Insurance on SUVs?

Essentially my friend and therefore are thinking about purchasing a car so we can enter into town and that I are currently investing about a couple of months in britain. We want to share it and both have permits but never owned automobiles before. A vehicle costing about 400 pounds could split but I had been thinking whether it'd be worthwhile? Work in the town and we plan to reside just beyond London. If we carpool into town eveyrday about just how much would gas and  insurance     charge people? When he moves down to uni our buddy may maintain the vehicle