60-second summary
Our car insurance calculator can help you search for a great deal on your car insurance in just a few steps:
Enter some details about you and your car to get personalised quotes
Compare quotes and cover options from different providers.
Check different cover levels to see if you could get more protection for less.
Adjust the voluntary excess to see how it can affect your premiums.
Follow our tips to see what steps you could take to try and get a cheaper quote.
What is the Compare the Market car insurance calculator?
Our car insurance calculator is a comparison tool that allows you to run a car insurance price check.
To use it, all you have to do is enter a few details about you and your car, and hey presto – you’ll get a range of quotes from different insurance providers. This will give you several car insurance estimates to choose from and help you find the policy that’s right for you.
Car insurance calculator
Use our calculator to search for new car insurance quotes from a range of providers in a few minutes and see if you can start saving.
Get a quoteCar insurance providers we work with
We compare quotes from 44 trusted providers [1], including:
See our full list of car insurance providers
[1] Correct as of June 2026.
How could our car insurance calculator help you save money?
Our online comparison calculator offers an easy way to see if you can save on your car insurance as it shows you the latest prices with just a few clicks.
You can get an idea of what you might expect to pay for a policy from different providers based on the level of cover you want.
If you’ve just had a renewal notice or quote, it can be a good way to gauge whether it’s a fair offer or not. Most people could save money by switching. Our latest data shows that 51% of customers could save up to £485[2] by using our comparison service.
When you use our car insurance calculator comparison tool, you can check different levels of cover to see how they affect the price of your premium. There are three types of cover to compare:
It’s counterintuitive, but policies that offer a higher level of protection can sometimes be more affordable. So it’s worth a check. You can also use the calculator to adjust your voluntary excess – the amount you pay towards a claim.
If you choose a higher excess, it will most likely reduce your premium. But you need to make sure you can afford to pay it if you need to make a claim. Our calculator can help you work out which level of excess suits you better.
[2] Based on Online independent research by Consumer Intelligence during June 2026, 51% of customers could achieve this saving on their car insurance through Compare the Market.
How is car insurance calculated?
Car insurance is tailored to you, your car and where you live. Providers base your premium on how likely it is they’ll need to pay out on your policy. To do this, they balance a wide range of factors to calculate risk, including:
Your age and experience
Car insurance for young drivers is by far the most expensive because insuring them involves more risk. It’s estimated that, in the UK, one in five novice drivers crash within the first year of passing their test.
More accidents result in more claims, so insurance providers must offset this cost by raising premiums for young drivers. On the other hand, if you’re over 50, the assumption is that you have more driving experience, so your premiums may be lower if your driving history bears that out.
Your occupation
The type of job you do can affect the cost of your premium, especially if you drive for a living or use your car to commute
Your car
The type of car you drive is also a deciding factor when calculating the cost of car insurance. More expensive and powerful cars will generally cost more to insure, with repairs often more expensive.
You can get an idea of how much a car could cost to insure by checking what insurance group it’s in. Insurance groups are numbered 1-50, with cars in the lowest groups typically the cheapest to insure.
Any modifications you make to your car, such as alloy wheels or a new stereo system, can raise the cost of your premium too.
Where you live
The risks that insurance providers look at include the possibility of your car being stolen or damaged, so they’ll consider where you live and where you keep your car overnight.
They’ll look at the local crime rate, whether the area is urban or rural, and the road accident statistics for that area. Keeping your car parked on a private driveway, or in a locked garage reduces the risk of it being stolen or vandalised. And that, in turn, may help to cut the cost of your premium.
Your driving history
You should expect to pay more for your car insurance if you’ve made recent claims or have a driving conviction on record. Find out what else can affect the cost of your car insurance.
How much is car insurance?
The cost of car insurance is calculated using a wide variety of factors. Based on Compare the Market customer data, here’s what you can expect to pay, on average, for the following types of cover.
When you shop around with Compare the Market…
Average cost of a comprehensive car insurance policy £593[3] | Average cost of a third-party fire and theft car insurance policy £962[4] | Average cost of a third-party car insurance policy £1,302[5] |
[3] 51% of our customers were quoted less than £592.26 for their comprehensive car insurance in June 2026.
[4] 51% of our customers were quoted less than £961.96 for their third party fire and theft car insurance in June 2026.
[5] 51% of our customers were quoted less than £1,301.37 per year for their third party car insurance in June 2026.
How can I cut the cost of my car insurance?
There are a few things you can do to help cut the cost of your car insurance:
Reduce your annual mileage – statistically, the more you drive, the more likely you are to have an accident. Limiting your annual mileage could reduce your risk, which could help lower your premium.
Consider telematics insurance – popular with younger drivers, a telematics or black box policy monitors your skills behind the wheel. Proving you can drive safely may lower your insurance costs over time.
Build up a no claims bonus – a whole year of claim-free driving will earn you a no claims discount, which could help reduce the cost of your car insurance. Each year you drive without making a claim, the greater the potential discount could be.
Choose a cheaper car to insure – if you’re in the market for a new car, check which insurance group it’s in before buying as some models offer lower premiums than others.
Don’t over-insure your car – stopped commuting to work? Already got standalone breakdown cover? Make sure your policy is up to date and doesn’t have add-ons you don’t need.
Use our car insurance calculator – by customising your search with our car insurance calculator, you'll be able to see if you can save money.
Need more help? Check out our top tips on getting cheaper car insurance.
FAQs
What is car insurance auto-renewal?
Auto-renewal happens when your current car insurance policy is set to expire and your provider automatically renews it for another year. Many providers have auto-renewal set as a default on their policies, but you can opt out. When you get a renewal quote your insurance provider can’t charge you more than they would if you were a new customer.
Not all providers auto-renew, so don’t just assume it will happen. Check your policy terms to be sure. If your policy doesn’t auto-renew, you could find yourself driving without insurance, which is illegal.
If your insurance provider does auto-renew, you’re not under any obligation to stay with them. Use our calculator to see if you could save on your next policy with a different provider.
Can I save my searches when I use the car insurance calculator?
Yes, you can. By registering with us and signing into your account, you can save your quotes and view the details before committing to buy. It can also save you time, as we can automatically fill in your details each time you want to compare quotes.
How long does a quote last?
It depends on the insurance provider. Some will give you up to 30 days to make up your mind, while others update their quotes in ‘real time’, so the price could change at any point.
While you can use our calculator to save your searches, there’s no guarantee the price will remain the same. So, if you see a good deal, it may be worth grabbing it while you can.
When is the best time to get car insurance?
Competitive prices tend to be available around three to four weeks before your policy is due to renew. If you set up automated quotes with us, we’ll search for better car insurance deals and let you know ahead of time.
Can I cancel my car insurance policy if I change my mind?
If you jump in, buy a policy and then change your mind, you’ll have a 14-day ‘cooling-off’ period to cancel without penalty. You can still cancel your policy after this, but you may be charged a cancellation fee and administration charges.
If you’ve paid for the year upfront, then as long as you’ve not claimed, you’ll typically get a pro-rata refund for any time not used.
Looking for something else?
With more than eight years’ experience in writing and sub-editing content, Karen started her career in fashion before making the move to insurance. She now specialises in producing clear, engaging content that helps people make better financial decisions.
Karen’s areas of expertise include insurance products, such as car insurance, travel insurance and life insurance, as well as utilities such as energy comparison.
Stephen Maunder is an experienced personal finance editor, having spent more than a decade working for consumer print and online titles. He won several industry awards for his personal finance features at Which?, before becoming Deputy Editor at Compare the Market.
Amy helps make sure you get the best value when choosing insurance. Thanks to more than four years’ experience at Compare the Market, she understands what people look for, working closely with insurance providers to offer you deals and services that are fair, easy to understand and right for your needs.
Our content is written by a Compare the Market expert, backed by data and enhanced by technology. Find out how we ensure accuracy and quality in our Editorial Guidelines.
