Age Co car insurance
- Defaqto 5-star car insurance
- No upper age limit
- No-claims protection as standard
- 180 days of European cover
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.
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Finding the right car insurance can be an uphill struggle, so it’s worth knowing the brands that get great ratings both from their customers and from analysts who look at what each policy offers.
The quality of insurance – and service – varies greatly even within comprehensive policies. You’ll find different levels of personal accident cover or in the amount of time you can drive abroad in Europe while covered by your existing policy.
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.
Finder’s top 10 car insurance companies for 2019
| Company | Great for… |
|---|---|
| Aviva | Multi-car discounts |
| AXA | Claims support |
| Age Co | Over 50s policies |
| Direct Line | Customer service |
| Toyota | No claims discount |
| Saga | Over 50s policies |
| Churchill | Business use insurance |
| More Than | Multi-car discounts |
| Sainsbury’s Bank | Customer service |
| Rias | Claims support |
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.
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 and currently operating in 64 countries, AXA is one of the biggest insurers in the world.
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.
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.
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. Its car insurance is not only suitable for Toyota models but also cars from other marques.
Read our full review of Toyota car insurance
Saga car insurance
Saga began by offering travel insurance designed specifically for people aged over 50 but has expanded to offer a range of financial products and services including car insurance. It currently offers car insurance customers a “three-year price promise” to keep premiums the same as long as 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. It was also one of the first direct car insurers to operate in the UK.
Read our full review of Churchill car insurance
Churchill car insurance
- 5-star rating from Defaqto for Churchill car insurance
- Multi-car discount available. T&Cs apply
- Choose between a replacement, upgrade or the money when your car is written off. T&Cs apply
- Guaranteed five years of repair for approved repairer
More Than car insurance
Launched in 2001, More Than has become an insurance staple in the UK, offering a wide range of insurance products.
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 claims to reward existing customers with preferential rates for a number of its financial products.
Read our full review of Sainsbury’s Bank car insurance
Rias car insurance
Set up in 1992, Rias offers a range of insurance products however, its car insurance is only offered at one level – comprehensive.
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.
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.
Frequently asked questions
*Disclaimer: Please take reasonable care to answer all the questions honestly and to the best of your knowledge. If you don't answer the questions correctly, your policy may be cancelled, or your claim rejected or not fully paid.
The offers compared on this page are chosen from a range of products whose details Finder has access to track; they don't represent all the products available in the market. Unless indicated otherwise, products are displayed in no particular order or ranking. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations) are not product ratings and are subject to our terms of use. You should consider seeking independent financial advice and consider your personal financial circumstances when comparing products.
The offers compared on this page are chosen from a range of products whose details Finder has access to track; they don't represent all the products available in the market. Unless indicated otherwise, products are displayed in no particular order or ranking. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations) are not product ratings and are subject to our terms of use. You should consider seeking independent financial advice and consider your personal financial circumstances when comparing products.
