Car insurance

Compare cheap car insurance quotes and save up to £531.38*
  • Compare quotes from 177 trusted providers
  • Get a quote in less than 3 minutes**
  • 100s of hours of independent research into what affects the cost of your cover

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*51% of consumers could save up to £531.38 on car insurance. Consumer Intelligence, 1 May to 31 July 2024. UK only

How to compare cheap car insurance quotes with Independent Advisor

1 Gather your details

Including your licence number, annual mileage, driving history and vehicle registration number. 

2 Choose your policy

You’ll need to decide your level of cover, voluntary excess, optional extras and payment schedule.

3 Compare cheap car insurance

Car insurance companies we work with

Compare quotes across 177 providers[1] to find the cheapest car insurance for your needs.

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esure logo
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Why compare car insurance with us?

With Independent Advisor, you can get a car insurance quote from a source you can trust.

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Save money

By comparing premiums, you can find cheaper car insurance and save up to £531.38* on your cover.

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Tailored quotes

It takes less than 3 minutes** to get a tailored car insurance quote once you start putting in your details.

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Expert research

We carry out 100s of hours of research to equip you with everything you need to know about comparing car insurance.

Meet our experts

Our team of experts has decades of experience in car insurance. Read more as our experts answer your Frequently Asked Questions.

Connor Campbell new profile April 2024
Connor Campbell
Finance Writer
Dr S Mohammad
Senior lecturer
James Daley Fairer Finance square
James Daley
MD at Fairer Finance
Prof. R Merkin
Professor of Law

What type of car insurance do I need?

Comprehensive

Fully comprehensive car insurance offers the most coverage available:

  • You can claim for accidental damage to your own car, fire damage and theft
  • You’re covered if you cause an accident and someone claims against you
  • You may have additional benefits, such as personal accident cover and courtesy car cover

Average cost of cover: £559.07[2]

Third party, fire and theft

Third party, fire and theft is the middle tier of car insurance:

  • You can make a claim if your car is damaged in a fire or stolen
  • You’re covered if you injure someone, or damage their property
  • If you cause an accident, you can’t claim for accidental damage to your own car, or any injuries you suffer

Average cost of cover: £648.76[2]

Third party

Third party car insurance is the lowest level of cover available:

  • You must have at least third party insurance to legally drive in the UK
  • It’ll cover you if you cause an accident and injure another person, or damage their property
  • If you cause an accident, you and your car won’t be covered

Average cost of cover: £766.79[2]

Which provider offers the cheapest car insurance?

After running more than 760 quotes using our 21-year-old, 41-year-old and 61-year-old driver profiles, we found that Hastings YouDrive was most frequently the cheapest policy, followed by Allianz and then Saga.[3]  Interestingly, black box policies made up more than half (53.08 per cent) of the absolute cheapest car insurance policies available overall. 

Of course, the cheapest car insurance policy for your needs may differ from the providers listed below.

Data collected between 22 April and 15 July 2024

Policy (*black box) Frequency as cheapest policy (%)
Hastings YouDrive* 35.91%
Allianz 19.40%
Saga 12.98%
Admiral Essential 7.34%
Insure the Box* 4.98%
Admiral Littlebox* 3.54%
Bell* 2.88%
Quotemehappy Connect* 2.62%
Admiral 2.23%
Marshmallow Go* 2.10%

11 tips for getting cheap car insurance

With premiums at all-time highs, it’s more important than ever to try and reduce the cost of your cover. Fortunately, we’ve compiled 11 tips for getting cheaper car insurance:

1 Don’t ‘auto-renew’

Don’t immediately accept the auto-renewal quote from your existing provider. Instead, you can use Independent Advisor to shop around for a quote from 177 insurers.

2 Compare quotes

By comparing car insurance quotes, you can make sure you are not missing out on the best deal available for someone with your driving profile.

3 Don’t buy at the last minute

Your current insurer will send you a renewal quote about a month before your policy is due to end, but the best day to buy car insurance is three weeks before your renewal is due.

4 Consider black box insurance

With a telematics car insurance policy, your insurer will fit a black box in your car that will monitor your driving habits. Drive well and you’ll get cheaper cover.

5 Add an older driver

Young drivers can reduce their car insurance premiums by adding an older driver (for example, a parent) as a named driver. However, lying about who the ‘main driver’ is to get cheaper premiums is known as fronting and is illegal.

6 Be selective with optional extras

Make sure you only purchase the optional extras you really need. Otherwise you may end up paying for policies you won’t use.

7 Pay up front

If you can afford it, it’s best to pay your premium up front each year. Your insurer may offer the option to pay monthly, but this will cost extra, as you’ll be paying interest on top.

8 Build your no-claims bonus

Every year you don’t make a car insurance claim, you will build up a no-claims bonus that can reduce the price of your premium. Over time, this discount could range anywhere from 30 to 60 per cent.

9 Pay for repairs if you can

If you cause minor damage (for instance, damage your bumper), pay for repairs yourself. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay an excess, and your no-claims bonus will be affected.

10 Install security features

Installing security modifications, such as immobilisers, trackers or dash cams, can reduce your premium, as they make your car safer and claims easier to prove.

11 Lower your insurance group

Cars with smaller engines in Group 1 or 2 will be cheaper to insure than vehicles in Group 10, for example. This is especially important for younger drivers looking to purchase their first car.

Start searching now

Cost of car insurance

Average cost per year £559.07
Cost for 17-19 year olds £1,608.39
Cost for 30-39 year olds £711.52

How much does car insurance cost?

The average cost of an annual comprehensive car insurance policy is £559.07[4], based on policies purchased through MoneySuperMarket in March 2024.

However, the quote you actually receive will be highly personalised based on a range of factors, including your car, its value, your driving history, your address, and your age.

For example, in May 2024, inexperienced younger drivers between 17 and 19 years old paid £1,608.39, more than double the £711.52 paid by drivers between 30 and 39.[5]

How much can I save?

By comparing car insurance, you can save up to £531.38*. Therefore it’s important to shop around, not only to get the right cover for your needs, but to do so at the best price available. 

Exactly how much you can save will depend on your driving profile, and how much you are quoted by your existing provider in the first place.

Senior lecturer in Risk Management and Insurance

Is cheap car insurance reliable?

Cheap car insurance can be reliable if you do the following:

  • Ensure the policy meets basic coverage needs and check for any exclusions or limits
  • Look at customer reviews to ensure the insurer is reputable
  • Watch out for high excess fees and other hidden charges
  • Consider additional benefits and the flexibility of the policy
Senior lecturer in Risk Management and Insurance

What affects the cost of my car insurance quote?

Understanding how much each factor affects your premium can help you get cheaper car insurance. That’s why we manually run hundreds of quotes every month using our three customer profiles: a 21-year-old driver, a 41-year-old driver, and a 61-year-old driver.[6] These bespoke profiles are designed to capture a snapshot of the average UK driver, across three points in their life.

 

From the extra cost of higher mileage, to how much you can save by changing your voluntary excess, we’ve then done the work to figure out what matters most when it comes to the price of your cover.

 

We’ve organised our findings into two categories: those you control and those you can’t. This empowers you to make the right choices for your household when you come to compare car insurance.

Policy start date

While there’s not much difference between buying your car insurance three or four weeks before the policy start date, getting it any later can mean paying more unnecessarily.

On average, buying your policy seven days before its start date is 6.96 per cent more expensive than purchasing it four weeks before it begins. And if you buy it the day before your policy runs out, it’s even worse – you’re looking at a 17.55 per cent increase to your premium.[7]

Days before start date 21-year-old average premium 41-year-old average premium 61-year-old average premium
28 days £1,292.47 £573.74 £396.94
21 days £1,280.03 £573.28 £397.48
14 days £1,295.68 £576.65 £404.29
7 days £1,406.78 £603.14 £424.41
1 day £1,668.59 £633.33 £449.22

Data correct as of 9 July 2024

Annual mileage

In the eyes of insurers, the more you’re on the road, the more likely you are to have an accident. That’s why the higher your annual mileage, the more you’ll pay for cover. 

For our 21-year-old driver, we found that for every extra 3,000 miles they drove, it added an average of £97.79 to their premium in July 2024, up from £74.37 in June. That fell to an extra £51.86 for our 41-year-old motorist, and to £38.34 for our 61-year-old.[8]

Mileage 21-year-old average premium 41-year-old average premium 61-year-old average premium
3,500 £1,373.56 £575.61 £424.61
6,500 £1,407.46 £610.12 £463.77
9,500 £1,498.32 £648.03 £508.17
12,500 £1,666.92 £731.20 £539.66

Data correct as of 15 July 2024

Level of cover

On average, we found that fully comprehensive car insurance was 65.14 per cent cheaper than third party-only cover, and 22.29 per cent less expensive than third party, fire and theft.[9]

21-year-old average premium 41-year-old average premium 61-year-old average premium
Third party £6,712.69 £1,995.31 £883.44
TPFT £1,901.87 £869.07 £547.87
Comp £1,466.19 £660.72 £438.29

Data correct as of 24 June 2024

Annual vs monthly payments

While it can be a bigger upfront cost, paying for your car insurance annually rather than monthly can dramatically reduce your premium.

On average, you can save 20.51 per cent if you pay annually instead of monthly.[10]

Our 41-year-old driver saw the biggest percentage saving, with annual cover 24.72 per cent cheaper than the monthly option. But in terms of the pound-saving, our 21-year-old motorist benefited the most by paying annually, saving £275.02. 

21-year-old average premium 41-year-old average premium 61-year-old average premium
Annual  £1,466.19 £660.72 £438.29
Monthly (total) £1,741.21 £824.02 £517.37
£ difference £275.02 £163.30 £79.08
% difference 18.76% 24.72% 18.04%

Data correct as of 24 June 2024

Voluntary excess

A higher voluntary excess (i.e. the amount you pay when making a claim) will reduce the cost of your premium.  But how much can you save? 

We found that, on average, our 41-year-old driver’s premium was £7.14 cheaper for every £50 they added as a voluntary excess. In comparison, our 21-year-old driver paid £11.54 less per £50 excess, while for our 61-year-old driver it was £8.45.[11]  However, always make sure you can realistically afford to pay the excess you select.

Voluntary excess 21-year-old average premium 41-year-old average premium 61-year-old average premium
£0 £1,514.54 £670.49 £476.14
£50 £1,473.82 £669.19 £468.67
£100 £1,442.13 £641.00 £459.19
£150 £1,424.59 £623.16 £444.13
£200 £1,418.14 £614.57 £432.41
£250 £1,407.46 £610.12 £424.61
£300 £1,406.98 £613.04 £413.48
£350 £1,404.65 £607.47 £405.29
£400 £1,399.24 £601.21 £395.78
£450 £1,400.37 £597.75 £392.88
£500 £1,399.10 £599.05 £391.63

Data correct as of 15 July 2024

No-claims bonus

While it’s true that the longer you build your no-claims bonus, the cheaper your car insurance will be, the rate of discount isn’t consistent.

For instance, our 41-year-old driver’s premium fell from £981.63 to £738.16 after building a three-year no-claims bonus – a saving of £243.47.[12]

However, we then found that, for every additional three years you fail to make a claim, you could save on average £32.56.

No-claims bonus Average annual premium
0 years £981.63
3 years £738.16
6 years £648.62
9 years £615.88
12 years £602.21
15 years £581.46
18 years £575.37

Data correct as of 24 June 2024

Named drivers

Adding a named driver can dramatically change how much you pay for car insurance, depending on their age and experience.

For example, we found that, on average, your quote is 43.37 per cent more expensive if you add a younger driver to your policy as a named driver.[13] In comparison, adding a named driver that was the same age as the main driver caused quotes to become on average 11.91 per cent cheaper.

When it comes to adding an older driver, meanwhile, it depends on the age of both motorists. Our 21-year-old driver saved 8.91 per cent by adding their more experienced 41-year-old father. However, our 61-year-old suffered a 17.62 per cent increase when adding their 81-year-old parent.

21-year-old average premium 41-year-old average premium 61-year-old average premium
No named drivers £1,406.78 £603.14 £424.41
Younger named driver £1,693.53 £1,349.18 £1,007.91
Same age named driver £1,273.01 £576.11 £352.09
Older named driver £1,291.68 £598.93 £515.21

Data correct as of 9 July 2024

Car make and model

All cars fall into an insurance group from one to 50 – the more powerful and luxurious your car, the higher the group it will be in and the more you’ll pay. 

So when buying a new car, it’s worth bearing in mind how it’ll affect the cost of your cover. For example, there’s a £150.47 difference between insuring a MINI Cooper and a BMW 1 Series 116 – both models that feature in the top 10 most popular cars in the UK in 2024.[14]

Rank Car make and model Average annual premium
1 Ford Puma (2020, 1.5L, ST) £633.23
2 Nissan Qashqai (2016, 1.6L, N-Connecta DIG-T) £603.14
3 Kia Sportage (2016, 1.6L, 2) £614.68
4 Audi A3 (2016, 1.4L, S LINE TFSI 150 5 Door) £695.81
5 Nissan Juke (2016, 1.6L, N-CONNECTA DIG-T 190 2WD) £577.87
6 Volkswagen Golf (2016, 1.4L, SE TSI BLUEMOTION TECHNOLOGY 122 5 Door) £578.49
7 BMW 1 Series (2015, 116 1.6L, I Sport 5 Door) £695.98
8 MG HS (2019, 1.5L, EXCITE) £620.55
9 Volkswagen T-Roc (2017, 1.5L, SE TSI EVO) £558.80
10 MINI Cooper (2016, 1.6L, S 184) £545.51

Data correct as of 9 July 2024

Electric cars

Your choice of car plays a big part in determining your car insurance premium. And this is especially true if you go electric[15]:

21-year-old average premium 41-year-old average premium 61-year-old average premium
Petrol £1,407.46 £610.12 £424.61
Electric £2,309.53 £722.04 £455.77
Difference £902.07 £111.92 £31.16

Data correct as of 15 July 2024

Even if both cars are valued the same, electric cars are typically in higher insurance groups and cost more to repair, making cover more expensive.

Overnight parking

Broadly speaking, the more secure your car is at night, the less you’ll pay for car insurance – with an interesting wrinkle.

Parking on your private driveway is on average 6.31 per cent cheaper than parking on a street, away from your home. Surprisingly, it’s also 3.74% cheaper to park on a driveway than in a locked garage.[16]

Although this may seem counterintuitive, you’re more likely to damage your car driving into a tight garage than onto a driveway.

21-year-old average premium 41-year-old average premium 61-year-old average premium
Driveway £1,140.67 £634.30 £426.18
Locked garage £1,195.94 £658.00 £431.68
On street near home £1,165.19 £647.37 £445.12
On street away from home £1,170.34 £674.30 £471.11

Data correct as of 1 July 2024

Professor of Law at the University of Reading

Will my car insurance go up if I make a claim?

“If you have to make a claim, the chances are that your car insurance will go up in price when you renew it – even if your no-claims bonus isn’t affected. This is because you’ll be seen as more likely to make another claim in the future.”

Professor of Law at the University of Reading

Why has the price of car insurance gone up?

It’s an unavoidable fact that car insurance has become a lot more expensive in the last year. On average premiums rose 25 percent from 2022 to 2023[17], according to the ABI, while between January and March 2024 prices hit another record high.

Year Average annual premium (ABI) Year-on-year change
2019 £471 -1%
2020 £465 -1%
2021 £434 -7%
2022 £434 0%
2023 £544 +25%

But what’s behind this increase?

  • Inflation, and the related rise in energy costs, have pushed up how much a provider has to pay out when you make a car insurance claim
  • The cost of vehicle repairs rose 31 per cent in 2023, while payouts for vehicle theft jumped 23 per cent, and the cost of providing temporary replacement vehicles climbed 35 per cent[18]
  • Providers handed out a record £9.9 billion in motor insurance claims in 2023, up 18 per cent on 2022. The provider then passes some of these costs onto customers, often regardless of your personal driving history
Senior Finance Writer

Will the cost of car insurance come down?

“Although the price of car insurance has become unmanageable for many households, steps are being taken to try and bring prices down. In February 2024, the ABI published its ‘Roadmap to Tackle Insurance Costs’ – its recommendations included greater transparency around insurance groups, cracking down on car insurance fraud, and lowering the Insurance Premium Tax (IPT).”

Senior Finance Writer

Our car insurance reviews

To help you make a decision when comparing car insurance quotes, we’ve reviewed some of the UK’s biggest providers. In the table below you’ll find a link to each review, as well as our Independent Advisor score for every car insurance provider we’ve reviewed.

This takes into consideration the provider’s Trustpilot score, Defaqto and Fairer Finance ratings for its standard or mid-tier comprehensive policies (or main policy option where applicable).[19]

Find out more about how we review car insurance.

All information correct as of 19 July 2024

Insurance provider
Independent Advisor score
Trustpilot score
Defaqto score
Fairer Finance score
Independent Advisor score:
89.3
Trustpilot score:
4.4 stars
Defaqto score:
Fairer Finance score:
Independent Advisor score:
89.3
Trustpilot score:
4.4 stars
Defaqto score:
Fairer Finance score:
Independent Advisor score:
83.3
Trustpilot score:
4.5 stars
Defaqto score:
Fairer Finance score:
Independent Advisor score:
79.7
Trustpilot score:
4.1 stars
Defaqto score:
Fairer Finance score:
Independent Advisor score:
90
Trustpilot score:
4.5 stars
Defaqto score:
Fairer Finance score:
Load more Hide

What optional extras can I add on to my car insurance policy?

If you feel like you need a bit of extra cover outside of what is offered by your policy, you can look into an insurer’s optional extras.

Breakdown cover

Provides you with roadside assistance if your car breaks down. Levels of cover will vary between insurers and can include anything from vehicle recovery to onward travel cover.

Car keys cover

This covers the costs of replacing and reprogramming lost or stolen car keys.

Courtesy car

Courtesy car insurance will see your insurer provide you with a car to drive if your car is being repaired following an accident.

Driving abroad

Provides cover for driving your car in countries outside of the UK.

Electric car insurance

Some insurers sell specialist electric car insurance. These policies cover things like damage to the car’s battery and cover for portable charging cables.

Legal expenses

Offers financial protection against legal fees if you’re involved in an accident that’s not your fault. This may include personal injury, excess recovery and loss of earnings.

Misfuelling cover

This covers the cost of draining and cleaning your tank, or the cost of repairs, if you put the wrong fuel in your car.

No-claims discount protection

An optional cover which protects your no-claims discount (NCD) from one (or more) ‘at fault’ claim each year.

Personal belongings

Provides cover for lost, stolen or damaged personal belongings left in the car.

Windscreen cover

Covers damages to your car’s windscreen, including repairing chips and cracks as well as full replacements.

Managing Director of Fairer Finance

Are car insurance add-ons worth buying?

If things like key cover and windscreen cover are not included in your policy, they could be worth adding on, depending on what kind of car you’ve got. The cost of replacing some car keys can be well over £500. If you know you can’t survive without a car, then you may want to get a policy that offers a courtesy car no matter what has happened to your car. Personally, I don’t think motor legal expenses insurance offers a lot of value – so that’s probably one you can skip.

Managing Director of Fairer Finance

What other types of car insurance can I get?

Learner driver insurance

If you’re learning to drive, you can take out specialist learner driver cover to allow you to practise in someone else’s vehicle

Telematics insurance

By having an electronic device installed in your car through a black box or telematics insurance policy, you can save yourself money in the long run by proving you’re a safe, trustworthy driver

Temporary car insurance

If you need to drive someone’s car for a short amount of time, you can take out temporary car insurance rather than unnecessarily apply for a full, 12-month policy

Business car insurance

If you use your car for business purposes, such as driving around to various places to work or meet clients, you will need to get business car insurance to be properly covered. This comes in three categories: Class 1, 2 and 3

Low-mileage car insurance

If you drive under the average UK annual mileage, say if you’re retired or have started working from home, you could get cheaper car insurance by taking out a low-mileage policy

Pay-as-you-go car insurance

If you’re an infrequent driver, you could take out pay-as-you-go car insurance, where you pay for every mile you drive. This could be good if you have a second car you don’t use very often

Named driver insurance

As the main driver, you could make your car insurance cheaper by adding a more experienced named driver to your policy. Alternatively, becoming a named driver may save you money if you don’t drive very often, and only semi-frequently need to use a loved one’s car

Over-50s car insurance

It is possible to take out specific over-50s car insurance that includes a number of additional benefits, including multi-year fixed prices, enhanced European cover, and emergency any-driver cover

SORN car insurance

Even though you aren’t required to have insurance if you’ve issued a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN), you may still want cover to protect your vehicle from damage or theft while parked

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