Skip to main content





9,5/ Reviews

Which car is cheap on road tax and insurance?

In short: a light petrol car with a modest list price and a common model. Weight and fuel drive the road tax; value and power drive the insurance premium.

  • several insurers compared objectively
  • 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
  • AFM licence 12016589
  • Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17

This page in another language: Nederlands

Work out for yourself what it would cost.

  • We compare the offerings of several insurers
  • An adviser checks whether the cover suits your situation
  • We arrange the switch, including cancellation

Request a quote

A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.

  • Independent advice
  • Several insurers
  • Switching arranged
  • Help with claims

In brief

The two costs are determined in different ways, but they point in the same direction. The vehicle tax follows from the unladen weight of the car, the type of fuel and the province in which you live. Every weight band higher costs money, diesel and LPG carry a fuel surcharge, and the provincial surcharges differ considerably: the same car costs noticeably more in one province than in another. Moving to a cheaper province is rarely a reason in itself, but when buying a car the weight certainly is: it is the control over which you have the most influence.

The insurance premium follows a different logic. Insurers place models in premium classes on the basis of list price, weight and power, and adjust that classification for the actual claims burden of that model: how often claims are reported, how expensive the repair is and how often the model is stolen. A car with expensive headlights, sensors in the bumper and parts that are hard to obtain therefore comes out higher than its new price suggests. On top of that come your own details: no-claims years, age, postcode and mileage.

What you choose therefore determines both amounts at once. A light, common petrol car of modest value scores well on every point: low weight band, no fuel surcharge, low premium class and cheap parts. Do bear in mind that an older car needs maintenance more often and that the form of cover also counts: with a low market value, Third-party liability or Third-party liability + fire and theft is usually more appropriate than comprehensive cover. On the premium you pay, in every case, 21% insurance premium tax.

Independent, personal, sorted quickly

We compare your car insurance across dozens of insurers, explain where the real differences lie, and arrange the switch from start to finish — without you having to chase it yourself.

Arranging car insurance through Finass VerzekertCar insurance
Photo coming soon
Comparing car insurance premiums and coverCompare
Photo coming soon
Get car insurance sorted todayGet covered
Photo coming soon

Which cover suits a cheap car?

The lower the market value, the sooner a limited form of cover is enough.

Compulsory

Third-party liability

The cover required by law. With a low market value often sufficient.

  • Compulsory under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM)
  • Lowest premium of the three forms
  • No cover for your own car
  • Also personal injury to the other party
Intermediate option

Third-party liability + fire and theft

Covers the events you do not cause yourself, for a limited additional premium.

  • Theft, glass, fire and storm
  • A collision with wild animals on the road
  • Often a favourable arrangement for glass repair
  • Your own fault remains at your own expense
Widest form of cover

Comprehensive

Worthwhile as long as the market value justifies the difference in premium.

  • Single-vehicle damage and parking damage
  • Often a replacement-value-as-new arrangement for newer cars
  • Rarely worthwhile for old cars
  • The excess influences the premium

What is covered

SituationThird-party liabilityComprehensive
Damage you cause to someone elseYesYes
Theft of the car or of a catalytic converterNoYes
Damage you cause yourself to your own carNoYes
Damage to a fitted LPG systemNoProvided that
Vehicle tax or an assessment for itNoNo
Repairs after a mechanical failure or wearNoNo

What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) that you receive before you take out cover.

What does your premium depend on?

  • List price: the basis for the premium class
  • Weight and engine power: heavier and faster costs more
  • Claims burden of the model: repair costs and theft figures
  • No-claims years: your step on the bonus-malus ladder
  • Postcode area: regional risk
  • Type of cover and excess: third-party liability, third-party, fire and theft, or comprehensive

Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.

How we arrange it

  1. You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, risk and wishes.
  2. We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
  3. You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
  4. We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.

Request a quote

Why arrange it through Finass Verzekert?

We look at the terms as well as the premium, and stay your point of contact when there is a claim.

Independent

We are not tied to one insurer and compare on the basis of an objective analysis of several companies.

One fixed adviser

You call or email someone who knows your file. No menu options, no changing call centres.

Switching without hassle

We cancel your old policy and align the start date, so you are never a day without cover.

Help with claims

We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.

9.5New policy
9.8Claims handling

Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.

View the reviews at NH1816 · all reviews on our site

What really determines the running costs

Four points to weigh up before you buy a car.

Weight and fuel drive the road tax

Vehicle tax is calculated per weight band, with a surcharge for diesel and LPG and an addition per province. A car that is a hundred kilos lighter can therefore make a structural difference. Electric cars are heavy because of the battery weight, against which stands the fact that a different rate applies to zero-emission cars; check the current percentage with the Belastingdienst before you count on it.

Belastingdienst, vehicle tax

The premium class attaches to the model, not to the price you paid

Insurers work with a fixed classification per version, based on list price, weight, power and the measured claims burden of that model. If you buy a second-hand car cheaply, that classification still applies. Ask for a premium indication using the registration number before you buy, therefore. Models that are attractive to thieves or carry expensive electronics cost more in premium than their purchase price suggests; unremarkable, high-volume models cost less.

What is not covered

Insuring cheaply changes nothing about the exclusions. Outside every motor policy fall: wear, maintenance and mechanical or electronic defects without a collision; driving under the influence or without a valid driving licence; and use that differs from what was declared, such as hiring out, driving lessons or carrying passengers for hire or reward. Damage during speed events and on a circuit is also excluded, as is damage caused by intent or recklessness under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. A low premium must not be a reason to declare the mileage or the driver incorrectly.

Work out the running costs over three years

Set alongside the purchase price the vehicle tax, the premium for the cover you want, the maintenance costs you can expect and the fuel or charging consumption. An LPG system lowers the fuel costs but raises the road tax and has to be declaredwith the insurer; an undeclared system is a change in risk within the meaning of Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code. Only when you add up all the items does it become clear which car is really cheap.

Frequently asked questions

This is what people ask us most.

Is an electric car cheaper in running costs?

That varies. A different vehicle tax rate applies to zero-emission cars, but the battery weight puts them in a high weight band. On the insurance side, the higher list price and the cost of battery and electronics repairs count. Work it out per model and check the current tax rate. A general statement does not hold up here.

Why is the same car more expensive in my province?

Provinces levy a surcharge on top of the national part of the vehicle tax, and those percentages differ. Your home address therefore determines part of the assessment. Your postcode plays a part in the insurance as well, but for a different reason: insurers work with regional theft and claims figures. The two effects are unrelated.

Does an older car always lower my premium?

Not automatically. The premium class follows from the original list price, the weight and the power of the version. What does help is that with a low market value you can choose third-party or third-party, fire and theft instead of comprehensive cover. Weigh that up: market value less the excess, set against the difference in premium over a few years.

What does an LPG system do to both items?

For LPG a fuel surcharge applies in the vehicle tax, so the assessment is higher than for petrol. For the insurance, a fitted system is a change that you have to declare. Some insurers charge a surcharge or impose requirements on the inspection. Always declare the system, even if it was already there when you bought the car.

Does my annual mileage count?

For the insurance it does: many companies work with mileage bands and a lower expected mileage gives a lower premium. Give a realistic figure, because after a loss the odometer can be checked and a consistent discrepancy can affect the payout. Vehicle tax does not depend on your mileage.

Compare premiums before you buy?

Request a quote without obligation using the registration number. We work out the premium before you buy the car.

Request a quote

Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.

About our service

Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.

You will find our licence, KvK and Kifid details and our complaints procedure at the foot of every page.

This page was compiled by Finass Verzekert (LinkedIn). Last updated on .

The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.