Where will I be able to find a car insurance groups list?

A car insurance groups list generally refers to a rating system used by the Association of British Insurers in the United Kingdom, which sets auto insurance rates for every make and model available. Depending upon the age of the vehicle, an automobile will either be rated on a scale of 1-20 or 1-50; the higher the rating, the more expensive the auto insurance will be. While the U.S. does not use one particular car insurance group list, the idea of separate classes of vehicles having different insurance rates is the same.

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The car insurance groups list can be found at thatcham.org for automobiles sold in the United Kingdom. While there are no straightforward lists for automobiles sold in the U.S., it is still possible to get an estimate of the cost of insurance for different groups of cars, trucks, and SUVs. There is certainly a wide range of vehicles out there, so make sure you’re double checking the information that you discover.

What are some factors that determine the cost of auto insurance?

The insurance industry isn’t much different  in the U.K. as it is in the U.S. Just as different factors go into categorizing a car into U.K. car insurance groups, insurance carriers in the U.S. do the same. Insurance carriers in the United States look at a certain set of features to put automobiles into a certain insurance class. Obviously, factors about a driver such as driving history, if it’s a safe vehicle, and the region of the country where the car is used will affect the cost of auto insurance, but the automobile itself also has a lot to do with setting insurance premium prices.

One main factor about an automobile that determines auto insurance premiums is the make of the car or truck. Insurance companies compile statistics to show which cars or trucks are in accidents the most often. This can show that some vehicles tend to attract drivers that engage in risky driving habits. This is the main reason why sports cars and coupes have higher insurance rates; they are rated at the high end of the spectrum on a car insurance group list because sports car owners are more likely to speed, drive aggressively, and take other risks while driving.

Another factor that goes into ranking vehicles on a car insurance groups list is the safety rating of the vehicle. Drivers and occupants are more likely to be injured when involved in accidents in vehicles with low safety ratings; that equates to higher car accident insurance claims and higher premiums. Strictly regulated safety ratings can be found at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Vehicles with high safety ratings will have more affordable car insurance premiums. This means that if your vehicle comes with any number of the wide variety of safety features that exist these days, not only should you be utilizing them, but they may be saving you money.

Another factor in setting auto insurance prices, is the age of a vehicle; the age of what vehicle you drive really does affect the cost of an auto policy. As it is generally cheaper to fix older vehicles, auto insurance premiums are usually lower for used cars than newer models. In that same vein, luxury cars that require expensive parts to fix the vehicles will likely have higher insurance premiums. They also tend to require higher amounts of protection. If you own a newer vehicle, expect your provider to require it to have both comprehensive coverage and collision. That way they can help lower the potential losses they may have to pay out for.

How do you use a car insurance group list?

If you’re in the United States, a group list may not be easily accessible. In that instance, what you can do is speak with your insurance company to determine what they use to figure out prices. Insurance coverage varies depending on the provider, so if you’re not happy with your current policy, you can look around. In this instance, experienced agents in the field could be considered an excellent substitute for the lack of a group list.

This is because prices are still grouped together by determining factors, even if there isn’t one giant list available. While the insurance class of a vehicle is not the only determining factor in setting insurance premiums, it may well be an important factor in the car buying process. Other factors that affect insurance prices, such as a poor driving record or a low credit score, take a long time to be changed, so a choice between different vehicles may be one of the few ways you can control insurance costs.

Insurance is one of the expenses associated with owning a vehicle, so it is an important consideration when making a decision on the purchase of your next car or truck. Insurance costs should be considered just as much as fuel mileage and resale values. The cost of auto premiums could well be the deciding factor between buying a new or used car, a domestic or foreign brand or between that sporty little coupe and a minivan.

How can you find the right rates for the right vehicle?

While common sense is all that is needed to gauge whether your sports vehicle or luxury car will fall into a high insurance class or not, estimates of actual numbers are nice to have. Just like a car insurance group list will educate a potential car buyer about the insurance costs associated with a certain make and model, so too there are sites that give car insurance premium estimates for a particular vehicle.

For instance, MSN Money lists estimated premiums for over 900 different vehicles. Another option is to use Edmund’s calculator to determine the true cost to own a vehicle. The calculator takes into account expenses such as insurance premiums, taxes, and fuel costs to estimate the actual cost to own a vehicle beyond the monthly payments. Last but not least, you can work with the actual employees in the insurance field.

Or, you can insert your zip code into the FREE tool to get a list of car insurance estimates for your vehicle now!