Gallery: the cheapest cars to insure

Working out the logic behind insurance quotes can sometimes be like attempting to crack the Enigma code. While blindfolded. And battling an enraged octopus at the same time.

As you’ll know if you’ve ever tried haggling with an insurance company, not only will seemingly similar cars generate wildly different quotes, but arbitrary factors appear to have a disproportionate effect on the premium. (“You usually have eggs for breakfast on Wednesdays, Mr Jones? That’ll add another £100, I’m afraid…”)

But, all other things being equal, the cars in the lowest insurance categories - 1 and 2 - will be cheaper to cover than cars from higher categories. Revolutionary stuff, right?

So we’ve rounded up the cars with the lowest insurance groups in the UK. Remember, not all variants of these cars will be cheap to insure - as a general rule, the smaller the engine and more depressing the acceleration, the lower the cost of your cover.

Remember, too, that not all insurers are equal, so make sure you shop around for the lowest quote. And don’t forget there’s fun to be had in even the cheapest of runabouts.

Have a click through our round-up of the UK’s cheapest cars to insure, and tell us - which is the most fun of the bunch?

We like: Pretty much everything, actually. Looks interesting, decent to drive, plenty of space inside. 4WD versions are unlikely, plucky off-road heroes.

We don’t like: Trim lines with grating names like ‘Pop’, ‘Easy’ and ‘Lounge’. Two-cylinder ‘TwinAir’ engine is characterful, but not as economical as claimed.

Read the Top Gear verdict on the Fiat Panda

We like: Looks good, sharp enough to drive. Diesel offerings are smooth and economical, seven-year warranty is a bonus.

We don’t like: Too much road noise. Not much else to complain about here. Annoyingly competent in all departments.

Read the Top Gear verdict on the Kia Rio

We like: Very slightly cheaper than both the VW Up and Seat Mii with which it shares… yeah, you’ve got the picture, right?

We don’t like: Long queues at the post office. Oh, with the car, you mean? Not much at all. It’s a cracker.

Read the Top Gear verdict on the Skoda Citigo

We like: All of it. Looks smart, pleasant to drive, economical engines. One of the very best city cars in the business.

We don’t like: VW insisting the Up should have an exclamation mark on the end. Up! No.

We like: Um. Ah. It’s quite comfortable on motorways. And quite nice on the inside.

We don’t like: Getting rather long in the tooth. Doesn’t like to be driven fast. Or even slightly briskly. One for the bus-pass crowd.

Read Top Gear’s verdict on the Citroen C3

We like: That it’s closely related to the rather good Fiat 500.

We don’t like: That it’s nowhere near as good as the rather good Fiat 500. Or indeed the original Ka. Not up to Ford’s usual high standards.

Read the Top Gear verdict on the Ford Ka

We like: That a rear-engined, rear-drive city car exists in this day and age. And that it’s so spectacularly easy to park.

We don’t like: Over-enthusiastic traction control gets involved too early on. Not as satisfying to drive as its RWD configuration might suggest.

Read the Top Gear verdict on the new Renault Twingo

We like: All-new ForTwo is so, so much better to drive than the old version. Then again, a shopping cart with a missing wheel would’ve been better to drive than the old version.

We don’t like: Not a whole lot of use if you’re planning on transporting more than one passenger. Or more than one bag of shopping. Not cheap, either.

Read the Top Gear review of the Smart ForTwo

We like: The fact the Aygo’s X-motif front end was inspired by a Japanese cartoon. The fact it’s quite fun to drive like a total eejit.

We don’t like: There’s only one engine option. And it’s proper slow.

Read the Top Gear verdict on the new Toyota Aygo

We like: Interesting on the inside, infinitely configurable.

We don’t like: The woeful punmanship contained within the Adam’s paint catalogue. Sweet Greens? White My Fire? Lord, give us strength.

Read the Top Gear verdict on the Vauxhall Adam