There is no definitive ‘best’ first car, as every insurance company has their own set of rules when working out how much to charge for car insurance. However, we can give you a few tips to help you get a better car insurance deal.
* Get a car with a small engine, for example a 1.1 litre rather than a 1.6 litre, which is normally in a lower insurance group rating. You’ll also tend to pay less road tax for a small engine car.
* Stick to a basic or mid range specification car as these usually have a lower insurance group rating and avoid any performance models e.g. GTI, SXI, Sport.
* Avoid any modifications (upgrades to enhance styling, audio or performance), not only are modified vehicles more attractive to car thieves, they tend to be more expensive to fix and can increase your level of risk and premium.
* Add a second driver (named driver) to the policy, over the age of 25 with a clean license. Parents are usually a good idea and with women being cheaper to insure than men, mums are usually best!
* Get a Pass Plus certificate. Lots of insurance companies offer discounts to new driver who participate in the scheme.
* Increase your voluntary excess. Choosing a higher voluntary excess when you take out your policy will reduce the price of your insurance policy.
