Insurance Group 2 cars explained
It’s not the lowest insurance group, but does that make any difference? Mustard.co.uk reveals all about insurance group 2 and the cars that are in it.
Insurance groups are very complex if you dive deep into them, but you don’t really need to. Stay on the surface and it’s pretty simple – a lower insurance group often means cheaper insurance.
That’s really important if you’re specifically looking for cars that will be cheap to insure, as many new or younger drivers have to in order to keep their cost of motoring affordable.
Insurance group 2 obviously isn’t the lowest available – but thanks to the insurance market being an ever-shifting set of goalposts, often you can find cheaper running costs and better deals on cars in this group, rather than those in group 1.
We’ve answered your key questions about insurance group 2 below, and listed some of the cars we recommend.
Related: How can I save money on my car insurance premium?
What does insurance group 2 mean?
Insurance groups are awarded by an independent authority funded by the car insurance industry, and they aim to give an unbiased score of insurability. They’re based on a car’s value, rarity, repair cost, parts prices, performance, safety and security.
Generally, but not always, cars in the lowest insurance groups cost the least to insure – that’s groups 1 through 5, normally. At the top end, cars can be as high as group 50.
Can cars in insurance group 2 be cheaper to insure than cars in insurance group 1?
Yes, they can. Because insurance grouping isn’t the only thing that dictates how much an insurer can charge, other factors may affect premiums. And through the contrary nature of things, the popularity of group 1 cars among young drivers (those most likely to have an accident) can mean cars in the lowest group may be notorious for getting into accidents – and therefore could cost more to insure.
The best thing to do is to use insurance groups as a rough guide only – and to check the cost of insurance before you buy the car using mustard.co.uk’s comparison tools.
Here’s our take on the most affordable new cars to insure and if your heart is really set on a car in insurance group 2, we’ve rounded up some options below.
Best cars in insurance group 2
Here are some of the models you ought to be looking into if you’re searching for a car in insurance group 2. We’ve included new and used models for a variety of price points, but this shouldn’t be seen as an exhaustive list. Nor should you stop your search here if you want a car with cheap insurance – don’t limit yourself to insurance groups, and have a look around. You’re likely to find some surprisingly cheap options.
You can search for used cars with cheap insurance on our sister site, Parkers.co.uk where you’ll also find full reviews of all the cars below.
Best used cars in insurance group 2
No, the Corsa isn’t an exciting car – and with models in insurance group 2 limited to the 1.0-litre engine, nor is it a fast one. But there’s a reason these are so popular with young drivers. They’re cheap to run, easy to repair and feel more substantial than a similarly-priced city car.
£1,000 – £3,000 – Toyota Yaris
If bulletproof reliability is at the top of your list, look no further than the Toyota Yaris. The Japanese brand’s legendary longevity extends right down to its smallest models. The Yaris is also really spacious for a small car, and is even a bit quirky and interesting thanks to its centrally-mounted instruments.
£3,000 – £5,000 – Peugeot Partner Tepee
We’ll admit, this one surprised us – who would have thought a big, family-sized MPV would slot into insurance group 2? The Partner Tepee is based on a van, so it’s ideal for accommodating big families or bulky hobbies. And it’s a popular candidate for wheelchair conversions, ideal if you need accessibility without breaking the bank.
Best new cars in insurance group 2
VW’s popular small car is often near the top of the best-seller lists, and no wonder – it’s classy, well-built and desirable. The only model in group 2 is the Beats edition, fitted with both a 75hp engine (slow but steady) and an upgraded stereo (very good indeed).
It’s only low-specification models of the Ford Fiesta that make their way into insurance group 2 – but that’s no hardship. All of them are great to drive, reliable and practical. The Fiesta’s been the best-selling car in the UK for decades now, and for good reason.
Hyundai’s i10 may be the best city car on sale right now, thanks to a combination of a tiny footprint with TARDIS-like interior space, loads of clever tech and plenty of safety equipment. Avoid the automatic gearbox and it’s even quite good fun to drive, too.
