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.
LV= Comprehensive
8 Great| Personal possessions cover | £300 |
|---|---|
| Accident cover | Up to £10,000. |
| Driving in Europe | EU Cover at same level as in UK (180 days) |
We chose LV= car insurance as our top pick because, after running quotes for a range of different age groups, we found that LV= tended to offer competitive insurance quotes across the board. Other features that could make LV= a good option if you're looking for cheaper-rate car insurance include discounts for insuring multiple vehicles (up to 20% off per extra vehicle), an uninsured driver promise so you won't lose your valuable no-claims discount or have to pay an excess, and a good choice of cover levels to suit different needs and budgets. LV= offers a range of car insurance policies for standard, classic and electric cars.
Need to know: There's an admin fee for changing the vehicle or a named driver on your policy.
| Personal possessions cover | £300 |
|---|---|
| Accident cover | Up to £10,000. |
| Driving in Europe | EU Cover at same level as in UK (180 days) |
Admiral MultiCar
Admiral was a winner in the Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards 2024. We chose Admiral car insurance as our top pick for multi-car because you can make substantial savings by insuring more than one car with Admiral rather than buying its insurance for each car separately. Admiral's multi-car policy allows you to have just one renewal date, aligning each time a new car is brought onto the policy. Each car has its own no-claims bonus, and you can have different levels of cover for different cars on the same policy. If a claim is made on one car, the no-claims bonuses of other cars won't be affected. Every car gets a full year of no-claims bonus added, provided it's been on the policy for at least 3 months. Cars don't need to be registered to the same address, provided they belong to immediate family members.
Need to know: Claims helplines aren't open 24/7.
Saga Standard
8.1 Great| Personal possessions cover | £1,000 |
|---|---|
| Accident cover | Up to £150,000 |
| Driving in Europe | EU Cover third party only (90 days) |
We chose Saga car insurance as our top pick because of its specialist cover, which is tailored to over-50s with no upper age limit. Features that older drivers might appreciate include discounts for insuring additional cars registered to the same address, an uninsured driver promise (so your no-claims discount won't be affected if you're hit by an uninsured driver) and unlimited cover for driving in Europe with Saga Select and Saga Plus policies (Saga Standard policies include up to 90 days of cover). If you opt for a Saga Plus policy, you can choose to fix your premium for 3 years (assuming nothing about your policy changes, and subject to T&Cs).
Need to know: Cancelling a policy can incur an admin fee of up to £50.
| Personal possessions cover | £1,000 |
|---|---|
| Accident cover | Up to £150,000 |
| Driving in Europe | EU Cover third party only (90 days) |
Tempcover
We chose Tempcover car insurance as our top pick because of its very flexible insurance, which offers instant cover for anything from 1 hour to 28 days. Any annual no-claims discount you've built up on an annual policy is protected, so making a claim on a temporary Tempcover policy won't affect it. You can also customise the policy to meet your precise needs by adding features such as temporary breakdown cover, gadget cover and excess reimbursement cover. Tempcover offers temporary car insurance for learner drivers, students and others with a full UK driver's licence (up to age 78) and has a super-quick quotation process, taking just 90 seconds according to Tempcover.
Need to know: You have to pay up front for your policy.
Hastings Direct Standard
7.3 Great| Personal possessions cover | £300 |
|---|---|
| Accident cover | Up to £5000. |
| Driving in Europe | EU Cover third party only (90 days) |
We chose Hastings Direct car insurance as our top pick because it offers a range of reasonably priced policies for drivers aged 17-25, incorporating telematics (black box) and multi-car options. Its 5-star Defaqto-rated black box telematics policy, YouDrive, includes a courtesy car, an uninsured driver promise and personal belongings cover as standard. There's a 24/7 claims line if you're involved in an accident or another type of incident.
Need to know: The Hastings Direct website isn't easy to navigate.
| Personal possessions cover | £300 |
|---|---|
| Accident cover | Up to £5000. |
| Driving in Europe | EU Cover third party only (90 days) |
Swinton Comprehensive
Finder score
| Personal possessions cover | £200 |
|---|---|
| Accident cover | Up to market value |
| Driving in Europe | EU Cover third party only (90 days) |
| Personal possessions cover | £200 |
|---|---|
| Accident cover | Up to market value |
| Driving in Europe | EU Cover third party only (90 days) |
Swinton Comprehensive
6.2 Standard| Personal possessions cover | £200 |
|---|---|
| Accident cover | Up to market value |
| Driving in Europe | EU Cover third party only (90 days) |
We chose Swinton car insurance as our top pick for convicted drivers in part because it has a dedicated section on its website for convicted drivers, which indicates that it is willing and able to cater to those with speeding or other motoring offences. As a broker whose policies are underwritten by several insurers, there's a good chance Swinton can offer cover for you, whatever your circumstances. Choose from 3 levels of comprehensive cover, all of which include a courtesy car and personal belongings cover (up to £200). Swinton's claims helpline is open 24/7, which could come in handy if you have a prang outside of normal working hours.
Need to know: There's no option to have third-party cover only.
| Personal possessions cover | £200 |
|---|---|
| Accident cover | Up to market value |
| Driving in Europe | EU Cover third party only (90 days) |
Churchill Comprehensive
8.1 Great| Personal possessions cover | £250 |
|---|---|
| Accident cover | Up to £5000. |
| Driving in Europe | EU Cover third party only (90 days) |
We chose Churchill car insurance as our top pick because its black box policy includes a range of features that may appeal to those looking to manage the cost of car insurance through careful driving. Churchill's telematics cover, called DriveSure, is available for younger drivers (aged 17-25) who may not have had a chance to build up a no-claims bonus and prove their driving credentials. You're guaranteed a discount on your first year for using the black box technology, provided you've passed your test. Premiums won't go up mid-term during your first year. Your driving is monitored using the DriveSure smartphone app, and you can view your driving score on the app at any time. Your score is determined by factors such as your speed, how smoothly you drive, when and where you drive and any use of your mobile phone while driving.
Need to know: No 24/7 claims line (but an emergency helpline is available).
| Personal possessions cover | £250 |
|---|---|
| Accident cover | Up to £5000. |
| Driving in Europe | EU Cover third party only (90 days) |
We collected this data from various sources, including financial reports, regulatory filings, and market analysis from industry experts. Last updated: July 2024.
| Rank | Provider | Market Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Admiral | 14% |
| 2 | Direct Line | 10.8% |
| 3 | Aviva | 10.5% |
| 4 | Hastings Direct | 7% |
| 5 | AXA | 6.1% |
| 6 | LV= | 5.8% |
| 7 | esure | 4.2% |
| 8 | RSA | 3.7% |
| 9 | Ageas | 3.6% |
| 10 | NFU Mutual | 2.6% |
| Rank | Company | Policy score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NFU Mutual | 83.2% |
| 2 | Aviva | 82.51% |
| 3 | Saga | 82.3% |
| 4 | M&S Bank | 81.47% |
| 5 | Direct Line | 80.84% |
| 6 | Sheilas’ Wheels | 79.9% |
| 7 | Age Co | 79.57% |
| 8 | RIAS | 79.24% |
| 9 | AXA | 77.97% |
| 10 | Hastings Direct | 77.02% |
For all results, including customer satisfaction ratings, skip to our full table.
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.”
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.
| Rank | Provider | Overall satisfaction | Customers who’d recommend | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Admiral | ★★★★★ | 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. |
| 2 | NFU 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. |
| 3 | Aviva | ★★★★★ | 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. |
| 4 | The 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. |
| 5 | LV= | ★★★★★ | 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. |
| 6 | Saga | ★★★★★ | 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. |
| 7 | Direct 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. |
| 8 | Hastings 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. |
| 9 | Diamond | ★★★★★ | 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. |
| 10 | Churchill | ★★★★★ | 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. |
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.
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.
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