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Cheapest cars to insure for new drivers 2022

It’s a fact of life that car insurance is horribly expensive for new drivers. They are, rightly or wrongly, deemed as the highest risk by insurance companies, with premiums that reflect this.

The aim of any new driver is to get through their first year’s motoring without drama, to start building up that vital no-claims bonus. This is how car insurance will get cheaper year-by-year.

The trick to finding a cheap-to-insure car is to pick a motor with a low insurance group. They run from 1 to 50 and your focus should ideally be to find a new car with a single-figure insurance rating.

These days, cars in insurance group 1 are rare, but you can still choose robust vehicles with insurance groups of 2 or 3 – and these will be among the cheapest to insure for new drivers. Here are 10 of the most affordable ways to get on the road.

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Skoda Fabia

The Skoda Fabia is a small car that thinks big. That’s because it is big – certainly larger than the supermini norm, with adult-friendly rear-seat space and a boot that’s almost exactly the same size as a Volkswagen Golf’s. It looks smart and the interior is up-to-date, with well-integrated screens and smart use of fashionable fabrics. It’s cheap to insure even for new drivers, with the 1.0-litre MPI 65 boasting a group 2 insurance rating, and even the more powerful MPI 80 only moving up to group 3. The fuel-efficient three-cylinder engine is likely to prove cheap to run, too.

Volkswagen Up

The Volkswagen Up is a city car favourite. It’s been around for a few years now, but there’s still little to beat its combination of space-efficiency, robustness and quality. It comes with the same 1.0-litre engine used in the Skoda Fabia, and is also offered in either 65hp or 80hp guises. And, guess what? Insurance ratings are the same as well: group 2 for the lower-powered version, group 3 for the speedier alternative. Because it’s smaller and lighter than the Fabia, the Up is even better on fuel, while its lower list prices will appeal to new drivers on a budget.

Kia Rio

The Kia Rio is a bit of a forgotten car from the firm’s range, but it remains a worthy one. While it’s not as fashionable as the Stonic small SUV, this supermini-sized five-door hatchback is grown-up and fuss-free to drive. It’s also likely to prove extremely reliable if the assurance of a seven-year warranty is anything to go by. You can have it with a punchy 1.0-litre turbo engine, but the cheapest to insure is the non-turbo 1.2, with insurance groups starting from 4 for the entry-level grade. This engine has just enough power and isn’t bad on fuel, even when driven with gusto.

Volkswagen Polo

The Volkswagen Polo is the sort of first car every parent dreams of giving to their children. It costs a little more than some of its rivals, but it’s clear where the extra money has been spent. This is a very solid, high-quality and safe supermini, one that’s a breeze to drive and will always be on your side. You can get surprisingly punchy 1.0-litre TSI turbo petrol engines, with plenty of performance and economy, but the cheapest to insure is the 80hp 1.0-litre MPI. In entry-level Life trim, it has a new-driver-friendly group 3 insurance rating. The sweet little engine is very economical, which is further good news for new drivers.

Kia Picanto

The Kia Picanto is a stylish five-door city car that comes in plain-Jane guise for shy and retiring types, or in far more outlandish colours and trims for those who like to stand out. It’s one of the cheapest cars to insure for new drivers, the range opening with a 1.0-litre ‘2’ model that lives up to its name by dropping into a group 2 insurance rating. However, if you can afford to pay just a little extra, the stylish X-Line and GT-Line grades offer more exotic looks while only boasting a group 3 rating. Needless to say, the Picanto is a very cheap car to run, and still enjoys Kia’s seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty.

Hyundai i10

The Hyundai i10 is the sister car to the Kia Picanto. It’s a cute-looking five-door hatchback, with a grown-up and robust feel inside. We like the high seating position, light controls and clear dashboard. It’s well equipped, even in entry-level SE grade, which has the lowest group 4 insurance rating. But we’d advise picking the SE Connect version if you can; it will cost a bit more to insure, due to its group 5 rating, but has a good amount of extra kit – including touchscreen infotainment that is ready to pair with both Apple and Android devices.

Renault Captur

The Renault Captur is a surprise entry into our rundown of the cheapest cars to insure for new drivers. That’s because it’s a fashionable small SUV, rather than a supermini, yet it actually costs less to insure than its hatchback sibling, the Renault Clio. The 0.9-litre TCe entry-level grade has insurance groups as low as 7, which is impressive for this in-demand type of car. It looks good, feels upmarket inside and new drivers will love the security and confidence that comes from the higher-set seating position. That turbocharged engine is surprisingly speedy too, yet is also good on fuel.

Ford Fiesta

A new driver favourite, the Ford Fiesta has been facelifted for 2022, gaining a more impactful-looking front end and detail tweaks throughout. It’s always been one of the best small cars to drive, and this one doesn’t disappoint, with handling that’s just more engaging and enjoyable than most rivals. While 1.0-litre Ecoboost versions have quite average insurance ratings, the 1.1-litre Ti-VCT engine is more competitive, starting from group 7. It’s not the cheapest small car to insure overall, but the Fiesta still ranks fairly competitively thanks to the sensible 75hp power output of its fuel-sipping three-cylinder engine.

MG3

The MG3 will appeal to new drivers because it's one of the cheapest new cars you can buy. Despite this, it’s still a roomy five-door supermini, with the latest versions boasting touchscreen tech and a smart array of bright colour choices. The seven-year, 80,000-mile warranty isn’t bad, either. Avoid the 1.0-litre turbocharged engine if you want the cheapest insurance; the 1.5-litre will deliver here, with a group 7 insurance rating. The MG3 also drives well, with lithe and agile handling, plus a lively feel that suits the enthusiastic spirit of the MG badge.

Nissan Micra

The Nissan Micra will be of interest to some new drivers because of one fast fact: the 92hp produced by its 1.0-litre turbo engine. That’s the healthiest power output of any car here, but the Micra still offers a fairly competitive group 8 insurance rating. There are numerous grades and several add-on option packs, including a blistering Bose surround-sound audio system. The Micra also looks distinctive, with sharp creases and flowing lines, while the grown-up feel of its interior makes it seem like a larger and more expensive car to drive. Passenger space isn’t bad either, and the boot is a decent size.

Why is car insurance so expensive for new drivers?

New drivers are among the highest-risk road users. This isn’t a myth, either – insurers have the data to back it up. Sadly, this risk profile dictates that new drivers will pay the most for car insurance, particularly younger new drivers. The only way to significantly cut costs is to drive carefully and steadily build up a no-claims bonus. Even a year’s bonus could take hundreds of pounds off your annual renewal premium.

How can new drivers get cheaper car insurance?

Many of today’s new drivers are considering telematics-based ‘black box’ car insurance. This tracks every mile they drive, noting the speed they reach, their smoothness on the controls, the time of day, the roads they’re driving on and myriad other factors. If you’re a safe and gentle driver out and about mainly during the day, you’ll pay less than an aggressive driver who ventures out in the middle of the night.

Are electric cars cheap to insure for new drivers?

At the moment, electric cars are significantly more expensive than regular combustion cars to buy, which makes replacing them a costlier business for insurers. They also tend to offer speedier performance, with fast acceleration even in seemingly lowly models. Add in the higher cost of replacing batteries and it all equates to higher insurance group ratings and pricier premiums. Costs will come down in time, of course, but new drivers are better off with a petrol or diesel car for now.

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