Car insurance group checker

If you’re buying a new car or looking to renew your car insurance on an existing vehicle, it’s always handy to know what insurance group it’s in. To find out, enter the vehicle details in our car insurance group checker below, and discover how car insurance groups can affect the price of your premiums.

Written by

Julie Daniels

Motor insurance comparison expert

Last Updated

14 FEBRUARY 2023

8 min read

What insurance group is my car in?

To check the insurance group your car is in, just enter the details below. Once you’ve found your group, start a quote with us to find a great-value deal on your car insurance.

Make

Model

Year

Doors

Fuel

Transmission

Select vehicle

What are car insurance groups?

All makes and models of cars on the market fall into one of 50 car insurance groups, numbered one through 50. Cars are assigned to a car insurance group based on the scores they receive across several categories, including the price, safety features and the power of the engine.

Car insurance providers use the insurance group rating to assess how risky a vehicle is to insure, and how difficult and costly it would be to repair or replace. They use this information, along with other details such as your postcode and profession, to help calculate the cost of your car insurance.

What is the cheapest car insurance group?

The cheapest car insurance group is group one. Group 50 is the most expensive. The lower the car insurance group, the lower your car insurance premium is likely to be. So if you’re in the market for a new car and you’re concerned about the cost of your car insurance, it makes sense to look for a model in a lower insurance group.

You can get an idea of the types of cars in each group from the table below

Be aware that different versions of the same model may be in different groups.

Group 1	Cars in this group are usually among the cheapest to insure. Cars in insurance group one include versions of the Fiat Panda and the Chevrolet Spark.
Groups 2-5	Cars in the lowest insurance groups tend to be some of the cheapest to insure. They often have less powerful engines and they can be among the cheapest to repair, with parts widely available. Cars in insurance groups 2-5 can be a good choice for young drivers, who tend to pay more for car insurance because they’re statistically more likely to make a claim. Cars in insurance groups two, three, four and five include versions of the Ford Ka, the Renault Clio, Skoda Fabia and the Nissan Micra.
Groups 6-10	While cars in these groups aren’t among the very cheapest to insure, they can be a good choice if you’re looking to pay less than the average car insurance premium, but you need something a little bigger and more powerful. Many newer models have advanced safety and security features as standard. Cars in insurance groups six, seven, eight, nine and ten include versions of the Seat Ibiza, the Kia Rio, the Volkswagen Golf, the Toyota Corolla and the Hyundai i10.
Groups 11-15	Cars in these insurance groups tend to offer a good middle ground between cheaper car insurance and performance. They tend to have average engine size but are at the lower end of the spectrum pricewise. Cars in insurance groups 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 include versions of the Mini Hatchback, the BMW 1 Series, the Mazda 2 Hybrid, the Peugeot 5008 and the Toyota Prius.
Groups 16-20	Cars in these groups lie a little further along the scale between affordability and performance. They may not be the best bet for young drivers on a budget, but with a clean driving record and a few years of experience under your belt, you could still find an affordable quote for cars in these groups. Cars in insurance groups 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 include versions of the Ford Focus, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, the Jeep Wrangler, the Honda Jazz Crosstar and the Land Rover Freelander.
Groups 21-30	Cars allocated to groups in the middle to higher 20s tend to be more expensive to insure than average. They’re likely to be more expensive to buy too. In these groups you can find versions of the Nissan Leaf, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and the Audi A3 Hatchback.
Groups 31-40	Cars in these groups typically cost above average to insure. They may be pricier models or have parts that are difficult to source. They might be more likely to be a target for thieves or lacking the security and safety features of cars in lower insurance groups. In these groups you can find versions of the Mitsubishi Outlander, the Lexus RX L and the Jaguar XF Sportbrake.
Group 41-50	The cars in groups 41 to 50 are usually among the most expensive to insure. The high-end groups typically include high-performance vehicles and prestigious brands. Cars in the highest car insurance groups include versions of the Ford Mustang, the Bentley Flying Spur, the Corvette Stingray and the Lotus Evora.

How are car insurance groups decided?

Car insurance groups are determined by a specialist panel of the Association of British Insurers (ABI), based on vehicle and technical data collected and analysed by Thatcham Research.

Vehicles are scored across a range of categories. These include:

Price
Power
Performance
Safety and security features
Cost of repairs. This takes into account an internationally recognised crash impact test, which determines the vehicle’s damage resistance, and the cost required to repair it to its previous condition.

Car insurance groups are used to determine a car’s relative risk to insurance providers when compared with other vehicles. If a car is deemed low risk because, for example, it’s relatively cheap to repair and replace, and has performed well in security tests, it will be placed in a low insurance group. The greater the calculated risk, the higher the group number it will be assigned to.

Find out more about how Thatcham make their calculations.

What else affects the price of my car insurance?

Your car’s insurance group is certainly a big factor when it comes to the price of your premiums, but it’s certainly not the only factor at play.

Some of the other factors that impact your car insurance premium include:

Your age, with younger drivers typically more expensive to insure.
Your level of cover, so whether you choose third-party, third-party theft and fire or comprehensive cover
If you include any extras, such as European breakdown cover, or add any named drivers
Where you live
Your job and how your use your car
Your annual mileage
Your driving history and if you have any points on your licence or driving convictions
Your no claims discount.

Read our top tips for finding cheaper car insurance.

What are the cheapest cars to insure?

The cheapest cars to insure are typically found in the lowest car insurance groups. This is because they’re normally lower in value, which means they’re likely to be cheaper to repair.

But just because a car is cheaper to buy, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s cheaper to insure. A car’s safety and security features will impact your insurance premiums, which is why they’re considered when determining a car’s insurance group. Because of this, you should consider these carefully before choosing a car and taking out a policy.

What insurance group are electric cars in?

While electric cars offer relatively low running costs and a cleaner environment, insurance costs may be higher than you’d expect. This is because, currently, parts can be more expensive to source and fit. As a result, electric cars are often put in higher insurance groups than petrol or diesel cars of a similar class and size.

Is there a van insurance group checker?

Like cars, van insurance groups range from 1-50 and are assigned by the ABI. Van makes and models are also assessed on categories such as engine size, vehicle price, safety and security features, and the cost of repairs.

However, there’s one big difference in how van insurance groups are decided. Vans registered before 2016 are in groups 1-20, whereas vans registered from 2016 onwards are split into 30 new groups, 21-50.

For vans registered before 2016, group one tends to have the cheapest van insurance premiums and vans in group 20 have the highest. For vans registered after 2016, group 21 is typically the cheapest to insure and group 50 the most expensive.

Unfortunately, this can make an insurance group check slightly confusing, as the same van model registered a year apart could be in two separate groups (for example, groups 1 and 21). Also, a van in group 21 could be cheaper to insure than one in group 20.

At Comparethemarket we don’t have a van insurance group checker, but we do have some helpful tips on finding cheaper van insurance.

Frequently asked questions

Will my car’s insurance group change over time?

Thatcham rates a vehicle’s risk in relation to other vehicles. So car insurance groups may change over time as new makes and models are released.

Your car’s insurance group could go up or down. For example, if you own an electric vehicle, you may see your insurance group drop over time as parts and repairs become more readily available. On the other hand, as new safety systems are rolled out in newer models, your car could be assessed as relatively unsafe and your car insurance group could go up.

Thatcham and the associated Group Rating Panel of the ABI are constantly reviewing their ratings and method for assigning scores, to keep up with a changing world.

Why are the same cars in different car insurance groups?

The group rating system takes into account the different versions of the same model of car. Even a small change from one model to another, such as the addition of a new security system or the use of a different part, could tip a car from one insurance group to another.

The Thatcham ratings also factor in the different age ranges for the same model. For example, there are many versions of the VW Golf.

How can I get cheap car insurance if my car is in a high insurance group?

Here are some things you can try to bring down the cost of your premiums:

Set a higher voluntary excess – but make sure you can pay both the compulsory and voluntary excess.
Improve security – check with your provider if there are any security improvements you can make to your car, such as adding an immobiliser.
Reduce your mileage – the less you’re on the road, the less of a risk you’re seen to be by your insurance provider.
Remove unnecessary cover – don’t include add-ons you don’t need.

Shopping around is one of the best ways to find a cheaper quote. Start a comparison with Comparethemarket and we’ll show you a range of quotes.