Cheap car insurance for new drivers
Use our tips & hints to get some cheap new driver insurance
You've passed your test, you've got the keys and you are ready to get out on the road. BUT you'll need insurance first, and new driver insurance can be eye-wateringly expensive. Use the tips in this guide to make sure you get the best deal possible on your first policy.
What counts as a new driver?
This isn't all about age. It doesn't matter how old you are – by law, you're counted as a new driver for two years after you pass your test. So you could start driving at age 50 and be deemed to be a new driver.
During these first two years you're technically under probation, and your licence will be taken away if you get six or more penalty points.
And no matter your age or experience level, you NEED car insurance. If you had learner driver insurance, this'll no longer be valid.
What type of insurance should new drivers get?
It's a legal requirement to have at least third-party car insurance, unless your car is declared off the road. And while we describe 'new driver insurance' in this guide, there's not really a specific product out there for this purpose – new drivers would just be taking out a normal car insurance policy designed for drivers of all different levels of experience. It's just that the cost (and excess) will vary depending on how long you've been driving.
Here are the three main types of car insurance you can choose from:
Third-party insurance. Pays out if you damage another person's car or property.
Third-party, theft and fire cover. As above, plus cover if your car is stolen or suffers fire damage.
Comprehensive insurance. As above, but this covers any costs incurred due to an accident, even if it's your fault.
For more on the different types of car insurance and how they compare, see our dedicated guide.
Comprehensive cover isn't always the most expensive
It might seem logical for comprehensive insurance to be more expensive than third-party, fire and theft insurance, because it provides the most cover, but it doesn't always work like that – comprehensive insurance is often actually the cheapest option.
If you're looking for the cheapest insurance for new drivers – aka first time driver insurance – we'd recommend comparing multiple providers and levels of cover. See How do you get cheap car insurance as a new driver? below for more.
This guide's about car insurance for new drivers.
If you're a more experienced motorist, see our full How to get cheap car insurance guide.
Or, for specialist cover, see Cheap van insurance and Cheap motorbike insurance.
How much is insurance for a new driver?
Generally speaking, the newer a driver you are, the more you'll pay for a policy.
Here's a table that clearly demonstrates how premiums drop the more experience you gain as a driver, based on data from MoneySupermarket.
Number of years with a driving licence | Average annual premium |
|---|---|
0 (first year of driving) | £1,533.21 |
1 | £1,244.24 |
2 | £1,143.40 |
5 | £894.73 |
10 | £699.23 |
All prices are based on the median annual price of comprehensive policies sold via MoneySupermarket in February 2025.
However, you need to remain a good driver for your insurance costs to fall. Crashing your car, making claims, or getting driving convictions will have the opposite effect.
Factors that affect the cost of new drivers' insurance
Insurers base quotes on perceived risk, because the more likely you are to get into an accident, the more likely they'll have to pay out.
New drivers (and particularly young drivers) are statistically more likely to be involved in road accidents, and are therefore deemed 'higher risk' by insurers. This is why quotes for new driver insurance are so high. It's often the same for drivers over 70. Other factors insurers consider include:
Your job. If you have a long commute or are more likely to drive at unsociable hours, it could affect your quote.
Your address and where you keep your car. You may get a different quote if you live in a densely populated urban area versus a more rural setting.
Your driving history. How much you pay can be based on your claims history, including whether or not you have a no-claims bonus built up, and how much, if so.
Your car. Insurers look at everything from make and model, to engine size and age. See car insurance groups.
For more information, see our What can affect my car insurance quote? guide.
Want to know when the cheapest time to get car insurance is? The MSE App has a new tool called Bill Buster – give us a few details about your insurance policy and we'll track it, alert you when it's ending and when you should start gathering quotes to save.
How do you get cheap car insurance for new drivers?
Whether you're a new driver or an old hand at the wheel, aim to get as many car insurance quotes as possible, which is a sure-fire way to find the best price for you. For a full step-by-step guide to finding the cheapest car insurance quote, see our main car insurance guide.
But before you do, read these quick tips on how you can lower your costs and find the cheapest insurance for new drivers:
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Add an experienced driver to the policy. Never misrepresent the car's main driver, but if you can add an extra, more experienced driver who might realistically drive the car, you could save £100s. For example, young drivers living at home could choose their mum or dad. See Named driver insurance.
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If you've been named on someone else's policy before, check with that insurer. For example, a family member's or friend's car you practised in while learning to drive. If so, there's a chance you could get a cheaper quote if you contact their insurance provider. Even a little bit of insurance history is better than none.
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Tweak your job title. If you're employed, how you present your job could affect what price you're offered. Check our Car Insurance Job Picker tool to see whether there's a cheaper option.
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Park in a secure location. If you can park away from the road on a drive or in a garage, tell your insurer as it can reduce the cost of your insurance.
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Do an advanced driver course. Other than polishing your skills, sometimes completing one of these courses can help you seem less risky to your insurer – meaning you may get access to lower-priced policies.
There are also more general tips about how you pay which can affect the prices you're offered. See more in our full How to get cheap car insurance guide. But briefly...
Pay annually. Paying in one lump sum upfront rather than each month tends to be cheaper.
Agree to pay a higher excess. This is the fee you pay to your insurer if you have to make a claim. If you know you can afford it, agreeing a higher figure can make your premium cheaper.
Quick questions
It can do. A 'black box' is a telematics device which monitors the way you drive. It tracks factors such as what time of day you drive, your speed and how hard you brake. Your insurer then uses this to help determine the price of your policy.
If you drive safely, the price of your insurance can go down accordingly, so it can be a money saver if you are certain that your driving is exemplary.
Trouble is, if you do make mistakes, the cost of your insurance can also go up.
Being added as a named driver on a parent's car can be cheaper than taking out your own policy. Your parent's insurance might go up, but not likely as much as a new policy would cost.
However, if you're not the main driver of the car, you won't qualify for a no-claims discount, which means you may have to pay more if you decide to get your own car in the future.
If you'll only need to drive your car or someone else's vehicle for a short period of time, short-term car insurance might be cheaper than getting an annual policy.
Short-term insurance usually covers you by the hour, day, week or month, and can be useful if you need to borrow a car, or if you're buying or selling a vehicle and know you won't be driving it for a full year.
Major comparison sites don't typically list temporary policies, so you'll have to go directly to insurers to get a quote. We've full help in our Temporary car insurance guide.
The age and model of the insured car are certainly used as factors when determining the price of your policy, but it's not a simple correlation between the age of the car and the cost.
Newer cars are typically considered less risky on the road as they have more modern safety equipment – which can make your insurance cheaper – but they are also usually much more expensive to repair or replace – which can increase your insurance costs. If you're buying a brand new car, you may want to read our Gap insurance guide. This is optional cover that can work for some in certain circumstances.
Can a black box reduce my first time car insurance costs?
Is it cheaper for a new driver to use a parent's car?
Should I consider short-term car insurance?
Are newer cars cheaper to insure?
New to driving? Check out these tools and guides:
Compare+ Car Insurance tool: Easily find cheap cover and get personalised cost-cutting tips.
Young driver insurance: Cut car insurance costs if you're under 25.
Learner driver insurance: How to reduce learner driver insurance costs.
How to get cheaper car insurance: Our tried-and-tested tips for getting the cheapest car insurance.
When's the best time to buy new drivers' insurance?
Following extensive MSE analysis of millions of car insurance quotes from the top four comparison sites, we found that you'll get the best price on your insurance if you start looking a few weeks before you need your cover to start.
This works whether you're a new driver or have been driving for many years.
Get cover about three weeks ahead, NOT on the day
The cheapest time to get insurance is 26 days before you want your policy to start. So bear this in mind and aim to get quotes this far in advance.
MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis explains how it works...
Insurance is like comedy... timing is everything. We analysed 70 million quotes to find the optimum time before you want your cover to start to get quotes from new firms. It bottoms out at 26 days before renewal, though any time between 20 and 27 days does the job.
Leave it later and quotes can almost double. This is because insurance is priced on risk, and providers' 'actuarial charts' apparently show those who renew last minute are often a higher risk. Now this is about averages, so it won't work for everyone, but if I had a penny for everyone who'd got in touch with their shock at big success with this, well... I'd probably have £21.52 by now.
What are the cheapest cars to insure for new drivers?
The type of car you are insuring can often have a big impact on the amount you have to pay for a policy. Insurance providers will have determined that certain cars are more risky to insure or more expensive to repair if the driver ends up claiming.
For new drivers, smaller, less powerful models tend to be on the cheaper side. With data from MoneySupermarket, the table below shows the cheapest cars to insure for new drivers. Prices are averages and remember, your actual price will depend on a wide range of factors, including where you live and your job.
Car | Average premium (1) |
|---|---|
Toyota Aygo Platinum | £757.21 |
Fiat 500 Pop | £771.65 |
Hyundai i10 Active | £833.15 |
Peugeot 107 Urban | £852.09 |
Citroën C1 VTR | £858.04 |
(1) Prices based on MoneySupermarket data gathered between January and July 2023, where at least 500 fully comprehensive policies were sold for each car, for drivers who had held their licence for less than one year.
If you haven't yet got a car to insure, it's worth checking how much it costs to insure a few different models. Get quotes for the models you're interested in and see which comes out the cheapest.
Also, the cost of car insurance depends partly on the vehicle's insurance 'group'. To find out more about this, and to get an idea of which cars may have cheaper insurance, see our Car insurance groups guide.
What is the most cost-effective way to drive?
With your car and insurance sorted, it's time to get out on the roads and build up your confidence and experience.
It's important to understand that the way you drive can not only keep you safe, but help you to save on petrol or diesel costs, too. We've full info on how to drive economically, but briefly:
Accelerate gradually up to desired speeds. The harder you press the pedal, the more fuel flows. So if you increase speed smoothly without over-revving you should achieve the same speed using less power.
Avoid harsh braking. Allow the car to slow naturally where possible.
Reduce weight in the car. The heavier the car, the more fuel it takes to drive. So try to avoid storing heavy objects unnecessarily in the car and/or driving around lots of passengers. Fuel is also heavy, so avoid filling up the tank.
Reduce drag on the car. Make sure your tyres are properly inflated, and remove your roof rack if you have one. This can allow the car to accelerate using less fuel.
Find 50+ tips on cutting the cost of motoring in our full guide.
Cheap car insurance tips
We've a whole host of car insurance top tips and tricks to help you get the best cover. Below is a quick round-up of where we'd suggest you head to next.
Suggestions for you
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Find the cheapest policy for you using our Compare+ Car Insurance tool, with personalised MoneySaving tips.
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Read our full How to get cheap car insurance guide, with many ways to cut the cost of cover.
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If you're looking for cheap breakdown cover, our top tips can help.
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