Choosing the right car as a student

Much like everything else in this world, car insurance premiums seem to be continuously on the rise.

Young drivers tend to be suffering the most with the incessant price hikes that seem to have passed the point of no return. Indeed, cheap car insurance for young drivers is nigh on impossible these days.

There are ways, though, to pay less on your car insurance if you’re a new driver. Choosing the right car is the most important step towards getting cheap insurance. Different models and, of course, different sized engines will command different costs of cover.

A 2.0ltr engine will set you back a significant amount more than a 1.2ltr engine.

The premiums that you’re quoted when you’re trying to choose a car might initially seem extortionate (well, they are), but you can spread the cost out if you would prefer to pay that way.

This payment method saves you money in the short term because you’re not forking out £2000 in one lump sum. However, you will pay more in interest in the long run for the privilege.

Price comparison websites on the net will find the best deals for you, so this part of saving money on your car is almost effortless. For car insurance new drivers at Moneysupermarket.com regularly save hundreds of pounds, so it’s worthwhile doing a quick check.

Everybody, of course, wants a decent little runner that won’t cost much to buy and run, but they’re not always easy to find.

Many second hand cars, for instance, are available at low prices because they have racked up the miles over the years.

You might be able to get a 1.2ltr Ford Fiesta from 1998 for less than £500, but it will no doubt have about 120,000 miles on the clock.

Most cars are designed to and can, indeed, take this kind of mileage, but you just need to make sure that you check everything in and around the car, including the exhaust and the whole engine, for anything that might need replacing at a high cost before you’ve bought the car.

If you’re a student or general young driver on a budget, you’re not going to be able to get a car with an excellent rate of miles to the gallon. Good fuel economy is unfortunately reserved for newer, more expensive cars.

All you will probably need is something to get you from A to B, so most old-ish cars will do. Just be sure to run the registration plate through a price comparison site to ensure you won’t be paying way more than you would like on premiums.