What are car insurance groups?
If your car went on sale in the UK from 1 August 2024 and is part of a brand new model range then it will be assessed under a new insurance rating system. ➡️ Find out more.
Key takeaways
All cars in the UK are categorised into groups from 1 to 50, with cars in the lower groups typically being cheaper to insure
Letters assigned to car insurance groups reflect the level of security features a car has
You can find out which car insurance group or your car is with our group checker
A new vehicle risk rating system is being phased in for new cars
What are car insurance groups?
UK car insurance groups help insurers work out how risky cars are to insure. Cars are sorted into groups from 1 to 50, based on factors like repair costs and the car’s safety and security features.
You can use the groups to help work out which cars may be cheaper to insure as cars in the lowest groups typically have the lowest costs.
However, the group ratings are only a guide and insurance providers will use them alongside their own claims experience and your personal risk factors when setting insurance premiums.
How are cars placed into insurance groups?
Cars are sorted into groups from 1-50 based on a number of factors, including:
Car value: The value of the car if it were in brand new condition.
Repair costs: The cost of repairing the car and ordering any parts, with 23 common repair items compared.
Repair time: The total amount of time it usually takes to make certain repairs. Longer repair times usually mean higher costs and therefore a higher car insurance group rating.
Performance: Aspects of the car’s performance on the road, including acceleration and top speed as high-performance cars often have more frequent insurance claims.
Safety features: The presence of safety features such as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) systems, which can reduce the risk of accidents.
Car security features: The car’s security features, such as alarms or immobilisers, which are fitted as standard.
Bumper compatibility: The alignment and structure of the front and rear bumpers can affect how a car performs in a front to rear accident.
What are the cheapest car insurance groups?
The cheapest cars to insure will generally be found in lower insurance groups from 1 to 10. MoneySuperMarket data shows that the average cost of insuring a car in groups 1-10 was£425.87
That’s because cars in these groups are usually smaller, cheaper cars with lower repair costs, such as the Vauxhall Corsa, Citroen C1 and Hyundai i10.
Engine size is important too. For example, the Fiat Panda with a 1.1-litre engine or the Skoda Fabia hatchback with a 1.0-litre engine both fall into car insurance group 1 but more powerful cars are likely to be in a higher insurance group.
Vehicle insurance group | Average annual premium |
|---|---|
1-10 | £425.87 |
11-20 | £487.05 |
21-30 | £534.83 |
31-40 | £661.83 |
41-50 | £818.69 |
What other factors affect my car insurance premiums?
While insurers do place a lot of weight on your car and its insurance group, they also factor in a number of other details about you, such as:
Your age: Younger drivers unfortunately face higher insurance premiums than other age groups owing to their inexperience on the road and higher likelihood of being involved in an accident.
Your location: Your postcode will be taken into account, to assess things like crime rates and traffic that can affect your risk profile
Your occupation: Certain occupations carry higher risks than others
Your driving history: If you have a history of accidents or car insurance claims, insurers will see you as a high-risk of claiming again in the future, so they’ll charge more for cover. On the flip side, going without making a claim for at least a year means you start building a no-claims discount
Fully comprehensive cover typically costs more than third-party only cover. Adding optional extras, such as cover for modifications or personal belongings, can also increase the overall cost of your policy.
💡 Top tip: Taking out extra cover for things like modifications or personal belongings can also increase the total cost
How can I save money on my car insurance?
No matter which insurance group your car is in, there are a number of things you can do or consider to try and bring down the overall cost of cover:
Pay annually
While it might mean a big up front cost, the overall amount you pay will usually be less when committing to a full year of cover as insurers charge interest for monthly payments. Out of all fully comprehensive policies taken out in November 2024, annual policies cost an average of £570 compared to £597 for monthly cover, spread out over 12 months.*
Pay a higher excess
Volunteering a higher excess fee indicates to insurers you’ll only claim when you really need to, lowering your risk profile and therefore your premiums.
Upgrade your security
Installing alarms and immobilisers or keeping your car stored in a private garage or on a driveway helps reduce the risk of theft, so you’ll often pay less for cover.
Consider telematics
A black box telematics policy lets you demonstrate good driving habits to your insurer, and they’ll reward you with lower premiums at renewal.
Which car insurance group is my car in?
Retrieving data...
Your car
Your car insurance group
Group 8/50
This car is among the lower insurance groups which should be good news for your premium. Cars in lower groups are typically cheaper to insure.
This car ranks in the middle insurance groups so it isn’t among the cheapest cars to insure, but it won’t be one of the most expensive.
This car is towards the higher end of the scale which means it could be relatively expensive to insure.
Learn more about insurance groups 1-20
Author
Mehdi Punjwani
Insurance specialist
Mehdi is a financial writer and editor with over six years of experience in personal finance. He has written for organisations and publications including Equifax, The AA, and USAToday, covering a...
Reviewer
Sarah Tooze
Car & Van Insurance Expert
Sarah Tooze has been a motoring journalist for more than 15 years, specialising in company cars and vans, and has won a number of awards during her career, including the Newspress ‘Automotive...
