Use our tool to find out which insurance group you car’s in – lower groups are cheaper to insure.
All cars are put into one of 50 insurance groups to help insurers decide how to price your premiums. Small, cheap and low power cars are in the lowest insurance groups. More expensive, rare or powerful cars are seen as a higher risk and are put in higher insurance groups.
Insurers take into account lots of other things like your address and driving history as well when they calculate quotes – it’s not based purely on the insurance group.
But if you want to buy a car that’s cheap to insure, then it’s worth checking its car insurance group before you part with your money.
Generally, the higher the car insurance group, the more you'll pay to insure it, while lower groups are cheaper to cover – you can quickly find out with our tool.
Insurers look at your car’s insurance group alongside your history as a driver, whether you’re keeping the vehicle in a safe place, and your annual mileage while they’re calculating your quote.
Each insurer will classify the risk of these things differently, which is why they don’t all charge the same amount.
That’s why it’s always worth comparing car insurance before you buy, so you know what your premium will be.
| Insurance groups | Vehicle make and models |
|---|---|
| 0-5 | Fiat Panda Active, Citroen C1, Skoda Fabia Classic, Toyota Aygo, Ford KA, Vauxhall Corsa | 6-10 | Chevrolet Matiz, Citroen C3, Ford Fiesta, Fiat 500, Mazda 2 |
| 11-15 | Audi A2, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Kia Cee'd, Mitsubishi Colt |
| 16-20 | Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Audi A1, Citroen C4, Ford C-Max, BMW 116 |
| 21-25 | Audi A3, BMW, 118, Citroen C5, Ford Mondeo, Honda Accord, Renault Megane |
| 26-30 | Audi A5, BMW X1, Ford Escort, Landrover Defender, Mercedes-Benz C Class, Volkswagen Golf |
| 31-35 | Audi A6, Mazda MX-5, Mercedes-Benz CLK, Skoda Octavia, Vauxhall Vectra, Volvo C70 |
| 36-40 | Mitsubishi Shogun, Peugeot 308 Hatchback, Volkswagen Golf Hatchback, MG ZT Saloon, Volvo S60 |
| 41-45 | BMW Z4 Roadster, Land Rover Discovery, Porsche Cayman, Subaru Impreza Saloon, Honda Legend Saloon |
| 46-50 | Alfa Romeo Giulia, Audi TT Roadster, Ford Mustang, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, Porsche Boxster |
Yes – it’s not just cars. Van insurance groups are used by insurers in a similar way to car insurance groups and there are also motorbike insurance groups used by bike insurers.
Car insurance groups don't tell the whole story – there are lots of other factors affecting the cost of your car insurance.Ryan Fulthorpe - Motoring expert at GoCompare
But a quick check of the insurance group before you buy a car could save you getting a nasty shock when you go to insure it. There might be a similar make and model in a lower group that you could choose instead.
Comparing quotes is the best way to find the most competitive prices for you.
The Group Rating Panel – a board of representatives from the insurance industry – meet regularly to decide which car insurance groups different vehicles should be in.
They use data from Thatcham Research to identify which cars are likely to cost insurers the most in insurance claims.
Car models are then given a number between one and 50. As a rule of thumb, it’s high performance cars that top the scale, while cheaper run-arounds are lower down. That’s because they’re considered less risky by insurers.
But it’s not just about the price of a vehicle, there are lots of different considerations. Here’s a quick rundown of what they factor in:
When Thatcham advises the panel, it looks at how much it would cost to return a car to its pre-accident condition following a 15km/h crash impact. The panel looks at how much it’ll cost for parts and labour, and how long it takes to repair the car.
A car model’s performance, including it’s 0-60mph acceleration time and top speed, all contribute to its group. More powerful cars typically end up in higher insurance groups.
If it’s more easily broken into than other vehicles, the car will end up in a higher category.
It’s not just about the potential damage to the vehicle, but also the damage it might cause to others. That means the panel will also factor in a car’s safety features, like autonomous emergency braking.
Cars with a higher price and specification give an indication of the cost of potential replacement and repairs costs.
Cars with bumpers that are compatible with the insurer's criteria will qualify for lower insurance ratings.
A newer development in car safety that involves the car monitoring the road ahead and braking automatically if the driver fails to brake when there’s a risk of a collision. Cars with this feature will be in lower groups than cars without it.
The Citroen C1, Fiat Panda and Vauxhall Corsa are all available in models that qualify for group one. Although different models may come in higher than that.
Meanwhile, the Nissan Qashqai ranges from 13 to 21, depending on the specific model and trim you opt for.
Up at the very top in insurance group 50 are high performance vehicles, like the Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV and the Audi A7 Sportback.
The exact insurance group your car will sit in will depend on the trim, extras and engine size of the model you choose.
It’s not just your insurance group that determines your premium. Insurers will also take into account:
[1]For annual fully comprehensive car insurance policies bought through GoCompare between January and December 2020, 26 days before the renewal date was the cheapest time to buy.