What Insurance Group Is My Car? How to Check It

Written by Andrea Troy
Reviewed by Pratik Aghera
7 min read
Updated: 30 Jul 2026
Car Insurance Guides
What Insurance Group Is My Car? How to Check It

What insurance group is my car? Every car registered in the UK before August 2024 sits in one of 50 insurance groups, set by Thatcham Research on behalf of the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Group 1 covers the cheapest cars to insure; group 50 the most expensive. You can find yours from your V5C log book, the Thatcham car insurance group checker, or on the quote screen when you compare cover.

The group is one input insurers use to price a policy, not the whole story. Two cars in the same group can still produce different quotes once your age, postcode, mileage and no-claims bonus are added in.

Quick Answer

  • UK car insurance groups range from 1 (cheapest to insure) to 50 (most expensive), set by Thatcham Research on behalf of the ABI.
  • To find your car’s group, enter your registration on a quote comparison screen, use the Thatcham ‘My Vehicle’ checker, or check your DVLA V5C log book.
  • Repair cost and parts availability are the single biggest factor in setting a group, not the car’s purchase price.
  • Cars first registered from 1 August 2024 use the new Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR), scored 1 to 99 across five separate risk categories.
  • According to the ABI Motor Insurance Premium Tracker, the average comprehensive motor premium held at around £560 in Q1 2026, £20 lower than Q1 2025.

Last updated: June 2026

Written by the Free Price Compare editorial team | Reviewed June 2026

Content in this article

How to find out what insurance group your car is in

You can find your car’s insurance group in three reliable ways: enter your registration on a car insurance quote screen, use the free Thatcham ‘My Vehicle’ checker, or check your DVLA V5C log book. The fastest method for most drivers is the registration lookup, because it matches your exact car and trim rather than a generic model average.

Thatcham Research, which sets the groups, runs a free ‘My Vehicle’ service where you register and enter the vehicle type, manufacturer, model, range, body style and fuel type to reveal the group rating. Your DVLA V5C log book is also useful: even where the group is not printed on it, the document confirms your make, model and trim, which is enough to look the group up accurately.

A common frustration is that different sources show slightly different groups for the same car. That usually happens because the lookup has matched the wrong variant. The 1.0-litre Ford Fiesta in a base trim and a sportier ST-Line version of the same model can sit several groups apart, so always match the exact engine and trim.

  • By registration: quickest and most accurate, because it identifies your specific variant.
  • Thatcham ‘My Vehicle’ checker: straight from the body that sets the groups.
  • V5C log book: confirms make, model and trim to look up the group.

Check your car’s group when you compare quotes

How car insurance groups work in the UK

UK car insurance groups are a 1-to-50 rating system, set by Thatcham Research on behalf of the ABI, that indicates how costly a car is likely to be to insure. Group 1 cars are the cheapest to insure and group 50 the most expensive. A Group Rating Panel of ABI and Lloyds Market Association members meets monthly to assign each new car model and variant to a group.

The system originally used 20 groups but expanded to 50 in 2009, so different specs and trims within a single model range can be rated separately. According to Thatcham Research, the group reflects the risk and cost a car presents to an insurer, not a guaranteed price.

The group rating is advisory. Insurers are free to use it, ignore it or weight it differently, which is why a higher-group car can sometimes return a lower quote than a lower-group one for the same driver.

What decides a car’s insurance group?

Repair cost is the single biggest factor in setting a car’s insurance group, not the car’s value. A more expensive car with cheap, widely available parts can sit in a lower group than a cheaper car that needs costly specialist components.

Thatcham assesses several elements when assigning a group:

  • Repair costs: Thatcham runs low-speed crash tests (chiefly a 15km/h impact) and engineers cost the parts and labour to return the car to pre-accident condition.
  • Parts price and availability: a standard list of 23 commonly damaged parts is priced for comparison.
  • Performance: manufacturer-quoted 0-62mph acceleration and top speed.
  • Price when new: used to estimate the settlement cost if the car is written off.
  • Safety technology: a car can drop a group if autonomous emergency braking is fitted as standard and passes Thatcham testing.

What the letter after the insurance group number means

The letter after a car insurance group number is a security suffix that compares the car’s security to what Thatcham expects for a vehicle of that type, and it can move the group up or down. For example, a car rated 15E was assessed at group 15 but has better-than-expected security, so it has been moved down a group; 15D means its security falls short and it has been moved up. Vehicle security genuinely affects theft risk: ONS figures recorded around 130,000 vehicle thefts in England and Wales in the year ending March 2023. [STAT NEEDED: ABI]

The letter A means the car meets the expected security standard with no adjustment. Other letters cover newer or recently re-tested models: P, U, G and R refer to provisional, unacceptable, guaranteed and revised ratings. These suffixes matter because better factory security can pull a car into a cheaper group.

Knowing your group is only the start

Your age, postcode, mileage and no-claims bonus all shape the final price

Compare car insurance

The new Vehicle Risk Rating system explained

The Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR) is the new system that replaces the 1-50 groups for cars first registered from 1 August 2024, scoring each car 1 to 99 across five separate risk categories instead of one combined number. Thatcham launched VRR on 24 September 2024, with an 18-month period in which both VRR and the old group rating run in parallel.

VRR was introduced because two very different cars could end up in the same insurance group under the old system, so a driver might pay a similar premium for a much riskier car. VRR scores each model separately on five areas: performance, damageability, repairability, safety and security. New vans on sale from 1 August 2024 are rated the same way.

Cars registered before August 2024 keep their 1-50 group rating permanently. The transition for brand-new models is due to complete in the second half of 2026, after which new ranges receive a VRR score only. If your car is from before August 2024, the question “what insurance group is my car” still has a single 1-50 answer.

System Applies to Scale
Group Rating (1-50) Cars registered before 1 August 2024 1 (cheapest) to 50 (most expensive)
Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR) Cars first registered from 1 August 2024 1 to 99 across five risk categories

Figures are indicative and may change.

The new Vehicle Risk Rating system explained

See how your car affects your quote

Example cars by insurance group

Small city cars sit in the lowest insurance groups, while high-performance and luxury models reach the top of the 1-50 scale. The Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto, Volkswagen Up and Toyota Aygo X are typical group 1-2 cars and are among the cheapest to insure. Models such as the Porsche 718 Cayman and Bentley Bentayga sit in groups 41-50. [STAT NEEDED: ABI]

Group band Example cars
Groups 1-10 Citroen C1, Vauxhall Corsa, Audi A1, Volkswagen Polo
Groups 11-20 Hyundai Tucson, Honda Civic, Mini Countryman, Fiat 500
Groups 21-30 Audi Q3, Mini Cooper S, Ford Kuga, Kia Sorento
Groups 31-40 Audi TT, BMW X5, Land Rover Defender, Volvo XC90
Groups 41-50 Porsche 718 Cayman, Ford Mustang, Bentley Bentayga

Figures are indicative and may change.

Variant makes a large difference within one model. A base Ford Fiesta 1.1 sits around group 6, while the sporty Fiesta ST jumps to roughly group 29. The Dacia Sandero range spans from about group 4 to 11 depending on engine and trim. If you are weighing up two trims, the lower-powered variant is almost always the cheaper to insure.

You can compare cover for specific models too, including Toyota Yaris car insurance or Ford car insurance, to see how the group plays out in real quotes.

How much does the group actually affect your premium?

The insurance group is one of several inputs that shape your premium, and on its own it has less impact than many drivers expect. According to the ABI Motor Insurance Premium Tracker, the average comprehensive motor premium held at around £560 in Q1 2026, a marginal £1 (0.2%) rise on Q4 2025 but £20 lower than Q1 2025. The ABI notes its tracker is based on prices customers actually pay across more than 28 million policies a year.

Your age, postcode, annual mileage, job, no-claims bonus and chosen excess all feed into the final figure alongside the group. A careful driver with a long no-claims history in a mid-group car can pay less than a higher-risk driver in a low-group car. Insurers also weight the group rating differently, so the same car produces a range of quotes.

The car you choose still matters, because it sets the baseline an insurer prices from. To see the full picture of how providers price you, read our guide to your car insurance risk score. Free Price Compare compares car insurance from a panel of more than 130 insurers, which is how you see those differences side by side.

Comprehensive cover is the most common choice: around 9 in 10 Free Price Compare car insurance buyers select it over third party fire and theft or third party only (Free Price Compare data, January to April 2026).

Compare comprehensive cover from 130+ insurers

FAQs about what insurance group is my car

How do I find out what insurance group my car is in by reg?

Enter your registration number on a car insurance quote comparison screen and the group is shown alongside your car’s details. This is accurate because the reg identifies your exact engine and trim. You can also use the free Thatcham ‘My Vehicle’ service or check your DVLA V5C log book to confirm your make, model and trim before looking up the group.

Does the insurance group set my premium?

No, the insurance group is only one factor and does not set your premium on its own. Insurers also weigh your age, postcode, annual mileage, occupation, no-claims bonus, claims history and the excess you choose. Two drivers in identical cars from the same group can get very different quotes once these personal factors are added.

Can a car’s insurance group change over time?

Yes, a car’s group can be revised if Thatcham re-tests a model, for example after new safety or security technology is added, or after fresh repair-cost data. The Group Rating Panel meets monthly and can adjust ratings, which is why a model’s group may shift between model years. Your own car keeps the group it held when assessed unless that specific variant is re-rated.

Are electric cars in higher insurance groups?

Electric cars often sit in higher groups because their battery packs and specialist components can be expensive to repair or replace, and many have strong acceleration. That is not universal, though, as smaller EVs with good safety technology and manageable repair costs can fall into more moderate groups. Always check the specific model and trim rather than assuming all EVs are costly to insure.

What does the letter after my car’s insurance group mean?

The letter is a security suffix showing how your car’s security compares to what Thatcham expects for that type of vehicle. An E means better-than-expected security, so the car is moved down a group; a D means security falls short and the car is moved up; an A means it meets the standard with no change. Better factory security can therefore put a car into a cheaper group.

Will the new Vehicle Risk Rating replace my current car’s insurance group?

No, if your car was first registered before 1 August 2024 it keeps its 1-50 group rating permanently. The Vehicle Risk Rating only applies to cars first registered from August 2024 onwards. The two systems run in parallel during a transition period due to complete in the second half of 2026, after which new models receive a VRR score only.

Why did one insurer quote a much higher group number than another?

If an insurer quotes an unusually high or refuses cover citing a very high group, it usually means they could not match your exact car to a rated variant, or their system flagged the vehicle as outside their underwriting criteria. A figure such as group 99 is not part of the standard 1-50 scale and often signals a data-matching issue. Try another insurer or check your registration details are entered correctly.

Is it worth only buying cars in groups 1 to 3?

Restricting yourself to groups 1 to 3 is a reasonable starting point if you want the lowest baseline insurance cost, but it is not the only thing that matters. A group 4 or 5 car with strong safety technology and a long no-claims history can still produce a competitive quote, and some higher-group cars surprise people with affordable cover. Get actual quotes for the specific cars you are considering before ruling any out.

Where can I check insurance groups for free before buying a car?

You can check insurance groups for free using the Thatcham ‘My Vehicle’ service, the running-cost section of a car listing, or by entering a registration on a comparison quote screen. For the most useful answer, get a full quote for the exact car you are considering rather than relying on the group alone. That tells you the real price for your circumstances, not just the relative ranking.

Do car insurance groups apply in Ireland or only in the UK?

The 1-50 group rating system and Vehicle Risk Rating are UK schemes set by Thatcham Research for the ABI, and they apply to UK-registered vehicles. The Republic of Ireland uses a different insurance market and pricing approach, so a UK insurance group does not directly translate there. If you are insuring a car in Ireland, you need an Irish insurer and their own rating method.

Does a higher insurance group always mean a more expensive car to insure?

Generally a higher group points to a more costly car to insure, but it is not a guarantee for your personal premium. Because insurers weight the group differently and combine it with your own profile, a careful driver in a mid-group car can pay less than a higher-risk driver in a low-group car. The group sets the baseline, but your circumstances decide the final price.

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Information correct as of 29 June 2026. Prices, tariffs, policy details and providers change frequently, so please check the latest details before making a decision. This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice. Free Price Compare is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

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