Car Insurance Groups
Discover how car insurance groups can affect your premiums.
Car Insurance Groups Guide
Discover how car insurance groups can affect your premiums.
Each individual car make and model belongs to a different car insurance group. The group your car falls into will affect the overall price of your car insurance. Knowing about car insurance groups and how they work can help you when it comes to picking your policy.
What are car insurance groups?
Every type of car is put into one of 50 different car insurance groups. Group 1 is the cheapest to insure on an annual basis while group 50 features the most expensive cars to insure. There are a few factors used to decide on the car insurance group, such as the price, power and rarity of the car.
So if you buy a car that’s fast, rare or expensive, your premiums will likely be higher.
Car insurance groups help insurers to calculate a premium for their customers.
Car insurance group letters
Your vehicle’s level of safety is also a factor considered by insurers. Letters assigned after the insurance group number represents the vehicle’s safety level. They are:
A: The car meets the safety standards for its group.
D: The car doesn’t meet the safety standards for its group. It has been placed in a higher group.
E: The car exceeds the safety standards for its group. It has been placed in a lower group.
P: The data for the car is only provisional, as the rating system was incomplete when the car was launched.
U: The security for the car falls well below the requirements. To get it insured, the provider may ask you to fit updated security features.
G: The car has been imported.
What do car insurance groups do?
Car insurance groups play a part in the cost of your car insurance. They are a key factor used in the calculations done by a provider to decide how much your car insurance premiums will be.
As insurers use a standard ‘group rating system’ you can often lower your premiums by choosing a car in a lower insurance group. Try and use car insurance groups as your guide when buying a new car if you’re worried about things getting too expensive.
What affects car insurance groups?
The group rating system is decided by a panel of members from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and Lloyds Market Association (LMA), who review each car model on release against a set of criteria. Depending on how a car scores, it is assigned to a group which best represents its specifications. The criteria includes:
- The value of the car when bought new: The price of a car and its specifications are used as an indicator of potential repair and replacement costs.
- Likelihood of damage and cost to repair each part: This is done by comparing the price of 23 different parts.
- Length of time it would take to repair: You generally pay more for longer repair times. Higher average repair times can push your car up into a higher car insurance group.
- Performance: High performance cars with higher top speeds and acceleration are viewed as more likely to be involved in insurance claims.
- The safety features and overall safety rating of the car: Cars fitted with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) are less likely to be involved in accidents, which may mean a lower car insurance group rating.
- The security features and security of the vehicle overall: Alarms, high-security lock doors and immobilisation systems can all lower the car insurance group.
- Bumper compatibility in line with a provider's criteria for lower insurance premiums: The alignment and structure of a bumper can lower its car insurance group.
Cars in insurance group 1
Cars placed in insurance group 1 tend to be those deemed by insurers to have a lower risk of being in an accident or being stolen. Most often they are cheaper small cars with a lower cost of repair.
They include:
- Citroën C1
- Fiat Panda
- Chevrolet Spark
- Ford Ka Plus
- Hyundai i10
- Kia Picanto
- Kia Rio
- Nissan Micra
- Seat Mii
- Skoda Citigo
- Skoda Fabia
- Vauxhall Corsa
- Volkswagen Polo
- Volkswagen Fox
Cars in insurance group 25
Cars in insurance group 25 are at the mid-range of car insurance groups. They have a higher risk of being in an accident or being stolen than those in groups 1-24, but not as high as those in groups 26-50.
They include:
- Audi A1
- Audi A3
- Audi A4
- BMW 2 Series
- BMW 3 Series
- Citroen C4
- Citroen C5
- Ford Mondeo
- Honda Civic
- Jaguar E-Pace
- Jaguar F-Pace
- Land Rover Discovery
- Mercedes Benz A-Class
- Mercedes Benz B-Class
- Mercedes Benz C-Class
- Skoda Octavia
- Subaru Impreza
- Vauxhall Astra
- Volkswagen Golf
- Volkswagen Tiguan
Cars in insurance group 50
These cars are the most expensive to insure. They have the highest risk of being in an accident or being stolen according to insurers. They include:
- Audi A6
- BMW M6 Convertible
- BMW X6 M
- Cadillac Escalade
- Jaguar XE
What affects the price of car insurance?
Car insurers base their premiums on the level of risk you pose to them. This is calculated using a range of factors. Your car and its car insurance group will likely be the starting point. Other factors include:
- Your age: Younger drivers are more likely to be involved in accidents as they are less experienced on the roads. Car insurance will usually be more expensive until you turn 25 at least.
- Your driving history: If you have any driving convictions, your car insurance premiums will be higher.
- Your previous claims: Any previous claims you’ve made on your car insurance will often push up your premiums.
- Your address: If you live in a postcode that sees higher average levels of car theft or vandalism, your car insurance will often be more expensive.
- Your job: Some jobs have higher risk factors, which can affect your premiums.
Car insurance groups FAQs
What is the cheapest car insurance group?
Group 1 is the cheapest. There are 50 groups used by most UK insurers, and the cheapest cars to insure fall into this lowest category.
What cars are in group 1 insurance?
Group 1 includes cheaper more economical hatchbacks and other small cars, such as a Fiat Panda or a Vauxhall Corsa. This is the cheapest category of cars to insure, making it popular with younger or newer drivers.
What is the most expensive insurance group?
Group 50 is the highest level, containing the most expensive cars to insure. This group includes things like high performance sports cars or very rare vintage cars that would be very expensive to replace or repair.
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