How much is car insurance?

There's no single price for car insurance — your quote is built from your age, your car, your postcode and your driving history. Understanding what goes into the price is the best way to bring it down.

Compare car insurance →

Car keys, a calculator and an insurance letter with a car on the driveway

What decides your premium

You — your age, job, driving experience, claims and convictions. Young and new drivers pay the most because they claim more often.
Your car — its insurance group (1–50), value, repair costs and security. See our insurance groups guide.
Where you live — postcodes with more thefts and claims cost more.
How you use it — annual mileage, commuting versus social use, and where it's parked overnight.
Your cover choices — the level of cover, your voluntary excess, and extras like breakdown or legal cover.

Where to find average figures

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) publishes average comprehensive premium figures every quarter at abi.org.uk. Treat any average as a rough guide only — it blends young and old drivers, group 1 and group 50 cars, and every postcode in the country. Your own quote can be far above or below it.

Ways to pay less

Compare every year — loyalty rarely pays, and quotes are often cheapest around three to four weeks before renewal.
Increase your voluntary excess — but only to an amount you could genuinely afford after an accident.
Pay annually if you can — monthly instalments usually include interest.
Build your no claims discount — each claim-free year cuts the price, and you can protect it once it's built up.
Consider telematics — a black box or app that tracks your driving can cut costs sharply for young drivers.
Be accurate — wrong mileage, use or job details can invalidate a claim. Never name a more experienced person as the main driver if they aren't — that's "fronting", and it's fraud.

Why quotes differ so much between insurers

Each insurer prices risk differently and wants different types of customer, so the same driver can get quotes hundreds of pounds apart. That's exactly why comparing — with identical details each time — is worth the ten minutes it takes.

Before you buy

Our listings are dated snapshots of providers' own pages, not live prices. Always check the price, contract length and terms on the provider's website. Nothing here is financial or insurance advice.

More guides

Last updated: 22 October 2026