Choosing a new car: Can its colour make it cheaper to insure?

A favourite colour is something that can really say a lot about you. Whether you’re choosing your clothes or how to decorate your home, it’s something you can use to tell people a bit more about your personality. Almost everything we buy these days involves choosing between colours or personalising it in another way.

It’s not surprising then that the popularity of car colours changes each year. So whether you choose yellow because you want to stand out from the crowd, silver because it suits the vehicle or white as the latest trend, can the colour of a car mean you end up paying more for your car insurance?

Cost for colour?

A study by the RAC shows that white is increasingly becoming the people’s choice with newly registered cars since 2013. While silver still makes the top of the charts this year, black and brown are increasingly popular. Though you may think white is a free option, many manufacturers are in fact charging £250 for the colour, with metallic options costing much more.

So if a car colour costs more to add, can the colour drive the price of insurance up or down? It’s unlikely, though some insurers might see more popular colours as riskier and quote you a higher price. Typically, the model, engine size and value of a vehicle will determine what it costs to insure, on top of your age and driving history.

It’s all white

The top ten most popular car colours in the UK for 2016 are:

• silver aluminium,

• black,

• blue,

• grey,

• red,

• white,

• green,

• beige,

• yellow, and

• brown.

Modifying your car will cost you

But modifying your car can determine what it costs to insure. So though you think that adding expensive alloys and extra headlights can get the best from your motor, it could end up costing more for your insurance. Some insurers may also see some types of specialist paint and patterns as higher risk, meaning you could pay more.

Tinted windows and standard alloys are more common upgrades so won’t affect your premium. Whereas Functional modifications such as fitted satnavs and phone kits can put your car at higher risk of theft – this can mean more expensive insurance. But adding a parking sensor might mean you’ll get cheaper insurance as you’re less likely to have a knock reversing. Even something as simple as having a tow bar indicates you’ll drive slower – this could also mean lower premiums.

Tell your insurer

Make sure you declare all modifications to your insurer. If you don’t, it could invalidate the policy. This includes if you decide to change the vehicle from the factory spec. Check with your insurer to see what constitutes as a modification. And if the quote they offer for your renewal is too high, make sure to shop around and see what deals are available from other insurers.