Cheapest cars to insure for a 17-year-old

If you’re 17 years old and have just passed your driving test, chances are you’re on the lookout for a fresh set of wheels to get you out into the big world of motoring. 

There’s a daunting number of options out there, varying in spec, price, size and, perhaps most importantly at 17, insurance cost. 

No one wants to pay more for car insurance than they need to, so here are the cheapest cars to insure for 17-year-olds you should probably consider. 

What are the cheapest cars to insure for a 17-year-old? 

• Hyundai i10 

• SEAT Mii 

• Ford Ka+ 

• Fiat 500 

• Renault Clio 

• smart forfour 

• Nissan Micra 

• VW Polo 

• Škoda Citigo 

10 cheapest cars to insure for a 17-year-old 

Hyundai i10 

A popular choice for many young drivers is the Hyundai i10, which recently had a makeover to feature rally-style front lights and a revised grille. 

What makes it so cheap is its size – it’s really small (as are the engines). This helps keep the insurance costs down and means it’s easy to park as a nice bonus. 

Power comes from a little 1.0-litre petrol engine that produces either 67hp, 84 or 100hp (depending on the trim) and it’s nice and efficient, offering up to 56.5mpg, to save you money at the petrol pump. 

• Read our Hyundai i10 review 

SEAT Mii 

Sharing its platform with the VW up! and Škoda Citigo, the SEAT Mii is a small city car that’s efficient, easy to drive and very cheap to run. 

It may share its platform with other city cars in the Volkswagen Group, but to put it into perspective, we’d say it sits in the middle above the slightly pricier up! and cheaper Citigo. 

It’s powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine that produces from 60hp and can return up to 62.8mpg, which is very impressive. 

• Read our SEAT Mii review 

Ford Ka+ 

The first-generation Ford Ka was a runaway success with new drivers, thanks to its compact size, unique styling and low running costs. And its younger sibling, the slightly more grown-up Ka+, keeps that frugal theme going.  

The Ford Ka+ may have lost its bubble look, but you can look at it like growing up out of its puppy fat and into a supermini for everyone – complete with four doors for practicality. 

It’s most popular with a 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 85hp and can reach a healthy 56.5mpg. 

• Read our Ford Ka+ review 

Fiat 500 

For many years, the Fiat 500 has been the obvious choice for young drivers because it’s tiny, easy to drive, cheap to live with and looks the part too. 

While the fully electric 500e is available, we’d recommend the petrol one with a manual gearbox – it’ll be the easiest to get to grips with and cost the least to insure. 

Its 1.2-litre engine is fairly dependable and popular enough for Fiat to have sold more than 3.8 million 500s since it was reborn in 2007. 

• Read our Fiat 500 review 

Renault Clio 

Renault has been making the Clio since 1990, and in that time has made a handful of different variants – almost all of which have gone down a treat with budding motorists. 

We’d recommend young drivers pick up one of the lower-spec models because they’ll be cheaper to buy (especially used) and usually offer more attractive insurance prices. 

This will get you a small petrol engine (0.9-litre or 1.2-litre) with a manual gearbox that’s a dependable and easy-to-drive car. 

• Read our Renault Clio review 

smart forfour 

Traditionally, smart cars are very small – usually too small for a lot of people, but in the case of the smart forfour, you’re in luck. 

The clue’s in the name, but it has four seats and four doors, so there’s space for you and your friends once you get that one-way ticket to freedom – a driving licence. 

Both engines available are going to be cheap to insure because they’re so small and not overly powerful either. 

• Read our smart forfour review 

Nissan Micra 

Small, easy-to-drive cars are all you need when you first pass your test and what better than a Nissan Micra. 

Nissan’s been making this small hatchback for more than 40 years so it’s no surprise it’s made the cut. 

Its small, efficient engines make it perfect for zipping around town but if you need to tackle a motorway, it’ll do that with ease too. 

And the plucky little Micra is cheap to run and cheap to buy, so it’s perfect for 17-year-olds. 

• Read our Nissan Micra review 

VW Polo 

If the VW up! is too small for you, perhaps a Polo would be better. It offers more of pretty much everything – boot space, interior room and tech. 

Plus, out of the cars on this list, we think the Polo is the most fun to drive. That’s while still being affordable to buy and run. 

So, if you want to have fun behind the wheel while keeping safe and comfortable, this might be the car for you. 

• Read our VW Polo review 

Škoda Citigo 

Sharing its parts with VW and SEAT means the Škoda Citigo is a very reliable car and builds on Škoda’s long-lasting reputation for dependability. 

Power comes from a low-powered petrol engine, which keeps insurance costs down and makes sure you aren’t too silly out on the open road. 

And if you fancy hyper-miling it, it’ll return up to a handy 55.4mpg. Buying a Citigo won’t break the bank either.  

• Read our Škoda Citigo review 

Other ways to lower car insurance for a 17-year-old 

Believe it or not, there are several ways you can lower your car insurance premium as a 17-year-old driver.  

Here are some methods we’d recommend: 

• Add a named driver – adding a parent or guardian with years of driving experience can lower the cost – test a few out and see who comes out cheapest if you can 

• Get a black box – it can be a pain, but a black box is usually a good way to lower your insurance premium – it can also help you maintain good driving habits 

• Increase your excess – offering to pay a little more in the event of an accident could make your insurance cheaper (just put that excess to the side in case you need it) 

• Limit your annual mileage – lowering your annual mileage by just 1,000 miles a year can make a huge difference, so make sure to work out how many miles you expect you’ll need  

• Don’t modify your car unnecessarily – we all want a loud exhaust when we’re young, but adding any modifications can make your insurance skyrocket, so it’s best to get a quote for those mods before making any changes to your car 

• Fine-tune your quote – playing around with online comparison sites, you can save a healthy chunk of cash, so it’s worth taking a bit of time to shop around 

Read more about car insurance: 

•  What are Vehicle Risk Ratings? 

• What are car insurance groups?