What is the difference between insurance group 3 and 3e

Vehicles with factory-fitted autonomous braking systems and other safety features as standard will warrant a lower insurance group as they will be less likely to be involved in a road collision.

A standard list of 23 common vehicle parts is used to compare the cost and availability of parts from manufacturers. A car that is cheaper and quicker to repair will fall into lower insurance bands. The security features on the vehicle that prevent crime will be taken into account. Cars with a factory-fitted immobiliser and high-security door and boot locks will pose less of a risk to insurers. Cars that have bumpers compatible with the criteria of the ABI's Group Rating System will be categorised into lower insurance groups.

The insurance group of a car will be listed as a number and a letter i. The letter refers to the level of security features fitted as standard on the vehicle. Security requirements increase as the insurance group increases, so the higher the insurance group the better the security needs to be. A — The car meets all security requirements for its group. D — The car doesn't meet the requirements for its insurance group and has therefore been placed in a higher insurance group.

E — The car has exceeded security requirements for its group and has therefore been placed in a lower insurance group. Avoid basic models and you can wow your friends with high tech kit like a stereo and air conditioning. Do that and perhaps they won't notice you've had to go for the 65PS model to qualify for that bargain 3E insurance group. Slow at the best of times, fully loaded we doubt there's a time piece in the world that could measure the Dacia's acceleration, but at least it has a comfortable ride.

Some cars are noted for their clever design, smart tech and sophisticated engines. The Fiat Panda? But hey, what's life without a little bit of danger? Fiat's known for building small cars that are overflowing with charm and the Panda — with its pert looks and squircle-packed interior — is no exception. It's not exactly spacious, but its five doors make it easy to make the best of the room it does have and all models come with roof bars.

The perky looks are backed up with a perky driving experience, with a rorty 69PS petrol engine that loves to have every last horsepower squeezed out of it. The rolly polly handling means it's not a car you'll want to throw around corners but then, given the NCAP rating, that's probably for the best. It might be some years since we saw Nicole sneak off for a tryst while pappa napped in the sunshine while actually having his own secret love interest , but the warmth that advert generated for the original Renault Clio lives on in the fourth generation model we're looking at here.

Charm goes a long way in a small car because tight pricing means you don't get much else. That said, in basic Expression trim — which you need to for the cheapest insurance — the Clio has keyless entry, handy when you have no free hands to search for keys. The lack of air-con isn't so good, although the Clio is spacious for its size. The 75PS engine fitted to basic cars is one of the better engines on this list and the Clio's light body helps it be pretty frugal, although it isn't much fun to chuck about.

Instead, the Clio focuses its efforts on being a decent motorway cruiser. The Vauxhall Viva has the ability to suck the life out of a room quicker than the warm-up act at a paint drying convention - it really is dull with a capital D. Still, we struggle on and, through gritted teeth, we can admit it looks inoffensive and note that those standard rear doors are handy if you have kids.

Unfortunately, opening one of those doors is not tantamount to sneaking a peak inside the pleasure dome, it's all very Vauxhall in there with black plastics as far as the eye can see and not the merest hint of inspiration. Still, it's reasonably spacious — though not as roomy as the VW Up you should buy — and has a boot that'll swallow a few soft bags.

If the Vauxhall had a USP you could say it is its generous equipment list that includes lecy front windows and remote central locking but, in what seems like a massive OG, there's no air-con on the SE models that are the cheapest to insure. Performance, in fairness, is better than most here with the 73PS 1. The old Toyota Yaris on sale from was the first car to offer hybrid power in a small body — giving it excellent in-town fuel economy because it often ran on electricity and enough power to feel comfortable at motorway speeds.

Unfortunately, the hybrid model's pricy tech means it sits in insurance group 7 — instantly banishing it from this list, but you can have the simpler 1.

There's a lot less to be said about how it drives blandly , but at least the robustly built interior has plenty of room for a young family. Look out for Icon models which get lots of kit including air-con, cruise control, alloy wheels and a punchy six-speaker stereo with Bluetooth. The Vauxhall Adam is the British firm's answer to trendy superminis like the cutesy Fiat and really rather good MINI Hatch , although it stumbled somewhat thanks to being neither as desirable as the Fiat or anywhere near as accomplished as the MINI.

Okay, so we're being a trifle harsh because judged against the small car hoi polloi — contemporary versions of the Volkswagen Polo , Ford Fiesta and the rest — the Adam was pretty decent. It felt quite well built for a Vauxhall and there was plenty of personalisation available for you to stamp your own character on it. Rear seat space was tight, but that's par for the course with a trendy hatchback.

It also drove well with direct steering and neat handling, which is a good thing because fitted with the 1. Qubo by name, cube-y by nature — the Fiat Qubo is one of the cheapest ways to get your hands on a car that has lots of interior space and — conveniently for this list — cheap group 3 insurance.

It also has practical features like sliding rear doors that give great acces even in tight spaces and seats that can be folded away or entirely removed. The downside of it being a van-based car is that, well, it doesn't feel like a car. It's ride is brittle and it keels over in corners, although it's light weight makes it nippy for its size. Key equipment — like air-con — isn't fitted as standard, which is even more annoying because the Fiat does without wind-down rear windows.

The Hyundai is a car that makes huge sense on paper. It's one of the biggest 'small' cars you can buy so it has room for four adults and their luggage and it's five-door only so you get great access to the rear seats. You also get more equipment than a Volkswagen Polo or Ford Fiesta of the same price. It lacks the cheeky charm of those cars thanks to its looks dreary and driving experience dull , but if you just want a car that'll get you from A to B with minimal hassle, neither of these issues will necessarily put you off.

And, while Hyundai's five-year warranty will have expired, it does at least show the company had some faith in its product.

To qualify for group 4E insurance, you'll need to go for the 75PS model — refined but lethargic, it suits the i20 which has soft suspension and light controls that make it a comfortable car not a sporty one. The MG3 is like a bar of Cadbury's chocolate — it's made by what sounds like a famous UK brand with a quintessentially British name, but is in fact owned overseas. Unfortunately, the MG is nowhere near as sweet as the nation's favourite chocolate.

It's Chinese owned — by a budget manufacturer — and its poorly finished interior makes that abundantly clear. Rivals like the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo are streets ahead in terms of quality and they also have more space. When it comes to driving, the MG3 reveals itself to be quite fun, although ultimately it's still convincingly licked by the nimble Fiesta.

With a PS 1. Manufacturer Approved. Home Guides Cheapest cars to insure Written by Russell Campbell. You've passed your theory test, flown through the practical exam and bought your first car By submitting, you agree to our privacy policy.

Volkswagen Polo Insurance group 1E. Best small cars with large boots. Citroen C1 Insurance group 1E. Cheapest city cars. Provider reviews. Make and models. Car insurance groups. Search for 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: March source: Quotezone. What is the lowest insurance group? Car insurance groups range from with 1 being the cheapest and 50 being the most expensive. Does a lower insurance group mean cheaper car insurance? In theory, the lower your car insurance group number, the cheaper your car insurance policy will be. However, there are several factors that can influence the cost of your car insurance depending on your personal circumstances. Are cars in insurance group 3 good for younger drivers?

With car insurance policies for younger drivers being notoriously expensive, choosing a car in insurance group 3 will definitely help keep the costs down. What do the letters mean in insurance groups?

On a particular vehicle, the insurance group will be listed as a number and a letter. The letters refer to the security features on the vehicle that are fitted as standard. How many car insurance groups are there in the UK? In the UK, there are 50 car insurance groups with 1 being the lowest cheapest and 50 being the highest most expensive.

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