Car insurance group 8

Insurance group 8 cars are among the cheapest to insure. This is because vehicles in this category tend to score well in factors determining the group ratings, including being inexpensive to repair and having good car safety features.

Car insurance groups explained

Car insurance groups are used by insurers to determine the appropriate cost of covering a specific vehicle. A vehicle is assigned an insurance group based mostly on its overall value, performance and cost of replacing parts.

Insurance groups range from group 1 (cheapest) to group 50 (most expensive). That means cars in insurance group 8 are the eighth cheapest group to repair.

This isn’t the only factor used to price your car insurance. There are many aspects of who you are which insurers will factor in too. This includes your age, location and driving history among other things.

Car makes and models in insurance group 8

A lot of the cars in insurance group 8 may appear familiar. Indeed, many of the cars in this group are popular with motorists because they are cheap to buy, run and repair.

Insurance group	Car make/model	Details
8	Toyota Yaris	The 2019 Yaris won “Best All-Around Performance” in the Mini-Compact segment, and Best 5 All-Around Performance among all small cars.
8	Volkswagen Golf Hatchback	The 2019 Golf GTI was recently honoured by Popular Mechanics magazine, which gave it the “Hatchback of the Year” award for its 2019 Automotive Excellence awards.
8	Mini Countryman	Won the Best small SUV 2020 by Business Motoring Awards. It is able to carry the same characteristics with the smaller minis and is still fun to drive.
8	Ford Focus Estate	“The Ford Focus Estate is a practical car that’s good looking, comfortable and great to drive” from a CarBuyer review, giving it a 4.1-star rating.
8	Kia Rio	The Rio won the 2017 Red Dot Award for Passenger Car Design and the 2017 iF Design Award for Discipline Product.
8	SEAT Ibiza ST	SEAT Ibiza wins “Best Used Car of the Year” at Auto Express 2020 awards. Auto Express judges cite winning formula of space, comfort, refinement and driving agility.
8	Fiat Doblo	“The car has proved comfortable, reliable and economical too, and I would recommend it to anyone, and frequently do! The car has a huge load capacity and shrugs off long journeys with ease”, from a CarBuyer reviewer.
8	Hyundai ix20	The ix20 was named one of Euro NCAP’s “top five safest cars for 2009”, which was based on Euro NCAP’s maximum 5-star awards and their overall score.

Cars in insurance group 8 and the average cost by driver’s age

The table below allows you to spot the model of your car and work out how much your insurance is likely to cost, based on your age.

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• 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 8 categories

• 8E: Surpasses the security requirements for this type of car, leading to a lower insurance group rating.
• 8A: Meets the standard security requirements for this type of car.
• 8D: Falls short of security requirements for this type of car, resulting in a higher insurance group rating.
• 8U: Security standard is unacceptable. The insurer might require upgraded aftermarket security before providing coverage.
• 8P: Provisional status. Insufficient data is available at launch for classification. This will likely be updated once Thatcham can evaluate the new car.
• 8G: Grey import. Thatcham tests only officially sold UK cars, so imports are evaluated based on the insurer’s pricing.

Average insurance group 8e cost

To provide you with an idea of how much it may cost you to insure your insurance group 8 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 £50.85, or an annual sum of £556.

• 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 8 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 8 some of the cheapest?

Vehicles in insurance group 8 are among the cheaper cars to insure. The main reason why is because they rank well for a range of factors that determine which group the car will fall under.

The key factors include:

• Good security
• Strong safety features
• The cost of sourcing parts and making repairs
• Market value
• Engine size
• Repair times

Which other factors affect your car insurance premium?

These three factors are also important when it comes to the cost of your insurance premium:

• Engine type and capacity. The larger and more powerful your engine is, the more this will impact your insurance costs. A smaller engine is cheaper to repair or replace, so is seen as less risk to an insurer.
• Driver location. Insurers will always consider the likelihood of your car being stolen or involved in an accident, and they’ll use data based on your location to do this. As an example, a 30-year-old living in central London will pay £900 for insurance for a Citroen C1 Feel VTi 72 5d, while the same 30-year-old in Newcastle may only pay £562.
• Driver age. Your age will also play a role in determining the cost of your insurance premium. Insurers will use claims data to determine how likely someone of your age range is to make a claim. The average 20-year-old driver in London could pay £2,739 for the Fiat Punto 1.2 Easy Plus 5d, while the average 40-year-old Londoner will only pay £746.

There are several other factors that can also affect the price of your car insurance premium. These include:

• Your occupation
• Your marital status
• Your credit history
• How safe your car is (based on safety rating, security features and anti-theft precautions)
• The likelihood of theft (based on previous data)
• The age and model of your car
• Your driving activity
• Your driving history, including your no claim discount.

How can I reduce the cost of my car insurance premium?

If you’re looking to cut the cost of your car insurance premium, choosing a car in insurance group 8 or lower is a great start. On top of that, there are some other things you can do.

• Drive safely. Having driving convictions on your record will skyrocket your insurance premium.
• Be economical with your car usage. You’ll be asked to estimate your annual mileage. The lower this number, the lower your premium could drop. If you go over this figure, your insurance could be invalidated though, so be careful.
• Pay annually. By paying annually instead of monthly, you eliminate the possibility of being charged interest on your premium.
• Install extra safety precautions. The safer you make your car, the lower your premium will be. Anti-lock brakes, stability control and shatter resistant glass are all recommended. Also, if you’re a new motorist, consider taking a Pass Plus course.
• Shop around for the best deal. When it’s time to renew your policy, always compare your options using a price comparison website. In most cases, you can save money by switching providers.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the lowest insurance group?

  Car insurance group 1 features the cheapest cars to insure. Car insurance 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, provided all other details remain the same. After all, there are personal factors that can also influence the cost of your car insurance.

• Are cars in insurance group 8 good for younger drivers?

  Yes, it’s recommended that younger drivers purchase a car in a lower insurance group to keep their insurance costs down. Car insurance tends to be horrendously expensive for younger drivers, so it makes sense for them to drive a car in insurance group 8 or lower for their first few years on the road.

• What do the letters mean in insurance groups?

  The insurance group is listed as a number and a letter. The letters refer to the security features fitted as standard.

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

  There are 50 car insurance groups in the UK. Group 1 has the cheapest vehicles and group 50 has the most expensive.

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