Mini car insurance

The re-imagined iconic Mini is now a regular sight on British roads – a new take on an old favourite that’s since become a classic in its own right. Minis are arguably some of the most recognised cars all over the world.

Whereas a Mini used to be a budget car it is now firmly in the luxury market with customisable aspects, sumptuous interiors and more.

This Clubman is another successful spin off from the modern Mini revival. The Clubman is a stretched Mini hatch with a small third door at the rear. It may look unusual at the back but at the front it keeps the Mini's retro look. Being a larger Mini you get more space for greater practicality.

As you can see from the table below, the Cooper S sits in group 30. This is quite high compared to the rest of the range. The Cooper S has a more powerful engine. Engine size is a factor insurers look out when calculating an insurance quote.

If you're looking to buy a Clubman but have a mini budget it might be wise to pick the Mini One Clubman, this sits in insurance group 13 so insuring this model could be cheaper.

Another factor to consider is the tax band the Clubman sits in. The Mini One D (Sport Chili pack) sits in category B. 12 month road tax is only £20, whereas the Mini Cooper S sits in band E, which costs £125 to tax for a year (Tax rates correct as of 6/02/2014).

The Mini Cooper is a re-launched style icon. The car is easily one of the most stylish cars on the road and is instantly recognisable. Not only is the Mini a good looker it is also extremely fun to drive with some great engines which produce both speed and excitement.

The Mini Cooper is also available in a ‘Cooper S’ variation, in which the ‘s’ stands for supercharged. The result of this is it produces extra oomph and speed for even more driving pleasure

Although all this fun and excitement does come at a cost, the engines are large, meaning they are ranked in quite a high insurance group. This means you may pay a higher insurance premium.

Nevertheless the car is extremely well made and is safe too. The 2001 edition received a strong four star Euro Ncap safety rating. The 2nd generation improved this and was awarded a 5 star rating. If you are considering purchasing a Mini Cooper, parts and servicing can be expensive.

The Mini Countryman is a 4X4 version of the popular Mini hatch. It is larger and more practical than the regular sized Mini. This is great if you need a car with more space but want something which is just as stylish as the regular hatch.

The Countryman is the first 5-door Mini, making it a practical choice over its 3-door counterparts. The Countryman is also available in four-wheel drive, meaning you could take your pride and joy for a small off-road adventure.

Being a four-wheel drive car, it sits in higher insurance groups than its two-wheel drive counterpart.

Introduced in 2009, the Mini First is the entry level version of the Mini Hatch. If you want a Mini but are limited by budget, then this is the one to go for. It is a Mini through-and-through, with awesome handling and has the usual rock solid Mini build quality.

• The Mini First has one of the lowest insurance groups of the Mini Hatch range
• Its low emission engine sits in a low tax band

The First only has one engine option which has less power than its brother the Mini one. Performance may be lower but it means the car typically sits in insurance group 8. A car in a lower insurance group tends to have a lower premium, so opting for this model may help you save on your insurance costs.

The John Cooper Works (JCW) is a range of high performance Minis. Each of the different Mini body styles has their own JCW version. These Minis are developed by John Cooper Works, an in-house company responsible for tuning and developing these special editions.

Each JCW model normally includes better performance, and a sportier look.

As you can see from the table below, the Mini One sits in relatively low insurance groups. This may have a positive impact on your insurance premium but will also depend on your personal driving history and circumstances.

Older Mini One models fall in quite pricey tax brackets, this means you could end up paying more on your road tax. Despite this, there are some models with lower tax band ratings such as the 2006 - Mini One D which sits in tax bracket 'A'. This model is currently road tax free, which could save you money in the long-run.

The newest addition to the MINI family, the Paceman, launched in 2013 as a luxury coupe available in both 2 and 4-wheel drive.

It retains the typical MINI engine sizes (1.6-2.0) with a low-medium insurance grouping. Hopefully a lower grouping will help to keep insurance premiums down, as well as not being too much of a petrol guzzler.

• Established - 1959
• Founder - British Motor Corporation
• Headquarters - BMW in Munich, Germany

The original Mini was made by the British Motor Corporation from 1959 to 2000, before BMW bought the brand rights. Enter the all-new Mini in 2001. The cars are built at Plant Oxford, where the 4,700 staff produce up to 800 cars a day.

Mini has always had a strong presence in the world of motorsport, winning a variety of rallies over the decades, but for the first time in several years Mini entered the World Rally Championships in 2011.

The Mini was North American Car of the Year in 2003 and the Cooper S Roadster was voted Best Convertible at the 2013 What Car? Car of the Year Awards.