Car Insurance Group Prices in the UK

28/10/2022

Smiling young woman looking out of car window on a scenic drive

Last Updated: 25 Sept 2025
Read time: 3 minutes

Written by: Deirbhile Coyle
Insurance Writer

Written in line with our Editorial Guidelines

What is a car insurance group?

Car insurance groups are designed to help insurers evaluate your vehicle’s risk level. These insurance groups can be confusing if you have never heard of them before or need to find out which group your car will fall under. This article will help you understand the average annual premiums associated with each insurance group and how your car group will affect your insurance premium.

Average annual car insurance group costs

Here is a 2021 graph of the insurance groups and what the average annual premium range was.

Car insurance group	Average annual premiums
1 to 10	£500 – £550
11 to 20	£550 – £600
21 to 30	£600 – £650
31 to 40	£750 – £800
41 to 50	£900 – £1000

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Young drivers tend to insure in groups 1 – 10 which in turn raises the premium for this bracket

Which insurance group is my car in?

If you’re buying a brand-new or second-hand car, you should check which insurance group your car will fall under. You can usually find this information on the car’s V5C logbook. Alternatively, you can often find this information online using your car’s model details. To learn more, check out our guide that explains car insurance groups in detail.

What is the cheapest car insurance group?

Group 1 is the cheapest car insurance group. Cars in this group tend to have a lower resale value with smaller and less powerful engines. Insurance Groups from 1-10 generally have the lowest insurance premiums. Cars in these groups are the least valuable and easiest to repair, meaning you will pay less in premiums for a lower group based solely on your car.

What is the most expensive car insurance group?

Group 50 is the most expensive for insurance. Groups 41-50 are where you will commonly find the most luxury high-performance cars. These vehicles usually have larger engines, higher specifications and are the most expensive to maintain and repair.

How are car insurance groups changing?

The insurance group rating system has been replaced for new cars registered after August 1, 2024. This new rating system will work alongside the existing group ratings, meaning any cars registered before the 1^st of August 2024 will remain in the old system.

The reason for this move is down to the ongoing changes in the automotive industry, where manufacturing and technology have had massive advancements. These changes have made it harder for the traditional groups to accurately measure a vehicle’s risk profile.

How does the new vehicle risk rating system work?

The new vehicle risk rating system scores each vehicle in 5 key areas: performance, damageability, repairability, safety and security. Scores start from 1, representing the lowest risk, rising to 99 for the highest risk. This scoring system provides a vehicle’s overall risk rating. Like the previous system, the new ratings are regularly reviewed and can change over time, which can increase or decrease your insurance costs.

How to save on your insurance

There are some steps you can take to help reduce your insurance premiums if your group amount is a little more than you were hoping.

Always compare multiple car insurance quotes.
Compare insurance costs before you buy a car.
Raise your voluntary excess.
Add an older driver to your insurance if you’re under 24
Consider taking out Blackbox or Telematics insurance for potentially lower premiums

Related insurance products:

Looking to find the right insurance policy for your vehicle? At Quotezone, we can help you search for the best deals on your insurance with our panel of dedicated UK specialists.

References:

*https://www.thatcham.org/pf/vehicle-risk-rating/

This article is intended as generic information only and is not intended to apply to anybody’s specific circumstances, demands or needs. The views expressed are not intended to provide any financial service or to give any recommendation or advice. Products and services are only mentioned for illustrative rather than promotional purposes.