Car insurance premiums have been rising over the past few months, though by how much they are increasing is something that is still up for debate.
Recent AA estimates showed that car insurance premiums are rising faster than any time over the past 15 years with the average comprehensive premium having increased 14 per cent in the last year. As a result, it claims this has brought the annual average comprehensive premium to £821 in October 2009, up from £721 in October 2008.
By contrast, similar data compiled by Confused.com showed that the average comprehensive car insurance premium is indeed rising, but by a lesser amount than the AA findings. Confused.com found car insurance premiums rose by 7.5 per cent in the 12 months to September 2009, putting average premiums at around £564.98 in September 2009, compared with £525.48 in September 2008. (See: Car Insurance Premiums Hit Record High)
Although premiums are rising, the make and model of the car being insured plays a large role in determining the cost of the insurance policy, so to help you in your car purchase decisions, we’ve put together the average premiums for an annual comprehensive insurance policy for the 15 most popular cars Confused.com customers requested quotes for over the last 12 months.
Based on car insurance quote searches by Confused.com customers in September, it seems there is some good news against the backdrop of rising car insurance premiums.
Some cars less affected by rising premiums
Confused.com data shows that if you opt for a Renault Clio, Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta or Fiat Punto you are less likely to be hit with rising car insurance premiums, and in fact may even benefit from a drop in the overall cost of a car insurance policy.
For example, if you own or are about to purchase a Honda Civic, then for this vehicle the average comprehensive car insurance premium in September 2009 fell 5 per cent to £816, down from £859 in September 2008.
Similarly, the average comprehensive car insurance premium for a Ford Focus in September 2009 came down by 3.7 per cent to reach £516, compared with a premium of £536 the year before.
It’s not all good news though, and there are some makes and model of cars that are being hit harder by rising car insurance premiums, including the Volkswagen Polo, Vauxhall Corsa, Ford Ka, Nissan Micra, Ford Mondeo and Peugeot 206.*
|
|
|
Average Premium |
|
% Change |
Make |
Model |
Sep-08 |
Jun-09 |
Sep-09 |
Sep08-Sep09 |
Jun09-Sep09 |
FIAT |
PUNTO |
£760 |
£747 |
£759 |
0.0% |
1.6% |
FORD |
FIESTA |
£724 |
£716 |
£712 |
-1.6% |
-0.6% |
FORD |
FOCUS |
£536 |
£503 |
£516 |
-3.7% |
2.7% |
FORD |
KA |
£538 |
£541 |
£571 |
6.2% |
5.5% |
FORD |
MONDEO |
£417 |
£410 |
£431 |
3.5% |
5.2% |
HONDA |
CIVIC |
£859 |
£789 |
£816 |
-5.0% |
3.4% |
NISSAN |
MICRA |
£514 |
£539 |
£567 |
10.4% |
5.2% |
PEUGEOT |
206 |
£657 |
£641 |
£662 |
0.8% |
3.2% |
RENAULT |
CLIO |
£741 |
£730 |
£737 |
-0.5% |
0.9% |
RENAULT |
MEGANE |
£454 |
£440 |
£463 |
1.9% |
5.3% |
VAUXHALL |
ASTRA |
£591 |
£587 |
£607 |
2.7% |
3.4% |
VAUXHALL |
CORSA |
£763 |
£786 |
£811 |
6.3% |
3.1% |
VAUXHALL |
VECTRA |
£503 |
£491 |
£508 |
1.0% |
3.4% |
VOLKSWAGEN |
GOLF |
£739 |
£714 |
£733 |
-0.8% |
2.6% |
VOLKSWAGEN |
POLO |
£668 |
£662 |
£697 |
4.3% |
5.2% |
* Confused.com data
Remember though, the price of your insurance policy also depends on your age, how many drivers are registered to operate the vehicle, amongst other risk factors and not just the type of car you drive.
If you want to know more about keeping the cost of car insurance premiums down see: Confused.com’s 8 Ways to Cut Car Insurance Costs.
Further reading:
Eight Great Car Security Tips
Car Insurance Buyers' Guide
Hone your Haggling Skills to Save Hundreds on a New Car
Confused.com’s Safe Winter Driving Tips
Car Insurance Premiums Hit Record Highs
