What are the Best Car Insurance Companies?

Car insurance is a really complex area, with dozens of companies all giving different kinds of cover. And because of the way quotes are tailor made for individuals, there’s little freely available price information so you have no idea what’s a good quote and when your insurer’s taking advantage of you.

Fed up with not knowing where to look?

In this article, we’re going to try to sum up the market to give you a feel for what you might pay. We’ll look at different types of driver – young, student, women, as well as different types of insurance such as comphrensive, third party only, third party fire and theft. We’ll also consider the best insurers for different types of car, such as classic car insurance. You should get a good idea of where to look for a quote – and how much you might need to pay to get the best car insurance.

What are the best car insurances for women?

There's quite a specialist sector for female car insurance. These insurers offer specially designed insurance for women drivers. We show some of the insurers who offer the best car insurance for women in the table below.

Insurance company	Annual premium £*	Main features
	£876	Female and family friendly repairers Courtesy car and up to £300 handbag cover as standard 5 star Defaqto rating Special deals for younger drivers- car seat cover, replacement
	£974	One of UK's biggest car insurers (not female car insurance specialist) Often good value for money Includes courtesy car as standard
	£978	Courtesy car provided as standard Low excess for most policies Car seat cover up to £300
	£1,460	£10 donation to Pink Ribbon cancer charity for every policy DeFaqto 5 star rated Includes courtesy car, Drive Other Car cover and windscreen cover
	£3,232	Offers insurance for young, learner and student drivers Includes child car seat cover Courtesy car standard
	Ask for quote	Black box insurance Limited to 7,000 miles a year Good driving can earn retail vouchers as reward
	Ask for quote	Offers specialist cover eg classic car, convicted drivers, sports cars Exhaustive questionnaire
	Ask for quote	Free legal expense upgrade Black-box policies available Policies available for any type of girl profil including ladies with points on licence or previous convictions Free vehicle tracking if car gets stolen Any "women" upgrade available (handbag, keycare etc.)

Prices based on the following criteria: Vauxhall Corsa, fully comp insurance for driver aged 21-30 in South East England, no NCB.

What are the best student car insurances?

The following table compares the best student insurance policies offered by some of the most popular providers:

Insurance companies	Premium per year	Our comment
	£1234,27	Often one of the cheapest quotes for students Black box specialist for younger drivers
	£1,409	Black box based Weekly rewards for good driving Has its own app for rewards Competitive quotes
	£1,945	One of the biggest car insurers Good for student and young drivers (black box policies available) Often highly competitive prices
	Ask for quote	Experts in young driver cover Black box required No curfew
	£5,547	Female friendly insurance Includes windscreen, handbag and courtesy car cover
	£7,072	NUS recommended No 1 student insurance provider Not always the cheapest quote

What are the best car insurances for new drivers?

The following table compares the best new driver insurance policies offered by some of the most popular providers:

It lists some quotes from prominent insurers for 17-20 year old mini car drivers living in the Greater London area.

Insurance provider	Black box policy	Annual premium
	Yes	£2,296.63
	Yes	£2,461.29
	Yes	£2,888.21
	Yes	£2,975.36
	Yes	£3,006.69

What are the Best black box car insurances?

The following table compares the best black box insurance policies offered by some of the most popular providers:

Black box insurance companies	Quotes	Features of policy	Opinion
	£2,134.76 per year	Designed specifically with young and new drivers in mind between the ages of 17 and 30. Both learner drivers and full license holders can use these policies. Does not offer cover for short-term cover, business and commercial use Earn no claims discounts with this policy	Earn your discounts every time you renew Offers fully comprehensive policy plans Data tracking offered by a self-fit device that’s sent in the post to install when you can Policies have proven to reduce the risk of you being involved in an accident by as much as 400%
	£2,296.63 per year	Hastings Direct Smart Miles offers access to free app to monitor all data collected about your driving performance You can earn no claims discounts on your policy Offers a 10% discount for student drivers App is capable of helping you map out your journeys and offers driving tips in real-time to reduce your premiums	Drivers must drive less than 15,000 miles per year You must mainly drive between the hours of 5am and 10pm to remain covered and not void your policy Holds thousands of five-star black box car insurance reviews from drivers across the country
	£2,875 per year	Specifically designed for new and young drivers who want to start with driving with low premiums but want to move to a traditional policy within two years Offers a free courtesy car guarantee in case you ever need it No night time curfews to void your insurance, but driving between 11pm and 5am can affect your driving score Earn discounts and reduced premiums for being a consistently safe driver	Offers business use black box car insurance, but some restricted do apply Offers the ability to add optional extras such as motor legal expenses cover and UK breakdown cover Allows discounts in premium with no claims bonuses and named driver discounts Allows you to download the free dedicated smartphone app to track driving and offer more discountsNo policies available for black box insurance over 25
	£2,978 per year	Offers policies with no curfews or mileage limits Offers plug-and-drive policies with no need to install a black box into your car Works by recording six months worth of data you then send back to Bell to receive your discounts	Not a fully automatic real-time process to recording and sending off data wirelessly Insurance policies provided by Admiral with all included benefits they provide
	£3,006.69 per year	Specifically designed for new and young drivers who want to start with driving with low premiums but want to move to a traditional policy within two years Offers a free courtesy car guarantee in case you ever need it No night time curfews to void your insurance, but driving between 11pm and 5am can affect your driving score Earn discounts and reduced premiums for being a consistently safe driver	Recommended by 9/10 of existing customers One of the most trusted car insurance providers in the UKOffers free Motor Legal protection for the first 12 months of your policy Offers both an uninsured driver guarantee and vandalism cover promise
	£3,012 per year	Offers third party to fully comprehensive policies to all drivers Earn no claims discounts with every claim-free year Guaranteed car insurance quotes with black box with discounts available for Tesco Club card members Earn a bonus 100 miles for every safe driving month you complete Advanced accident alerts that can contact the emergency services on your behalf	Provides a full 24/7 customer helpline for whenever you need help with your policy Monitor all driving data using the dedicated dashboard or through the free dedicated driving app You can buy more miles to add onto your policy as and when you need them Offers free theft tracking technology that can be used by police to help locate your car if its stolen
	£3,600 per year	Free access to dedicated driver dashboard on your computer or smartphone All call lines open 24/7 every day of the year You can protect your excess and your no claims discount Easy installation that you can plug into your vehicle yourself Uses leading insurance providers such as Aviva and Axa to provide you a variety of insurance policies and potential cover benefits	Pay as you drive based on the miles you do, not a predetermined limit Receive regular tips on how to reduce premiums and drive safer Consistently average reviews on how good the service of this provider is
	£3,880.89 per year	Offers a dedicated app that’s easily installed into your car as and when you need it All data is handled automatically and you don’t need to do anything technical All driving factors are taken into consideration Offers a discount reward scheme for safe drivers to further reduce their premiums	Receive free email updates on your driving performance and tips on how to improve Monitor all data taken through the dedicated free app or online through your own personal dashboard Young driver insurance black box Deals for under 25s who have just passed their test to help them enjoy affordable insurance
	£4,831.68 per year	The safer you drive, you’ll be offered discounts on your premium every month Free dedicated theft tracking to help you get your car back safely and quickly Choose whatever mileage limit you want, as long as its over 1,900 miles per year Offers discounts with their single car and multicar policies	Holds five-star ratings from thousands of policy customers across the country Rated a five-star insurance provider by Defaqto See all driving performance information through the website

What Are The Best Third-Party Fire and Theft Car Insurances?

Not all insurers are competitive for TPFT policies. We've searched the market looking for those insurers who offer good policies at the right price, and they're shown in the table below.

Insurer	Annual premium	Main features
	£1,312.97	Telematic policy - you'll need to install a black box
	£1,339.02	Telematic policy - you'll need to install a black box Includes free breakdown cover and legal protection for your first year
	£1,374.24	Includes 90 days European cover Includes Driving Other Cars cover Includes No Claims Bonus
	£1,387.68	Up to 90 days European cover Flexible payment options A good insurer for younger drivers
	£1,400	Includes cover for fitted audio and carphone equipment Includes manslaughter defence costs Good insurer for women drivers
	£1,853.55	High compulsory excess of £3,000 makes this a poor policy if your car is worth less
	£1,859.46	High compulsory excess of £3,000 makes this a poor policy if your car is worth less Uninsured driver promise Straightforward website with live chat option
	£2,392.70	High compulsory excess of £3,000 makes this a poor policy if your car is worth less Includes 30-90 days European cover Younger and learner drivers covered

Those quotes are for driver of eco car, aged 21-30, Greater London, clean licence.

What are the best comprehensive car insurances?

The following table compares the best comphrensive car insurance policies offered by some of the most popular providers:

Insurer	Annual premium	Personal accident	Courtesy car	Breakdown cover	Motor legal protection
	£823.20	Yes	Yes	Yes	£29.95
	£976.64	Yes	Yes	£44.95	£29.95
	£977.76	Yes	Yes	£44.95	£29.95
	£978.88	Yes	Yes	£44.95	£29.95
	£1,365.23	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	£1,495.96	Yes	Yes	£26.72	Yes
	£1,530.82	Yes	Yes	£26.72	Yes
	£1,644.94	Yes	Yes	£34.99	£29.99
	£1,772.77	Yes	Yes	£34.99	£29.99
	£1,778.47	Yes	Yes	£38.14	£31.00
	£1,778.71	Yes	Yes	£38.14	£31.00
	£1,827.42	Yes	Yes	£66.00	Yes
	£2,218.94	Yes	Yes	£27.99	£28.50
	£2,241.93	Yes	Yes	£39.85	£13.65
	£2,255.88	Yes	No	£34.80	£23.20

What are the best third party only car insurance?

The following table compares the best third party only policies offered by some of the most popular providers:

Insurance provider	Monthly premium
	£113.75
	£127.58
	£152.25
	£209.75
	£247.08
	£270.14
	£289.66
	£291.25
	£300.75
	£309.08

What are the best classic cars insurance?

Insurance for classic cars is a specialised area and the best classic car insurance quotes will come from specialists who understand the market.

Find out main classic car insurers of the market as well as a short review on each:

Insurance provider	Our comment
	Competitive prices and a good level of cover Charge a £70 arrangement fee
	Competitive and friendly Classic car insurance criteria include many quite modern classics and sports cars
	Specialist insurer with staff who actually drive vintage cars and ride classic bikes Generally require classic cars to be over 20 years old
	One of the best insurers for the older historic vehicle Offers European touring cover as well as Private Client Service for owners of £250,000-plus cars
	Mainstream insurance provider that also offers classic car insurance for cars made between 1951 and 1990 Covers competitive motorsport use as well as regular driving
	One of the biggest generalist car insurers Also offers classic car policies for cars between 30 and 70 years old, and worth £1,000 to £25,000 Good opportunity for owners of 'budget' classics like the 2CV and Beetle
	Another big insurer with a classic policy Policy is not available if your car is a daily driver or for named drivers under 30

What are the best temporary car insurances?

Let’s begin with a short term car insurance comparison of some of the best short term car insurance companies that can allow you to insure car for a day and some of their features:

Provider	Cover duration	Standard excess	Age limit	Exclusions	Our comment
	1 day to 28 days	£250	19 to 75 years	Hired vehicles Modified cars Vehicle must not be impounded	Very trustworthy insurance specialist Flexible temporary cover Possibility to add up to 2 additional driver to your plan
	1 day to 28 days	£250	19 to 75 years	Speed testing or trials Using vehicle for competition Using vehicle to carry load or passengers for a fee Cars with a value above £45,000	Specialist provider for short term covers Stringent list of eligibility terms
	1 hour to 30 days cover	£250	19 to 75 years limit	Damage due to ageing or gradual deterioration Damage to tyres Vehicle use for other purposes other than intended use	Flexible cover with a comprehensive package as standard No temporary cover for hired or rented cars
	1 hour to 28 days	Varies	19-65 years old	Changing the intended use of the car Using car for competition or rallies Changing cars to a car that cannot be covered Car driven by driver not named on policy	Very digital oriented specialist for short term car insurance Does not include for free any optional extras
	1 day to 28 days	£250 or £500	18-75 year	Modified vehicles Using vehicle to carry passengers commercially Used for carrying goods for reward	Offers flexible temporary cover Only available for those who have been residing in the UK for at least 12 months
	7 days to 24 weeks	£350	17-65 old	Failure to update insurer about important changes in information Car used in a race or rally	Specialist insurance provider with temporary cover only for learner drivers
	1 hour to 30 days	£250	18 to 75 years old	Car driven to hazardous location Car used to carry hazardous goods Car used for commercial purpose or any other purpose not mentioned in policy Incidence leading to a claim is covered by another policy	Very famous provider in the UK Does not offer temporary cover for learner drivers though
	1 hour to 30 days	£250	17 to 85 years old	Damage due to wear and tear Driving without a license Incorrect and unauthorized used Intentional damage Misfuelling	Veygo is the temporary cover from Admiral Made for people with no car Very flexible Complete with a 100% online subscription
	1 day to 84 days	£250	19 and 75 years old	Does not cover damage if car is impounded or confiscated Participation in races or rallies Damage due to wear and tear	Covers learner drivers that are 17 years and above
	1 hour to 28 days	£250	19 to 75 years old	Glass damage Damage due to deterioration Driven by someone with no current license to drive your vehicle	Offers a comprehensive package as the standard offer for its temporary cover
	1 day to 28 days	Varies	17 to 75 years	Car changed while policy is still on Failure to supply correct documentation Using the vehicle to carry passengers for payment	Insurance broker company that offers a wide range of products Limited third party EU cover as standard Policy starts instantly

What are the best senior car insurances?

The following table compares the best third party only policies offered by some of the most popular providers:

Insurance companies	Annual premiums for 41-60 years old
	£647.36
	£719.04
	£721.28
	£724.64
	£1,279.03
	£1,652.47