starting out on their motoring journey.

Volkswagen Up

Best cheap car to insure for ultra-low premiums
Our pick: Volkswagen 1.0 Take Up 60hp
Read our full Volkswagen Up review

Sitting in insurance group 1, the Volkswagen Take Up base model frequently appears on comparison sites as the cheapest car in the UK to insure. It has a surprisingly spacious interior and is comfortable and stable at motorway speeds.

Less impressive is the basic technology on offer. An auxiliary port is the only way to get music from your phone through the stereo, as USB and Bluetooth for a wireless phone connection are only fitted as standard on higher-specification models, which are more expensive to insure.

You’ll also be spending more to buy one than you would for an entry-level Skoda Citigo or SEAT Mii, which are virtually identical to the Volkswagen Up, but cost a little bit more to insure.

Skoda Citigo

Best cheap car to insure for overall value
Our pick: Skoda Citigo 1.0 60hp S
Read our full Skoda Citigo review

Skoda is of course part of the Volkswagen Group, so as a result the Skoda Citigo is little more than a Volkswagen Up with different badges.

This is excellent news, because the Skoda Citigo comes with all of the space, comfort and solidity of its Volkswagen stablemate. Although the car itself is cheaper to buy, it costs a little bit more to insure despite sitting in the same insurance group 1. It comes with a USB port on the most affordable S model, though, making it a better buy than the equivalent Volkswagen Up if in-car-entertainment is a key purchase factor.

The Skoda Citigo S specification is still basic, though. If you can find the extra, the SE model with the same 61PS engine is only one insurance group higher and comes with air-conditioning, alloy wheels and a smartphone holder, so you can use your phone as a sat-nav.

SEAT Mii

Best cheap car to insure for style and choice
Our pick: SEAT Mii 1.0 Toca
Read our full SEAT Mii review

As it shares its 1.0-litre engine and bodywork with the Volkswagen Up and Skoda Citigo, it’s no surprise to find that the SEAT Mii also benefits from the same group 1 insurance.

The difference, though, is that there’s a broader choice of models within the lowest cover group – the entry-level SEAT Mii S, the frugal SEAT Mii Ecomotive, the plusher SEAT Mii SE (complete with air-con and USB points) and the vaguely sporting SEAT Mii Toca models are all in the cheapest insurance bracket. The SEAT brand also enjoys a more youthful character than Volkswagen or Skoda, which may appeal more to younger buyers.

On the flip side, the SEAT Mii was a slower seller when new, so there’s less choice on the market than you’ll find with the Volkswagen Up or Skoda Citigo. The best approach is probably to search for all three and buy on condition rather than brand.

Kia Rio

Best cheap car to insure for low running costs
Our pick: Kia Rio 1.1 CRDi Air
Read our full Kia Rio review

You won’t be burning anyone off at the lights in the Kia Rio 1.1 CRDi, but that’s probably one of the reasons it’s one of Britain’s cheapest cars to insure.

A 0-60mph time of 15 seconds makes it one of the slowest used cars on the market, but if you’re looking for a motor that’s cheap to insure, that’s a good thing. As, indeed, is the fact it it’s claimed to achieve over 80mpg on an extra-urban drive – ideal for students studying a long way from home.

A quality cabin is a further plus. The majority of Kia Rio models are now out of warranty, with the brand’s seven-year cover only remaining in place for those registered towards the end of production in 2019, but the reliability record for older models is still pretty impressive.

Hyundai i10

Best cheap car to insure for practicality
Our pick: Hyundai i10 1.0 66hp S Air
Read our full Hyundai i10 review

It’s the cheapest car to insure made by the Hyundai, but in basic S trim, the Hyundai i10 isn’t at its best, despite having a five-year warranty, a roomy boot and spacious interior.

As with some of the other cars on this list, it lacks a Bluetooth wireless phone connection and air-conditioning. But the good news is that the Hyundai i10 S Air falls within the same insurance group one, as well as the better equipped and eco-focused Hyundai i10 1.0 BlueDrive SE. Those are the models to seek out.

In terms of driver appeal, the smallest Hyundai is a lot of fun, with a decent chassis and great steering, but the 1.0-litre engine soon runs out of puff under hard acceleration and there are other cheap-to-insure cars that are more lively. If that doesn’t bother you, then the Hyundai i10 is a great buy.

Vauxhall Corsa

Best cheap car to insure for all-round appeal
Our pick: Vauxhall Corsa 1.0i Expression
Read our full Vauxhall Corsa review

The previous-generation Vauxhall Corsa is one of the most popular used cars in the UK - and for a very good reason. A regular best-seller when new, it’s spacious, fun-to-drive and also inexpensive to own and run, which is great news for younger motorists.

It’s only the base model Vauxhall Corsa Expression (or later ECOFlex Expression) models that fall into insurance group 1, though, so bear this in mind when shopping around. That means you get a pretty lowly count of features and no air-conditioning, along with a basic cabin which lacks the flair of models higher up the range.

That said, the 61PS engine is quite entertaining – it’s not quick, but it’s a three-cylinder unit that revs eagerly and sounds a lot more perky than it is, making the Vauxhall Corsa a fun car in which to buzz around town in.

Citroen C1

Best cheap car to insure for chic appeal
Our pick: Citroen C1 1.0i Airplay
Read our full Citroen C1 review

With fresh, individual styling and a vibrant cabin, the Citroen C1 is a great choice of car for younger drivers who want something with a bit of style to match its low running costs.

The Citroen C1 Airplay model also has Bluetooth, allowing you to stream music as you drive. Admittedly, it’s not as sophisticated as the state-of-the-art smartphone mirroring and touchscreens in expensive new cars, but that may prove a clincher for some, who’ll struggle to find anything else in this bracket that ticks that box.

It’s also an enjoyable car to drive, with lots of interior space and entertaining handling, although the boot is quite small and the performance is best described as adequate.

Toyota Aygo

Best cheap car to insure for distinctive design
Our pick: Toyota Aygo 1.0 VVT-i x
Read our full Toyota Aygo review

Among the city cars listed here, the Toyota Aygo is the most expensive to insure as it’s in insurance group 2. But it’s by no means significantly more costly and if you want a sharper, more modern car, it’s the one to go for.

Keenly priced when new and still great value used, it’s one of the most distinctive-looking cheap cars to insure, with X-inspired styling and the options of bold colours including bright blue and orange.

The little engine has to work hard – underneath the dramatic styling are the same mechanical parts as on the Citroen C1 – and it also has limited boot space. But the little Toyota Aygo is a fun and vibrant car to own.

Nissan Micra

Best cheap car to insure for specification
Our pick: Nissan Micra 1.0 Acenta+
Read our full Nissan Micra review

It may fly under the radar a bit in terms of popularity, but there’s actually a lot to like about the Nissan Micra, which is by far one of the best-equipped cars you can find in insurance group 1, as well as one of the most lively.

The 71PS 1.0-litre 16v engine is more powerful than most of its contemporaries on this list, while the interior packaging is also quite impressive, albeit a little dull to look at.

The one to seek out if you can is the Nissan Micra Acenta+, with Exterior Pack and BOSE Audio – it still somehow sits in group 1 despite having a tailgate spoiler, alloy wheels, front foglamps and a decent quality sound system, all of which are found wanting in most of the other cars here.