well, i would have suggested getting "third party property damage only" type insurance, having it for a few years showing the insurance company that you don't claimTHEN buying a more expensive vehicle. some insurers would take your third party only insurance history into account and give you a discount on comprehensive.

but, as you'll no doubt want comprehensive insurance on this car, you'll just have to shop around. "market value" type car insurance is usually cheaper than "agreed value" so you might want to start there.

i always recommend to young drivers to buy a car they don't particularly care about writing off and insuring it third party only for a couple of years for exactly the top reason.

insurance is expensive for younger drivers as it's pretty much guaranteed that their car is going to be involved in an accident.

if your parents are insured and you still live at home, try their insure to see if they give out a family discount.

ps. don't bother trying to insure it under your parents name – it just makes it difficult when you need to claim. imagine, it's pouring rain, you've just had an accident and you need to get a tow truck. if your car is insured under your parents name, then they would need to sort this out for you and if they are uncontactable. well. you get the drift. this kind of thing happens all the time.

The best thing to do is get a quote through a insurance comparison website like http://www.confused.com and then keep changing the make and model of the car to see the price difference.