Top 11 Cheapest Cars to Insure
The ever-increasing cost of motoring means that drivers have to make savings where they can. If you’re planning to buy a car in the near future, opting for one of the cheapest cars to insure on the market could help to significantly reduce your motoring spend.
Car insurance costs are worked out in relation to a range of factors like new car values, how a vehicle scores on safety and security, its performance and the cost of replacement parts.
Vehicles are then assigned an insurance group from 1 to 50, with group 1 covering the cheapest cars to insure (most are small cars) and group 50 the most expensive (most are supercars).
High performance cars and vehicles that are expensive to repair will fall under higher insurance groups, while cars with safety features and cheaper parts will cost less to insure accordingly.
Looking for a great guide to the cheapest cars to insure? You’ve come to the right place.
Take a look at our pick of the 11 cheapest cars to insure and see how much you can shave off the cost of your annual motoring bill.
The cheapest cars to insure are reviewed below:
- Ford KA+
- Volkswagen Polo
- Skoda Citigo
- Hyundai i10
- Vauxhall Corsa
- Ford Fiesta
- Skoda Fabia
- Kia Rio
- Dacia Sandero
- Fiat Panda
- Toyota Yaris
1. Ford KA+
Ford’s KA+ is a practical and affordable hatchback available in a few spec levels, with the entry-level ‘Studio’ model incredibly cheap on the second hand market.
Falling under insurance group 1, the KA+ ‘Studio’ is certainly one of the cheapest cars to insure, but it still offers a good range of features. A DAB radio, auto start/stop and electric door mirrors come as standard – as does an insurance-friendly immobiliser.
Its design may be basic, but the KA+ is surprisingly spacious and easy to drive. Build quality is impressive and the upgraded 1.2L petrol engine offers improved performance over the old model.
Ford’s KA+ is practical, affordable and incredibly cheap to insure.
You can upgrade to the sportier ‘Zetec’ trim for more toys and the option of a more powerful engine, but it moves up to insurance group 5.
Ford’s KA+ offers decent comfort levels and a quiet drive, as well as being roomy enough to accommodate four adults without feeling cramped. There are plenty of cubby holes, too, so there’s no shortage of storage.
Price: From £7,000 used
Insurance Group: 1 to 5 (depending on model)
Advantages:
- Competitive on price and running costs
- Spacious and practical
- Fun to drive
Disadvantages:
- Basic design and styling
- Slower than rivals like the VW Up!
2. Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen’s Polo is a quality supermini that ticks all the boxes. It offers a comfortable, refined ride, a sleek stylish design and impressive running costs.
What Car?’s Small Car of the Year 2019 winner is priced from £15,875 for the base ‘SE’ offering.
Inside, the Polo is appealingly upmarket with a quality finish. Even the relatively basic ‘SE’ model comes with an easy-to-use media touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and an alarm, with interior protection as standard.
A roomy car with a decent amount of boot space, the Polo also scores well on safety. It has a full five stars from Euro NCAP and both Front and Driver Assist as standard.
There are six models in the line-up, comprising the ‘SE’, ‘Beats’ and ‘R-Line’, the comfort ‘SE L’ option and the super sporty ‘GTI’ and ‘GTI Plus’.
Basic ‘SE’ models fitted with the 1.0L MPI engine in either 64bhp or 74bhp will be cheapest to insure, falling within insurance group 1. Alternatively, models fitted with the favoured 1.0L TSI 94bhp engine fall under insurance group 8.
Price: From £15,875
Insurance Group: 1 – 8 (depending on model)
Advantages:
- Top quality for the class
- Refined ride
- Impressive standard tech
Disadvantages:
- More expensive than many competitors
- Diesels can be noisy
3. Skoda Citigo
Skoda’s Citigo is a nippy little runner ideally suited to town driving. Its diminutive exterior dimensions mean the Citigo can squeeze into the smallest of spaces, yet the interior is surprisingly spacious.
The Citigo is also a second hand bargain, with prices from just £3,000.
Skoda’s Citigo is one of the cheapest cars to insure, falling within insurance group 1. Standard spec includes an immobiliser and lots of safety features, including an antilock braking system and electronic stabilisation control.
The base model comes with a 1.0L engine. Skoda’s Citigo is essentially the same model as the Volkswagen Up!, just with a different badge.
But if you’re going for the Up! alternative, just be aware that the only model qualifying for insurance group 1 is the basic ‘Take Up’ trim.
Price: From £3,000 used
Advantages:
- Competitively priced
- Spacious interior
- Easy to park
Disadvantages:
- Small boot
- Limited engine choice
4. Hyundai i10
A small car with lots to offer, the Hyundai i10 feels bigger than it looks. Priced from £12,820 for the basic ‘SE’ model, the i10 has a roomy cabin and ample boot space for its class too.
Both the base ‘SE’ and ‘SE Connect’ models feature a 1.0L petrol engine, while higher spec ‘Premium’ and ‘N Line’ trims add a couple of 1.2L alternatives.
Although the car doesn’t quite have the character of some competitors’, Hyundai’s smallest model offers practicality, value for money and more storage than other options in its class.
It also comes with a reassuring five-year unlimited mileage warranty, annual health checks and roadside assistance.
Our pick of the i10 range is the Premium model, which is well equipped with rear electric windows, climate control and a phone dock on the dashboard.
It still qualifies for car insurance group 1 with the smallest engine option. Choose a bigger engine and the car insurance costs climb into group 4 or 5.
Price: From £12,820
Advantages:
- Value for money
- Plenty of space
- Good residual values
Disadvantages:
- Limited engine choices
- Lacking in character
5. Vauxhall Corsa
Vauxhall’s Corsa is a popular supermini that’s cheap to insure in lower spec variants.
Sporty and stylish, the Corsa has been in lists of the top five best-selling cars in the UK for well over a decade – and it’s not difficult to see why.
The Corsa combines style with functionality as it’s now based on the new Peugeot 208, and even the basic trim level comprises plenty of kit.
Priced from £16,415, the Corsa isn’t the cheapest supermini on the market but it offers value for money in terms of performance and spec.
There’s a massive range of engines to choose from, with the lowest power options being the cheapest to insure accordingly. Unsurprisingly, models with higher-powered engines ascend the single digit insurance groups and through the teens.
Price: From £16,415
Advantages:
- Combines style and substance
- Cheap to run
Disadvantages:
- Not rated as safe as some competitors
- Confusing range of engines
6. Ford Fiesta
Ford’s Fiesta has been a UK favourite for years. The stylish supermini is a great all-rounder, scoring particularly well on handling – and the lower spec models are pretty cheap to insure, too.
The basic three-door ‘Trend’ model is priced from £16,640 and Fiestas within the ‘Style’ trim with the 1.1L petrol engine fall under insurance group 2.
There are eight more trim levels to choose from, topped with the £22,900 ST-3, which pulls the insurance groups into the late 20s.
Low running costs are a key attraction for Fiesta buyers and even the ST line offers decent fuel economy. The 1.5L diesel engine is among the most fuel efficient offered with the Fiesta, especially for long distance drivers.
However, petrol alternatives may make more sense for low-mileage motorists.
Even the entry-level ‘Trend’ offering is kitted out with a heated windscreen, electronic stability programme and leather trim for the steering wheel and handbrake. There’s also a Thatcham alarm, DAB radio and lane keeping alert and aid.
Take a step up to the ‘Titanium’ trim to add more distinctive styling elements like cornering lights, chrome details and LED tail lights, while the ‘Active’ crossover model features rear privacy glass, selectable drive modes and rugged bodystyling kit.
Ride quality is particularly good for its class – the Fiesta offers a sophisticated, big car feel when in motion, dealing well with uneven road surfaces. Handling, meanwhile, is both fun and responsive.
Price: From £16,640
Advantages:
- Fun, responsive drive
- Low running costs
- Varied choice of bodystyles and engines
Disadvantages:
- Average owner satisfaction scores
- Expensive additional safety kit
7. Skoda Fabia
Skoda’s Fabia has long been one of the brand’s best-loved models and thanks to a facelift in 2018, it’s now even more appealing.
Competitively priced and cheap to insure, the Fabia is priced from £12,990 for the hatchback model.
Known for durability and value for money, Skoda’s small family car is available in five variations as a hatchback, and in four trims as an award-winning estate model. Insurance groups range from 1 to 12 for the top-of-the-range offerings, and running costs are impressive, too.
Even the basic ‘S’ model comes with Front Assist, Bluetooth connectivity and LED daytime running lights, as well as a 1.0L in a few outputs.
The baseline 59bhp engine is ideal for town driving and the cheapest of the options to insure, while the higher powered 74bhp alternative sits in insurance group two or three, depending on the trim.
As well as scoring well on interior space and reliability, the Fabia comes with plenty of safety and security kit, including an engine immobiliser, six airbags, a tyre pressure monitoring system and a couple of Isofix child seat points.
Price: From £12,990
Advantages:
- Spacious interior
- Practical and reliable
Disadvantages:
- Not as stylish as some competitors
- Base model incompatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
8. Kia Rio
The Kia Rio is generally rated as an affordable all-rounder with plenty of spec. What’s more, the Rio is relatively cheap to insure depending on the trim level – the base model ‘1’ sits in insurance group 2.
Priced from £13,000, the Rio ‘1’ comes well kitted out. It has air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity and front electric windows, as well as safety spec like twin front, side and curtain airbags, electronic stability control and a vehicle stability management system.
With a spacious interior and plenty of cubby holes on offer, the Rio is the ideal small family car. There’s lots of space in the boot, too – it’s one of the biggest in its class.
There are a range of engines on offer but the pick of the line-up is the 1.0L 99bhp turbocharged offering, which is flexible yet delivers more speed than the small turbo engines in the Fabia and Fiesta.
At speed, the turbocharged engines offered with the Rio are quiet and refined.
Price: From £13,000
Advantages:
- Spacious interior
- Affordable to own
Disadvantages:
- Average ride quality
- Not as fun to drive as some competitors
9. Dacia Sandero
The cheap-as-chips Dacia Sandero is not only a bargain in terms of price, it’s also among the cheapest cars to insure on the market.
Priced from £6,995, the Sandero is a compelling choice if you’re looking for a cheap but cheerful roomy runner to get you from A to B without breaking the bank.
Available in three trim levels, the basic Sandero option is the ‘Access’ model, which comes with only the minimum level of spec, including Hill Start Assist and LED daytime running lights.
You’ll need to take a step up to the ‘Essential’ level, available from £7,800, to add features like body-coloured bumpers, DAB radio and manual air conditioning.
‘Comfort’ trim adds little luxuries like Apple CarPlay Android Auto, rear parking sensors and 7-inch touchscreen from £8,800.
Ride quality and handling is fairly average, but at such bargain basement prices, who’s to complain?
There are a few engine options available, with the 0.9L offering the most pulling power but each powertrain delivers on economy.
Price: From £6,175
Advantages:
- Spacious interior
- Unbeatable purchase price
Disadvantages:
- Average ride quality
- Basic model gets very little kit
10. Fiat Panda
Fiat’s Panda has been around for more than three decades, most recently being brought up to the present with a four model line-up. The regular Panda supermini is priced from £10,580 but there’s also the ‘City Cross’, ‘4X4’ and Panda ‘Cross’ SUV-style alternatives to consider.
Available in three trim levels (‘Pop’, ‘Easy’ and ‘Lounge’), the original city car comes with a 1.2L 69bhp engine, electric front windows, a CD player, Electronic Stability Programme and airbags.
The lowest spec offering sits in insurance group 3 with higher spec variations climbing into group 7.
Light and easy to manoeuvre, the Panda is well suited to town and city driving, dealing well with potholes and bumps. We rate the 0.9L TwinAir engine as the best choice among the available powertrains, being responsive and more economical in the long run than the cheaper 1.2L alternative.
The Panda’s height means it’s pretty roomy inside, easily accommodating four adults in comfort. There are more than a dozen storage compartments to be found too, so you won’t be short of storage options.
Price: From £10,580
Advantages:
- Cheap to run
- Good for town driving
Disadvantages:
- Minimal entry level spec
- Low safety rating
11. Toyota Yaris
Toyota’s Yaris is well known for reliability and fuel economy but it’s also a great contender if you’re looking for the cheapest car to insure.
A basic entry level ‘Active’ Yaris with a 1.0L bhp engine ticks all the boxes while sitting in car insurance group 2.
Available from £15,805 the Yaris comes in six trim levels with a range of engine offerings – including some impressive hybrids – and the ride is the most comfortable yet offered by a Yaris following adjustments made to the suspension in 2017.
Automatic air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity, powered front windows, auto wipers, seven airbags and ISOFIX child car seat points all come as standard with the Yaris.
A recent facelift and bolder styling has given the car a funkier look but it’s still a sensible, small option with broad appeal across the generations and among different types of driver, from first-time drivers to pensioners.
The Yaris’ appeal extends to company car drivers, too. If you’re looking to keep your motoring costs down, you can’t go far wrong with a Yaris. It’s among the cheapest car of its kind on offer, with a very low rate of benefit-in-kind tax.
An ‘all-new’ Yaris has just been launched, so the current model won’t be around for much longer. Insurance rates have gone up, so be quick or head to the second hand market if all else fails.
Price: From £15,805
Advantages:
- Scores well on fuel economy
- Good range of standard spec
Disadvantages:
- Lower quality interior than some competitors
- Only average for passenger space
Want to learn more about how to cut the cost of motoring?
There are plenty of ways to cut the cost of motoring – choosing the cheapest car to insure is just one of them.
Another option is to reduce the ongoing cost of fuel and tax by buying a hybrid car or investing in an electric model, or maybe consider leasing? Why not take a look at some of our other guides that will help you slash your motoring budget.
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