Car insurance group 35

What is insurance group 35?

Every vehicle you see on the road has been assigned an insurance group from 1 (cheapest) to 50 (most expensive). This helps insurers work out how much it’s likely to cost them to cover your car. Your car’s vehicle group has a huge bearing on the car insurance quotes you’ll receive.

Insurance group 35 cars are among the more expensive cars to insure.

In this guide, we’ll explore the factors used to assign cars an insurance group plus the range of personal circumstances that insurers will consider when calculating what premium to offer you.

Car makes and models in insurance group 35

There are a number of popular cars in insurance group 35 that are likely to be more expensive than average to insure.

Cars in insurance group 35 and the average cost by driver’s age

Using the table below, you can find the make and model of your car, and estimate how much you’re likely to pay to insure it 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 35 categories

• 35E: Surpasses the security requirements for this type of car, leading to a lower insurance group rating.
• 35A: Meets the standard security requirements for this type of car.
• 35D: Falls short of security requirements for this type of car, resulting in a higher insurance group rating.
• 35U: Security standard is unacceptable. The insurer might require upgraded aftermarket security before providing coverage.
• 35P: Provisional status. Insufficient data is available at launch for classification. This will likely be updated once Thatcham can evaluate the new car.
• 35G: Grey import. Thatcham tests only officially sold UK cars, so imports are evaluated based on the insurer’s pricing.

Average insurance group 35e cost

To provide you with an idea of how much it may cost you to insure your insurance group 35 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 £89.37, or an annual sum of £1,056.

• 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 35 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

Sign up for a chance to win £800 towards your insurance!

Win £800 towards your cover!

Sign up to receive the latest deals, expert tips, and a chance to win £800! (T&Cs)

Sign uploading

Winners | Emails | Unsubscribe | Privacy

Why are cars in group 35 more expensive?

Cars in insurance group 35 are usually more expensive to insure for the following reasons.

• Market value is on the higher side
• Larger engine size
• Longer repair times
• Expensive to source parts and make repairs

In some cases, the safety features and security features may be lacking on cars in higher insurance groups too.

What other factors affect your car insurance premium?

These three factors will also have a huge impact on the cost of your insurance:

• Engine type and capacity. The bigger your engine, the more it will cost to repair or replace. This is why more powerful cars cost more to insure. It could also be that these cars are more likely to get into accidents.
• Driver location. Insurers consider your location when calculating the likelihood of your car being stolen or damaged. If you live in an area where a lot of car insurance claims are made, you’ll be charged a higher premium. As an example, a 30-year-old in central London will pay £2,867 for insurance for a BMW Z4 18i sDrive M Sport (Nav) 2d, while the same 30-year-old in Newcastle may only pay £1,066.
• Driver age. Insurers will use previous claims data to calculate the odds of someone your age making a claim and adjust your premium accordingly. The average 20-year-old driver in London could pay £21,573 for the Jaguar E Pace 3d, while the average 40-year-old Londoner will only pay £2,418.

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

• Your marital status
• Your credit history
• Your car’s safety rating
• Your car’s security and anti-theft precautions
• Where you park your car (street vs driveway or garage)
• The model and age of your car
• Your driving history
• Your no-claims discount

How can I save on my car insurance premiums?

Choosing a car in a lower insurance group is a good way to reduce the price of your premium.

Below, we’ve listed some more ways to lower the cost of your car insurance:

• Drive safely. If you have to make a claim, your insurer will raise your premium. Having driving convictions on your record will make your premium more expensive too.
• Don’t use your car all of the time. Motorists with a lower annual mileage tend to be offered lower car insurance premiums because they are perceived as being less of a risk of making a claim.
• Pay annually. When you pay annually, you often end up with a much cheaper deal as you won’t have to pay interest on monthly instalments.
• Install extra safety precautions. The safer you make your car, the cheaper your premium will be. As such, many safety features end up paying for themselves.
• Shop around. When it’s time for renewal, use price comparison websites to find the best deal. Don’t just blindly accept your current insurer’s renewal quote.

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?

  In theory, yes. However, it’s important to know that insurers will consider a range of personal circumstances too.

• Are cars in insurance group 35 good for younger drivers?

  Not really. Cars in this group are expensive to insure and younger drivers tend to face extortionate insurance costs as it is. Most younger drivers would prefer to cut insurance costs by driving a car in a lower insurance group.

• What do the letters mean in insurance groups?

  The letters refer to the security features on the vehicle that are fitted as standard.

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

  There are 50 car insurance groups in total.

• 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

Danny's expertise

Danny has written 350 Finder guides across topics including:

• Car, home and business insurance
• Helping people save money on their insurance
• Project management
• Giving valuable insights to website visitors