Revealed: the cheapest car to insure for first-time drivers

REVEALED: Volkswagen UP has the lowest first year car insurance costs

Here are some key points that your readers may find of interest:

• The Volkswagen UP is the cheapest car for the first year of car insurance, costing £1,483 on average.
• The popular Ford Fiesta costs an average of £2,354 to insure for the first year of driving, while a VW Polo costs an average of £3,077 per year for a newly passed driver to insure.

Research on average insurance quotes has revealed the best value cars for people who’ve just passed their test.

The research, from driving instructors at Local Driving School, found that people purchasing a Volkswagen UP will enjoy the lowest first year car insurance costs.

What are the cheapest cars for first year insurance?

Overall, the car with the lowest first-year insurance cost is the Volkswagen UP. At just £1,483 per year on average, this hatchback is a bargain to insure, and £140 cheaper per year than the second place Citroen C1. £20 in road tax per year (pre-2017) and an average monthly lease cost of just £67 sweeten the deal further for those looking to head out onto the roads at the best value price point.

Here are the cars with the lowest first year insurance costs:
1.     Volkswagen UP – £1,483 per year

2.     Citroen C1 – £1,623 per year

3.     Hyundai I10 – £1,627 per year

4.     Ford KA – £1,650 per year

5.     Toyota Aygo – £1,755 per year

Here are the cars with the highest first year insurance costs:

1.     BMW 1 Series – £3,552 per year

2.     Volkswagen Polo – £3,077 per year

3.     Volkswagen Golf – £2,873 per year

4.     Ford Focus – £2,845 per year

5.     Mini Cooper – £2,844 per year

How affordable are the most popular cars?

The UK’s most popular car, the Ford Fiesta, sits at an average of £2,354 to insure for a driver’s first year on the road. However, if you opt for a pre-2017 EcoBoost model, £0 road tax and high fuel efficiency reduce this car’s costs.

While the Volkswagen Polo regularly ranks at the top of many hatchback roundups, the insurance costs might make you reconsider this choice. You could be looking at insurance costs of £3,077 for the first year of driving in this popular car – over £200 more than a VW Golf, Ford Focus or Mini Cooper.

Claire Davies, Marketing Manager at Local Driving School: “Car insurance is all about risk – with the popularity of the VW Polo, insurers also see lots of accidents and claims for this model, which result in higher insurance costs. Certain trim levels and specifications can also change the insurance group of a car dramatically.

“To avoid any costly surprises, check insurance quotes on the exact model you’re looking at before buying, and compare this to similar models with different specifications. The smallest details can massively change the quoted price from these averages. We also recommend checking the safety ratings of the cars you’re comparing – a high safety rating should be an important consideration in any purchase.”

About Local Driving School

Local Driving School is a professional driving school franchise operating in over 20 towns and cities across the UK, including Sheffield, Hull, Chesterfield, Rotherham and Doncaster. They provide a variety of lesson plans, including regular lesson booking, as well as intensive driving courses to fast-track provisional drivers towards taking their tests.

Since 2001, they have built an excellent reputation as a reputable and trustworthy driving school throughout many different areas across the United Kingdom. Driving instructors are experienced and qualified to deliver the very best driving lessons to people of all ages.

— Methodology —

Average insurance costs are based on insurance quotes for first-time drivers within a year of passing their driving test. All results have been pulled from the lowest quotes given by a popular insurance comparison site.

Analysts averaged the insurance costs of 24 different cities, and based the location to retrieve insurance quotes from on the city with the average cost, which was Nottingham.

The choice of cars was narrowed down by selecting the most popular small cars in the UK, according to the Department for Transport Vehicle Licensing Statistics.

See the full dataset here: Local Driving School The Best Value Car For Young Drivers Dataset