Welsh Motorists Pay £16k Less In Car Insurance Than Those In The Highest Group
New research reveals the average car insurance group for Welsh motorists is 11-20. The most popular cars in this bracket include the Volkswagen Golf, Vauxhall Astra, Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta and Audi A3. Vehicles that fall within groups 11-20 are valued at £3,745 on average – £15,700 less than the average value of vehicles in groups 41-50 (£19,445).
Drivers with cars in the highest insurance groups are paying 38% (£248.79) more than those with cars in the lowest insurance groups, new research by MoneySuperMarket reveals.
Every car belongs to one of 50 car insurance groups, with higher groups usually paying higher premiums. Makes and models in the higher insurance group tend to be newer, more expensive and more powerful.
Research by leading price comparison site, MoneySuperMarket, shows that cars in the highest bracket (41-50) cost drivers £906.08 annually to insure on average. In comparison, cars in the lowest band groups (1-10) cost £657.29 on average.
Looking across the UK, drivers in the City of London, London’s West End and West Central London have the largest proportion of enquiries for car in the highest groups. The most popular cars in these groups include the Land Rover Range, BMW X5, Tesla Model-3, Jaguar XF and BMW 530. This of course does not include business insurance, such as private hire taxi insurance.
At the opposite end of the scale, residents in Dumfries and Galloway, Llandrindod Wells and Swansea have the largest proportion of enquiries in groups 1-10.
The data shows 6.2% of all enquiries made by men were for cars in the highest insurance groups compared to only 2.3% of female enquirers. Comparatively, over a third (37.5%) of enquiries for women were for cars in the lowest insurance groups (1-10) compared to just a quarter (24.2%) for men.
Kate Devine, car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, commented: “It’s interesting to see the divide across the UK when enquiring about cars in different insurance groups. People in the City of London, London’s West End and West Central London are the most likely to enquire about cars in the highest groups. Our research has shown that people in certain areas of Scotland and Wales are the most likely to enquire about cars in the lowest insurance groups.
“Car insurance premiums are typically incrementally more expensive depending on the group the vehicle falls into. In order to save money on car insurance premiums, it’s key to understand how car insurance groups work, how cars are ranked and therefore how much your car of choice is going to cost to insure.”
“However, multiple other factors are taken into consideration by insurers when allocating costs for insurance, not just the insurance group. Age, driving history, occupation and the use of the car all contribute to the cost of insurance.”
Use MoneySuperMarket’s new group checker to find out the insurance group for your current car using your registration, or by entering a make and model if you are considering which car to buy: https://www.moneysupermarket.com/car-insurance/car-insurance-group-checker-tool/