Car insurance group 29

What is insurance group 29?

When it comes to insurance, all vehicles are assigned an insurance group from 1 (cheapest) to 50 (most expensive), and this helps work out the cost of your car insurance premiums.

Insurance group 29 is therefore filled with cars that tend to cost slightly more than average to insure.

The insurance group that a particular vehicle fits into depends on a variety of factors, such as market value, safety features, security features and the cost of repairs.

These aren’t the only factors that insurers use to determine your premium. They will also consider your personal circumstances such as your age, driving history and location.

In this guide, we will explore these factors in greater depth.

Car makes and models in insurance group 29

Here are some of the more popular cars that are in insurance group 29, and are therefore likely to cost slightly above average to insure.

Cars in insurance group 29 and the average cost by driver’s age

Using the table below, you can look for your car and calculate how much you’re likely to pay for your 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 29 categories

• 29E: Surpasses the security requirements for this type of car, leading to a lower insurance group rating.
• 29A: Meets the standard security requirements for this type of car.
• 29D: Falls short of security requirements for this type of car, resulting in a higher insurance group rating.
• 29U: Security standard is unacceptable. The insurer might require upgraded aftermarket security before providing coverage.
• 29P: Provisional status. Insufficient data is available at launch for classification. This will likely be updated once Thatcham can evaluate the new car.
• 29G: Grey import. Thatcham tests only officially sold UK cars, so imports are evaluated based on the insurer’s pricing.

Average insurance group 29e cost

To provide you with an idea of how much it may cost you to insure your insurance group 29 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 £67.73, or an annual sum of £673.

• 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 29 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

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Why do cars in group 29 cost more to insure?

Cars in insurance group 29 usually cost more than average to insure because they score slightly below average for the following factors:

• Good security features
• Plenty of safety features
• Inexpensive to make repairs
• Cheap market value
• Smaller engine size
• Smaller repair times

When a car scores well on these features, you’ll tend to find it in the lower car insurance groups.

What other factors affect your car insurance premium?

Along with your car’s insurance group, these three factors also tend to have a large impact on the cost of your insurance:

• Engine type and capacity. The bigger your engine, the more of a financial risk you pose to an insurer as it will cost more to repair and replace. This will be reflected in a higher premium. You tend to see more powerful cars in the higher insurance groups.
• Driver location. Insurers will use your address to calculate the likelihood of your car being stolen or damaged. If you live in an area where lots of claims are made, your insurer will raise your premium to reflect this added risk. For example, a 30-year-old in central London will pay £1,600 for insurance for a Mazda MX-5 2.0 SE-L 2d, while the same 30-year-old in Newcastle may only pay £680.
• Driver age. Your age plays a huge role in determining the cost of your insurance premium. That’s because insurers will use previous claims data to calculate the likelihood of someone your age making a claim. Statistically, the youngest drivers are the most likely to make a claim and that’s why their premiums are so high. As an example, the average 20-year-old driver in London could pay £7,670 for the Renault Clio 1.6T 16V R.S. 18 Nav 220 Auto 5d, while the average 40-year-old Londoner will only pay £1,356.

However, there are a lot of other factors that can also impact the price of your premium. These include the following:

• Your marital status
• Your credit history
• Your occupation
• Your car’s anti-theft precautions and other security features
• Your car’s safety rating
• The model and age of your car
• Your driving activity and history, including your no-claims discount.

How can I save on my car insurance premiums?

Choosing a car in a low insurance group is a great way to reduce what you’ll pay to insure it.

On top of that, there are several other things you can do to keep insurance costs down.

• Drive safely. It may sound obvious but having driving convictions on your record will make your premium skyrocket. Criminal convictions can also have an impact.
• Reduce your annual mileage. You’ll be asked for your annual mileage when applying for car insurance, and insurers tend to reward motorists who use their car less. So, consider opting for public transport or walking when you can to help keep your mileage, and premium, lower.
• Pay annually. By paying annually, you’ll often save money because you won’t have interest to pay on your monthly instalments.
• Install extra safety precautions. The safer you make your car, the less of a risk you’ll be perceived as. There are several safety features you can add to your car to reduce the cost of your car insurance. Over the years, these will pay for themselves.
• Don’t blind accept your renewal quote. Always shop around for the best deal when it’s time to renew your car insurance. More often than not, the cheapest deal will be offered by a different insurance company.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the lowest insurance group?

  Car insurance groups range from 1-50 with 1 being the lowest. Group 1 has the cheapest cars to insure, while group 50 has the most expensive.

• 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.

• Does a lower insurance group mean cheaper car insurance?

  Yes, in theory. However, an insurer will consider your personal circumstances as well as what vehicle you are insuring, when calculating your premium.

• Are cars in insurance group 29 good for younger drivers?

  Younger drivers usually face eye-wateringly high car insurance premiums. A great way for them to keep costs down is to choose a car in a lower car insurance group. A car in insurance group 29 may prove to be more affordable when they are older and more experienced.

• Who decides on the car insurance groups?

  In the UK, The Group Rating Panel, administered by Thatcham Research, assigns new car models to an insurance group from 1 to 50.

Written by

Danny Butler

Publisher

Danny is a publisher at Finder specialising in insurance and investing. He previously worked at the global insurer Aon and has appeared in national media giving advice on insurance. Danny holds a BA in International Business from the University of Plymouth and has undying loyalty to his average-poor football team, Portsmouth FC. See full bio

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