Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Drive down your premiums
Looking for a car that will reduce your insurance premiums? Ted Welford lines up some great options.
Car insurance is often one of the biggest expenses involved in owning and running a car – and like most things, prices are going up. According to the Association of British Insurers, car insurance premiums increased by 8% in the final quarter of 2022, with the average premium now costing £470. If you’re a new driver, or just want to keep your motoring costs to a minimum, looking for a cheaper-to-insure car may be a great option. Every car has an insurance group, which ranges from 1 (the lowest premiums) to 50 (the highest), and it’s an easy way of finding the cars that are cheapest to insure. Here are some of the best new and used options.
HYUNDAI I10
Hyundai’s i10 has become a popular choice with new drivers, thanks to its affordability. It should also be comparatively cheap to insure, with some versions sitting in the lowest insurance group 1. For these models, you want to look out for a car fitted with the 1.0-litre ‘Blue Drive’ petrol engine, sold in 2015 and 2016. It should also be very cheap on fuel costs, with Hyundai claiming 70mpg, while low CO2 emissions mean it costs just £20 a year in car tax. Used prices start from £5,000
DACIA LOGAN MCV
Just because you want a car that’s cheaper to insure, it doesn’t necessarily mean you want something small. So if you need a more practical model take a look at the Dacia Logan MCV. It might not be very stylish – and it’s a bit rough around the edges – but it offers a huge boot and comfortable ride for a low price. Versions with the SCE 75 petrol engine also sit in insurance groups as low as 2. Used prices for a Logan start from £5,500 for a 2017-registered example
VOLKSWAGEN POLO
Surprisingly VW’S Polo supermini is quite affordable to insure, with versions fitted with the non-turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol engine (available in 64bhp or 79bhp outputs) sitting in the lowest insurance group. The latest-generation Polo (introduced in 2017) is a terrific small car too, being comfortable and refined, generously equipped and surprisingly spacious inside. Higher-spec versions come with a large touchscreen with Apple Carplay and even a Beats sound system. Used prices still remain high though, with a 2018 car costing from around £10,000
NISSAN MICRA
The Micra was once one of the most popular small cars around, though it has slightly fallen out of favour of late. While Nissan recently discontinued the Micra, the latest model (launched in 2017) is a very credible option, and if you choose it with the 70bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine, it’s also placed in the lowest insurance group. The engine doesn’t offer the most in terms of performance but is perfectly up to the job for a new driver. Part of the Micra’s low insurance ranking is also due to the impressive level of safety equipment, such as autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection and lane assist.
A 2017 Micra starts from around £7,500
FORD FIESTA
The Fiesta has long been a popular choice with first-time drivers, and part of its appeal stems from its lowest insurance groups. Though it’s not placed in the lowest bandings, if you opt for the 1.1-litre ‘TI-VCT’ petrol engine produced from 2017 onwards, the Fiesta is available from insurance group 4. This supermini is good to drive, surprisingly practical and in the case of the Trend trim level we’d recommend, is very wellequipped, featuring alloy wheels and a large touchscreen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto. A 2019 example starts from around £10,000
SKODA CITIGO
The Citigo is a small car that punches well above its weight by offering refined driving manners, plenty of equipment and a surprising amount of space. Most examples fitted with the 59bhp 1.0-litre MPI petrol engine are also placed in the lowest insurance group 1, though no example you’ll see for sale will exceed group 4. It’s a great car for young drivers or those wanting an affordable runabout thanks to its impressive fuel efficiency. Models equipped with ‘Greentech’ engine technology are also free to tax because of their low emissions.
Used Citigos start from around £3,500