Insurance for your next car
For a new driver, insurance can cost more than the car. Here's how it's worked out, how to pay less, and the cover you need before you drive off.
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Short-term cover, by the hour or day, in your name.
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The short version
- Pick the car with insurance in mind: its group makes a huge difference.
- Get quotes before you buy, not after.
- You need your own insurance, and tax, before you drive the car home.
Insurance groups, explained
Every car in the UK sits in an insurance group from 1 (cheapest) to 50 (dearest). The groups are set by the Group Rating Panel, run by Thatcham Research for the Association of British Insurers. They reflect how much a car costs to repair, the price of its parts, its performance, and its safety and security kit.
Your own details still matter most (your age, where you live, your experience), but the same driver can pay several times more for a group 30 car than a group 5 one. That's why the Carplorer extension shows the group on every AutoTrader ad, before you type anything, and ranks it against the other cars you've looked at.
Not sure what to buy? The car finder weighs insurance in for young and new drivers.
How new drivers can pay less
- Choose a low-group car. Small, modestly powered cars in groups 1 to 10 are usually cheapest.
- Consider a black box policy. Telematics insurance rewards careful driving. Some have rules about driving late at night.
- Add an experienced named driver, such as a parent, if they genuinely drive the car too. Listing them as the main driver when you are is called fronting. It's fraud, and it can leave you uninsured.
- Pay for the year if you can. Paying monthly usually costs more overall, because it's a loan with interest.
- Think about the excess. A higher voluntary excess lowers the price, but it's what you pay towards any claim.
- Get quotes a few weeks ahead. Prices are often lower a few weeks before the start date than on the day you need cover.
- Be honest. Declare modifications, convictions and the right job title. Getting them wrong can make a policy invalid.
Before you drive it home
Insurance
You need insurance in your name before you drive the car, even on the way home from the seller. Some policies include "driving other cars" cover, but it's often third-party only, and not every policy has it. Check yours. Otherwise, short-term cover from an hour or a day is an easy way to get the car home, then start your annual policy.
Test drives
Dealers usually have trade insurance that covers your test drive, but ask. With a private seller, their policy may not cover you, so you may need your own short-term cover.
Tax
Vehicle tax doesn't pass to the new owner. You need to tax the car before you drive it, which you can do online straight away using the new keeper reference from the logbook (V5C).
About Carplorer and insurance
Carplorer helps you judge a used car: its MOT history, mileage, likely repair bills and insurance group. We're not an insurer or a broker, and we don't give insurance advice. When we link to a comparison site or insurer, they provide the quotes and the policy, and their terms apply. If you buy through one of our partner links, they may pay us a commission. Your price stays the same. See our privacy policy for how partner links work.