How to make car insurance cheaper for young drivers?

Last Updated: 23 Sept 2025
Read time: 11 minutes

Written by: Lauren McAfee
Insurance Writer and Editor

Reviewed by: Mark McKeown

Written in line with our Editorial Guidelines

Jump to information on:

How to get insurance cheaper for young drivers

How much cheaper is a telematics policy

Average insurance costs for new drivers

Why is car insurance so expensive for young drivers

The cheapest car to insure for young drivers

Costly on-road mistakes to avoid as a new driver

How to get cheaper car insurance for new drivers in 2025?

1. Shop around before you buy

Never accept the first quote you see or let a policy auto-renew. Even if your provider was the cheapest option last year, it doesn’t mean they will be the cheapest this year. Do an annual comparison, and don’t be afraid to switch providers.

Using a comparison website like Quotezone makes this an easy process and could lead to substantial savings. We send you reminders when your insurance is due to renew, so you can find quality insurance at competitive prices. 

2. Shop three weeks before your renewal date

Research from our experts has pinned down the date when you are likely to get the most competitive deals. This is normally three weeks before your policy is due to expire, so be sure to keep an eye on your renewal date.

3. Find a car that is cheap to insure

The car you are being insured on is one of the major factors that affect insurance costs. Getting this right involves some basic research about the car, and knowing what insurers are looking for. For reference, here are the insurance costs of some of the car models most popular with young drivers.

What this means

• Choose low value vehicles – Insurance is designed to cover the cost of replacing or repairing your car in the event of an accident. When the cost of replacement is low, this will be reflected in your premiums. 
• Be aware of insurance groups – Each car is given an insurance group between 1 and 50. This indicates to insurers how much risk they take on when covering this car. Aim for cars in low insurance groups as they are usually cheaper to insure. 
• Opt for a smaller engine – Check your vehicle’s engine size and horsepower. Aim for low numbers as both can impact the cost of your premium.
• Avoid modifications – Modifications mean the vehicle is worth more overall, and might need specialist parts to repair. So a custom exhaust, lowered suspension or even adding branding to a vehicle can increase costs.
• Improve vehicle security – Improving the vehicle’s security with anti-theft devices or dash cams could mean cheaper premiums. However, it’s worth getting a quote first to gauge whether the savings justify the extra cost of the devices.

4. Choose the correct vehicle use 

How you use your vehicle affects insurance costs. It may work out cheaper if you drive for “social only” purposes rather than for “social and commuting”. You can check how these options affect price when getting a quote – just be sure to choose the one that accurately reflects how you use your car.

5. Check your job title

A tweak to your title could help you reduce your premium, so try quoting with variations. However, the title should still accurately describe the job you do as giving incorrect information could invalidate your insurance.

6. Park the car in a safe place

If possible, use a garage, driveway or carport for overnight parking. This can keep premium costs down because the car is more protected from thieves, vandalism or accidental damage. 

7. Consider a telematics or a black box policy

Telematics, or black box insurance, works by collecting data on your speed, acceleration and braking times. They are usually cheaper as they let young drivers with no previous record demonstrate safe driving habits. 

We compared over 40,000 insurance policies to see how much choosing a telematics policy could save young drivers. Over 3 years, these drivers were quoted an average of £111 less when they quoted for telematics policies.

8. Pay your premium annually

If you can, it’s often best to pay the annual premium all in one go. Paying annually rather than in monthly instalments is normally cheaper, because there is no interest to pay.

9. Consider adding another driver

Adding a low-risk driver to your policy could bring down the premium costs, especially if the other driver is experienced and has a clean record. Just make sure the main driver is really the one who drives the car the most. Otherwise, you could be committing “fronting”, which is a type of insurance fraud.

10. Accurately calculate your mileage

When taking out insurance, you will be asked to estimate your annual mileage. The costs will rise the more miles you drive. So try to be accurate and realistic with your estimation.

11. Avoid penalty points and driving offences

With a fifth of convicted drivers in the UK still within their first year on the road, this is especially important for young drivers. You can expect insurance premiums to rise by 5% when you get 3 penalty points, and 25% for 6 points.

How much is car insurance for a new driver?

The soaring cost of learning to drive, along with higher insurance premiums and new emissions charges for older cars, is all putting extra pressure on young drivers’ wallets.

The average cost of car insurance for 17-24 year olds is £1,252 as of June 2025. This data is based on quoted prices from real customers, as analysed by our price comparison experts here at Quotezone.

Car insurance costs for this age group peaked at a high of £3,056 in February 2025. It has since fallen by just under 60%. However, new drivers are still expected to pay an average of £908 more than over 65’s in the UK. So it’s no wonder 25% of young drivers are considering quitting driving completely due to these rising costs.*

Our research also shows a significant difference in insurance costs depending on where you live. Young Londoners pay nearly £800 more for cover compared to young drivers in South West England.

Why is car insurance so expensive for young drivers?

According to insight from our Quotezone CEO and car insurance expert, Greg Wilson: 

“Young drivers normally have to pay more for their premiums as they’ve less experience – something insurance providers use to base their risk analysis on and determine costs.  However, in recent years insurance costs have soared, leaving drivers considering if they can afford to drive at all.

“With cover for under 25-year-olds now approaching £2,000 annually in some UK regions, many young people are struggling to get behind the wheel, having to rely on strike prone public transport, after investing over £3000 on learning to drive and passing their tests.

“Hopefully our tips will help young drivers really start to look at their insurance policies and explore where they can find savings. Simple tweaks such as job title, the time you purchase and how you pay can all help cut costs. Insurance premiums may look to stabilise this year, but while they are coming down, drivers must still hunt for better deals.”

The cheapest car to insure for young drivers?

Buying a car is usually the biggest cost when starting to drive. But the car you choose also hugely affects the cost of your insurance, so it’s important to choose wisely.  

The five most popular cars for young drivers, ranked by insurance costs:

Data from Quotezone shows the most popular car for 17-24 year olds in the UK is the Ford Fiesta, followed by the Vauxhall Corsa, Volkswagen Polo, Volkswagen Golf and Renault Clio. 

But despite being the third most popular car, the Polo is the cheapest car to insure for young drivers at £966.04 per year, with the Golf being the most expensive option at £1104.93.

Specific models can vary dramatically in their cost to buy and insure. For example, the difference between a 1-litre Polo and a 2-litre STI GTI is £10,000, and the latter can be challenging to insure.

However, your car’s make and engine size aren’t the only factors affecting your insurance cost. So it’s important to get a complete picture of how to make insurance cheaper for young drivers.

Avoid on-road costs as a new driver

As well as car and insurance costs, it’s important to be aware of the rules of the road. Breaking these can lead to fines, penalty points or even damage to your vehicle that you’ll have to cover yourself. No one expects you to know the Highway Code by heart, but these common slip-ups can have expensive results.

1. Over packing your vehicle

Overloading a car past its capacity is a punishable offence, with a fine of up to £300 and 3 points. This means packing items above the seat line where they impair your view out of the rear view mirror, or carrying excessively heavy loads that affect the car’s handling and stopping distances. Driving without full visibility out of all windows is also punishable and could result in a £50 fixed penalty.

2. Driving without sunglasses

Driving with inappropriate eyewear could leave you unable to detect danger on the road. As a result, you could be hit with a £100 on-the-spot fine and up to three penalty points for driving without due care or attention. 

3. Using the wrong fuel

Misfuelling is one of the most expensive mistakes new drivers can make. Pumping diesel fuel into a petrol car can lead to engine failure, leaving you to pick up the maintenance costs. Rule 97 of the Highway Code states that before drivers set off, they should ensure they have ‘sufficient fuel or charge for the journey, especially if it includes motorway driving’. Careless or dangerous driving caused by low fuel could see you facing fines of up to £100 and three points on your licence. 

4. Leaving the car switched on while waiting for friends

“Idling” or leaving your engine running unnecessarily while stationary on a public road goes against Section 42 of the Road Traffic Act. You risk a £20 penalty notice that will double if not paid in full within 28 days. And according to our research, almost 11% of drivers fail to turn off their engines while waiting.**

5. Splashing pedestrians

Splashing pedestrians is actually illegal under section three of the Road Traffic Act, 1988 – and is considered to be driving ‘without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road’. This can result in a fine of £100 and three penalty points on your licence.

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References

*Quotezone.co.uk’s findings are based on a randomised survey of 700 respondents from the UK in July 2023, which represents a margin of error of approximately 5% at a 95% confidence level.

**Survey – Quotezone.co.uk’s findings are based on a randomised survey of 1,000 respondents across the UK, which represents a margin of error of approximately 5% at a 95% confidence level.

This article is intended as generic information only and is not intended to apply to anybody’s specific circumstances, demands or needs. The views expressed are not intended to provide any financial service or to give any recommendation or advice. Products and services are only mentioned for illustrative rather than promotional purposes