Why use LowerMyBills? | How it works | FAQs | Glossary | Contact us

Get the best car, van and motorbike insurance for you

This best car, van and motorbike insurance guide outlines how to get the best car, van and motorbike insurance rates and the best car, van and motorbike insurance deals for you.

Insuring a car – get the best insurance rates

Your car insurance premiums depend on you – your age, experience etc. But they also depend on your car, so be careful what you buy.

The insurance industry puts car models into 20 groups, which take account of all the factors likely to affect the cost of car insurance.

If spare parts for your car are cheap, it costs less to repair after an accident. If security devices (such as immobilisation systems) are fitted as standard, it's less likely to be stolen. As a result, cars like this are cheaper to insure.

The lower the group number, the cheaper your insurance is likely to be (insurers use their own experience as well as these ratings).

Best van insurance deals

Tips for getting the best van insurance are similar to those for insuring cars.

If you use your van for business or commercial travel, tell the insurer. If the van is vital for your work, look for features that will help if it's off the road, such as a replacement van or breakdown cover.

When you compare van or truck insurance policies, check their special conditions – such as whether any contents left overnight are covered.

Best motorbike insurance deals

Cheap motorcycle insurance probably won't be available if you're young, drive it a lot and can't keep it secure.

Be accurate about your mileage and find a way to keep your motorbike safe – preferably inside a garage.

When away from home, secure your bike safely – just locking the wheel won't stop someone putting it in a van. This won't help with the motorbike insurance quote, but will reduce the chances of you making a claim and losing your no claims discount.

Best insurance deals for new or young drivers

If you're young or have just learned to drive (or both), you're statistically more likely to claim, so insurers charge more. There are ways to get cheap car insurance for new drivers and young drivers, even though you haven't yet built up a no-claims discount:

Don't drive a high-performance car – the combination of new driver and fast cars is not a good one for insurers.
Third party, fire and theft insurance will mean lower bills than fully comprehensive.
And taking the Pass Plus test will get you cheaper insurance with some companies.

Best classic car insurance deals

You probably don't commute in your classic car (in fact, daily use might not be covered) so if you're after cheap classic car insurance, make sure your mileage is as accurate as possible. Fewer miles means lower bills. You may also get discounts for members of classic car clubs.

If you go to rallies, or hire it out for the occasional wedding, make sure your policy covers that.

Agreed value vs market value:

There are two ways to insure the value of a classic car;

With agreed value, you need to get the value agreed with the insurer (by sending photos etc).

With non-agreed value, you'll get the market value. Agreed value is recommended as you know what you're getting (although non-specialist companies may not offer it).

Best performance car insurance deals

Your insurance premium is calculated using insurers' experience of people like you and of similar cars.

If you have a high-performance car, you'll pay more for your insurance. The combination of powerful engines and expensive spare parts means higher bills.

Comparing high performance car quotes is the best way to keep bills lower. Also, if you have two cars, keeping the mileage down on the performance one will help.

Get the best car, van and motorbike insurance brought to you by LowerMyBills from Experian

The LowerMyBills best car, van and motorbike insurance guide was created to give you insight into how you can get the best car, van or motorbike insurance rates and the best deals– including new or young drivers insurance, and classic and performance car insurance - giving you the information you need to make an informed decision when you next buy car, van or motorbike insurance.