Car insurance group 8
The make and model of car you drive can influence how much you pay for car insurance. If you’re thinking of buying a new or used vehicle, cars in insurance group 8 can be some of the cheapest to insure.
Our guide explores insurance group 8 in more detail and highlights some of the cars in this group.
The make and model of car you drive can influence how much you pay for car insurance. If you’re thinking of buying a new or used vehicle, cars in insurance group 8 can be some of the cheapest to insure.
Our guide explores insurance group 8 in more detail and highlights some of the cars in this group.
What is insurance group 8?
Insurance groups run from 1 to 50, with 1 generally being the cheapest to insure. Car insurance group 8 is at the cheaper end of the spectrum. The higher the number, the more expensive insurance premiums are likely to be.
Car models are assigned to different groups to help insurance providers calculate the cost of premiums. The motor insurers’ automotive research centre – Thatcham Research – is responsible for running the system. It defines requirements for the groups, tests vehicles and gathers data to see which group particular models fit into.
Factors that Thatcham takes into account when considering group ratings include:
- The cost of parts
- The car’s value when new
- How much damage is likely to result to the vehicle in an accident
- How fast the vehicle accelerates and its speed
- What safety features are built in, such as autonomous braking
- The vehicle's security features.
But how much you’ll pay for your insurance premium doesn’t just depend on the car you drive. Your age, where you live, your mileage, no-claims discount, driving convictions and even your job title will have an impact on your premium too.
What cars are in car insurance group 8?
If a car is part of insurance group 8, this means it’s at the cheaper end of the scale when it comes to calculating your insurance premium. That’s because these cars typically have less powerful engines, are known for being reliable and repair costs tend to be lower.
We’ve included a mix of older and new models so you can see the range if you’re looking for a used or brand-new car.
| Make | Model |
|---|---|
| Chevrolet | Trax LS, 2013-2015, 5d, petrol |
| Citroen | C1 Airscape Flair VTi S/S 68 2014-2020 , 5dr, petrol |
| Daihatsu | Cuore E, 2002-2004, 3dr, petrol |
| Fiat | 500 Pop Star, 2015-2021, 3dr, petrol |
| Ford | Fiesta Style TDCi (74) 2012-2017 5dr, diesel |
| Hyundai | i30 S Blue Drive S, 2015-2017, 5d, petrol |
| Kia | Rio 2 GDi 100, 2017-2020 5dr, petrol |
| MINI | Countryman One, 2014-2017, 5dr, petrol |
| Toyota | Yaris Hybrid GR Sport HSD VVT-I, 2018-2020, 5dr, petrol, automatic |
| Volkswagen | Golf Twist, 2010-2012, 5dr, petrol |
Age, trim, engine size and optional extras can all affect which cars fall into a particular band. Similarly, named models can fall into widely different groups. For example, just because we’ve included a particular Ford Fiesta here, you can’t assume that all Fiesta versions will be in group 8.
What is the insurance group 8 average cost?
Insurance premiums are based on individual circumstances as well as the group a model falls into. So, if you have a big no-claims discount and drive carefully, you’ll potentially pay a lot less than someone driving the equivalent group 8 vehicle who was recently was caught speeding.
51% of our customers were quoted less than £848 for their comprehensive car insurance in September 2023. This, of course, is averaged out across vehicles from all groups. But as we’ve mentioned, group 8 vehicles are at the cheaper end of the spectrum.
What is insurance group 8e?
Adding e to a group rating number is a sign that a particular model exceeds the security requirement for a car of this type, so its group rating has been reduced. A group 9 car that exceeds Thatcham’s minimum security standard for that group will have the benefit of being listed as an 8.
Who are insurance group 8 cars most suitable for?
Insurance group 8 could be a good group if you’re looking for a family hatchback or small SUV that’s relatively cheap to insure. You can find versions of popular models, such as the Ford Fiesta, Skoda Fabia and Volkswagen Golf, in this category.
The cost of parts also tends to be cheaper for lower insurance groups. So, insurance group 8 could be a good choice if you’re looking to keep costs down, especially if you’re looking to buy an older, used car where parts are closer to the end of their working life.
Are insurance group 8 cars good for young drivers?
They could be. Motor insurance is typically more expensive for inexperienced younger drivers. Opting for a vehicle in one of the lower groups can certainly help keep running costs down.
Looking at a vehicle’s Euro NCAP safety rating is worth considering too. You might want to weigh up which cars in the lowest groups offer higher levels of safety.
Group 8 spans a range of vehicles, including smaller, fuel-efficient cars. These could help keep running costs low for younger drivers. But how the car will be used matters too. If you’re wanting to throw some bikes, camping gear or surf boards in the back, a small car might not always be the right option.
Depending on where you live you may be close to a low-emissions zone, so this needs to be taken into account too when choosing a vehicle.
While a cheaper insurance group is potentially a good option, you’ll need to factor in other considerations when making your final decision.
How can I check my car insurance group?
That’s easy. You can find out using our free car insurance group checker. Just enter a few details about your car or the car you’re interested in buying, including the:
- Make and model
- Year of registration, where necessary
- Number of doors
- Fuel type
- Transmission type.
Once you’ve found your group, you can start a quote with us to see how much you could be paying for car insurance.
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Get a quoteFrequently asked questions
What is the highest insurance group?
Group 50 is the highest. It’s at the opposite end of the scale to cars in group 8.
Is insurance group 8 high or low?
Insurance group 8 is at the lower, cheaper end of the spectrum.
Julie Daniels - motor insurance comparison expert
Julie is passionate about delivering a great customer experience and rewarding people for saving on their insurance through our loyalty and rewards programme. She’s spoken to the media, including outlets like Sky News and Capital FM, about car and home insurance, as well as our rewards scheme.