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We compare quotes from 177[3] of the most trusted car insurance providers in the UK, so you can easily compare defaqto ratings, cover level and price to help you get the best cover.
🚩 It is illegal to drive without car insurance in the UK
You must have at least third-party car insurance.
Otherwise, police can issue on-the-spot fines of £300 and put 6 penalty points on your licence. If you are taken to court you face unlimited fines and disqualification from driving.
Car insurance also financially protects you if something goes wrong. Without it, you could have to pay all the costs if you have a road accident or if your car is stolen or damaged.
You can check if you're insured through the free Motor Insurance Database (MID).
💡 Top tip: Even if you are insured it's useful to compare quotes to make sure you're not spending more than you need to.
Learner drivers must be insured to drive on UK roads.
Professional driving teachers will usually cover you on their insurance for lessons in their car
If you have lessons in your own car or your friend or family member’s car, you must take out provisional licence insurance
Learner driver insurance works like standard car insurance policies - it financially protects you from car-related issues. But as it is a separate policy any accidents you have while driving will not affect the vehicle owner’s no-claims bonus.
Most learner driver insurance policies are automatically cancelled once you've passed your driving test, so you need to purchase car insurance as soon as you become a qualified driver.
Car insurance is generally more expensive for inexperienced drivers. If you are confident in your driving abilities you may be able to reduce the cost by getting black box insurance (also called telematics insurance). Comparing quotes is also a great way to save some cash.
Over-50s car insurance works exactly like standard car insurance, but is often cheaper. That's because insurers regard older drivers as generally more experienced and therefore less likely to have accidents.
Of course age is just one factor that influences your car insurance premiums. Your driving history, previous claims, the type of car you drive, where you live, and the level of cover you choose will all also play a role.
If you drive to work you'll need car insurance that includes commuting.
If you use your car for any other work purposes, including visiting clients or running work errands, you'll need business car insurance. There are different levels depending on how much you use the vehicle.
If driving is a key part of your job you'll need commercial car insurance. This cover is designed for people working jobs such as taxi drivers or delivery drivers.
Multi-car insurance allows you to insure two or more cars on a single policy with the same provider. It's usually for cars registered to the same address, but sometimes you can add immediate family members who live elsewhere. You can also get multi-car breakdown cover.
You'll often get money off your insurance for every extra car added to a policy.
Temporary car insurance covers the same things as standard car insurance. Policies usually last from one to 28 days, although some policies will allow you to be insured for up to 90 days.
If you need insurance for more than a few months it may be cheaper to take out a standard annual policy, even if you do not drive the car for the full year.
Unsure how long you'll need insurance for? Most providers will let you pay a date rate which can be extended for as long as you wish.
Black box car insurance, also called telematics insurance, is a type of policy that involves having a device installed in your vehicle so your insurer can monitor your driving habits. If you drive well and follow road safety rules, they may offer you lower premiums.
Telematics insurance is one way new drivers and young drivers can make their insurance cheaper, although this only works if you consistently drive well.
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You can choose between three types of car insurance cover. Not sure which you need? Try our cover advisor tool.
✔ Highest level of protection
✔ Injuries and damage to you and your car
✔ Fire and theft
✔ Injuries and damage to others
✔ Legal protection
✔ Injuries and damage to others
✔ Fire damage to your car
✔ Theft of your car
✔ Legal requirement
✔ Injuries and damage to others
Compare quotes from 177[3] trusted insurers in minutes
According to Consumer Intelligence – an independent third-party that checks car insurance prices across the market – 51% of consumers could save up to £511. How much you could save will completely depend on your personal circumstances and how much you’re currently paying, but there are ways to ensure you get the lowest possible premium.
Quotes tend to be cheaper 20-29 days out from the policy start date. So check prices earlier rather than later to save the most money possible.
💡Top tip: You can save up to £231[11] on your insurance by buying it 20 days early
10% of the lowest-paying customers pay this amount or less for fully comp
It costs this amount on average to add breakdown cover to your policy
Insurers generally offer you their best deals a few weeks before your policy starts. The cheapest time is usually 20 days before - comparing quotes on this day can save you up to £231[11]
If you can afford to, it is worth paying for your car insurance in one go. Annual payments are up to 31%[14] lower than the total cost of monthly instalments, saving you up to £267[14]
Telematics insurance, also called black box car insurance, give inexperienced drivers a chance to earn lower premiums by showing that they have sensible driving habits.
Add-ons like breakdown cover cost extra to add to your policy. Cutting out the extras you don't need can reduce your car insurance price.
One of the simplest ways to reduce your insurance cost is to increase your voluntary excess. Be careful not to increase your excess so much that you can't afford it if you need to make an insurance claim.
Insurers will always look at your claims history. You'll naturally build a no-claims bonus for every year you're not involved in an accident and don't make an insurance claim. This discount means it can be cheaper in the long run to not claim for smaller car-related expenses and instead pay for the fixes yourself.
You can reduce the cost of motor insurance by parking your vehicle off the road when you're not using it. The best place to keep it overnight to reduce your insurance cost would be in a locked garage.
If you're a relatively new driver, adding an experienced named driver to your policy may bring down your insurance costs.
Car insurance prices have gone down for the first time in three years - but only by 1.1%[15] and only for drivers over 25 years old. With most of us still feeling the squeeze, MoneySuperMarket looked at tweaks we can make to our insurance to save some cash.
Of the changes we can control, shopping around probably has the biggest impact on the price we pay, with a majority of people being able to cut the cost of their car insurance by up to 48.65%[16] by comparing quotes. Paying annually rather than monthly is another big saver, and can shave 31%[14] off the price. Our third top tip is renewing early: buying a policy 20 days before it starts can knock 17%[11] off your total price.
Sara Newell Car & Van Insurance Expert
Breakdown cover pays for the cost of calling out a mechanic if your car breaks down and you need roadside assistance.
If your car is in for repair, courtesy car cover will help you get a replacement vehicle for while you need it.
Personal accident cover pays out a lump sum if you’re injured or killed in a road accident.
Motor legal protection will covers any legal fees you might face in relation to a road accident.
Windscreen cover will pay for the cost of repairing or replacing a cracked windscreen.
If you lose your car keys or if they're stolen, car key cover will cover the cost to replace them.
Also know as misfuelling cover, wrong fuel cover pays for the necessary repairs you'd need if you accidentally top your car up with the wrong type of fuel.
Personal belongings offers protection for your belongings in the event your car is stolen, which can be handy if you tend to leave them in your car.
Protects your no-claims discount by letting you make a certain number of claims within a year before it affects your premiums. Building a no-claims discount will reduce your premiums over time.
Add on | Average cost |
|---|---|
Breakdown cover | £31[13] |
Courtesy car | £10[17] |
Legal cover | £29[18] |
Personal injury cover | £22[19] |
The excess is the amount of money you must contribute to any claim on your car insurance. It is a fixed amount and will be outlined in your policy documents.
Insurance excess is often divided into:
Compulsory excess: set by your insurer, this is the minimum contribution.
Voluntary excess: set by you. The higher your voluntary excess, the lower your premiums are likely to be.
If the costs you are claiming for are smaller than your excess, it is not worth going through your insurance. This may also be true if the claim amount is not significantly higher than the excess, since insurers often give no-claim discounts that could save you more money in the long run.
A no-claims bonus is a discount given by insurers to customers who have not claimed on their car insurance before. The longer you drive without claiming, the bigger the discount you can earn when renewing your cover.
No-claims discounts mean that it can be cheaper in the long run to not claim on your car insurance for smaller costs. This is especially likely to be true if the amount you would be claiming for is close to your excess.
Yes. You can usually add up to three named drivers to an insurance policy alongside the main driver. The main driver must be the person who uses the vehicle the most.
Additional drivers receive the same level of cover as the main driver. Adding them to the policy can make it cheaper or more expensive depending on their risk profile. Young drivers may find it makes their insurance cheaper if they add their parent to their policy, for example.
You can also take out an any-driver insurance policy which allows anyone you wish to drive your car. This type of policy can be expensive, as your insurer can't tell who is driving the car at any given time.
Any-driver insurance can be particularly useful for business purposes. For example, tradespeople might want any driver van insurance so multiple workers can use a vehicle.
Possibly, as long as you've updated your insurance policy beforehand by contacting your insurer and they have approved the vehicle change.
If you don't have insurance, one option is to take out a temporary car insurance policy when you pick up your new car. Short-term insurance can cover you until you sort out an annual policy.
The number of miles you drive on average per year is used to calculate your car insurance premiums. To calculate your expected mileage, you can:
Look at the number of miles you drove the year before on your annual MOT certificate
Check your car's service record - mileage is noted in your logbook every time your car has its annual service
Calculate how many miles you drive each week and add them all up
In 2022 the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) introduced new rules compelling car insurers to offer the same price to both new and existing customers.
The intention was to make car insurance pricing fairer and prevent people from being financially disadvantaged if they remain with their provider.
How long a quote is valid for is down to the insurer. MoneySuperMarket can save your quotes for you, but we cannot guarantee that the price will be the same if you wait to purchase.
However, our Price Promise means that you can be confident you are getting the best deals with us. If you find the same car insurance policy for less we'll refund the difference and give you a gift card worth up to £20.
Restrictions and T&Cs apply, click here for details.
You can cancel your car insurance policy at any time by contacting your insurer.
If you cancel within 14 days
You can often cancel your policy during this cooling off period without paying a cancellation fee, or paying a reduced amount.
If you cancel after 14 days
You will usually be entitled to some money back but you will almost certainty be charged a cancellation fee. You also won't be refunded for the time you've been insured, which will be worked out on a pro-rated basis.
Go Skippy Essentials
Great for
But be aware that
Your car registration number and driving licence number
Any no-claims bonus you’ve accrued
When you bought the car and any modifications made
Your expected annual mileage
Whether you’ll use the car for social, commuting, or business purposes
💡 Top tip: You can still get a quote if you don't know the car's registration number
We're so confident that we'll find you the cheapest car insurance deal with MoneySuperMarket, that we're making a price promise to you.
If you find the same car insurance policy for cheaper elsewhere, not only will we refund the difference, we'll also give you a gift card worth up to £20!
Restrictions and T&Cs apply, click here for details.
Car insurance group checker - check which insurance group your car falls into
Car insurance cover advisor - identify the type of cover you need
Electric vehicle finder - find the electric vehicle that best suits your needs
Car finance calculator - get an idea of how much car finance might cost you
Check your credit score - if you pay car insurance monthly, your insurer will perform a 'hard' credit check
MoneySuperMarket has won the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award, an independent seal of excellence, which recognises businesses that consistently deliver a world-class customer experience.
In the news at the moment: Leaving your car to warm up unattended could invalidate your car insurance. Find out how.
Keep up to date and find out all you need to know with our latest guides.
With 171ii car insurance providers to choose from on MoneySuperMarket, the "best" company will depend on your individual circumstances. Factors like your age, driving experience, location, car type, and desired level of coverage will all influence which insurer offers the most competitive rate and suitable policy.
Using our comparison tool can help you find the right policy for you at the best price.
A fully comprehensive car insurance policy generally offers the most protection and can be surprisingly cost-effective, making it the best value for most car owners.
Car insurance in the UK is priced based on groups of cars, ranging from 1 to 50. Group 1 represents the vehicles considered the cheapest to insure, while Group 50 represents the most expensive. New cars can sometimes be more expensive to insure because they're more valuable.
You can check which group your car comes under here
While you can get car insurance at any time, the best window to score the most affordable cost of your premiums will fall within 15 to 29 days of your policy renewal date. Compare quotes with MoneySuperMarket to find the most affordable option for you.
How long a quote is valid for is down to the insurer. MoneySuperMarket can save your quotes for you, but we cannot guarantee that the price will be the same if you wait to purchase.
However, our Price Promise means that you can be confident you are getting the best deals with us. If you find the same car insurance policy for less we'll refund the difference and give you a gift card worth up to £20.
Restrictions and T&Cs apply, click here for details.
You can cancel your car insurance policy at any time by contacting your insurer.
If you cancel within 14 days
You can often cancel your policy during this cooling off period without paying a cancellation fee, or paying a reduced amount.
If you cancel after 14 days
You will usually be entitled to some money back but you will almost certainty be charged a cancellation fee. You also won't be refunded for the time you've been insured, which will be worked out on a pro-rated basis.
The excess is the amount of money you must contribute to any claim on your car insurance. It is a fixed amount and will be outlined in your policy documents.
Insurance excess is often divided into:
Compulsory excess: set by your insurer, this is the minimum contribution.
Voluntary excess: set by you. The higher your voluntary excess, the lower your premiums are likely to be.
If the costs you are claiming for are smaller than your excess, it is not worth going through your insurance. This may also be true if the claim amount is not significantly higher than the excess, since insurers often give no-claim discounts that could save you more money in the long run.
A no-claims bonus is a discount given by insurers to customers who have not claimed on their car insurance before. The longer you drive without claiming, the bigger the discount you can earn when renewing your cover.
No-claims discounts mean that it can be cheaper in the long run to not claim on your car insurance for smaller costs. This is especially likely to be true if the amount you would be claiming for is close to your excess.
Yes, you're likely to pay less overall if you pay the annual fee upfront. This is because insurers add on a fee for monthly payments. While monthly payments can help to spread out the cost over 12 months, you will end up paying more overall. Insurers will carry out a credit check if you opt to pay monthly to see if you can afford it.
While advanced driving courses such as Pass Plus or IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) make you a better driver, they won’t always save you money on your car insurance. While the average person is unlikely to save with Pass Plus on their record, younger or inexperienced drivers might be able to save a few quid. However, any discounts will depend on the individual insurer, and the course itself may cost more than any savings on your insurance cover. You may well save more by shopping around and comparing deals from different providers.
The number of miles you drive on average per year is used to calculate your car insurance premiums. To calculate your expected mileage, you can:
Look at the number of miles you drove the year before on your annual MOT certificate
Check your car's service record - mileage is noted in your logbook every time your car has its annual service
Calculate how many miles you drive each week and add them all up
Yes. You can usually add up to three named drivers to an insurance policy alongside the main driver. The main driver must be the person who uses the vehicle the most.
Additional drivers receive the same level of cover as the main driver. Adding them to the policy can make it cheaper or more expensive depending on their risk profile. Young drivers may find it makes their insurance cheaper if they add their parent to their policy, for example.
You can also take out an any-driver insurance policy which allows anyone you wish to drive your car. This type of policy can be expensive, as your insurer can't tell who is driving the car at any given time.
Any-driver insurance can be particularly useful for business purposes. For example, tradespeople might want any driver van insurance so multiple workers can use a vehicle.
Yes, a lower annual mileage typically results in cheaper car insurance. On average, MoneySuperMarket customers who drove between 5,001 and 10,000 miles in a year paid £168.33 less for their comprehensive car insurance in March 2024 than those who drove over 50,000 miles, resulting in a saving of around £168.33 per year.
The reason behind this is, the fewer miles you drive, the less likely you are to be involved in an accident. Insurance companies often reward lower-risk drivers with lower premiums.
Possibly, as long as you've updated your insurance policy beforehand by contacting your insurer and they have approved the vehicle change.
If you don't have insurance, one option is to take out a temporary car insurance policy when you pick up your new car. Short-term insurance can cover you until you sort out an annual policy.
In 2022 the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) introduced new rules compelling car insurers to offer the same price to both new and existing customers.
The intention was to make car insurance pricing fairer and prevent people from being financially disadvantaged if they remain with their provider.
You work hard to earn your money, and we don’t think you should waste a penny of it paying over the odds on your household bills. That’s why at MoneySuperMarket, we’re on a mission to save Britain money.
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So how do we make our money? In a nutshell, when you use us to buy something, we get a reward from the company you’re buying from.
You might be wondering if we work with all the companies in the market, or if our commercial relationships with our partners might make us feature one company above another. We’ve got nothing to hide, and we want to give you clear answers when it comes to questions like these, so we’ve pulled together everything you need to know on this page.
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