There are a number of ways to bring down the cost of your car insurance, and choosing a car in the right car insurance group is high up on the list. Read our guide on how to get the cheapest car insurance to learn about the other ways you can get the best car insurance quotes.
While common sense tells us it costs less to insure a Fiesta than a Ferrari, car insurance groups can be a difficult thing to wrap your head around. This guide will help you understand what factors are considered and what some of the top 10 cheap cars to insure are.
Car insurance groups – how the different insurance groups work
Every car on the market belongs to one of 50 car insurance groups set by the Group Rating Panel (members of the Association of British Insurers and the Lloyds Market Association). Insurers can also use their own grouping system if they want.
Typically, the lower a car’s insurance group number (1-50) the cheaper it will to be to insure – for example, group 1 insurance cars are far more likely to be the cheapest cars to insure.
What factors are considered?
When the panel decides on how to assign cars to the different car insurance groups they consider the following:
Repair costs
The cost of vehicle repairs accounts for a huge chunk of the money paid out in car insurance claims. Logically then, the cost to repair the vehicle is considered before being assigned to a car insurance group.
The time it would take to repair the car is also considered as this would lead to higher repair costs.
Cost of the parts
The cost of 23 of the most common car parts are also considered. The lower the cost of the parts, the lower the car insurance group will be. To get the best car insurance quotes the cost of the parts will need to be relatively low.
The value of the car
The value of the car as new is used as an indication of how much the car will cost the insurer to repair or replace.
Performance of the car
The statistics clearly show that high performance cars that can reach great speeds are the most likely to make insurance claims. Consider the acceleration and top speeds of a car if cheap car insurance is a priority. Read our guide on insuring high performance cars to learn more.
Car security
The cheapest cars to insure will often be ones that have built in security features by the manufacturer such as alarms, high security locks, or immobilisers which prevent the car from being hot wired.
The security rating of a car is denoted by letters ranging from E, A, P, D down to U. The E category stands for ‘exceeds’ and the U is for ‘unacceptable’. Cars in the lower and cheaper car insurance groups will likely have an E or A security rating.
What are the cheapest cars to insure?
Scroll down to see ten of the cheapest cars to insure in the lowest car insurance groups.
Toyota Yaris
Cheap to buy and with an impressive safety rating, the Toyota Yaris could be the cheapest car to insure depending on your driving history and other factors. Furthermore, the Yaris makes for an attractive city car thanks to its compact size. The car is also in a hybrid model, so it’s eco-friendly as well as economical.
Cheapest car insurance - Top 10 - Toyota Yaris
Kia Rio
The Kia Rio is one of the cheap cars to insure for small families, with its 5-door Air model in car insurance group 1 and several other models in groups 2 and 3. The Rio has received praise for its ample boot space and low CO2 emissions.Car insurance groups - Top 10 - Kia Rio Car
Renault Twingo
The third generation Twingo is a modern take on Renault’s popular city car. The new model may look like a complete upgrade, but it stays true to the Twingo’s innovative design with its fold-flat seats creating extra space.Cheapest new car - Top 10 - Renault Twingo
Vauxhall Corsa Hatchback
Popular with young drivers for well over a decade, the Corsa is a sensible and reliable supermini — the latest generation has two models (Sting and Life) in insurance group 2.Group 1 insurance cars - Top 10 - Vauxhall Corsa
Volkswagen Up!
The Volkswagen Up! replaced the popular Fox model as VW’s flagship city car — it’s cheap to run and offers good fuel economy. The Up! won What Car? ‘Car of the Year’ for 2012 and received an overall 5-star rating in a Euro NCAP assessment.
What is the cheapest car to insure - Top 10 - Volkswagen Up
Hyundai i10
The new second generation i10 is in car insurance group 1, meaning it is far cheaper to insure than previous models. The new Hyundai i10 comes with a 1.0 litre engine and is packed with entertainment features, making it an ideal first car for young drivers. It was voted best city car at the 2014 Car of the Year Awards.
Cheap car insurance - Top 10 - Hyundai i10
SEAT Mii
The SEAT Mii is a green and cost effective city car, similar in build to the VW Up!. The Ecomotive model has low emissions so is exempt from road tax and the London Congestion Charge, making it an even more economical buy.
Cheapest car insurance - Top 10 - SEAT mii
Dacia Sandero
The Dacia Sandero is a more spacious 5-door car, and its 16V Access model is in insurance group 2. The Sandero is one of the cheapest new cars available to buy, so it’s perfect for a small family looking for a new car on a budgetCheapest car - Top 10 - Dacia Sandero
Skoda Citigo
Part of the Volkswagen group, the Skoda Citigo is in car insurance group 1 as a result of its low price and solid engineering. The Skoda Citigo is a compact but spacious 3-door city car, designed to be easy to drive and park on busy city streets.
Cars in insurance group 1 - Top 10 - SKODA Citigo
Ford Ka
The current Ford Ka is an update on the original model that became hugely popular in the late 1990s. The Ka is in insurance group 2, making it a solid choice for those looking for a cheap car to insure. A third generation model is set for release later in 2016, meaning you could get a good deal on the last batches of the current version.Cheapest first car to insure - Top 10 - Ford Ka
While common sense tells us it costs less to insure a Fiesta than a Ferrari, car insurance groups can be a difficult thing to wrap your head around. This guide will help you understand what factors are considered and what some of the top 10 cheap cars to insure are.
Car insurance groups – how the different insurance groups work
Every car on the market belongs to one of 50 car insurance groups set by the Group Rating Panel (members of the Association of British Insurers and the Lloyds Market Association). Insurers can also use their own grouping system if they want.
Typically, the lower a car’s insurance group number (1-50) the cheaper it will to be to insure – for example, group 1 insurance cars are far more likely to be the cheapest cars to insure.
What factors are considered?
When the panel decides on how to assign cars to the different car insurance groups they consider the following:
Repair costs
The cost of vehicle repairs accounts for a huge chunk of the money paid out in car insurance claims. Logically then, the cost to repair the vehicle is considered before being assigned to a car insurance group.
The time it would take to repair the car is also considered as this would lead to higher repair costs.
Cost of the parts
The cost of 23 of the most common car parts are also considered. The lower the cost of the parts, the lower the car insurance group will be. To get the best car insurance quotes the cost of the parts will need to be relatively low.
The value of the car
The value of the car as new is used as an indication of how much the car will cost the insurer to repair or replace.
Performance of the car
The statistics clearly show that high performance cars that can reach great speeds are the most likely to make insurance claims. Consider the acceleration and top speeds of a car if cheap car insurance is a priority. Read our guide on insuring high performance cars to learn more.
Car security
The cheapest cars to insure will often be ones that have built in security features by the manufacturer such as alarms, high security locks, or immobilisers which prevent the car from being hot wired.
The security rating of a car is denoted by letters ranging from E, A, P, D down to U. The E category stands for ‘exceeds’ and the U is for ‘unacceptable’. Cars in the lower and cheaper car insurance groups will likely have an E or A security rating.
What are the cheapest cars to insure?
Scroll down to see ten of the cheapest cars to insure in the lowest car insurance groups.
Toyota Yaris
Cheap to buy and with an impressive safety rating, the Toyota Yaris could be the cheapest car to insure depending on your driving history and other factors. Furthermore, the Yaris makes for an attractive city car thanks to its compact size. The car is also in a hybrid model, so it’s eco-friendly as well as economical.
Cheapest car insurance - Top 10 - Toyota Yaris
Kia Rio
The Kia Rio is one of the cheap cars to insure for small families, with its 5-door Air model in car insurance group 1 and several other models in groups 2 and 3. The Rio has received praise for its ample boot space and low CO2 emissions.Car insurance groups - Top 10 - Kia Rio Car
Renault Twingo
The third generation Twingo is a modern take on Renault’s popular city car. The new model may look like a complete upgrade, but it stays true to the Twingo’s innovative design with its fold-flat seats creating extra space.Cheapest new car - Top 10 - Renault Twingo
Vauxhall Corsa Hatchback
Popular with young drivers for well over a decade, the Corsa is a sensible and reliable supermini — the latest generation has two models (Sting and Life) in insurance group 2.Group 1 insurance cars - Top 10 - Vauxhall Corsa
Volkswagen Up!
The Volkswagen Up! replaced the popular Fox model as VW’s flagship city car — it’s cheap to run and offers good fuel economy. The Up! won What Car? ‘Car of the Year’ for 2012 and received an overall 5-star rating in a Euro NCAP assessment.
What is the cheapest car to insure - Top 10 - Volkswagen Up
Hyundai i10
The new second generation i10 is in car insurance group 1, meaning it is far cheaper to insure than previous models. The new Hyundai i10 comes with a 1.0 litre engine and is packed with entertainment features, making it an ideal first car for young drivers. It was voted best city car at the 2014 Car of the Year Awards.
Cheap car insurance - Top 10 - Hyundai i10
SEAT Mii
The SEAT Mii is a green and cost effective city car, similar in build to the VW Up!. The Ecomotive model has low emissions so is exempt from road tax and the London Congestion Charge, making it an even more economical buy.
Cheapest car insurance - Top 10 - SEAT mii
Dacia Sandero
The Dacia Sandero is a more spacious 5-door car, and its 16V Access model is in insurance group 2. The Sandero is one of the cheapest new cars available to buy, so it’s perfect for a small family looking for a new car on a budgetCheapest car - Top 10 - Dacia Sandero
Skoda Citigo
Part of the Volkswagen group, the Skoda Citigo is in car insurance group 1 as a result of its low price and solid engineering. The Skoda Citigo is a compact but spacious 3-door city car, designed to be easy to drive and park on busy city streets.
Cars in insurance group 1 - Top 10 - SKODA Citigo
Ford Ka
The current Ford Ka is an update on the original model that became hugely popular in the late 1990s. The Ka is in insurance group 2, making it a solid choice for those looking for a cheap car to insure. A third generation model is set for release later in 2016, meaning you could get a good deal on the last batches of the current version.Cheapest first car to insure - Top 10 - Ford Ka
