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Top 10 best car insurance companies 2019
We've put together our top 10 car insurance companies to help you find the best value car insurance.
The best car insurance companies for 2019
We’ve reviewed the ratings from independent sources to create our Finder list of the UK’s top 10 best car insurers. Our list reflects the quality of cover these brands offer as well as the feedback their customers give about their service.
Aviva car insurance
Formerly known as Norwich Union, Aviva is the UK’s largest general insurance provider. It’s currently putting an emphasis (though TV advertising) on treating existing customers as well as, if not better than, new customers.
It also offers short term car insurance, as well as discounts if you insure more than one car on the same policy.
Read our full review of Aviva car insurance
Aviva Plus car insurance
- Three levels of cover available
- Uninsured driver promise
- Multi-cover discount
- Fee-free cancellation
AXA car insurance
Formed more than 300 years ago, AXA is one of the biggest insurers in the world. It currently operates in 64 countries, including the UK and Ireland, and as the Bharti AXA joint venture in India.
AXA car insurance offers a large range of optional cover, and even protects you against uninsured drivers.
Read our full review of AXA car insurance
AXA car insurance
- 5-star car insurance from only £253
- Courtesy car while your car's repaired by an approved repairer
- AXA has been awarded the Feefo Gold Trusted Merchant accolade for 2018
Age Co car insurance
Acting as the commercial branch of UK charity Age UK, Age Co was set up in 2009 to offer financial products and services designed specifically for people aged over 50.
Age Co car insurance covers you if you lose your keys or take a trip abroad, and will provide a courtesy car if your car is stolen or needs repairs.
Read our full review of Age Co car insurance
Age Co car insurance
- Defaqto 5-star car insurance
- No-claims protection as standard
- No upper age limit
- 180 days of European cover
Direct Line car insurance
Direct Line’s mission from the very beginning has been to protect drivers and their cars. Since the 80s, it has grown to offer a number of other insurance products to drivers in the UK and elsewhere.
It offers a range of car insurance policies, including telematics insurance. Direct Line is not listed on price comparison sites.
Read our full review of Direct Line car insurance
Toyota car insurance
Toyota is one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world, with models to suit every budget. It also provides financial services and car insurance products, which can cover Toyota vehicles as well as those from other manufacturers.
Toyota car insurance can also cover you on trips abroad and protects your vehicle from minor wear and tear.
Read our full review of Toyota car insurance
Saga car insurance
Saga was founded in 1959 and began by offering travel insurance designed for people aged over 50. It has since expanded to offer a range of financial products and services including car insurance.
Car insurance customers currently receive a “three-year price promise” that keeps premiums the same each time you renew, as long as your details remain the same.
Read our full review of Saga car insurance
Churchill car insurance
Churchill is best known for its canine mascot, which has featured heavily across all its advertising campaigns over the years. Founded in 1989, it was also one of the first direct car insurers to operate in the UK and offers a range of insurance products.
It provides discounts for those looking to insure more than one car, and gives customers a number of options in the event your car needs to be replaced.
Read our full review of Churchill car insurance
More Than car insurance
Launched in 2001, More Than has become an insurance staple in the UK, offering a wide range of insurance products, including home, pet, travel and car insurance.
Along with regular car insurance cover, More Than offers telematics insurance on its Smart Wheels policy, which is suitable for young drivers looking to get insurance. For those looking to go abroad, you can also get EU cover for up to 93 days.
Read our full review of More Than car insurance
More Than car insurance
- 5-star Defaqto-rated
- Claims can be made online
- Two levels of cover to choose from
- Third party EU cover and courtesy car included with comprehensive cover
Sainsbury’s Bank car insurance
In 1997, Sainsbury’s became one of the first big supermarkets to create a bank in the UK. It now offers a number of financial services and products, including pet, home, lie and car insurance.
Sainsbury’s claims to reward existing customers with preferential rates for a number of its financial products, and Nectar card holders can receive up to 25% off the cost of their insurance premiums. Customers on the Premier Car policy can also get cheaper fuel and double Nectar points for two years.
Read our full review of Sainsbury’s Bank car insurance
Rias car insurance
Set up in 1992, Rias offers a range of insurance products, including home, travel and car and caravan insurance. While it only offers comprehensive car insurance, its policies provide a range of benefits, such as uninsured driver cover, courtesy cars and wrong fuel cover in the event you fill your car with the wrong type of fuel.
You can also get optional cover for breakdowns, legal expenses and key protection.
Read our full review of Rias car insurance
Who are the best car insurance companies?
We’ve looked into several factors to find out which insurers come out on top for car cover. While price is important, we also care about the cover you’ll get and how an insurer might handle a claim you make, so these are the three key areas we’ve considered carefully.
There are several well-known companies in our list that do very well such as the nodding dog Churchill, More Than and Aviva. And you’ll find specialist insurers that offer cover to drivers over the age of 50. Surprisingly, there are also some lesser known insurers that you might want to consider such as Toyota, which offers cover not just to Toyota models, but to other cars as well.
If you want the perfect combination of quality cover at the right price, and with first-class customer service, you could be in luck with one from our top 10 list.
Best multi car insurance
If you’re looking to insure more than one car, here are the providers that offer the best multi car insurance discounts:
Aviva. You can get a 10% discount and insure up to five cars on one policy.
Direct Line. You’ll receive an unspecified discount if you insure more than one car, but can keep still keep them on separate policies. Get cover for up to ten cars per household.
Churchill. Churchill offer potential discounts for those wanting to get insurance for multiple cars.
More Than. You can save up to 15% on certain policies if you insure more than one car.
Saga. Saga also offers discounted multi car insurance, provided all drivers are over the age of 50.
More Than insurance offers the best multi car insurance policy discount at 15%, while Direct Line allows you to insure up to ten cars.
Best over 50s car insurance
While all providers will offer insurance to older drivers, the best over 50s car insurance policies may be those designed specifically for that demographic. Three of the providers listed above provide specialist cover for drivers that are at least 50 years old. These are:
As an experienced driver, you’re likely to get a better deal on car insurance than someone who is younger, but determining which car insurance is best for you will depend on your location, age and experience, as well as the type of car you drive.
Best temporary or short term car insurance
If you’re travelling or only plan on using a car for a short period of time, it doesn’t make sense to get long term cover. Of the providers above, Aviva offers short term cover for as little as one hour, or up to 28 days. This type of car insurance may be best suited to those borrowing a friend’s car, using one abroad or even hiring a removal van.
Other providers like Cuvva, Sky Insurance and RAC also offer temporary car insurance.
Best car insurance for new drivers
It can be tough being a new driver, especially when you see how much you may have to pay for insurance. Young drivers under the age of 25 often need to pay more than £1,300 for car insurance each year.
While most car insurance companies offer insurance for young or new drivers, the best policy is one that won’t break the bank, and may even offer discounted insurance. It’s therefore worth considering telematics insurance, which fits a small device to your car to measure your driving performance.
By recording your speed, distances travelled, braking and turning, it gives insurers a better picture of how you drive. If you’re considered to be a low risk driver based on the results, you can receive big discounts on the cost of your insurance.
Which car insurance companies give the best customer service?
Finding a car insurer with the best customer service can mean much more than a friendly “hello” on the other end of the phone line. An insurer’s customer service will really only speak volumes when something goes wrong with your car and you need to get in touch to explain the situation and make a claim. Ask yourself these questions about a potential insurer to help you decide whether it will be up to the job or not:
How do I make a claim?
Is the claims process clearly explained? If there are several communications channels in which you can make a claim, this could make it easier for you to make a claim.
How do I contact the insurer and can I speak to someone 24/7 to make a claim?
Find out how long you can expect to wait to speak to someone or how long a claim might take to process.
Will I be updated on my claim?
An insurer should, in theory, let you know how your claim is progressing. However, think carefully about whether you’ll have to do a lot of chasing or ringing around.
Can I amend my policy?
Will I have to pay extra and waste a lot of time and energy in the process. Consider how flexible an insurer is with changes to a policy.
Which are the best and worst cars to insure?
Generally, the more expensive a car is, the more it is likely to cost to insure it. If you’re thinking high performance and sports cars will be expensive to insure, then you’d be right as they tend to cost a lot more to buy and are unfortunately, more appealing to thieves.
Every new car in the UK is given an insurance group rating, which helps insurers understand which cars will cost more to insure and which cars will cost less to insure. And sports cars and high performance models definitely have some of the highest group ratings out there. On the other end of the rating scale are the smaller and safer cars, which cost less to insure. These are likely to cost less to buy and repair, which is likely to result in lower premiums.
If you have your heart set on a particular car, do your research before making the purchase to assess whether you can afford the insurance premiums that will follow.
How to find the best car insurance company
When shopping for car insurance, one of the first factors you’re likely to consider is how much it costs. But remember that simply choosing the cheapest policy won’t always serve you well or provide the cover benefits you require. That’s when it’s important to compare policies.
It might also be worth taking a look at and researching the insurance companies themselves. A good way of doing this is to see what other customers think about their insurer. In particular, you could look at the standard of its cover, how easy it is to be contacted and how it handles claims. Another way to help with your decision-making is to find out about any complaints about an insurer. Above all, doing your research is key and finding the above information out about an insurer should go some way in making your decision more informed.
Is your car insurer reliable?
The real test of car insurance is what happens when you need to make a claim. That’s why it’s important to consider both the level of cover and the level of service. It’s no good having a courtesy car included in your cover if, in your hour of need, it’s not available or turns out to be a poor substitute for your own car.
No one wants to pay over the odds for their cover though, so it’s always important to review your premium each year and compare car insurance from different providers. Consider switching as you’re likely to save – some people save hundreds of pounds. If you do want to stick with your insurer, you can try haggling, as that’s common and usually effective.
