Car Insurance Groups Explained (1–50)
Updated 16 October 2026 · 4 min read
What are car insurance groups, how are they decided, and how do they affect your premium? Everything you need to know.
Key takeaways
- There are 50 groups — 1 is cheapest, 50 is most expensive.
- Groups are set by an industry panel, not by individual insurers.
- The group is just one factor; your own profile matters too.
This guide is part of our full guide to car insurance for young and new drivers. You may also find these useful: the cheapest cars to insure in the uk and cheapest cars to insure for an 18 year old male.
What the groups are
Every new car sold in the UK is placed into a group from 1 to 50 by the Group Rating Panel, using research from Thatcham. Insurers use the group as a starting point for pricing.
What decides a car's group
The main factors are:
- Cost and time of repairs
- Price of replacement parts
- Performance and top speed
- Security features
- Safety and driver assistance tech
- Value of the car when new
Advertisement
Using groups to save
If you're buying a car, shortlist models in the lowest groups you're happy with, then compare quotes on each one.
This guide is general information, not financial advice.