Car Insurance Group 5: Cars & Cost (UK 2026)
A car in insurance group 5 typically costs a mid-range driver around £400–£550 a year for comprehensive cover in 2026 — well below the UK average of about £600, thanks to small engines and cheap repairs.
What car insurance group 5 means
Every car sold in the UK is placed in an insurance group from 1 to 50, where group 1 is the cheapest to insure and group 50 the most expensive. Group 5 sits firmly in the cheapest band — the lower fifth of the scale — alongside groups 1 to 9. It is home to small city cars and superminis with low-powered engines, modest values and inexpensive, widely available parts.
The groups are set by Thatcham Research and the Association of British Insurers (ABI), who assess each model on the cost of parts, how long repairs take, performance, the car's new and used value, and security features such as alarms and immobilisers. A group 5 car scores low on all of these, so insurers see it as low risk and price cover accordingly.
Because group 5 is near the bottom of the scale, it is one of the most affordable choices for new and young drivers. That said, the group is only one ingredient in your quote. Your age, postcode, claims history, annual mileage and voluntary excess usually move the price far more than the difference between, say, group 4 and group 6. Cars registered from August 2024 also carry the newer Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR), a 1–99 scale that runs in parallel with the classic 1–50 groups.
How much does a group 5 car cost to insure?
The table below shows indicative annual comprehensive premiums for a typical group 5 car by driver age band. These are illustrative mid-market figures for 2026, not quotes: your own price depends heavily on postcode, claims history, mileage and the specific model and trim.
| Driver age band | Indicative annual premium (group 5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 17–24 | £1,100–£1,800 | Young drivers pay the most; a black box policy can cut this sharply |
| 25–34 | £520–£780 | Premiums fall quickly once no-claims bonus builds |
| 35–64 | £400–£550 | Cheapest band; the mid-range figure most people picture for group 5 |
| 65+ | £450–£650 | Edges up again with age but stays well below the UK average |
Sources: indicative 2026 figures modelled by the Car Insurance Expert editorial team from published market data including Confused.com and the ABI Motor Premium Tracker, benchmarked against the ~£600 UK average comprehensive premium. Figures are illustrative, not quotes.
The headline takeaway: for a settled mid-range driver, a group 5 car is one of the cheapest things you can insure — roughly £400–£550 a year. For a 17–24 year old the same car still costs four figures, because age dominates the calculation. Compare the wider picture on our UK car insurance cost index.
Cars often rated around group 5
Insurance groups vary by engine size, trim and model year, so the same nameplate can span several groups. The cars below are frequently rated in or around group 5 for their lower-powered, entry-level versions — always check the exact variant before you buy.
- Fiat 500 — the 1.0-litre hybrid hatchback is commonly grouped around 4–5, making the retro supermini a popular low-cost first car.
- Hyundai i10 — higher-trim petrol versions of this city car sit near group 5, while the most basic ones drop lower.
- Toyota Aygo / Aygo X — light, cheap to repair and often rated in the low single-digit groups including around 5.
- Dacia Sandero — the value-focused supermini is regularly cited in the group 4–5 region.
- Kia Picanto — a small, safe city car whose petrol trims frequently land near group 5.
- Nissan Micra — older and entry petrol versions are commonly grouped in the low single digits, some around 5.
For a car-by-car breakdown, use our car insurance by vehicle tool, and see how neighbouring bands compare on group 4 and group 6.
How to pay less in group 5
- Pay annually, not monthly — monthly instalments carry interest that can add 10–20% to the total.
- Raise your voluntary excess — sensibly, to a level you could actually afford after a claim.
- Consider telematics (a black box) — especially valuable for 17–24 year olds, where it can cut premiums substantially.
- Build and protect your no-claims bonus — the single biggest lever most drivers control.
- Add an experienced named driver — never fronting, but a low-risk second driver can reduce the price.
- Shop around at renewal — auto-renewal quotes are rarely the cheapest; compare every year.
Group 5 car insurance FAQs
Our sources
- Thatcham Research — car insurance group ratings methodology
- Association of British Insurers (ABI) — group rating panel and Motor Premium Tracker
- Confused.com — UK car insurance price index
Reviewed by the Car Insurance Expert editorial team.
Last updated: 2026-07-06
Related: all insurance groups · UK car insurance cost index · group 4 · group 6
More Insurance Groups pages
- Insurance group 12 cars and cost
- Insurance group 16 cars and cost
- Insurance group 13 cars and cost
- Insurance group 15 cars and cost
- Insurance group 11 cars and cost
- Insurance group 50 cars and cost
- Insurance group 49 cars and cost
- Insurance group 47 cars and cost
- Insurance group 48 cars and cost
- Insurance group 45 cars and cost
- Insurance group 44 cars and cost
- Insurance group 46 cars and cost
- Insurance group 43 cars and cost
- Insurance group 42 cars and cost
- Insurance group 41 cars and cost
- Insurance group 39 cars and cost
- Insurance group 40 cars and cost
- Insurance group 37 cars and cost
- Insurance group 38 cars and cost
- Insurance group 36 cars and cost
- Insurance group 34 cars and cost
- Insurance group 33 cars and cost
- Insurance group 35 cars and cost
- Insurance group 32 cars and cost