Insurance Costs Compared: How Popular Car Brands Stack Up in 2026

If you’ve ever sat there scratching your head at an insurance quote, you’re definitely not alone. Two cars can look almost identical on paper, yet the premiums come back miles apart. Same size, similar power, similar price, but a very different number at the bottom of the screen.

A lot of that comes down to the badge on the bonnet. Fair or not, insurers build a picture around car brands over time, factoring in everything from repair costs and safety records to how often certain models are involved in claims. It means brand choice can actually have a bigger impact on insurance than many drivers realise.

Heading into 2026, that’s becoming even more relevant. Cars are packed with more tech than ever, repairs are more expensive, and insurers are paying closer attention to risk. Small differences between brands, or even between models within the same brand, can quickly show up in your premium.

Take a few moments and check out this guide as we take a closer look at how popular car brands tend to stack up when it comes to insurance costs. The aim isn’t to crown a winner or call out a villain, but to explain the patterns behind the pricing, so you have a bit of a better idea of what to expect before you start comparing car insurance quotes.

What Insurers Look at When Comparing Car Brands

Before getting into how individual brands stack up, it’s worth understanding what insurers are actually looking at when they assess risk. It’s rarely just about how fast a car is or how much it cost when it was new.

One of the biggest factors is repair cost. Brands with expensive parts, specialist repairs, or lots of technology packed into bumpers and windscreens often cost more to put back on the road after even minor accidents. That naturally feeds into higher premiums.

There’s also claims data to consider. Insurers track how often certain brands and models are involved in claims, how severe those claims tend to be, and how frequently cars are written off rather than repaired. Over time, patterns start to form, and those patterns influence pricing.

Safety and security play a role too. Brands known for strong safety ratings, effective driver assistance systems, and good theft prevention can benefit from lower perceived risk. On the flip side, cars that are popular targets for theft or vandalism can attract higher insurance costs, regardless of how sensible they are to drive.

Finally, insurers look at how common a car is on the road. Brands with a large presence tend to be easier to price accurately, with plenty of data to work from. That can sometimes work in a driver’s favour, especially compared to niche or low-volume manufacturers.

How Car Insurance Groups Fit Into Brand Comparisons

All of those factors insurers consider eventually feed into one familiar system: car insurance groups. In the UK, every car is assigned an insurance group, which insurers use as a baseline when pricing policies.

Insurance groups run from Group 1 to Group 50. Lower groups generally indicate cars that are cheaper to insure, while higher groups are typically associated with higher premiums. It’s important to stress that a group number isn’t a quote, but it does give a useful way to compare cars and brands on a like-for-like basis.

Insurance groups are set with brand and model differences in mind, taking into account things such as:

• Repair and replacement costs, including parts pricing and labour.
• Performance levels, such as acceleration and power output.
• Safety and security features, both active and passive.
• How likely a car is to be written off rather than repaired.

Crucially, insurance groups apply to specific versions of a car, not just the badge on the bonnet. That’s why the same brand can have models sitting across a wide spread of groups, and why two cars from different manufacturers can sometimes land surprisingly close together.

How Popular Car Brands Stack Up on Insurance Costs

Now that we’ve covered how insurers assess risk and apply insurance groups, we can start to see how those principles translate across some of the most popular car brands on UK roads. While individual premiums will always depend on the driver, patterns do emerge when insurers assess different manufacturers and their model ranges.

Rather than ranking brands or reducing them to simple labels, the sections below look at how insurance costs typically behave across each line-up, using familiar models to illustrate where differences tend to appear.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen is often viewed as a relatively low-risk brand by insurers, largely because much of its range is designed for everyday driving rather than outright performance. Costs usually increase in a predictable way as engines get larger and specifications rise.

• Polo models commonly sit in insurance groups around 8–12.
• Golf models typically fall between groups 14–20, depending on engine choice.
• GTI and R variants push premiums significantly higher due to performance and repair costs.

Ford

Ford’s long-standing popularity gives insurers extensive claims data, which helps keep pricing fairly consistent across the core range. Insurance costs are often driven more by trim level than by the model name itself.

• Fiesta models frequently fall into groups as low as 4–10.
• Focus models usually sit between groups 11–18.
• ST variants attract noticeably higher premiums, reflecting increased power and risk.

Toyota

Toyota’s insurance profile is shaped by its focus on reliability, safety, and efficiency. As a result, many of its mainstream models avoid the higher insurance brackets seen with more performance-oriented brands.

• Yaris models are often found in groups 6–10.
• Corolla models typically sit between groups 12–18.
• Hybrid versions are generally treated similarly to petrol equivalents by insurers.

Audi

Audi is often assumed to be expensive to insure, but the reality depends heavily on model choice and specification. Lower-powered versions of popular models tend to sit closer to the middle of the insurance scale, particularly once they’ve been on the road for a few years.

• A3 models commonly fall into insurance groups in the mid-teens to low twenties.
• A4 models usually sit slightly higher, depending on engine and trim.
• S and RS variants move into much higher insurance brackets very quickly.

BMW

BMWs are often assumed to be expensive to insure, but in reality the picture is more balanced. Despite the brand’s premium image, plenty of models can be reasonably affordable to insure, as long as you’re sensible about engine size and trim. As with most brands, it’s the specific model that matters far more than the badge itself.

For example, choosing a used BMW for sale from a marketplace like ChooseMyCar, such as an entry-level 1 Series or a lower-powered 3 Series, can result in insurance costs that sit much closer to mainstream rivals than many people expect.

• 1 Series models often sit in groups around the high teens to low twenties.
• Entry-level 3 Series versions usually fall into slightly higher groups.
• Larger engines and performance variants push premiums up quickly.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz models tend to sit toward the higher middle of the insurance scale, influenced by vehicle value and increasingly complex technology. Entry-level trims are often more manageable than expected, but costs rise with size and specification.

• A-Class models often fall into groups 18–25.
• C-Class models typically sit slightly higher.
• Advanced driver assistance and repair costs can increase premiums.

Skoda

Skoda’s close relationship with Volkswagen means insurance patterns are often similar, particularly for shared platforms and engines. Much of the range sits within predictable insurance brackets, making costs easier to anticipate.

• Fabia models commonly fall into groups 6–10.
• Octavia models usually sit between groups 13–20.
• Larger engines and higher trims increase premiums steadily rather than sharply.

Hyundai

Hyundai has built a reputation for accessible ownership costs, and insurance pricing across most of the range reflects that focus. Performance models sit apart from the rest of the line-up.

• i10 and i20 models often sit in groups 1–8.
• i30 models typically fall between groups 10–16.
• N performance models move into much higher insurance brackets.

Kia

Kia follows a similar insurance pattern to Hyundai, with an emphasis on everyday usability rather than performance. Much of the range remains relatively wallet-friendly from an insurance point of view.

• Picanto and Rio models are commonly found in groups 1–7.
• Ceed models usually sit in groups 9–15.
• Higher-powered trims attract higher premiums.

Volvo

Volvo’s strong emphasis on safety plays a noticeable role in how insurers assess risk across the range. While vehicle values can be higher, safety systems help offset some of the associated costs.

• V40 and XC40 models typically sit in groups 16–22.
• Larger estates and SUVs move further up the insurance scale.
• Safety credentials can help moderate premiums compared to similarly priced rivals.

Practical Tips for Keeping Insurance Costs Down

Once you’ve got a feel for how different brands and models stack up, the final step is putting that knowledge to work. Insurance costs are never fixed, but a few smart choices can make a noticeable difference when the quotes start landing.

One of the biggest factors is model selection. Even within the same brand, choosing a lower-powered engine or a more basic trim can drop you into a much friendlier insurance group. It’s often the performance badges and larger engines that push premiums up, rather than the car itself.

It also pays to think carefully about when and how you get quotes. Comparing insurers well ahead of your renewal date, rather than leaving it until the last minute, often unlocks better prices. Small details like annual mileage, overnight parking location, and voluntary excess can all move the needle more than people expect.

Other practical ways to keep costs under control include:

• Avoiding unnecessary modifications, which can increase risk in the eyes of insurers.
• Choosing a car with strong safety and security features fitted as standard.
• Keeping your no-claims bonus protected where possible.
• Being realistic about cover levels, especially on older cars.