Cheap car insurance

There are three main types of car insurance that provide different levels of cover:

• Third party only is the legal minimum. It covers damage and injury you cause to other people, their vehicles and their property, but nothing for your own car.
• Third party, fire and theft (TPFT) adds cover if your car is stolen or damaged by fire. It still doesn't cover accidental damage to your own car.
• Fully comprehensive covers everything TPFT does, plus damage to your own car even when the accident is your fault.

Fully comprehensive is often the cheapest car insurance, despite giving you more protection. That’s because the people who choose Third party only can be more high-risk.

Learn more about these options in What car insurance do I need?

The cheapest cars to insure are usually smaller, less powerful cars that can be repaired easily. Expensive, powerful or rare cars typically cost more.

Car insurance groups

Every car is placed in an insurance group from 1 to 50. The lower the group, the lower the insurance cost. Groups are based on:

• the car's value
• how easy it is to repair
• the car's performance
• its safety and security features

Learn more about car insurance groups or check out which cars are cheapest to insure from these brands:

• Audi
• BMW
• Ford
• Honda
• Mercedes-Benz
• Nissan
• Toyota
• Vauxhall

The same factors that affect your car insurance quote will affect your renewal too. But, if you’re looking for cheaper car insurance at renewal, here are some additional steps you can try:

• Check your details are up to date, including your address, occupation, where the car is kept and any modifications.
• Check your mileage – Did you drive more or less last year than you thought? Providing an accurate mileage will give you a fair quote.
• Drop add-ons you don't need such as breakdown cover if you already have elsewhere.
• Compare quotes from other insurers if you’re not happy with your quoted price.
• Renew 3-4 weeks in advance if you’re switching providers. This usually gives you a lower price than buying on the day, which can be seen as high risk.
• Check your licence details if you have recently updated a foreign licence to a UK one.

Learn more about the best time to renew car insurance and how to find out when your car insurance is due.

If you are a young or newly qualified driver, adding a more experienced driver, like a parent, can give you a cheaper car insurance quote.

On the other hand, if you add an inexperienced driver to your policy, it could make your price go up.

Any named drivers you add to your policy must genuinely use the car, if only occasionally. Also, if you list someone as the main driver when really you use it the most, that's called fronting, which is a form of fraud.

Remember people who are not named drivers cannot use your car unless they are covered to do so by their own insurance. Learn more about who can drive your car.

Black box (or telematics) car insurance is often cheaper. At Marshmallow, drivers save an average of £271* on their insurance with Marshmallow Move, our telematics car insurance.

Black box or telematics policies usually involve an app or device that tracks how you drive, including braking, cornering, speed, the times you drive and your mileage.

At Marshmallow, we give you a discount up front and a fixed price all year. Other providers can lower or increase your premium depending on how you drive.

Find out more about black box car insurance and whether a black box is worth it.

Usually around three to four weeks beforehand is the cheapest time to get car insurance. Buying in advance shows you’re organised and is linked to lower risk than buying on the day.

If you’re renewing, get quotes before your insurance auto-renews. Set a reminder so you don't miss your renewal notice. If you’re unsure when your policy ends, learn how to find out when my car insurance is due.

Not always. Comparison sites are a quick way to see lots of prices in one place, but no single site shows every insurer.

Some insurers sell different policies directly than they do through comparison sites, so you can miss the best option by only using one route.

If you are using comparison sites and going directly to insurers, check that you are using like-for-like quotes before making a decision.

Yes we do!

No Claims Discount is the UK’s system for rewarding safe drivers who have not made a claim.

You get a discount for every year you drive without making a claim, as long as you can prove it. If you have a No Claims Discount score from the UK, you’ll get a certificate from your insurer at the end of the year. We’ll ask you to upload a photo of this to your Marshmallow account after you pay.

If you’re new to the UK, don’t worry! We can accept proof of claim-free driving from any insurer, in any country, in any language. No translation needed. We’ll ask you to upload a photo of this to your Marshmallow account after you pay.

All your documents will be available in your Marshmallow account - online and on the app. You can access these at any time.

We may ask for a photo of your ID, a selfie, or proof of address. Or we might ask you to verify things like your driver’s licence number. Every person is different, and we’ll only ask you to provide things we really need.

There are some details we have to get right to make sure your policy is valid. Even small mistakes can mean the difference between getting the money you deserve after an accident, and not. This is our way of making sure you do.

No, you can get a policy at Marshmallow without any kind of black box or telematics device. However, you can choose to get a Marshmallow Move policy, which uses a simple bluetooth tag to share your driving data. Find out more on our Marshmallow Move page.

*UK newcomers save an average of £392: Based on internal data for 4304 policies sold via Confused.com from January 2025 to June 2025 to UK newcomers living in the UK less than 3 years. The average difference between Marshmallow’s price and the second cheapest price was £392.

*Newcomers from India save an average of £383: Based on internal data for 940 policies sold via Confused.com from January 2025 to June 2025 to those of Indian nationality living in the UK less than 3 years. The average difference between Marshmallow’s price and the second cheapest price was £383.

*Newcomers from Pakistan save an average of £496: Based on internal data for 888 policies sold via Confused.com from January 2025 to June 2025 to those of Pakistani nationality living in the UK less than 3 years. The average difference between Marshmallow’s price and the second cheapest price was £496.

*Newcomers from Nigeria save an average of £337: Based on internal data for 370 policies sold via Confused.com from January 2025 to June 2025 to those of Nigerian nationality living in the UK less than 3 years. The average difference between Marshmallow’s price and the second cheapest price was £337.

*Newcomers from Ukraine save an average of £353: Based on internal data for 121 policies sold via Confused.com from January 2025 to June 2025 to those of Ukrainian nationality living in the UK less than 3 years. The average difference between Marshmallow’s price and the second cheapest price was £353.

*Newcomers from Zimbabwe save an average of £248: Based on internal data for 224 policies sold via Confused.com from January 2025 to June 2025 to those of Zimbabwean nationality living in the UK less than 3 years. The average difference between Marshmallow’s price and the second cheapest price was £248.

*Healthcare workers new to the UK save an average of £217: Based on internal data for insurance policies sold via Price Comparison Websites in 2024 for healthcare workers living in the UK less than 5 years. The average difference between Marshmallow’s price and the second cheapest price was £217.

*Marshmallow was the cheapest for 83% of our UK newcomers: Based on a 2024 survey of 619 Marshmallow policyholders who are new to the UK.

*79% of Marshmallow customers are new to the UK: Based on data from all active Marshmallow car insurance policyholders from 2018 - 2024.