Car Insurance Group 36: Cars & Cost (UK 2026)
A car in insurance group 36 typically costs a mid-range driver around £1,100–£1,600 a year for comprehensive cover in 2026 — indicative, as your age, postcode and history matter more than the group itself.
What car insurance group 36 means
Every car sold in the UK is placed into one of 50 insurance groups (1 is cheapest to insure, 50 is dearest). The ratings are set by the Group Rating Panel, run by Thatcham Research on behalf of the Association of British Insurers (ABI), and are based on repair costs, parts prices, repair times, performance, new-car value and security.
Group 36 sits in the upper third of the scale — the territory of premium saloons and estates, larger SUVs and a growing number of electric vehicles. Cars here are not the most expensive to insure, but they cost noticeably more than an average family hatchback (which usually sits in groups 10–20). As a rough guide, a typical group 36 car costs a mid-range driver roughly £1,100–£1,600 a year comprehensive in 2026, against a UK average of about £600 across all cars. The group is only one ingredient in your price: your age, address, mileage, claims history and no-claims discount usually move the premium far more than the group number alone.
You may also see a letter after the number (for example 36E). That suffix describes security, not cost: E means security meets the expected standard, A means it falls short, and P/U/G/R denote provisional, unacceptable, guaranteed and revised ratings.
Indicative group 36 premium by driver age
The figures below are indicative illustrations for a group 36 car, built from published market averages and the well-established pattern that younger drivers pay several times the price of experienced ones. They are not quotes. Your own price depends on postcode, mileage, job, claims history and the specific model.
| Driver age band | Indicative annual comprehensive premium (group 36) | Typical monthly equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 17–24 | £2,900–£4,600 | £242–£383 |
| 25–34 | £1,300–£1,900 | £108–£158 |
| 35–64 | £1,000–£1,500 | £83–£125 |
| 65+ | £1,200–£1,800 | £100–£150 |
Sources: indicative ranges derived from ABI premium tracking, Confused.com / WTW price-index data and Thatcham Research group-rating guidance, July 2026. Figures are illustrative for a representative group 36 car and are not quotes. Compare live prices for your exact car and circumstances.
Two patterns stand out. First, the group barely moves once you are an experienced driver — the gap between a group 30 and a group 36 car is often smaller than the gap between two postcodes. Second, age dominates: a 19-year-old in a group 36 car can pay three to four times what a 45-year-old pays for the identical vehicle.
Cars often rated around group 36
Insurance groups vary by exact trim, engine, model year and options, so a single badge can span several groups. The cars below are ones that often carry ratings in or around group 36 in the UK — treat them as illustrative, and always check the specific version you are considering.
- Jaguar XF — higher-spec petrol and diesel versions of this executive saloon frequently land around the mid-30s.
- Land Rover Discovery — the large seven-seat SUV, with its high value and costly parts, is often rated in this region.
- Lexus RX — the premium hybrid SUV commonly sits in the mid-to-high 30s.
- BMW X3 — sportier and higher-powered X3 variants can be rated around group 36.
- Alfa Romeo Giulia — performance-leaning versions of the Italian saloon often fall in this band.
- Hyundai Santa Fe — top trims of the large family SUV can reach the mid-30s.
Because a nameplate can straddle several groups, use a free group checker or our car insurance by vehicle pages to confirm the rating for the precise model, engine and trim before you buy.
How to pay less on a group 36 car
- Compare widely and early. Prices for the same car vary by hundreds of pounds between insurers; buying roughly three weeks before renewal tends to be cheapest.
- Increase your voluntary excess sensibly — only as high as you could actually afford to pay after a claim.
- Build and protect your no-claims discount; five or more years can cut the premium substantially.
- Add an experienced named driver (never fronting — the main driver must be the main driver).
- Consider telematics or a black box if you are young or new — it can offset a higher group.
- Improve security and parking — an approved alarm, tracker and off-street or garaged parking all help.
- Pay annually if you can, to avoid monthly instalment interest.
Group 36 car insurance: common questions
Group 36 is above average but not at the top end. It sits in the upper third of the 1–50 scale, so it costs more than a typical family hatchback in groups 10–20, but far less than a group 48–50 supercar. For a mid-range driver, expect an indicative £1,100–£1,600 a year comprehensive in 2026.
The group is only one factor. Your age, postcode, annual mileage, occupation, claims history, no-claims discount, chosen excess and where the car is parked overnight usually move the premium far more than the group number itself.
Use a free group checker from Thatcham, Confused.com, Compare the Market or Parkers, or browse our car insurance by vehicle pages. Enter the exact make, model, engine and trim, because ratings differ between versions of the same car.
Yes. Choosing a lower-powered engine, a lower trim, or a similar model from a nearby lower group can cut costs. Dropping to group 35 or lower, or comparing against our full list of insurance groups, is a good starting point.
No. The group is a risk signal insurers use as a starting point, but the final price is calculated from your personal risk profile. Two drivers in the identical group 36 car can pay wildly different premiums based on age, location and history.
Lower. Higher numbers mean higher insurance cost, so group 37 is marginally dearer to insure than group 36, and group 35 is marginally cheaper. In practice the difference of a single group is usually small compared with your personal factors.
Our sources
This guide draws on public group-rating methodology from Thatcham Research and the Association of British Insurers (ABI), and on market premium data published by Confused.com and industry price indices. Indicative premiums are illustrative ranges for a representative group 36 car, not quotes; verify prices for your exact vehicle and circumstances. Compare all bands on the insurance groups guide and see wider trends in the UK car insurance cost index.
Reviewed by the Car Insurance Expert editorial team.
Last updated: 2026-07-06
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