Recommended Cars for New Drivers
New Drivers, more often than not, simply can't wait to get out on the road. As a new driver, why wouldn't you? Once you can drive, you can go on all those road trips you've talked about for so long, you can drive yourself to work and you can pop to the shop to pick up a packet of crisps, which you'd originally have to wait on someone else kindly offering to do for you.
When it comes to buying your first car, there are a multitude of factors to consider. Here at Safely Insured, we've conducted our own research into what we believe to be the best cars to insure for New Drivers. Our research is based on a variety of different factors. These factors include; Make and Model, Year of Manufacture, Engine Size, Insurance Group, Power (bhp) and Miles Per Gallon (mpg).
The Cars
The popular cars of choice for new drivers are hatchbacks. This is because a lot of models within the hatchback 'category' are much cheaper to insure than say; a saloon or SUV. There are many reasons as to why they are cheaper, most of which fall into the factors listed above. It's always important to check out the technical specification of the car you're looking to buy in addition to its insurance group rating.
Insurance group ratings are based on numerous factors which include: repair times, parts costs, the power of the vehicle and much more. Once all the factors are taken into account, a car is assigned a number between 1-50. This number will reflect the insurance group rating. Usually, the lower the number, the lower the cost of insurance.
The makes and models we've selected all have low engine sizes and low insurance group ratings. This makes them very popular amongst New Drivers. We've also included newer models, as we know style is important too.
Ford Fiesta
Ford Fiesta Style + (2008-present)
Litre engine: 1.25 | Power Output: 80bhp | 0-60mph: 12.9 seconds | Fuel efficiency: 49mpg | Insurance group: 6
Ford Fiesta Style + (2008-present)
Litre engine: 1.4 | Power Output: 94bhp (slightly more powerful than the 1.25 version) | 0-60mph: 11.8 seconds | Fuel efficiency: 49mpg | Insurance group: 8
These cars are not only good on fuel consumption, they also look good. They come in a variety of different colours including maroon, blue, green and red. You can also play your own music, just plug your iPod into the auxiliary input jack.
Vauxhall Corsa
Vauxhall Corsa Club (2006-2014)
Litre engine: 1.2 | Power output: 78bhp | 0-60mph: 13 seconds | Fuel efficiency: 48mpg | Insurance group: 4 (the lowest group rating out of the cars discussed in this article)
Vauxhall Corsa Club (2006-2014)
Litre engine: 1.4 | Power output: 88bhp | 0-60mph: 11.8 seconds | Fuel efficiency: 46mpg | Insurance group: 6
These models within the Vauxhall range are extremely popular. In 2014 over 80,000 Corsas were sold in the UK. You don't sell that many cars without a good reputation - the Vauxhall Corsa is a great first car.
Renault Clio
Renault Clio Rip Curl (2005-2012)
Litre engine: 1.2 | Power output: 73bhp | 0-60mph: 13 seconds | Fuel efficiency: 47mpg | Insurance group: 6
Renault Clio Authentique (2005-2012)
Litre engine: 1.5dci (a diesel engine with the ability to do more miles per gallon) | Power output: 68bhp | 0-60mph: 14.7 seconds | Fuel efficiency: 62mpg | Insurance group: 5
In addition to low insurance group ratings, the Renault Clio is also recommended in terms of safety, which is always of importance. The NCAP Safety rating for an 'Adult Occupant' is 5*. This is the highest safety rating NCAP can apply.
Insurance For New Drivers
For new drivers between the ages of 17-25, buying one of the above cars and taking out Black Box Car Insurance, as opposed to standard car insurance, could save you a lot of money in the long run. Black Box Car Insurance involves a black box device being fitted to your car. This then measures and reports on your driving performance. Noting things such as braking speed, acceleration speed and distance of journeys. The better you drive, the more chance you have of saving money on your renewal. For further information, visit our Black Box Insurance webpage.
For any other information relating to New Drivers, visit our New Driver Insurance webpage.