Compare Cheap Car Insurance

- January 13, 2025

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List of 10 Best-Rated Cheap UK Car Insurance Companies

Our NimbleFins car insurance experts have developed a new data-driven scoring system for car insurance. And it's based on... a romantic relationship? Indeed! Insurance is not so different from romance. Whether you're looking for insurance or a partner, you ideally want good features, easy communication, support in tough times, financial stability, popularity with your friends and family, and even some hope that a break up (if necessary) won't be a nightmare if you decide to move on.

With this in mind, our NimbleFins car insurance experts have dug into FCA filings, policy wordings, and customer reviews, then developed a new, data-driven car insurance scorecard (read more about it below) and used this to rank 10 large UK insurance providers—ensuring you receive information you can trust. Who's the best at communication, ticking all the boxes, and breaking up? Find out here!

RankCompanyBasicsDreamFlexibilityBreakupCommunicationSupportPopularityFinancialOverall
1LV=101026.599.56.35.27.39
2Aviva7.5105.53.87.67.57.59.17.35
3Admiral57.544.87.55.5109.57.02
4Direct Line57.576.58.567.56.86.96
5NFU Mutual105464.8859.36.34
61st Central57.537.898.53.83.86.08
7Hastings2.57.584.54.93.57.595.9
8AXA57.555.86.856.33.95.73
9Ageas5553.86.59.53.86.95.72
10Allianz7.57.544.51858.95.59

When is the best time to buy the cheapest car insurance?

According to an analysis by NimbleFins car insurance experts, the time to get the cheapest car insurance is ~3 weeks before cover starts. The data showed that buying car insurance early can save you up to 50% or more. This NimbleFins research is supported by commentary from Martin Lewis, who said on ITV1's 4 April 2024 Tonight program (for which NimbleFins provided research):

"The perfect time to get car insurance is 23 days before your renewal. That is (the time) for going onto comparison sites to get different quotes. You may pay nearly double if you wait to the last minute to get your car insurance."

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How much does car insurance cost?

The average cost of UK car insurance is around £600 per year, but prices vary widely depending on many factors, including the insurance company, type of cover (TPO, TPFT or Comprehensive), details of your car (age, make, model, trim level, value, etc.), driving record—and driver age.

For example, data in the table and chart below show how cheap car insurance quotes change according to the age of sample drivers of a used Ford. Drivers around 55 years old typically get the cheapest car insurance, according to NimbleFins analysis.

Average Cost of Cheap Comprehensive Car Insurance, by Driver Age
20 Years£851
25 Years£719
35 Years£639
45 Years£575
55 Years£468
65 Years£491
75 Years£752
chart showing how car insurance quotes depend on age
How Car Insurance Prices Change with Driver Age

How to get cheaper car insurance

As we discuss in more detail in our article, 10 Ways to Save Money on Car Insurance, there are loads of ways to help bring your rate down. The easiest tip is to get many cheap car insurance quotes before you buy, for instance through a comparison site like our car insurance partner QuoteZone.

  1. Type of Cover: If your car is very old and not worth much you might decide that a lower level of cover is sufficient for your needs, but generally speaking it's best to get comprehensive cover (and it usually doesn't cost that much more money anyway)
  2. Pick a car with a low insurance group rating: some cars cost 2X, 3X or more to insure versus other cars, so check a car's insurance group before buying (insurance groups are administered by Thatcham)
  3. Compare prices to get multiple quotes every year: head to a comparison site to make this easier
  4. Install a telematics black box tracker: especially for young drivers
  5. Increase the voluntary excess: as long as you're comfortable paying this excess if you claim
  6. Pay your premium upfront instead of monthly: paying monthly nearly always means you'll pay extra interest charges
  7. Don't automatically renew: generally speaking, insurance companies don't reward loyalty so be sure to check prices for a brand new policy from your current insurer—if it's less, negotiate
  8. Avoid business driving: Business use car insurance nearly always costs more than social, domestic, pleasure, and commuting driving
  9. Multi car insurance: If there's more than one vehicle in your household, you could save 15% or more with a multi-car policy. With some insurance providers you can even put different types of vehicle on one policy (e.g., a family fleet policy can cover cars, motorbikes, vans and more).
  10. Don't get in an accident: building up your no claims bonus can save you 50% or more
  11. Don't get extra cover you don't need: think carefully before you add extra add on features to decide if you really need them

What's the best car insurance comparison site?

There are 5 main car insurance comparison search engines in the UK (listed alphabetically): Compare the Market, Confused, Go Compare, Moneysupermarket and QuoteZone (who NimbleFins has partnered with for car insurance comparison). But which is the best?

To help figure that out we gathered the latest customer rating data from Trustpilot and Reviews.co.uk. Here's what we found:

Best Car Insurance Comparison SitesTrustpilot ScoreReviews.io RatingWeighted Average (based on the number of reviews)
1Compare the Market4.84.24.80
2Moneysupermarket4.83.34.79
3QuoteZone4.74.84.75
4Go Compare4.74.64.62
5Confused4.34.54.49

According to the publicly available data, Compare the Market has the best overall customer reviews, barely beating out our partner QuoteZone by only 0.04 of a point. Both companies have an average customer rating of ~4.8 stars out of 5. A strong rating can be a sign that a comparison site offers cheap prices to save customers money, is easy to use and displays clear and easy-to-understand information. You can get quotes with QuoteZone through our interface here.

Moneysupermarket ranked second, with Go Compare and Confused coming in fourth and fifth, respectively.

To see which car insurance companies are in each of the panels, read more in our article What's the best car insurance comparison site?

FAQs

While there is no cheapest car insurance company for everyone, these companies tend to offer lower prices than their competitors: AXA, Admiral (including Diamond and Elephant), Aviva (Quotemehappy), the Direct Line Group (Privilege and Churchill). To see how these companies compare in terms of customer service, customer ratings and features, see our comparison here.

Among the more affordable car insurance brands in the market, LV= ranked as the best rated in our study of the best cheap car insurance brands, due to strong customer reviews (TrustPilot score of 4.7), a strong set of features and a solid Fairer Finance score of 63% (although this has dropped from 65% a few years ago).

There is no one cheapest car insurance comparison site for all people, so compare prices at a few sites before you buy. Get started with quotes from our car insurance comparison site partner QuoteZone to see if they have the cheapest deal for you.

Your insurance provider or broker should deliver the certificate of motor insurance to you within 4 days. They will either email it to you or make it available via a customer portal on their website. (They won't post it to you unless you ask, and there might be a charge for receiving it this way.)

Car insurance companies earn an average profit margin of around 16%, which means 84% of the money they earn from revenue sources like premiums, add ons and premium finance is used in running the business and paying out on insurance claims. The other 16% is profit.

It depends on the number of points and seriousness of the offences. Comparison sites and popular car insurance companies can be a good place to start if you have a minor offence and just a handful of points. However, if you have more points or a more serious offence (e.g. drink driving) then you might need to engage the services of a specialist broker.

How much do car insurance companies earn?

In the UK, car insurance companies earn an average profit margin of around 16% a year. This means that for every £100 of revenues, the company makes £16 of profit and has costs of £84.

However, earning vary from one company to the next, and from one year to the next. For example, in the latest full financial year Admiral earned £596.5 million of profits on £3,776 mililion of turnover (UK insurance), yielding a profit ratio of 16%. But that year, Direct Line had a loss of £251 million on their insurance business.

The overall figures reflect an average across all policies—money-making policies (e.g., with no claims or small claims) and money-losing policies (e.g., policies with large claims). Interestingly, the core underwriting businesses tend to be money losers. Insurers turn a profit thanks to selling add-ons like breakdown cover, charging fees and selling premium finance (lending policyholders money to enable monthly payments).

Reviews of Top 10 Best, Cheap Car Insurance Companies

When comparing car insurance companies, are you looking for the cheapest quotes, easy-to-access customer service, the most features, or something else? Check out how popular UK car insurance brands like Admiral, Direct Line/Churchill, Allianz, Aviva and AXA compare using the new data-driven NimbleFins Scoring System. While no single insurance provider is the cheapest or best for everyone, some companies stand out for their combination of features. Use this information to help you decide which might be best for you.

1. LV=

LV=

Overall Score: 7.39

Tested With NimbleFins Scoring System

10
Basics
10
Dream
2
Flexibility
6.5
Breakup
9
Communication
9.5
Support
6.3
Popularity
5.2
Financial


In a detailed analysis conducted in 2024, the NimbleFins Scoring System found that LV= is the best overall car insurance company. LV= ranked particularly well in the basics and dream categories in which they scored 10 out of 10 because they offer a solid set of policy features, such as windscreen cover, higher personal accident cover, solid belongings cover (£300), long EU stays (180 days), a lifetime repair guarantee, misfueling cover, vandalism no claims protection, higher cover for accommodation or transport after an accident (up to £500) and more.

LV= also had the highest score of 9.0 for communication (tied with First Central) because of long phone and webchat customer service opening hours (26 hours per week), because you can speak with a human right off the bat on their webchat (instead of suffering through a chatbot) and because the opening hours and phone numbers are easy to find on their website.

LV= also scored the highest in terms of support, by offering a 24/7 claims line, solid cover for accommodation/transport after an accident and lower levels of claims complaints.

The company didn't perform as well in the flexibility category, because motorists have less ability to customise their cover (e.g. choosing a bare bones policy if they prefer, in order to lower their premium) and also in the finance category, primarily because premium costs were on the higher side for our sample driver and the company's solvency ratio (from their Solvency and Financial Condition Report) is somewhat low compared to other insurers.

Quick Takeaway: LV= is usually moderately priced, so those looking for the cheapest premium are likely to find a more suitable plan elsewhere. But LV is a solid choice for those looking for good features, communication and support, who don't mind paying a bit more for this. Read our in-depth review here.

2. Aviva

Aviva

Overall Score: 7.35

Tested With NimbleFins Scoring System

7.5
Basics
10
Dream
5.5
Flexibility
3.8
Breakup
7.6
Communication
7.5
Support
7.5
Popularity
9.1
Financial


Aviva scored a mere 0.04 points behind LV= in the NimbleFins Scoring System for car insurance, ranking a solid #2. Like LV=, Aviva is particularly strong in features, especially when you buy all of the add ons (the dream score). And they offer high cover for keys up to the vehicle value (this could be useful given the high cost of replacing lost or stolen keys) and unlimited days in the EU and essentially unlimited cover (up to vehicle value) for audio equipment. Plus you can get the highest personal accident cover with Aviva, which is optional. Their basic score is a bit lower than LV='s, partly because a courtesy car for repairs is not included as standard (but you can get it as an optional add on).

The category in which Aviva is the weakest is breakup, primarily because there is only one way to cancel your car insurance (you fill in a form online)—instead of being able to call or do via webchat if you'd like a human to walk you through it.

Aviva scores well for popularity, now the 3rd largest motor insurance company in the UK, and you may recognise some of their 'budget' brands from the comparison sites. Depending on where you live, you may see their Quotemehappy.com (including the new 'Essentials' line) or General Accident brands with some of the cheapest rates on offer on PCWs. Aviva also support customers struggling with the high cost of living, e.g. by offering payment deferrals and lower cost, no-frills general insurance products.

Aviva won the Customer Care Award at the 2023 British Insurance Awards. Customer service satisfaction is high, with more than 50% of personal lines direct customers holding more than one general insurance product with Aviva.

Aviva has recently invested heavily in digital and claims management, enabling UK motor customers to start and complete their claims online with no underwriter touch points. Customers seem happy with online claims processing, as 80% book their car repairs online. The Aviva Zero motor proposition offers customers the opportunity to offset car emissions and has sold over 500,000 policies since launch in 2022.

Quick Takeaway: Depending on where you live, an Aviva-branded policy might be quite competitive. However if you’ve had an accident in the past 5 years, our tests indicate you may receive a less favorable price from Aviva than you'd find elsewhere. Read our review.

3. Admiral

Admiral

Overall Score: 7.02

Tested With NimbleFins Scoring System

5
Basics
7.5
Dream
4
Flexibility
4.8
Breakup
7.5
Communication
5.5
Support
10
Popularity
9.5
Financial


Admiral ranked #3 in the NimbleFins Scoring System for car insurance, with particularly strong showings in the popularity and financial categories. Admiral is the most popular car insurance company in the UK, having written the highest level of premiums for every year we've tracked this metric. And the company also has the highest Trustscore of the companies we've studied here, at 4.5 out of 5 stars (tied with Allianz). Perhaps these two metrics go hand in hand—when customers are happy and rate a company well, sales will naturally be higher. Especially if the price is right...

Admiral's strong performance in the financial category is due to consistently offering really competitive premiums in our test scenarios.

In the basic category, Admiral doesn't do quite as well (e.g. their lowest Essential tier doesn't cover windscreens, keys, driving others cars, the same cover in the EU, personal belongings, etc.), but we don't mind this too much—this really stripped back policy might suit those who prioritise paying a low premium for comprehensive cover. Their dream score is not as high as LV= and Aviva because you can't get a few niche features at Admiral, such as mis-fueling cover and vandalism no claims protection. But that's unlikely to affect most motorists.

The Admiral Group sells policies through their Admiral, Bell, Diamond, elephant.co.uk and Gladiator brands. Admiral also writes the car insurance for Ford-branded car insurance. Technically speaking, Admiral is the trading name of EUI Limited.

Top tip: One of Admiral's stated corporate goals is to increase customer retention, which is good to know if your policy is up for renewal.

Quick Takeaway: Admiral remains the most popular car insurance company in the UK, with policies that are usually quite quick and easy to arrange online for a good price. Their brands can be found on most price comparison sites, such as our partner QuoteZone. Read our review.

4. Direct Line

Direct Line

Overall Score: 6.96

Tested With NimbleFins Scoring System

5
Basics
7.5
Dream
7
Flexibility
6.5
Breakup
8.5
Communication
6
Support
7.5
Popularity
6.8
Financial


Ranking #4 in the NimbleFins Scoring System for car insurance, Direct Line showed strong, consistent performance across the board. With a relatively new Essentials tier, motorists now have more choice and flexibility to design cover that suits their needs. Those looking for core comprehensive cover can opt for that lowest tier of cover, which does well at the basics, including features such as a courtesy car and windscreen cover, and those looking for niche features like mis-fueling can get more dream features with the higher tier offerings and add ons.

Direct Line scored really well in the communication category, because they have the most customer service open hours per week—28 hours for phone lines and 33 hours for webchat each week. Plus their open hours and phone number are easy to find on their website (this is not always the case with other insurers).

The Direct Line Group sells Direct Line car insurance directly to customers—you won't find the 'Direct Line' brand on comparison sites, but you will find The Direct Line Group's Churchill, Darwin and Privilege motor insurance brands on comparison sites. (That said, the company is apparently mulling whether or not they should put the Direct Line brand on PCWs and will announce their decision at their investor Capital Markets Day in 2024!)

A bit over one third of the group's motor insurance sales are through the Direct Line brand (38%), another 39% is via their 'budget' brands in the PCW channel and 23% through partnerships. Broadly speaking, the main 'Direct Line' brand does offer slightly better features, such as a courtesy car in event of theft or total loss (not just repairs after an accident), as well as cheaper admin and cancellation fees, compared to the PCW brands.

Quick Takeaway: Direct Line has made a name as the insurance company that is not available on comparison sites (although this could change in 2024!), but if you're looking to save more money on your premium then their Churchill, Darwin or Privilege brands might offer even lower rates through price comparison websites. Read our review.

5. NFU Mutual

NFU Mutual

Overall Score: 6.34

Tested With NimbleFins Scoring System

10
Basics
5
Dream
4
Flexibility
6
Breakup
4.8
Communication
8
Support
5
Popularity
9.3
Financial


NFU Mutual may not be a name you're familiar with, because they don't have a big online presence, but their solid scores in a few categories have earned them the 5th spot in the NimbleFins Scoring System for car insurance. Most notable is NFU Mutual's strength in the following categories: basic (e.g. their core cover that gives all policyholders a solid set of features), support (e.g. a low 0-5% of claims complaints as a % of claims) and financial (e.g. our sample quote that was surprisingly competitive; a strong solvency ratio indicating financial health of the company).

One important point of note is that you cannot get a quote from NFU Mutual online—only over the phone. This may be a drawback or a strength for you. We tested out getting a quote from NFU Mutual and were assisted by a very kind and helpful woman who walked us through our quote. It took a lot longer than getting an online quote—24 minutes in total, and we didn't ask a lot of questions so it could take a lot longer if you do have questions. That said, the woman made a suggestion that helped reduce the premium by over £100, and anyone looking for a human touch and some guidance might really like dealing with NFU Mutual.

Because of the lack of online provision (e.g. webchat, an app, an online account), and because their phone opening hours are on the short side, NFU Mutual performed less impressively in the communication category.

Quick takeaway: NFU Mutual can be a good option to consider for those who are looking for solid cover and helpful service, but who aren't in a rush and don't mind the lack on online account or quotes. Read our in-depth review here.

6. 1st Central

1st Central

Overall Score: 6.08

Tested With NimbleFins Scoring System

5
Basics
7.5
Dream
3
Flexibility
7.8
Breakup
9
Communication
8.5
Support
3.8
Popularity
3.8
Financial


Ranking #6 in the NimbleFins Scoring System, 1st Central is a touch less consistent across the categories than the higher-ranked companies, but they show some real strengths. Particularly in the communication and support categories.

In terms of communication, where they scored 9 out of 10, it's pretty easy to get a hold of 1st Central, with long opening hours (24 hours each week, including 4 hours on Sundays) for both phone lines and webchat. Also, their webchat connects you with a human right away (without needing to suffer through a chatbot first). And their opening hours and number are easy to find on their website.

In terms of support, where they scored 8.5 out of 10, policyholders can benefit from a 24/7 claims line and cover for transportation and/or accommodation that is top notch (up to £500). Plus, they have a low 0-5% claims complaint rate.

1st Central scores less impressively in the features categories of basic and dream because their lowest tier of cover doesn't include windscreen cover, personal accident, belongings, after-market audio equipment, an uninsured driver guarantee, and more. But these features are available if you step up in tier. But without features like mis-fueling, higher personal belongings cover and a lifetime repair guarantee, they fall short on the dream score as well.

Surprisingly to us, they were not as competitive with their quote for our sample driver, but the excess was nice and low, so it's always worth checking the quotes for yourself. Also, note the £50 arrangement fee, which is non-refundable. This contributed to a weaker score in the financial category.

Quick Takeaway: Given the strong communication and support ratings, it's worth checking prices with 1st Central, which you can do with a comparison site like our partner QuoteZone. Or read our ind-depth review of 1st Central car insurance.

7. Hastings Direct

Hastings

Overall Score: 5.9

Tested With NimbleFins Scoring System

2.5
Basics
7.5
Dream
8
Flexibility
4.5
Breakup
4.9
Communication
3.5
Support
7.5
Popularity
9
Financial


Ranking #7 in the NimbleFins Scoring System for car insurance, Hastings Direct offer three different policy types, so you can choose the car insurance that’s right for you. Their lowest tier is pretty stripped back, however, yielding a low 2.5 out of 10 score for our basic feature category. For example, their lowest tier doesn't include cover for hotel/transport after an accident, windscreen cover, personal accident cover, and more. This policy provided for pretty inexpensive rates for comprehensive cover for our sample driver, however, contributing to a strong 9.0 out of 10 score for the financial category.

Their higher tier Direct and Premier policies are more highly rated for features, contributing to a better dream category score, and include:

  • Courtesy car
  • Windscreen cover
  • 24/7 claims helpline
  • 90 days of EU cover
  • Driving other cars
  • Vandalism promise
  • Uninsured driver promise
  • Personal accident cover
  • Personal belongings cover

But even these higher tiers don't provide a lifetime guarantee on repairs and their cover for transport/accommodation after an accident is on the low side (max £250). And their after-market audio cover is a bit low (max £300).

But they also offer a range of optional extras, such as enhanced personal accident cover, breakdown, motor legal expenses and key protection (costs for these vary but can be around £20 for legal and £35 for breakdown, for example).

Finally, we like that Hastings Direct pride themselves on simple and straightforward insurance. This shows in their policy documents, which we think are easier to understand than some other providers in the market.

Quick Takeaway: If you're after good quality, affordable car insurance and don't need all of the niche features/highest coverage levels, then Hastings Direct is definitely a company to consider. Read our review.

8. AXA

AXA

Overall Score: 5.73

Tested With NimbleFins Scoring System

5
Basics
7.5
Dream
5
Flexibility
5.8
Breakup
6.8
Communication
5
Support
6.3
Popularity
3.9
Financial


AXA earned the #8 spot in the NimbleFins Scoring System v1.0 in June 2024, with consistent performance across the categories, with no real positive or negative stand out categories to report.

In the financial category, we were a bit surprised by the relatively higher quote and higher excess, compared to many of the other companies. For example, AXA was £300 more expensive than Admiral and while their policies differ, we would have expected their premiums to be closer in cost.

In the support category, AXA shows some weakness with a higher proportion of claims complaints as a proportion of accounts. And their cancellation fees are on the higher side, contributing to a lower breakup score.

But they sell a lot of policies in the UK and report a strong Trustscore, contributing to a good popularity score.

AXA is one of the largest car insurance companies in the UK. They sell policies under their own brand and for brands owned by them, like Swiftcover, and they also underwrite policies for a number of other brands such as mypolicy.co.uk. So if you have bought car insurance from a brand that doesn't underwrite their own policies, the odds are high that your cover ultimately lies with AXA.

A lot of features are optional/available for upgrade with AXA, helping their flexibility score—so be sure to notice what you're signing up for. But the company has some of the best personal belongings cover (up to £1,500 is available!).

Quick Takeaway: AXA offers customers the standard coverage and discounts that you’d expect from a large international insurance company, and their prices can be very competitive for some drivers. They can be found on most price comparison sites, including our partner QuoteZone. Read our review.

9. Ageas

Ageas

Overall Score: 5.72

Tested With NimbleFins Scoring System

5
Basics
5
Dream
5
Flexibility
3.8
Breakup
6.5
Communication
9.5
Support
3.8
Popularity
6.9
Financial


Ageas ranked #9 overall, but it's certainly worth mentioning their very high performance in the support category (9.5 out of 10, tied with LV=). Why? The company receives a low 0 - 5% of complaints on claims, and a low proportion of claims complaints as a proportion of accounts as well. Plus, their provision for accommodation/transport after an accident (up to £400) is close to the highest available amongst the companies we studied (£500).

Their policy features are less exciting, with scores of 5.0 out 10 for basic and dream categories, because their cheapest cover doesn't include features like windscreen cover, key cover, personal belongings, etc. And you're not able to get niche features like mis-fueling or higher levels of cover for personal belongings, after-market audio equipment, personal accident or keys.

Quick takeaway: Ageas doesn't have any glaring shortcomings, so one to consider for sure if the price is right and you're happy with the features offered. Read our review.

10. Allianz

Allianz

Overall Score: 5.59

Tested With NimbleFins Scoring System

7.5
Basics
7.5
Dream
4
Flexibility
4.5
Breakup
1
Communication
8
Support
5
Popularity
8.9
Financial


Allianz is a really big German multinational company with 88 million customers in more than 70 countries, who deliver a wide range of insurance and asset management products. In the UK, Allianz has recently rebranded (from Flow) to just 'Allianz'. They offer one tier of car insurance, but it has lots of great features (giving them a solid 7.5 out of 10 for the basics category) and some add-ons are available as well, such as legal cover and misfuelling cover. In fact, checking the text of their policy wording for the misfuelling cover gives a good indication of the thoroughness of their cover. Some companies that 'cover' misfuelling only cover damage, not draining, but (like LV=), Allianz says they will:

"... pay to drain and flush it and fix any engine damage."

They also include higher levels of key cover, windscreen cover, a courtesy car for covered repairs, a lifetime workmanship warranty for repairs, driving other cars, new car replacement, onward travel/hotel cover and more.

They ranked only 11th in terms of gross premiums written last year, but their popularity score is brought up by really strong customer ratings on Trustpilot (4.5 out of 5).

One potential issue is that Alliaz is online only, which brings down their communication score to a mere 1.0 out of 10—customers cannot call customer service, nor is there a webchat function. That said, we want to mention that we emailed their customer service with a question about their cover and they responded within an hour, which is nicely responsive, in our opinion.

Offsetting this low category score, they scored really well in the financial category, primarily because they have been offering really competitive premiums in our test cases.

Note, Allianz now owns LV=.

Quick takeaway: Allianz is a definite contender for those who don't mind an online-only company who are looking for a lower premium. Read our in-depth review of Allianz.

We are not recommending any one brand in particular and these brands are certainly not guaranteed to give you a cheap price and you may find cheaper or better, more suitable cover elsewhere. Please just use the information in this study to support you in learning about the market. Remember to shop around for car insurance, since some companies may be much more affordable than others for your profile. Choosing the best car insurance for your needs will depend on factors like price points and car insurance features you desire, such as breakdown, motor legal, windscreen, repair guarantees or courtesy car cover.

In addition to the insurance providers listed above, we also calculated figures for esure and Tesco Bank; their overall scores of 5.05 and 4.94, respectively, earned them #11 and #12 spots in the ranking.

NimbleFins Scoring System Explained

The NimbleFins Scoring System compares car insurance providers based on objective data. Our 8 scoring factors are equally weighted and our model is standardized, which helps make our reviews easier to understand. Our current scoring system is version 1.0.

Basics

Relationship speak
Do they provide the bare basics of what you'd look for in a partner?
Insurance speak
If you go for their cheapest policy, does it offer a good set of features?

Our 'basics' score reflects the core features included as standard on a provider's lowest tier of cover, without any add ons, and is based on 20 policy features including: courtesy car, windscreen cover, personal belongings, audio cover, EU cover, types of customer service access, repair guarantee, 24/7 claims line access and more. Some factors with varying levels of coverage are weighted accordingly, such as key cover, personal belongings, repair guarantee and audio cover.

Dream

Relationship speak
Do they offer all of the traits you've ever dreamed of in your prince or princess charming?
Insurance speak
If you want the highest coverage, can you get a fully loaded policy with many features?

Our 'dream package' score reflects the features included as standard on a provider's highest tier of cover, including optional add-ons, and is based on 20 policy features including: courtesy car, winscreen cover, personal belongings, audio cover, EU cover, types of customer service access, repair guarantee, 24/7 claims line access and more. Some factors with varying levels of coverage are weighted accordingly, such as key cover, personal belongings, repair guarantee and audio cover.

Flexibility

Relationship speak
Are they a flexible and adaptable partner who can cater to your specific needs?
Insurance speak
Can you customise your insurance policy to accommodate your needs? How costly is it to make a change?

Our 'flexibility' score reflects the ability to customise policy features and coverage to suit an individual's specific needs as well as the financial burden of making changes to a policy (i.e. admin fees). Customisability is weighted at 60% and admin fees are weighted at 40%.

Breakup

Relationship speak
How painful and costly would it be to break up?
Insurance speak
What are their cancellation fees, and how easy is it to cancel your policy - do you need to call or can you cancel online?

Our 'breakup' score assesses how difficult and costly it is to cancel your car insurance policy. Factors include cancellation fees and how many different ways a policyholder can cancel their policy (i.e. phone, account/app and/or webchat).

Communication

Relationship speak
Do you they pick up the phone when you call? Is it hard to find a time you're both available to talk?
Insurance speak
Do they have phone customer service, or is it online only? What are their customer service hours?

Our 'communication' score reflects how easy it is to reach customer service and is based on 6 factors including phone hours, webchat hours, easy of finding opening hours, ease of finding a phone number, and if you can reach a human on webchat without first suffering through a chatbot.

Support

Relationship speak
Will they come through when things go wrong? Are they available 24/7 if you have a problem? What are the odds they'll come through for you?
Insurance speak
Do they have a 24/7 claims line? What are their claims complaint stats?

Our 'support' score reflects the level of support in case of a road traffic accident, and is based on 5 metrics covering 24/7 claims lines, provision of cover for a hotel and/or transportation after an accident and claims complaints rates.

Popularity

Relationship speak
Do your friends and family like them?
Insurance speak
How do they rank in terms of popularity?

Our 'popularity' score reflects how UK motorists generally perceive a car insurance provider, and is based on two primary metrics, which are equally weighted: gross written premiums in the latest financial year and customer ratings from a popular customer review site.

Financial

Relationship speak
Are they financially stable? Are they good at managing their finances? Will they be able to contribute?
Insurance speak
How do premium and set-up costs compare? Is the company financial stable? How many claims complaints do they have?

Our 'financial' score assesses aspects of your financial relationship such as premium costs and the company's ability to cover claims (e.g. solvency ratios from Solvency and Financial Condition Reports). When gathering sample premiums to compare, we used a 50-year-old driver with a good driving history and a new 2024 Ford Puma.

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Methodology

In order to come up with a list of top picks for best and cheap UK car insurance, we first scoured rates from a number of comparison sites to find car insurance providers that were consistently among the cheapest for our sample profiles. Then we ranked companies on a combination of their TrustPilot or Reviews.io customer ratings, the features available (both on their most basic plan as well as their most premium offering, with all options included), and Fairer Finance scores to find which ones are best in terms of features and customer service. In each column (best basic policy, best all-in premium policy and best policy overall), we gave the best policy a score of 100%.

To come up with the data for our comparison charts, we gathered hundreds of quotes. We started with a 45-year-old driver of a five-year-old Ford Fiesta Zetec 999cc worth £7,000. The car is driven 6,800 miles each year and is parked on a private driveway. The driver has 10 years of no claims. Then we varied the quotes by age and driving history. We received quotes if the driver had had at fault accident one year ago, if they were caught speeding and got 3 points and a £100 fine one year ago, and for a drink driving 36 mg conviction, with no fine and 3 points.

We took prices from two major comparison sites for plans with comprehensive car insurance, including windscreen and courtesy car cover. This meant that we didn't always choose the cheapest offer from a particular company. For example, Admiral and Hastings both have an 'Essential' policy that is typically cheaper but doen't include windscreen cover as standard or an add-on feature, so we didn't use these quotes. Instead, we used quotes for the 'Admiral' and 'Hastings Direct' policies.

Please remember that any prices shown in this article are for educational use only are you are likely to receive different quotes. Car insurance rates are highly variable between one person and the next; and even one person might get different quotes from a company from one day to the next. Always compare prices before buying to see how the market is rating your risks at the time of purchase.

Note regarding savings figures: *For information on the latest saving figures, pay-less-than figures, and pay-from figures used for promotional purposes, please click here.

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