Keep that motor pristine with the UK’s best car insurance companies

Prices are going through the roof, but some policies give you way more. We trawled through the small print to discover these beauties.

Top 10 car insurance companies See top 10 overall
See top providers by category Best car insurance

The best car insurance gives you the right cover at the right price and is there in your hour of need. As well as surveying hundreds of customers, we’ve given comprehensive policies a policy score for the level of cover they provide. And we’ve picked out policies that excel in specific categories like multi-car or for young drivers. Once you have your shortlist, you can save hundreds if you compare quotes to make sure you’re getting the best value.

Best for customer service
Admiral Comprehensive logo
Finder Award
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Multi-car discount
Additional car discount
Europe coverage
Highly rated service
Best for temporary insurance
Tempcover logo
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Fee-free cancellation
Instant cover
NCD protection
1 day - 3 months
Best for black box cover
Churchill Comprehensive logo
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Legal liability covered
Uninsured driver promise
No-claims protection*
24/7 legal advice helpline

Best car insurance by category

Best car insurance for cheapest rates

LV= Comprehensive

4
★★★★★

Finder score

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Personal possessions cover £300
Accident coverUp to £10,000.
Driving in EuropeEU Cover at same level as in UK (180 days)

Best car insurance for multi-car and customer service

Finder Award Admiral MultiCar

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Accident coverUp to £5000.
Driving in EuropeThird party only, up to 90 days.

Best car insurance for over-50s

Saga Plus comprehensive

4
★★★★★

Finder score

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Personal possessions cover £1,000
Accident coverUp to £5000.
Driving in EuropeUnlimited worldwide cover.

Best temporary car insurance cover

Tempcover

4.5
★★★★★

Finder score

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Cover length1 hour - 28 days
Min age18
EU Cover

Best car insurance for young drivers

Hastings Direct Standard

4.1
★★★★★

Finder score

Get a quote Read review
Personal possessions cover £300
Accident coverUp to £5000.
Driving in EuropeEU Cover third party only (90 days)

Best car insurance for convicted drivers

Swinton Comprehensive

3.8
★★★★★

Finder score

Get a quote Read review
Personal possessions cover £200
Accident coverUp to market value
Driving in EuropeEU Cover third party only (90 days)

Best car insurance for black box cover

Churchill Comprehensive

4.3
★★★★★

Finder score

Compare with Confused
Personal possessions cover £250
Accident coverUp to £5000.
Driving in EuropeEU Cover third party only (90 days)

Top 10 largest car insurance companies in 2024, by market share

We collected this data from various sources, including financial reports, regulatory filings, and market analysis from industry experts. Last updated: July 2024.

RankProviderMarket Share
1Admiral14%
2Direct Line10.8%
3Aviva10.5%
4Hastings Direct7%
5AXA6.1%
6LV=5.8%
7esure4.2%
8RSA3.7%
9Ageas3.6%
10NFU Mutual2.6%

Top 10 car insurance companies UK in 2024, by comprehensive policy score

RankCompanyPolicy score
1NFU Mutual83.2%
2Aviva82.51%
3Saga82.3%
4M&S Bank81.47%
5Direct Line80.84%
6Sheilas’ Wheels79.9%
7Age Co79.57%
8RIAS79.24%
9AXA77.97%
10Hastings Direct77.02%

For all results, including customer satisfaction ratings, skip to our full table.

How did we rate car insurance companies?

Liz Edwards profile pic
Liz Edwards

Editor-in-chief

To come up with the league table, our team looked at 29 different elements of a car insurance policy from 35 providers across the industry. Those at the top have the most comprehensive cover, in our view.

We looked at the range of ages they cover, cover limits, whether essential benefits are included as standard, the payment options, the ease of claim and whether you can manage your policy online. For essential benefits, such as courtesy car, old-for-new car replacement and key cover, if they weren't included as standard, we judged them on how much extra you had to pay to add these benefits to your policy.

With other benefits, such as driving in the EU and continuing your journey if your car's out of action, insurers lost points if they impose restrictions on cover, like the number of days and distance from home.

Some elements got extra weighting based on how important they are to drivers. In a couple of cases, 2 insurers received the exact same score, and so they share the same spot on our list. We also feature the results of our satisfaction survey of 1,654 customers so you can hear what companies are like from the people who matter most.

We picked out policies we think are outstanding in certain categories, such as great rates or multi-car. Choose which benefits are important to you. Insurance is highly personal and rates change often, so these picks are just a steer.

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to car insurance. Your priority might be finding a multi-car policy if you have more than one car to insure. If you’re a young driver, a telematics policy – which could cut your costs – could be your goal or if you’re on a tight budget, the cost will be crucial. Whatever your policy needs are, always take the time to read the small print and check you fully understand what is (and isn’t) included with car insurance before you buy.”

Rebecca Goodman, financial journalist

How to find the best car insurance company for you

Car insurance premiums are highly personalised – a tweak to your job role or the amount of excess you’re happy to pay can make a big difference to your premiums. We explain more in our guide on how premiums are calculated. The key is to get the right cover level, plus good service at the cheapest price. This is why we survey customers. All our best picks are at least 3-star rated for service.

  1. Compare policies. Different insurers can offer the same level of cover for very different prices. Shop around and compare car insurance quotes with as many providers as you can to make sure you’re getting the best deal for you. Comprehensive cover can sometimes work out cheaper than third-party, so compare all options.
  2. If your quotes are too high, consider a higher excess. An excess is the amount you would contribute to any claim before your insurer will pay out. If you voluntarily increase your excess, your insurance company sees you as less likely to make a claim, which will help to bring down the cost of your premium (but always make sure you can actually afford to pay it should you have an accident).
  3. Consider different options, such as pay-as-you-go cover. Some providers, like By Miles, offer pay-as-you-go cover. This is good for people who don’t drive very often and don’t want to pay for annual cover.
  4. Review your provider’s quote every year. When renewal time rolls around, it’s crucial to shop around a few weeks before your policy starts. Consider switching as you’re likely to save – some people save hundreds of pounds. If you want to stick with your insurer, try haggling, as that’s common and usually effective.

Image of a car alongside the stat: £941 is the average cost for comprehensive car cover across the UK

Top 10 car insurance companies in the UK by customer satisfaction

RankProviderOverall satisfactionCustomers who’d recommendReview
1Admiral★★★★★93%One of the most well known insurers in the UK, Admiral offers a range of cover options, including a combined home and car policy, multi-car cover and temporary car insurance. Its overall satisfaction score was 4.5 out of 5.
2NFU Mutual★★★★★89%NFU Mutual has long provided cover for farmers and those living in rural areas, but it’s worth noting that it. may not offer you cover if you live in certain city areas. It got an overall satisfaction score of 4.5 out of 5.
3Aviva★★★★★84%Aviva is the largest general insurer in the UK. Many customers praised the service, but a few said they felt their loyalty hadn’t been rewarded. Aviva scored 4.3 out of 5 for overall satisfaction.
4The AA★★★★★80%A staple of the British roads, The AA offers 2 types of car insurance: third party, fire and theft and a benefit-laden comprehensive policy. AA members can get a discount if they insure online. Customers praised “friendly” service and the brand scored 4.1 out of 5 for overall satisfaction.
5LV=★★★★★84%Known for its good value car cover, LV= offers comprehensive cover which includes windscreen repair or replacement and new locks and keys if yours are lost or stolen. The brand got 4 out of 5 stars from its customers in our survey.
6Saga★★★★★76%Saga offers cover tailored to older drivers – you have to be over 50 to qualify, but there’s no upper age limit. The brand scored 3.9 out of 5 for overall satisfaction from its customers in our survey. Several praised “excellent” service though a few felt prices were high.
7Direct line★★★★★78%Direct Line received praise from many customers in our survey for being easy to deal with. It got an overall satisfaction score of 3.7 out of 5.
8Hastings Direct★★★★★78%Hastings Direct has 2 main cover options: Direct and Premier. The company also offers a “no-frills” policy called Essential, as well as third party, fire and theft cover. It scored 3.6 out of 5 for overall satisfaction.
9Diamond★★★★★83%Diamond targets women drivers, in a similar way to Sheilas’ Wheels. Benefits include handbag cover up to £300, and child seat cover, which it believes will appeal to women (considered lower-risk drivers). It scored 3.4 out of 5 from customers in our survey.
10Churchill★★★★★79%Most people would be aware of Churchill, largely due to its nodding dog. The brand is part of Direct Line Group. Churchill got 3.3 out of 5 for overall satisfaction in our survey.

Bottom line

The algorithms that insurers use to calculate their premiums are a dark art and are all different, so it will always pay to get a range of quotes from different providers each year. Then consider the extra benefits a policy might offer you, and check our ratings to see what customers think of any brand you haven’t tried but are considering.

Frequently asked questions

Customer satisfaction scores

In December 2023, we ran a customer satisfaction survey on insurance providers. We had 750 responses about car insurance providers.

The survey asked respondents how satisfied they were with their current insurance company (on a scale from 1 to 5 and also whether they would recommend the brand to a friend or not). We turned the results into star ratings and shortlisted the top-performing brands for our awards. If there was a draw, we used the recommendation score (that is, the percentage of customers who said they would recommend the brand to a friend) as a tie-breaker.

Full details of our star ratings for this sector are on the insurance ratings methodology page.

Car insurance scores

★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor

Finder scores, in blue, are based on our expert analysis. We also show reviews from users, where we've received more than 10, with a score in yellow. We gather more reviews from customers every year in Finder's customer satisfaction survey.

To find out more, read our full methodology.

The offers compared on this page are chosen from a range of products we can track; we don't cover every product on the market...yet. Unless we've indicated otherwise, products are shown in no particular order or ranking. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations), aren't product ratings, although we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it; this is subject to our terms of use. When making a big financial decision, it's wise to consider getting independent financial advice, and always consider your own financial circumstances when comparing products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
Rebecca Goodman's headshot
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been reviewed by Rebecca Goodman, a member of Finder's Editorial Review Board.
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Written by

Publisher

Danny is a publisher at Finder specialising in insurance and investing. He previously worked at the global insurer Aon and has appeared in national media giving advice on insurance. Danny holds a BA in International Business from the University of Plymouth and has undying loyalty to his average-poor football team, Portsmouth FC. See full bio

Danny's expertise
Danny has written 366 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Car, home and business insurance
  • Helping people save money on their insurance
  • Project management
  • Giving valuable insights to website visitors

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