MoneySuperMarket discounts
Everyone deserves to save money – in fact, almost a quarter of people comparing car insurance quotes with us received a MoneySuperMarket price cut in their results*
Compare cheap car insurance quotes for young drivers
We compare dozens of the biggest insurance providers in the country, including:
Young driver car insurance isn’t a specific product you can buy – in fact, young drivers usually take out the same standard car insurance as everyone else. The only difference is that it’s often much more expensive, so you can get certain types of policy extras and addons to help bring the cost down.
Our mission is to make finding cheap car insurance easier for young drivers – and when you take out cover with MoneySuperMarket you can benefit from:
Everyone deserves to save money – in fact, almost a quarter of people comparing car insurance quotes with us received a MoneySuperMarket price cut in their results*
Our car monitor gives you reminders on your road tax and MOT, as well as showing your MOT history and car valuation – helping you stay up to date, so you never miss a renewal
Our live chat tool is there so our experts can guide you through the car insurance question set, offering tailored support during business hours to help you get the right policy for the right price
*24.43% of customers completing a quote through MoneySuperMarket received a price cut quote in their top 10 results. Based on MoneySuperMarket quotes between May 2021 and May 2022
Car insurance premiums have always been relatively high for young drivers – recent data shows that drivers aged between 17 and 19 pay on average over £1,800 a year for cover, while those aged between 20 and 24 pay over £1,200 a year.*
Young drivers pay more for car insurance because they’re statistically more likely to be involved in a road accident – whereas older drivers with more experience on the road tend to pay much less.
Driver age group | Average annual premiums* |
|---|---|
17 to 19 | £1,819 |
20 to 24 | £1,232 |
25 to 29 | £767 |
30 to 39 | £575 |
40 to 49 | £456 |
50 to 64 | £335 |
65 to 80 | £277 |
*Based on fully comprehensive policies with one driver holding a full UK driver’s licence. MoneySuperMarket data collected between July and September 2022.
Young drivers will have the same three levels of car insurance to choose from:
A fully comprehensive car insurance policy protects you, your vehicle and other drivers from any damage you cause, as well as repair costs, medical expenses, fire damage and theft of your vehicle
£1,477*
Third-party, fire and theft policies cover repair costs for other people, their cars and their property, as well as your own vehicle if it’s stolen or damage by fire
£1,950*
Third-party cover is the minimum legal requirement for motorists – it only offers cover for damage you cause to other people, their cars and their property, and it’s also the most expensive
£2,541*
Car insurance premiums tend to be higher for young drivers, but insurers offer certain types of cover that can help you lower the cost.
Some types of pay-as-you-go car insurance policies will charge you by the number of miles you drive or the hours you spend behind the wheel. They work by setting a flat rate while your car is parked, and another rate for the hours or miles you drive.
This could help you save money on your car insurance premiums if you aren’t a high-mileage driver – but it’s important to consider which will benefit you more.
If you live in the city, you might often find yourself stuck in traffic – so paying by the hour is likely to be less economical than by the mile. However if you often drive on empty country lanes, paying by the hour might then work out cheaper.
These policies often use GPS technology to collect data before feeding it back to the insurer though some can collect mileage directly from your car’s odometer. They have a flat premium rate that covers your car while it’s parked, before the remaining amount is added based on the miles you covered over the month.
Telematics insurance is another type of pay-as-you-go policy, but instead of charging based on the hours or miles you drive, your insurer bases your premiums based on your driving habits. Safer and more sensible drivers are able to earn discounts on future premiums by demonstrating good driving habits.
This is done through either a black box, a plug-in device or a mobile app that use GPS software to monitor your driving and record things like your average speed, time on the road, and how you take corners.
These policies are designed for young and high risk drivers who already face high premiums on the road.
Short term or temporary car insurance offers another alternative to standard car insurance policies. If you aren’t a frequent driver or you only use your car for certain parts of the year, you might want to consider a short-term policy that offers cover for set amounts of time.
It can work out cheaper than an annual policy, as you’ll be able to take out insurance lasting hours, days or weeks, depending on the provider.
Named driver insurance is a useful option for young drivers with parents or guardians willing to share responsibility of their vehicle. Adding an older and more experienced driver indicates to insurers that you won’t be solely responsible for the car, so this lowers the potential risk for the insurer.
However you must be honest about who is the main driver of the car, as lying about it can make you guilty of fronting – a type of insurance fraud that is a criminal offence.
Car insurance providers sort different makes and models into insurance groups from one to 50, based on factors like their size, speed, power, and ease of repairs. Generally speaking, the cars found in lower groups are cheaper to insure – but many other things are taken into consideration when deciding your premiums.
You can check what insurance group your car is in with our handy group checker tool.
Car Make | Car Model | Average annual premiums* |
|---|---|---|
MITSUBISHI | MIRAGE | £396 |
SKODA | CITIGO | £691 |
TOYOTA | AYGO X-PLAY VVT-I | £750 |
VAUXHALL | ADAM ENERGISED VVT | £762 |
PEUGEOT | 108 | £768 |
*Based on fully comprehensive policies with one driver aged 17 to 24 holding a full UK licence. MoneySuperMarket data collected between January and March 2022, accurate as of April 2022.
"Car insurance can be expensive, particularly for young drivers. Insurance premiums are based on risk and less experienced drivers are seen as a bigger risk. Thankfully, there are things you can do to help keep the cost down such as reducing your mileage and adding named drivers to your policy. It’s also important to shop around – MoneySuperMarket lets you compare policies from over 100 brands, helping you find the right cover at the best price.
"
- Sara Newell, Motor and Van Insurance Lead
If you're 17, 18, 21 or 25 and you want to know more about car insurance for your specific age category, MoneySuperMarket has produced some detailed guides. Find out more here:
Aside from taking out the specialist types of insurance like pay-as-you-go, telematics, short-term or named driver cover, young drivers can also think about the following:
Even on a standard car insurance policy that doesn’t charge specifically by the mile, you could save money by giving a lower estimated mileage
Paying your car insurance premiums annually up front is likely to work out cheaper overall than spreading the cost over 12 months and paying interest on top
Avoiding making claims on your policy at all if possible will let you build a no-claims bonus, which can help you get discounts on future premiums
If you’re able to volunteer a higher excess payment, this tells insurers you’re less likely to make a small or frivolous claim on your policy
Drivers in the UK are legally required to have at least third-party car insurance in place, as a result of the continuous insurance enforcement rules brought in as part of the 2006 road safety act. Unless your car is legally registered as off the road with a SORN or in the process of being sold or bought, you may be fined for not insuring the vehicle.
Things are no different for young drivers – who are more likely to cause expensive accidents.
Your excess payment is the amount you contribute towards the cost of a claim before your insurer pays out the rest. For example, if you need to claim for £500 worth of damage and your total excess payment comes to £100, you’ll pay the £100 and your insurer will cover the remaining £400.
Excess payments are generally divided into two types – your voluntary payment and your compulsory payment. Your insurer will decide your compulsory excess amount, and the voluntary amount is decided by you to pay on top.
You might want to increase your voluntary payment on top of the compulsory excess amount as it can help you get cheaper car insurance premiums. This is because offering to pay more excess indicates to insurers you’re unlikely to bother making small claims that aren’t worth the excess.
However be sure it’s an amount you will still be able to afford to pay if you do need to claim, otherwise you might find yourself paying for cover you’re unable to use.
While driving courses such as Pass Plus or IAM do improve your driving, they won’t always get you cheaper car insurance premiums. The average driver won’t see any difference in premiums whether or not they have Pass Plus on their licence – but that doesn’t mean it won’t benefit you at all. Younger or inexperienced drivers might be able to save a few quid, but it’s better to shop around and compare options – this way if insurers do offer discounts you’ll be able to take advantage.
As a parent or guardian, you are allowed to add a younger driver to your car insurance, which allows them to drive your car. This will increase the cost of your insurance, as there’s now a less experienced driver at the while from time to time, but if they use the car occasionally it’ll be a lot cheaper overall than buying them a separate policy.
What you shouldn’t do is declare yourself the ‘main driver’ of a car that’s mostly driven by a younger person. This is illegal insurance fraud, often known as fronting.
Adding someone to your policy as a named driver should allow them to drive your car even if they don’t live with you – but you must always ask your insurer before you try.
When you take out car insurance as a young driver, be careful about the additional features you choose – they do bolster your cover, but you’ll generally need to pay more for the extra protection. Depending on your provider, you’ll usually have the choice of:
Breakdown cover, which gives you access to roadside assistance if your car breaks down
Windscreen cover, which lets you claim for the cost of replacing a cracked or shattered windscreen
Legal cover, which will pay out for certain legal costs related to a claim by you or another party
Driving abroad cover, which insures you for taking your car overseas and driving in the EU
Courtesy car cover, which provides a replacement vehicle for you to use while yours is in repair
Multi-car cover, which lets you drive more than one car under a single policy
Personal accident cover, which pays out in the event that you’re injured or killed in a road accident
Replacement keys, which covers the cost of replacing a set of keys if they’re lost, damaged or stolen
Wrong fuel, which pays for repair costs if you accidentally top up the tank with the wrong fuel
Car insurance premiums generally get cheaper every year, so long as you don’t get any claims or convictions on your record. However, you’re likely to pay over £1000 a year for most of your early twenties – insurers will still probably see you as a young driver until you reach 25 years old.
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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