The affordable Skoda Citigo takes the lead in cheap insurance
It's rare for a car that can be picked up for just £6,000 on the used market to comprehensively beat pricier rivals on running costs, yet the Skoda Citigo does exactly that. With a near-perfect 97% insurance score, it's not just the cheapest car to insure in our latest ranking, it sets a high bar that cars costing thousands more struggle to reach. For instance, the Toyota Aygo, which typically costs around £7,000, achieves a 92% score, five points behind the Citigo. Meanwhile, the Kia Picanto, with a typical market price of £10,500, delivers a 90% insurance score, trailing the Citigo by a full seven points.
Small cars, small insurance groups
This month's ranking of the cheapest used cars to insure, derived from Thatcham/ABI insurance groups, reveals a clear pattern: smaller, city-focused cars dominate the top spots. The Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto both achieve a 90% insurance score, sitting in joint third place. The Suzuki Alto, which is also one of the cheapest models to buy with a market price of just £2,500, matches their 90% score.
Further down, the Citroen C1 scores 89%, followed by the Ford Ka+ at 87%. The Volkswagen Up! and Smart Fortwo both earn an 86% insurance score, demonstrating that even slightly more premium small cars can still offer excellent value on insurance. The largest car in the top ten, the Dacia Sandero, rounds out the list with an 85% insurance score, proving that even a more practical family hatchback can be surprisingly affordable to cover, despite its typical £11,000 market price.
How we worked this out
Our insurance score is built directly from official Thatcham/ABI insurance groups, which are published for every car sold in the UK. These groups, ranging from 1 to 50, are set based on factors like security features, repair costs, parts availability, and performance. A lower group number indicates a car that's generally cheaper for insurers to cover. Our score translates these groups into a simple percentage: the higher the percentage, the cheaper the car is likely to be to insure. This analysis covers models for which we have sufficient data across the UK used-car market.
Understanding insurance groups and your premium
It's crucial to remember that a car's insurance group is only one factor in calculating your personal premium. While a lower group number indicates a car is generally cheaper to insure, your actual quote will depend heavily on your individual circumstances. Factors such as your age, driving history, postcode, annual mileage, and where you park the car overnight all play a significant role.
Our market prices are typical asking prices for these used models across the UK and are not indicative of the specific price of any one car you might find. This ranking looks at cars with a meaningful number of tests behind them, meaning models we don't list simply didn't have enough data to be fairly ranked.
Using this ranking for your next used car
When budgeting for a used car, it’s easy to focus solely on the purchase price. However, running costs like insurance can make a significant difference to your long-term expenditure. This ranking highlights which models consistently fall into the lowest insurance bands, providing a solid starting point for those looking to keep their insurance premiums down. While the Skoda Citigo is a clear winner this month, there are plenty of other strong contenders among the cheapest used cars to insure, offering options for various budgets and needs.
