Car Insurance Groups

What is a car insurance group?

Every car sold in the UK receives a car insurance group between 1 and 50 using research conducted by Thatcham.

Insurers use this information to help them calculate the cost of car insurance premiums.

A group one car is the lowest insurance group with group 50 the highest.

The main factors used in setting car insurance groups are:

• Car performance – the car’s acceleration 0 – 60 and top speed. (A high-performance vehicle will attract a higher insurance group).
• Car security – what security features the car has – includes Alarms & Immobilisers, security locks on doors, the visibility of the VIN & locking for alloy wheels. (A well-secured vehicle will receive a lower insurance group).
• The cost of parts – the value of 23 of the most common components. (A car with higher repair cost will be in a higher insurance group).
• Maintenance – how much and how long the car takes to fix. (The more time a vehicle takes to maintain, the higher the insurance group).
• Car value – the price of the car as new. (A high-value vehicle will get a higher insurance group).

Will my insurance be cheaper if I drive a car in a low Car Insurance Group?

Yes, it will. Nothing is more likely to lower the cost of your insurance than choosing to drive a car in a low “Car Insurance Group”.

Put simply; to take out insurance on a Ford Mondeo will cost less than a Ferrari.

Are insurers consistent with their use of the Car Insurance Groups?

No, not always. Some insurers may put a car in a different group, but you can be sure variations between insurance companies are unlikely to differ very much.