Mazda 6 Insurance Group: UK Costs, Ratings and Buying Guide

The Mazda 6 has always occupied an interesting corner of the family-car market. It looks sharper than many conventional saloons, drives with more enthusiasm than we might expect from a practical commuter, and generally avoids the premium-brand price tag. But when we are shopping for a used one, another figure deserves a place beside mileage, fuel economy, and service history: the Mazda 6 insurance group.

In the UK, cars have traditionally been classified within insurance groups running from 1 to 50. A lower number generally indicates a vehicle that presents a lower insurance risk, while higher numbers are associated with vehicles insurers may consider more expensive or risky to cover. Thatcham Research explains that the Group Rating system considers numerous vehicle characteristics and is used by insurers as one input when assessing risk.

For the popular third-generation Mazda 6 sold from 2012 to 2022, insurance groups commonly sit between 16 and 23, according to Honest John. That puts mainstream versions comfortably in the middle of the UK insurance scale rather than anywhere near its expensive upper reaches.

Yet there is an important twist. Other Mazda 6 variants and specifications can stretch beyond that range. Finder's updated UK Mazda 6 insurance guide reports groups extending from 16 to 32 when a wider selection of Mazda 6 models is considered.

So, which number matters to us?

The one attached to the exact car we intend to insure.

Let's unpack why.

What Insurance Group Is a Mazda 6?

If we want the shortest useful answer, it is this: many 2012–2022 Mazda 6 models are found in insurance groups 16 to 23, while the broader Mazda 6 range can include versions reaching higher groups.

That means there isn't one universal Mazda 6 insurance group.

Two cars that look almost identical from across a dealership forecourt could carry different ratings because one has a different engine, trim level, power output, transmission, or factory specification.

Think of the Mazda 6 name as the title of a book rather than a single page. Beneath that title sit multiple engines and specifications, and insurers don't necessarily treat them equally.

Mazda 6 Insurance Group Range at a Glance

For UK shoppers, the figures worth remembering are straightforward.

• The 2012–2022 Mazda 6 saloon is generally listed in groups 16–23 by Honest John.
• The Mazda 6 Tourer from 2012–2022 is likewise listed in groups 16–23.
• The previous-generation 2008–2012 Mazda 6 spans approximately groups 16–28 according to Honest John's model overview.
• A wider model-by-model assessment published by Finder in 2026 places Mazda 6 variants broadly between groups 16 and 32.
• The insurance group is an indicator, not a guaranteed premium. Insurers can apply their own underwriting criteria when pricing a policy.

Already, we can see why typing "Mazda 6 insurance group" into a search engine and stopping at the first number isn't enough.

How Does the UK Insurance Group System Work?

The traditional UK Group Rating system runs from 1 to 50, with ratings designed to help insurers assess the relative risk represented by individual vehicles. Thatcham Research says the system evaluates a large number of vehicle attributes rather than simply categorising cars by engine size.

A modest city car might sit towards the lower end of the scale. Fast luxury vehicles can climb considerably higher.

The Mazda 6 usually lands somewhere between these extremes.

It isn't a tiny economy hatchback, so expecting insurance groups in the very lowest single digits would be unrealistic. At the same time, most Mazda 6 versions aren't fire-breathing performance saloons with enormous engines and eye-watering parts prices.

They live in the middle ground.

What Determines an Insurance Group?

Insurance grouping is more sophisticated than saying, "Big engine equals expensive insurance."

Thatcham's current risk-assessment work considers areas including vehicle damage, repairability, safety, security and performance. The organisation is also transitioning beyond the traditional Group Rating approach toward its newer Vehicle Risk Rating methodology.

That distinction matters because modern cars are rolling computers.

A bumper isn't necessarily just a bumper anymore. Parking sensors, radar equipment, cameras, brackets and electronic modules can transform what looks like a minor knock into a far more complicated repair.

Why Repair Costs Matter

Imagine two cars involved in identical low-speed collisions.

One needs a conventional bumper cover replaced. The other needs a bumper, sensor alignment, radar calibration and several specialised components.

From an insurance perspective, those aren't remotely equivalent events.

This is one reason vehicle-specific ratings remain useful. They give insurers a starting point for understanding what a claim involving a particular model might entail.

Is a Mazda 6 Expensive to Insure?

Generally, we wouldn't describe the mainstream Mazda 6 as an exceptionally expensive car to insure purely on the basis of its insurance group.

Honest John specifically characterises the 2012–2022 Mazda 6's groups of 16–23 as reasonably affordable relative to its rivals.

That's encouraging if we're looking for a spacious family car without stepping into the insurance territory of more powerful premium executive models.

Still, "reasonably affordable" doesn't mean "cheap for everyone."

A 45-year-old driver with a long no-claims history, low annual mileage and secure overnight parking could receive a dramatically different quote from a 20-year-old who has recently passed their test.

The car contributes to the premium.

The driver contributes even more.

Mazda 6 Insurance Group 16: Is That Good?

For a vehicle as substantial as the Mazda 6, group 16 sits at the more attractive end of its usual range.

Remember, the traditional scale extends all the way to 50.

A group 16 Mazda 6 therefore isn't sitting at the bottom of the market, but neither is it wandering anywhere close to the insurance wilderness occupied by some high-performance machinery.

If affordable ownership is a major priority, lower-group Mazda 6 specifications are sensible places to begin searching.

Just don't choose a car solely because its group is a few numbers lower.

The cheapest insurance quote in the world won't compensate for buying a poorly maintained example requiring expensive mechanical work.

Mazda 6 Insurance Group 20: Should We Worry?

Not particularly.

Group 20 remains relatively moderate on a 1–50 scale. The difference between groups 16 and 20 can influence relative insurance risk, but there is no universal formula saying a four-group jump produces a particular percentage increase in our premium. Insurers use vehicle grouping alongside many individual risk factors rather than treating it as the entire calculation.

That's a crucial point.

Insurance groups help us compare cars, but they don't function like restaurant price tags.

We can't say group 20 automatically costs £200 more than group 16. Real quotes are required.

Why Some Mazda 6 Models Have Higher Insurance Groups

Now we get to the interesting part.

Why could one Mazda 6 sit around the high teens while another climbs noticeably higher?

Performance is one obvious contributor, but equipment level and repair characteristics matter as well. Thatcham's risk framework demonstrates how insurance assessment incorporates far more than a vehicle's badge or body shape.

Engine Power Makes a Difference

More powerful cars can present a different performance risk profile from slower variants.

The Mazda 6 has appeared with multiple petrol and diesel configurations over its production life. Consequently, we shouldn't assume every 2.0-litre, 2.2-litre or 2.5-litre version falls into the same group.

The exact derivative matters.

Higher Trim Levels Can Change the Equation

This one is easy to overlook.

Suppose we find two used Mazda 6s for similar money. One is relatively basic; the other is loaded with premium equipment.

The more comprehensively equipped car feels like the obvious bargain.

Perhaps it is.

But additional equipment can mean more expensive components to repair or replace. That's why checking the exact vehicle rather than relying on a model-wide estimate makes sense.

Newer Technology Can Increase Repair Complexity

Modern driver-assistance technology can make cars safer while simultaneously making certain accident repairs more complicated.

Those two facts aren't contradictory.

Safety technology may reduce the probability or severity of some crashes, while sensors and related hardware can increase the cost of repairing damaged areas.

Insurance risk is a balancing act rather than a single-variable equation.

The Badge Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

This may be the most useful lesson in our entire guide.

"2018 Mazda 6" isn't enough information.

We want the registration number or exact model derivative.

That's the difference between estimating and actually knowing.

Mazda 6 Saloon Insurance Groups

The third-generation Mazda 6 saloon, sold from 2012 to 2022, falls broadly within groups 16–23 according to Honest John's UK insurance data.

For family-car buyers, that's a relatively approachable range.

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The saloon gives us generous dimensions, respectable performance and a more upmarket appearance than its insurance grouping might initially suggest.

It can therefore make an appealing used purchase for someone who wants something larger than a compact hatchback without automatically jumping into premium-brand running costs.

Mazda 6 Tourer Insurance Groups

Need the estate?

The story barely changes.

Honest John lists the 2012–2022 Mazda 6 Tourer in insurance groups 16–23, matching the overall range quoted for the contemporary saloon.

That's useful because practicality doesn't necessarily force us into a dramatically higher insurance category.

For families, dog owners, cyclists or anyone who regularly transports enough luggage to make airport departures resemble a house move, the Tourer deserves consideration.

2008–2012 Mazda 6 Insurance Groups

Older doesn't always mean lower.

The second-generation Mazda 6 produced from 2008 to 2012 spans insurance groups 16–28 according to Honest John.

That's actually a wider spread than the commonly quoted 16–23 range for the later generation.

It demonstrates exactly why assumptions are dangerous.

Someone might reasonably think an older Mazda 6 must be automatically cheaper to insure because its market value is lower. Yet insurers assess risk using more variables than simply what the car would sell for today.

A cheap car can still be relatively expensive to insure.

Does Mazda 6 Engine Size Affect Insurance?

Potentially, yes, although engine displacement alone doesn't determine the insurance group.

Power, acceleration, specification, repair costs, security and other characteristics can all influence risk assessment. Thatcham's descriptions of its rating methodologies make clear that vehicle risk involves a broad collection of attributes.

So we shouldn't follow the old shortcut of assuming every larger engine automatically carries the highest group.

Sometimes it will.

Sometimes another specification detail changes the picture.

This is why a registration-based lookup is much safer than guessing from engine capacity.

Mazda 6 Petrol vs Diesel Insurance Groups

If we're choosing between petrol and diesel, insurance is worth checking alongside fuel consumption, driving pattern, purchase price and maintenance requirements.

But there isn't a reliable rule saying "petrol is always cheaper to insure" or "diesel is always more expensive."

Individual derivatives can receive different ratings.

Instead of choosing a fuel type based on an insurance assumption, we should shortlist the specific cars we like and run quotes for each registration.

That takes a little longer.

It can also prevent a nasty surprise after we've already paid a deposit.

Does the Mazda 6 Insurance Group Determine the Premium?

No, and this deserves emphasis.

Insurance groups are advisory indicators rather than compulsory prices. Honest John notes that insurers are not required to follow the advisory ratings, while actual insurance costs depend on characteristics associated with the policyholder and the insurer's own pricing model.

Imagine insurance group as one ingredient in a curry.

Important? Absolutely.

The whole meal? Not remotely.

Driver Age Can Matter More Than the Group

A younger or newly qualified driver can face high premiums even on an ordinarily modest insurance-group car.

That doesn't make the group useless. It simply means our personal risk profile can outweigh differences between otherwise similar vehicles.

If we're a younger driver considering a Mazda 6, getting actual quotes before buying becomes especially important.

Our Address Can Affect the Quote

Where a vehicle is kept affects an insurer's view of risk.

Claims patterns, theft risk and local conditions may all feed into pricing models.

That means two friends owning identical Mazda 6s in different areas can receive noticeably different quotes.

Annual Mileage Matters

A car driven 5,000 miles each year presents a different exposure profile from one travelling 25,000 miles.

Mileage is therefore another reason two identical cars don't necessarily produce identical insurance premiums.

Driving History Matters

Claims, convictions and no-claims history can transform a quote.

This is where focusing too intensely on whether a Mazda 6 belongs to group 18 or 21 can become a distraction. For some drivers, their personal profile will move the final price far more dramatically than those few group positions.

How to Check the Exact Mazda 6 Insurance Group

The safest method is to check the precise vehicle rather than rely on a broad model range.

MoneySavingExpert recommends using services that allow drivers to check an insurance group using the registration or, alternatively, details such as manufacturer, model, engine and year.

For a used-car purchase, the registration is ideal.

Once we've found a promising Mazda 6 advertisement, we can identify the exact car and compare insurance quotes before making a commitment.

This should happen before purchase, not after.

We've probably all experienced the emotional gravity of a shiny car sitting on a dealer's forecourt. Once we fall for it, rational spreadsheets have a habit of flying out the window.

Check the insurance first.

Then fall in love.

Can We Reduce Mazda 6 Insurance Costs?

Possibly, and the smartest approach is broader than merely hunting for the lowest insurance group.

Start by comparing several specific Mazda 6 derivatives. If two versions meet our needs equally well, the lower-risk model may prove cheaper to insure.

Then compare insurers.

One company can view our particular combination of age, location, occupation, mileage and vehicle very differently from another. That's why an insurance group should be used as a filtering tool rather than a substitute for real quotes.

Accuracy matters too. We should provide insurers with truthful information and avoid modifying declarations simply to produce a cheaper price.

The goal isn't to manipulate the quote.

It's to find the insurer that prices our genuine circumstances competitively.

Is a Lower Insurance Group Mazda 6 Always the Better Buy?

No.

A lower-group car might save us money on insurance but cost considerably more elsewhere.

Imagine Mazda 6 A belongs to group 17 but has neglected tyres, an incomplete service history and suspicious noises from underneath.

Mazda 6 B belongs to group 21 but has been meticulously maintained.

Which is cheaper?

The insurance comparison tells only one chapter of that story.

When buying used, we need to think in terms of total ownership cost.

Purchase price, insurance, fuel, tax, servicing, tyres, expected repairs and depreciation all belong in the calculation.

A £100 annual insurance saving loses its sparkle very quickly when an overlooked maintenance problem produces a four-figure workshop invoice.

Is the Mazda 6 a Good Choice for Young Drivers?

It depends heavily on the driver.

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The Mazda 6's typical group ratings aren't outrageous for a medium-to-large family car, but they are higher than those of many small cars specifically popular with new drivers. The traditional UK group scale starts at 1, while third-generation Mazda 6 models commonly begin around group 16.

So while a Mazda 6 can be perfectly insurable for a younger driver, we wouldn't assume it will be inexpensive.

Run the numbers first.

If insurance dominates the annual motoring budget, a smaller and lower-group vehicle may make more financial sense until we've built more driving history.

Does Mazda 6 Security Help Insurance Costs?

Vehicle security forms part of modern risk assessment. Thatcham conducts dedicated automotive security certification and incorporates security into its broader vehicle-risk research.

That said, we shouldn't assume fitting any random aftermarket security device will automatically reduce a premium.

Before spending money specifically to obtain an insurance discount, it makes sense to ask the insurer whether the particular device affects their pricing.

Otherwise, we might spend £300 trying to save £0.

Security can still be valuable for protecting the car, of course. But "useful security upgrade" and "guaranteed insurance discount" aren't always the same thing.

Mazda 6 Insurance Group vs Actual Insurance Quote

Here's the simplest way to think about it.

The insurance group answers:

How risky is this type of car considered relative to other vehicles?

The insurance quote answers:

How much does this insurer want to charge this particular driver to insure this particular car under these particular circumstances?

Those are different questions.

The second one ultimately controls our wallet.

Insurance groups are enormously helpful while researching a shortlist because they reveal relative differences between cars before we spend hours requesting quotations.

Once our shortlist contains actual registrations, however, real quotations become far more valuable.

Why Mazda 6 Insurance Quotes Can Vary Between Insurers

Insurers don't all price risk identically.

The Group Rating system gives the industry vehicle-risk information, but ratings are advisory rather than binding. Insurers can incorporate their own claims experience and underwriting factors into premium calculations.

Consequently, one insurer might love our risk profile while another prices us as though we're planning to enter the Mazda in a demolition derby every Saturday.

That's an exaggeration, obviously.

But anyone who has compared motor-insurance quotations knows how startling the variation can be.

Comparison isn't optional if price matters.

Are Mazda 6 Insurance Groups Changing?

The UK vehicle-risk landscape is evolving.

Thatcham Research states that the established 1–50 Group Rating approach is being replaced by a newer Vehicle Risk Rating system. The newer framework evaluates areas such as damageability, repairability, safety, security and performance.

For used-car shoppers, traditional group numbers remain widely encountered across buying guides, vehicle databases and insurance comparison resources.

But we should expect insurance risk assessment to become increasingly sophisticated as cars themselves become more technologically complex.

The humble group number isn't disappearing from used-car conversations overnight, but insurance analysis is moving beyond a single number.

What Mazda 6 Insurance Group Should We Aim For?

There isn't a magical target.

If we're particularly cost-conscious, shopping toward the lower end of the Mazda 6's group range is sensible. A mainstream model around group 16–18 may look appealing compared with a higher-rated version.

But we shouldn't reject a better car automatically because its group is several positions higher.

The deciding factor should be the actual premium.

Sometimes the insurance difference between two derivatives is smaller than expected. In that situation, choosing the specification we genuinely prefer may be worth the modest extra cost.

Other times, the difference is large enough to influence the purchase.

We won't know until we obtain quotes.

Buying a Used Mazda 6? Check Insurance Before Paying

Here's a situation worth avoiding.

We've spent days browsing Mazda 6 advertisements.

Then we find it: the right colour, sensible mileage, spotless interior, full history and a price sitting perfectly inside the budget.

We negotiate.

We pay.

We arrive home triumphant.

Only then do we request insurance quotes.

Ouch.

The premium is considerably higher than expected.

That entire problem can usually be avoided by moving insurance research earlier in the buying journey. Once we have a registration number, getting indicative quotes takes far less effort than changing cars after purchase.

It's one of those tiny jobs that can save disproportionately large amounts of money.

Mazda 6 Insurance Group: Our Verdict

The Mazda 6 insurance group is generally manageable for a car of its size and capability.

For the well-known 2012–2022 generation, Honest John lists both the Mazda 6 saloon and Tourer broadly in groups 16 to 23. Older 2008–2012 cars can span approximately 16 to 28, while a broader Mazda 6 model comparison from Finder identifies derivatives reaching as high as group 32.

The takeaway isn't that one of those numbers is "the Mazda 6 group."

It's that specification matters.

For buyers who want a handsome, spacious and enjoyable family car, a sensibly rated Mazda 6 can represent an attractive middle ground. We get something more substantial than a small hatchback without automatically wandering into the highest insurance categories.

But the insurance group should never be mistaken for the insurance price.

Use it to narrow the field.

Then enter the registration numbers of the actual cars we're considering and request genuine quotations.

That's when the numbers stop being theoretical.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What insurance group is a Mazda 6?

Many UK Mazda 6 models from the 2012–2022 generation fall between insurance groups 16 and 23. However, ratings vary by derivative, and broader Mazda 6 data includes models reaching higher groups.

2. Is a Mazda 6 expensive to insure in the UK?

Not necessarily. Its typical mid-range insurance groups make many versions reasonably approachable compared with vehicles sitting much higher on the 1–50 scale. Your actual premium, however, depends on personal and insurer-specific factors as well as the car.

3. What insurance group is the Mazda 6 Tourer?

The 2012–2022 Mazda 6 Tourer is listed broadly in groups 16–23 by Honest John. The exact rating depends on the individual version.

4. Why do different Mazda 6 models have different insurance groups?

Insurance risk is assessed using multiple vehicle characteristics rather than simply the Mazda 6 name. Thatcham's methodologies consider factors associated with areas including performance, repairs, damage, security and safety.

5. How can I find the exact insurance group for my Mazda 6?

Use the vehicle registration with a UK insurance-group checking service or provide the exact model, engine and year. Registration-based searches are particularly useful because seemingly similar Mazda 6 variants can have different ratings.

Closing Thoughts

The Mazda 6 sits in a comfortable insurance sweet spot for many UK buyers. It isn't usually grouped like a tiny city car, but mainstream versions also avoid the extreme end of the scale.

More importantly, we shouldn't let one number dominate the purchasing decision.

A Mazda 6 in group 17 isn't automatically cheap to insure, and one in group 23 isn't automatically expensive. Our age, address, driving history, annual mileage and insurer can change the picture substantially.

So our best strategy is refreshingly simple: use the Mazda 6 insurance group to understand the car's relative risk, use real quotations to understand our personal cost, and use both alongside maintenance history and overall condition when deciding which Mazda 6 deserves a place on our driveway.

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That way, the insurance group becomes what it should be—a useful compass, not the entire map.

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