Insurance Groups Due To Rise Up To 50!

[Fizz]

The cost of your car cover could be about to change as the grouping system used by insurance companies alters for the first time in 15 years. Until now, each car has been given a 'group insurance rating', rising from one to 20. Cars are rated according to a number of factors including vehicle make, model and series, cubic engine capacity, cost to repair and performance in crash tests. The higher the group, the more relatively expensive it is likely to be to insure the vehicle.

Top tips for cheaper car insurance; (most of which is common sense)

*Make use of your no-claims record - you should be offered a discount for consistently claim-free driving.

*Make your car as secure as possible - if in doubt, ask your insurer what security or parking measures might help reduce your premium.

*Reduce insured drivers on your policy - some companies let you add them free of charge but if you are paying for cover which is rarely used then cut back the named drivers.

*Limit your mileage - look for policies that offer discounts if you drive fewer than the 8,000 - 12,000 miles per year average. This could knock up to around 15% off your premium.

*Take a bigger excess than the standard £50 or £100. Doubling the excess can knock about 15% off the premium.

*Pay your full premium - many companies charge up to 10% extra if you want to pay in instalments.

*Use your age - there is a remarkable drop in premiums after your 20s. Insurance companies target the over 50s for special policies and discounted premiums. But once drivers reach 75 rates start rising sharply again.

*Use your gender - female under-25s obtain premium quotes which are about 20% less than males, but the picture reverses after that, with insurers charging older female drivers slightly more than older male drivers.

*Don't lie - the most common lie is to register cars outside London or the other high-rated metropolitan areas, either at parents or at fictitious addresses. Doing this automatically invalidates your insurance.

*Become a valued customer - you may get a discount for insuring your home with the same insurer as your car. Likewise, two cars in the same family might be better with the same insurer than separate ones. You may also be given a loyalty bonus if you stay with a firm for several years.

Rest of the article can be found in this link..

http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/28022007/389/change-car-cover.html

Check your insurance group here and what it will change to...

http://www.abi.org.uk/carinsurance/search.asp

[Yaris SR Kid]

The SR will go from group 5 to group 12!

[Fizz]

General rule of thumb appears to be double your insurance group.

One of the exceptions it seems are 4x4 drivers!

Off one of the Audi forums im on a chap checked his S4 which went up from 20 to 40... but then he checked a Range rover which went up from 18 to 42!

Seems like they are going to get hit...

[Yaris SR Kid]

I dont thind 4wd drivers should get hit but 4x4, hate them!

[alanbradley]

I dont thind 4wd drivers should get hit but 4x4, hate them!

Is that not abit of a sweeping statement?

There are parts of this country where a 4x4 is a necessity and not just a glorified bus for taking the kids to school in... <_<

A

[SMW]

Does this mean Aygo will move from group 1 to group 2 :D

Check your postcode here for insurance risk - not much you can do about it but interesting anyway -

http://www.geocities.com/mpgcalc/postcodeRISK.html

[MarcTS]

I'll be going from 14 to 28. So is that going to mean a reduction in premiums as 28/50 is lower than 14/20 :D

[Yaris SR Kid]

I dont thind 4wd drivers should get hit but 4x4, hate them!

Is that not abit of a sweeping statement?

There are parts of this country where a 4x4 is a necessity and not just a glorified bus for taking the kids to school in... <_<

A

Lets be honest, some people need an offroad car, FACT!

But i would say 90% of the people that have them dont need them!

Like friend has school has a horse and there family bought a 4x4 to get to the stables, i drive down the same road in my car everyday! and its not like they even pull a horse box!

Group B for me in postcode risk :)

[Fizz]

F* here and walking distance from *refer...

Good Ole Bradford!

[T V O R]

Check your postcode here for insurance risk - not much you can do about it but interesting anyway -

http://www.geocities.com/mpgcalc/postcodeRISK.html

Looks like most of the country is high risk and comes in groups D, E & F or Refer Why doesn't that surprise me?!

Check out Manchester's ratings

[Jamesb4uk]

Well the Celica's not in any numbered groups - just group G

J

[Fizz]

imports will be dealt with on an adhoc basis as per usual...

[Kev Mc]

So my car will go from from group 13 out of 20 to group 27 out of 50, that sounds like I'm getting a good deal, that can't be possible can it?

[Gnome]

Money robbin' bastids!

[JappyBeast]

Cant find anything on my car.

[Fizz]

have a look on the uk NA's to get an idea... as said earlier.. the imports wont be dealt with in a standard fasion..

[SMW]

hmmmm . . just noticed that standard Aygo stays in group 1 but plus and sport models move to group 2 - all models have same body / engine etc. just a few cosmetic diffrences

[Moffmo]

hmmmm . . just noticed that standard Aygo stays in group 1 but plus and sport models move to group 2 - all models have same body / engine etc. just a few cosmetic diffrences

more "appealing"

Thats thier excuse anyway..

I live in a E* area.. what a load of <the spuds of lurrrrvve>s, never head of any cars being stolen round here

[Bos]

My group goes from 4 to 9 !!!

Still it gives them another reason to up premiums !!!!

At least I live in a group 'A' area

[DaveSR]

Next thing will be the colour of your car - up if it's black, down if it's brown ;)

[jay dh]

nothing is said about the cost of increases. does this mean a group 20 car which is now classed as group 50 will have the same insurance costs? as its again the top group

[Fizz]

nothing is said about the cost of increases. does this mean a group 20 car which is now classed as group 50 will have the same insurance costs? as its again the top group

It seems the logical conclusion but premiums in general are speculated to rise across the board by about 15%.

[Karma Supra]

My car is not listed.....

Now there is a suprise!!!

[Fizz]

My car is not listed.....

Now there is a suprise!!!

There are over 6,000 cars in the UK market which all need to be accounted for so it aint really a supprise that imports are not on the list...

[Karma Supra]

Which is exactly what I said.....

But its not exactly a "new model" and mine is not exactly the only one in the uk..... What annoys me is when I get some clueless Twunt on the other end of the phone saying "not on the database" I ask them how we can go about getting it on the database... they simply say "you can't"

Saying as insurance is a legal obligation, and they "can't" add it.. I'd say thats pretty crap.