Car insurance group checker

When you compare car insurance quotes, the provider doesn’t just take into consideration your personal details and driving history. Your vehicle, specifically which car insurance group it falls into, plays a big role in determining how much you pay for your premium. 

Read our guide below for more information on which group your car falls into, how each insurance group is decided, and what else decides how much your cover costs.

Car insurance groups explained

In total there are 50 car insurance groups in the UK, administered by the Group Rating Panel. Group 1 is the cheapest from an insurance perspective, and Group 50 is the most expensive.

As you move up through the different groups, the cars will typically have a higher market value, bigger engines, and faster top speeds. This is because statistically those vehicles are more likely to make a claim, and that claim is more likely to be expensive, than a cheaper car with a smaller engine and a lower top speed.

The same make of car can be in different groups, depending on the model and year it was made.

List of car insurance groups

What do the letters mean in car insurance groups?

A car won’t only fall within one of the 50 insurance groups. It will also have a letter following the group number, which is related to the safety and security of the car.

These letters indicate the following:

• A: this means the car has met the security standards for the insurance group it is in
• D: if a car make and model doesn’t meet the security standards of its group, it will be moved into a higher insurance group. For example, a Group 5 car with sub-standard security will be labelled Group 6D
• E: if a car exceeds the security standards of its group, it will move into a cheaper insurance group. For example, if a car was in Group 8, but had better security than the standard, it’d be labelled Group 7E
• P: this means that not enough data was collected when the model was launched, so its rating is provisional
• U: this means unacceptable, and is used when a car’s security falls far below the standard. You may find it harder to insure a car with a U rating without installing additional security features
• G: this means the car has been imported

How do I find my car’s insurance group?

There are many car insurance group checkers you can use online to find out where your vehicle falls. To use these checkers, you’ll either need your registration number or, if you want to find the group of a car you’re intending to buy, its:

• Make
• Model
• Year
• Number of doors
• Fuel type
• Transmission

How are car insurance groups decided?

Which insurance group a car falls into is decided by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) Group Rating Panel, based on data collected by Thatcham Research. This panel is formed of the UK’s leading insurance companies.

When calculating the insurance group of any given car, the Group Rating Panel takes into consideration:

• Cost of the vehicle: the cost of a new version of that car will help determine the insurance group, as it is indicative of the cost to replace or repair the vehicle
• Cost of repairs: this includes the costs of 23 common parts from manufacturers, the type of paint finish, and if the car requires any specialist work. The higher the costs, the higher the insurance group
• Repair times: the longer it takes to source and manufacture the parts required for repairs, the more likely a car is to be in a higher insurance group
• 0-60 acceleration time: the faster a car can accelerate, the more likely it is to be in an accident
• Top speed: similar to acceleration, the faster a car can drive, the more likely it is for a claimable incident to occur
• Safety features: for example, if a car has automatic emergency braking (AEB) installed as standard, it will be in a lower insurance group
• Security features: this assesses features that can reduce the likelihood of a security-related claim, such as door locks, alarms, immobilisation systems and glass etching 
• Bumper compatibility: because they can affect how damaged a car is in a collision, bumpers that meet certain provider criteria can reduce a vehicle’s insurance group

What else informs the cost of my cover aside from my car insurance group?

It’s not just your car insurance group that’ll determine how much you pay for your cover. Other factors that inform your premium include:

• Level of cover: how much you pay for your car insurance will in part depend on whether you choose third party, third party, fire and theft, or fully comprehensive cover
• Your age: as a rule of thumb, the younger you are, the more expensive your car insurance. This is because younger drivers, normally classed as those under 25, are statistically more likely to have an accident
• Your occupation: jobs associated with higher stress, or those that involve a lot of driving, typically push up the price of your car insurance
• Your location: because of data on the number of accidents, motor-related crimes, uninsured drivers and fraudulent claims in any given area, where you live will inform how much you pay for insurance
• Where you park: if you park your car on the road, your insurance will be more expensive than if you park it in a garage or on a driveway
• Annual mileage: the more you drive in a year, the more expensive your premium will be. This is because the more you are on the road, the higher the chance of you getting into an accident. If you drive less than the UK average annual mileage, you could be eligible for a cheaper low-mileage car insurance policy
• No-claims bonus: every year you fail to make a claim, you build up your no-claims discount. The higher this is, the cheaper your insurance 
• Additional extras: the more optional extras, such as breakdown cover or motor legal protection, you add to your policy, the more expensive your premium will be
• Paying annually or monthly: it is normally cheaper to pay for your insurance policy up front, instead of splitting it into monthly instalments
• Voluntary excess: if you choose to increase your voluntary excess, you can lower the price of your premium. However, you need to make sure you can realistically afford your voluntary excess, alongside the compulsory excess, if you were to make a claim
• Credit score: the lower your credit score, the more you may end up paying for your insurance