Price comparison website MoneySuperMarket has revealed the 10 most popular cars for young people in the UK today. And taking the top spot is (drumroll please) the Ford Fiesta. Let’s take a look at the other cars that made the list and how much they cost to insure.
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What are the most popular cars for young drivers?
MoneySuperMarket analysed more than a million car insurance quotes in the 12-months to June 2021. Focusing on the 17-19 age group, they were able to identify the most popular cars for first-time drivers, which are:
- Ford Fiesta
- Vauxhall Corsa
- VW Polo
- Ford Ka
- Mini One
- Renault Clio
- Fiat 500
- Vauxhall Corsa Limited Edition
- Fiat 500 Lounge
- VW Golf
Which popular cars are the cheapest to insure?
Of the 10 most popular cars, the Fiat 500 Lounge was the cheapest to insure at £560. This was followed by the Ford Ka, and the Fiat 500 was the third cheapest to insure.
For anyone prioritising insurance costs over popularity points, the top five cheapest cars to insure* are:
- Fiat 500 Lounge – £519
- Ford Ka – £543
- Fiat 500 – £560
- Mini One – £587
- Renault Clio – £626
*Figures show the cost of a comprehensive policy for drivers aged 17-19.
…And which popular cars cost the most to insure?
If you’ve got your heart set on a Ford Fiesta, you’d better start saving. Car insurance for the number one choice will set you back £711.
Staggeringly, the Ford Fiesta wasn’t the most expensive of the popular cars to insure. That title went to the VW Golf.
But, if the cost of cover isn’t something that’ll stop you from buying your dream first car, the top five priciest popular models to insure* are:
- VW Golf – £935
- Ford Fiesta – £711
- Vauxhall Corsa Limited Edition – £716
- Vauxhall Corsa – £689
- VW Polo – £656
*Figures show the cost of a comprehensive policy for drivers aged 17-19.
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When does car cover become cheaper for young drivers?
The good news is that car insurance does get considerably cheaper for drivers once they hit the age of 20, so you won’t have too long to wait.
To highlight the difference between the 17-19 age group and those aged 20 or over, MoneySuperMarket did some number crunching. They found the biggest difference between the two age groups was on insurance for the VW Golf. Drivers aged 20+ paid less than half what 17-19-year-olds were quoted, with a like-for-like fully comp policy costing them just £368.
The second greatest discrepancy between the age groups was for the Ford Fiesta. The youngest drivers paid 105% more than drivers aged 20+ who were charged £347. This was followed by the Fiat 500 which cost £299 for the 20+ group.
The smallest gap came with insuring the Mini One. There was just a 37% increase for drivers aged 17-19 compared to drivers aged 20+ who paid £429.
Why is car insurance so expensive for younger drivers?
Car cover is one of the most expensive aspects of car ownership, particularly for younger drivers who are more at risk of an accident.
In fact, figures from road safety charity Brake found that one in five young drivers crashed in their first year of driving. And sadly, more than 1,500 young drivers are killed or seriously injured every year.
Nevertheless, there are ways to bring down the cost of insurance for younger drivers without compromising on cover.
Car insurance expert Praksha Patel-Shah from MoneySuperMarket explains: “You can keep costs down by reducing your mileage or opting for a higher excess.
“You could even look into telematics policies which use data to monitor how people drive and use this to determine the cost of their car insurance – the more careful the driver, the more competitively priced the policy.
“It’s also important that you don’t just accept the first car insurance quote you receive. By shopping around and comparing you could easily save yourself up to £235.”
