List of cars in insurance group 17

If you’re driving a car in insurance group 17, you can expect it to be comparatively cheap to insure. These cars tend to have good car safety features, less powerful engines and are relatively inexpensive to repair.

In this guide, we’ll explore some of the factors that cars in insurance group 17 possess and why they’re more affordable to insure than most cars.

Car insurance groups explained

Before it is made available to buy, a car is assigned an insurance group from 1-50.

Vehicles in group 1 are among the cheapest to insure, while group 50 vehicles are the most costly vehicles to cover. The factors used to place a vehicle in a relevant group include its market value, safety features, security features and the cost of repair.

The car insurance group isn’t the only thing that insurers will consider when calculating your premium, but it does have a significant impact.

Below, we’ll explore some of the personal factors that are also considered.

Car makes and models in insurance group 17

We’ve listed some of the popular cars in insurance group 17 below.

Insurance group	Car make/model	Details
17	Audi A3	The Audi A3 family hatchback handles really well. The petrol car uses an efficient 1.0-litre engine.
17	Ford Mondeo	This spacious family car comes with a 2-litre EcoBlue 150 diesel engine. It was awarded five stars in its Euro NCAP safety test.
17	Honda Civic	The Honda Civic won best hatchback at the What Car? Awards in 2019. It has the full range of safety features available.
17	Mercedes-Benz A Class	The premium hatchback is praised for its ride quality, interior comfort and low running costs. It also won the Safety Award at the same ceremony.
17	Lexus CT	This premium hybrid hatchback comes with a 1.8-litre engine and received a 5-star safety rating from Euro NCAP.
17	Toyota Yaris	This sub-compact car has been popular since 1999. It has won various awards for its all-round performance.
17	Renault Megane	Safety has been a hallmark of Renault vehicles for some time. The Megane is a small family car equipped with affordable parts and safety features.
17	SEAT Ateca	This family SUV is a spacious and versatile SUV which is packed with safety features.

Cars in insurance group 17 and the average cost by driver’s age

Using the table below, you can look out for the make and model of your car. Once you have, you can calculate how much you’re likely to pay for your car insurance, based on your age.

• How we got these rates

  These rates are based on the average cost of cover for cars in the insurance groups shown, for drivers of different ages with a Newcastle (NE1) postcode, which our research suggests represents an average for insurance rates in the UK. Updated: June 2024 (source: Confused).

Insurance group 17 categories

• 17E: Surpasses the security requirements for this type of car, leading to a lower insurance group rating.
• 17A: Meets the standard security requirements for this type of car.
• 17D: Falls short of security requirements for this type of car, resulting in a higher insurance group rating.
• 17U: Security standard is unacceptable. The insurer might require upgraded aftermarket security before providing coverage.
• 17P: Provisional status. Insufficient data is available at launch for classification. This will likely be updated once Thatcham can evaluate the new car.
• 17G: Grey import. Thatcham tests only officially sold UK cars, so imports are evaluated based on the insurer’s pricing.

Average insurance group 17e cost

To provide you with an idea of how much it may cost you to insure your insurance group 17 car, we ran several quotes to find an average figure. Based on our results, on average, you could insure your car with a comprehensive policy for the monthly price of £65, or an annual sum of £653.

• How we calculated this price

  We generated these quotes using the following assumptions about the vehicle and the driver.

  The vehicle is/has:

  • Insurance group 17 model
  • Factory fitted alarm system
  • Not modified
  • Used for social, domestic and commuting purposes
  • 10,000 mileage per year
  • Parked in a work car park during the day
  • Parked on a driveway at night

  The driver is/has:

  • A 30-year-old, single teacher from London
  • A homeowner
  • Five years no-claims discount
  • No driving or other convictions in the last 5 years

Why are cars in group 17 on the cheaper side?

Cars in insurance group 17 are typically cheaper to insure because they score well for the following factors:

• Security and safety features
• The cost and speed of repair
• Market value
• Engine size

These are among the key factors used to place a vehicle within the appropriate insurance group.

Which other factors affect your car insurance premium?

Here are three more factors that will have a notable impact on the cost of your insurance:

• Engine type and capacity. The bigger your engine, the more it will cost to replace or repair. Your premium will rise to reflect the bigger financial risk to insurers.
• Driver location. Insurers will consider your address and alter your premium based on the likelihood of vehicles in this area being damaged or stolen. As an example, a 30-year-old in central London will pay £1,122 for insurance on a Renault Kadjar Play Blue dCi 115 5d, while the same 30-year-old in Newcastle may only pay £659.
• Driver age. Insurers will also alter your premium based on the likelihood of someone your age making a claim. The average 20-year-old driver in London could pay £3,988 for the BMW 1-Series 116i ES (Business Media) 3d Step Auto, while the average 40-year-old Londoner will only pay £1,007.

Here are some more factors that insurers will consider when calculating your premium:

• The safety rating of your car
• The security and anti-theft precautions installed on your car
• The model and age of your car
• The likelihood of your car being stolen
• Your driving activity, including any previous convictions
• Your marital status
• Optional extras
• Where you park the car overnight
• Your credit history and job

How can I save on my car insurance premium?

If you’re looking to reduce the cost of your car insurance, driving a vehicle in insurance group 17 (or lower) is a great start.

Of course, it’s not always practical or desirable to sell your car and buy a less powerful vehicle.

Thankfully, there are plenty of other things you can do to reduce your car insurance premium.

We’ve listed some ideas below.

• Reduce your annual mileage. Car insurance companies will always ask your annual mileage before offering you a quote. So, make sure you’re not overestimating yours. Also, consider whether it’s possible to use your vehicle more sparingly. Doing so could send your insurance costs plummeting.
• Install extra safety precautions. The more safety precautions on your car, the less of a risk you’ll be in the eyes of insurers. They’ll drop your premium to reflect this lower risk.
• Avoid any driving or criminal convictions. Having driving convictions or criminal convictions on your record could make your premium more expensive.
• Pay annually rather than monthly. Some insurers charge interest to customers paying via monthly instalments. Avoid these extra charges by paying annually instead.
• Shop around for the best deal. Don’t just accept your renewal quote from your existing insurer. Make a habit of shopping around for the best deal each year.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the lowest insurance group?

  Insurance group 1 is the lowest. It contains the cheapest cars to insure.

• Does a lower insurance group mean cheaper car insurance?

  In theory, the lower your car insurance group number, the less you’ll pay for your car insurance policy. However, you should bear in mind that there’s a range of other factors that can influence the cost of your car insurance.

• Are cars in insurance group 17 good for younger drivers?

  Car insurance policies for younger drivers are notoriously expensive. Choosing a car in insurance group 17 will help keep the costs down. However, cars in insurance groups 1-10 are often the cheapest to insure.

• What do the letters mean in insurance groups?

  On any particular vehicle, the insurance group will be listed as a number and a letter. The letters refer to the security features fitted as standard on the vehicle.

• What does Thatcham Research analyse?

  Thatcham Research analyses a number of criteria to calculate a car’s group rating. One of its key tests is a 15km/h crash impact assessment, based on an internationally recognised insurance standard. Following the crash, Thatcham’s engineers work out the cost of the time and parts to return the car to its pre-accident condition. The group rating also takes into account new car values, car performance (including top speed and acceleration time), parts pricing, safety and security features, and the alignment and structure of a car’s bumpers.

• How many car insurance groups are there in the UK?

  There are 50 car insurance groups in total. They were created by a company called Thatcham Research to help insurers offer appropriate car insurance premiums.

The offers compared on this page are chosen from a range of products we can track; we don't cover every product on the market...yet. Unless we've indicated otherwise, products are shown in no particular order or ranking. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations), aren't product ratings, although we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it; this is subject to our terms of use. When making a big financial decision, it's wise to consider getting independent financial advice, and always consider your own financial circumstances when comparing products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.

*Based on data provided by Consumer Intelligence Ltd, www.consumerintelligence.com (July ’24). 51% of car insurance customers could save £523.17