To help insurers work out your insurance price, your car is placed in one of 50 groups. 1 being the cheapest, and 50 being the most expensive.
Your car's make, model and condition will determine which of the 50 car insurance groups your policy belongs to.
But you probably want to know which cars are in the lowest insurance group, right? Let’s get stuck in.
How do the different car insurance groups work?
Group 1 is the cheapest insurance group while group 50 is the most expensive.
The different groups factor in things like:
- how much it will cost to repair your car if it gets damaged
- how easy it is to find new parts to repair your car
- how secure your car is, in case of attempted theft
- how safe your car is to drive
- how your car performs in terms of speed and power
What are the different car insurance groups?
We’re going to focus on the first 20 car insurance groups which cover the most common car makes and models.
Some car makes can belong to multiple groups. But, the cost of insurance will depend on the specific model you choose. That's because things like engine size differ between models.
Cars insurance groups 1 - 5:
These are the cheapest cars to insure.
Low insurance group cars are perfect for young drivers and students. And for drivers new to the UK who may be facing higher car insurance prices (not with us, of course!)
Cars in the lowest insurance groups are easy to find and fairly cheap to fix.
Example models:
- Groups 1-2: Fiat Panda, Skoda Fabio Hatchback, Ford Ka, Toyota Aygo, Vauxhall Corsa Hatchback
- Groups 3-4: Renault Clio, Seat Ibiza, Toyota Aygo and Vauxhall Corsa, Skoda Fabia, Toyota Yaris
- Group 5: Sandero, Ford KA Plus, Kia Picanto, Renault Clio
Car insurance groups 6 - 10
Cars in these groups are still affordable to cover, with policies costing less than the average price of car insurance. Want to fit into this bracket? You need to drive reliable and easy-to-come-by cars, similar to the ones in groups 1 - 5. But, you can choose something with a little more legroom.
Example models:
- Groups 6 - 7: Kia Rio, Peugeot 207, Nissan Micra, Vauxhall Corsa, Citroen C1, Renault Captur
- Groups 8-9: Fiat 500 Pop Star, Mini Countryman, Toyota Corrola
- Group 10: Hyundai i20, Skoda Fabia, Smart ForFour
Car insurance groups 11 - 15
Want both performance and affordable insurance? Driving a car from one of these groups is your best bet. You’ll pay more to cover these cars than in ones in the lower groups, but you’ll get more legroom, boot space and better performance, too.
Example models:
- Groups 11-12: BMW 2 Series, Mini Hatchback, Nissan Qashqai, Mazda, Peugeot 308
- Group 13: Mazda 2 Hybrid Vauxhall Astra Volkswagen Beetle
- Groups 14-15: Audi A3, BM2 2-Series, Skoda Octavia
Car insurance groups 16 -20
Cars in these higher groups will move you up on the insurance cost ladder. If your car is a member of these groups, your insurance premium will be slightly higher. That's because your car is typically larger, can go a little faster and costs more to repair. If you’ve got a family car, it’s likely to be in one of these groups.
Cars in groups 16-20 can still be affordable to cover if you’ve been driving for several years and have a proven claim-free driving history. At Marshmallow, we take into account your claim-free history from any country. This means you can save up to 45% on your policy.
Example models:
- Groups 16-17: Audi A1, BMW 1-series Mercedes Benz B-Class, Mercedes Benz A-Class, Volvo V40
- Groups 18-19: Citroen C4 Picasso, Jeep Wrangler, BMW 1-Series Hatchback
- Group 20: Audi A3, Land Rover Freelander, Ford Mondeo
Electric car insurance groups
Got an electric car? Your car will also fit into one of 50 groups based on things like its value, performance and average cost to repair.
Cars like the Smart EQ ForFour, Volkswagen e-Up, SEAT Mii Electric and the Fiat 500 Electric Hatchback are in the cheapest insurance groups (groups 1 - 15).
In the middle groups, you get cars like the Kia e-Niro SUV and Hyundai Kona Electric SUV.
Luxury cars sit in the more expensive groups (groups 45 and above). Think the Mercedes-Benz EQA SUV, the Tesla Model 3 and the BMW i5 Saloon.
What's the average car insurance cost in the UK?
In early 2024, UK car insurance cost £995 on average as reported by the Confused.com. car insurance price index.
Your car insurance group is only one of several factors that affect how much you pay for your policy. Things like your level of cover, add-on features and your driving experience all affect the price.
If you are new to the UK, lots of insurers will charge you up to 45% more for car insurance because they don’t recognise your past driving experience outside the UK. Here at Marshmallow, we look at all your driving experience, from any country to give you the best deal possible.
Moved to the UK and want to save money on car insurance? Get a car insurance quote with us today.
