Admiral vs Direct Line: Compare Car Insurance
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Is Admiral or Direct Line the better car insurance company for you? This in-depth, feature-by-feature breakdown will help you select the best car insurance for you and your wallet.
The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.
According to the NimbleFins 2024 market study, Admiral and Direct Line are two of the largest car insurance companies in the UK (Admiral #1 and U K Insurance/Direct Line Group a close #2) and have products that consistently rank in the top 5 cheapest car insurance deals. But how do their products compare on features? The NimbleFins car insurance experts have scoured their policy wordings to compare each company's comprehensive car insurance offering to help readers trying to decide which might be the superior product for their needs.
Quick Overview: Admiral vs. Direct Line Car insurance
Both Admiral and Direct Line now offer a range of car insurance products, which means you can probably find a suitable policy with one or the other company. Admiral now has four tiers of comprehensive cover: Admiral Essential, the standard Admiral policy, Admiral Gold and Admiral Platinum. Direct Line has three tiers: Essentials, their standard Direct Line policy and Plus.
Below we recap some of the best features of each, as well as what's missing. Our quick takeaway shows that Direct Line provides marginally better cover for features but they nearly score identically in our product comparison (also illustrated by the fact that they ranked one after the other in our list of best car insurance companies UK).
What we like about Admiral
Admiral, rated 4 out of 5 stars by our editors, is superior to Direct Line for the following notable reasons:
- Same EU cover (90 days included as standard on all but Essential plan)
- Repairs guaranteed for as long as you own the vehicle (parts guaranteed under manufacturer's warranty)
- Manufacturer equipment is covered in full; aftermarket equipment covered up to £1,250 (max market value of your vehicle)
What we like about Direct Line
Direct Line, rated 4 by our editors, is superior to Admiral for the following reasons:
- Courtesy car (for their standard and Plus policies, you get a courtesy car for total loss or theft, as well as for repairs, included as standard)
- Courtesy car for repairs even if you don't use an approved repairer (standard and Plus tiers)
- Higher personal belongings cover
- Higher max key cover (up to £1,000 vs up to £500 for Admiral)
- Lower cancellation fees
Here's a quick, high level comparison of how Admiral and Direct Line compare on cost, features, customer service access and customer ratings.
| Car Insurance Comparison | Admiral | Direct Line |
|---|---|---|
Cost | Cheaper for our sample driver | More expensive for our sample driver |
Superior Features |
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Customer Service Access | Webchat and phones lines open 7 days a week, including bank holidays | Webchat and phones lines open 7 days a week, excluding bank holidays |
Customer Ratings |
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| Read NimbleFins' Admiral Review | Read NimbleFins' Direct Line Review |
Admiral vs Direct Line Overall Review
As will be a theme throughout this comparison, the standard (as in, basic tier) Admiral and Direct Line comprehensive plans go toe to toe in many ways. With only a couple of features setting them apart.
We see the most major differences with the courtesy car in case of total loss or theft (Direct Line includes this as standard, with Admiral you have to pay extra for the Hire Vehicle add on to get this), same EU cover (Admiral includes this for 90 days, but to get it with Direct Line you have to pay extra) and alternative transport/hotel after an accident that leaves your car un-drivable (Direct Line offers this as standard, Admiral does not). Also, Direct Line offers a courtesy car for repairs as standard even if you don't use an approved repairer (but Admiral does not).
There are also some minor differences to do with belongings limits, key cover and cancellation fees.
To recap, Admiral shines with the same EU cover for 90 days included as standard, repairs guaranteed for as long as you own the vehicle (parts guaranteed under manufacturer's warranty), and slightly higher cover for aftermarket electronic equipment like satnavs and audio equipment.
But Direct Line pick up the pieces by offering a courtesy car in the case of total loss or theft of your vehicle as standard, alternative transport and accommodation after an accident, higher limits for belongings and keys and slightly lower cancellation fees.
Note, they also each offer a more premium comprehensive offerings (Admiral Gold and Platinum, and Direct Line Plus), as well as cheaper tiers (Admiral Essential and Direct Line Essentials), which we do not discuss directly here. If you'd like us to compare those as well, please let us know in the comments section below.
Find full details and more in the table below for their standard comprehensive plans.
| How Do They Compare? | Admiral Comprehensive Coverage | Direct Line Comprehensive Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| "Must Have" Features | ||
Windscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Belongings | Up to £200 | Up to £250 |
|
Keys | Up to £500, as long as not lost/stolen from your vehicle | Covered for damaged, lost or stolen keys up to £1,000. Stolen keys must be reported to police. |
| Car recovery after accident | Included | Included |
| Courtesy car (repairs) | Included, if you use an approved repairer | Included for duration of repairs with approved repairer, else up to 21 days |
| Repairs guaranteed (if use approved repairer) | Repairs guaranteed for as long as you own the vehicle (parts guaranteed under manufacturer's warranty) | 5 years |
| "Should Have" Features | ||
New car replacement | Theft or if cost to repair more than 59% of list price; cars up to 12 months old | If damage repair will cost more than 60% of the value of the car at the time |
| Stereo and satellite nav | Manufacturer equipment is covered in full; aftermarket equipment covered up to £1,250 (max market value of your vehicle) | Unlimited cover for equipment part of original car spec, up to £1,000 otherwise |
| Alternative transport & Hotel after accident | Not included | Included |
| 24-hour emergency helpline | Included | Included |
| Courtesy car (total loss or theft) | If you buy the add on | Included (up to 21 days) |
| Motor legal expenses | If you buy the add on | If you buy the add on |
| Breakdown cover | If you buy the add on | If you buy the add on |
| "Could Have" Features | ||
Same cover in EU | Up to 90 days (can buy extension for longer trips) | Up to 90 days, if you pay an extra premium |
| Child car seat replacement after accident, theft, fire | Included | Included |
| Larger/premium courtesy car | Not available | If you buy the "Guaranteed Hire Car Plus" add on (unlimited for repairs with approved repairer; else up to 21 days) |
| Uninsured driver NCD protection | Included | Included |
| Cancellation fee | £25 cancellation fee during cooling off period if cover has not started; otherwise £60 | £48.16 after cooling off period; no extra fee during 14-day cooling off period and no fee for mid-term admin changes |
What we don't like about Admiral
Admiral lacks coverage for the following features:
- No courtesy car for total loss or theft unless you buy the Hire Vehicle add on
- No courtesy car for repairs as standard if you don't use an approved repairer
- Less cover for alternative transport or accommodation after an accident, personal belongings and keys
What we don't like about Direct Line
Direct Line provides worse coverage for the following features:
- Have to pay extra to get same cover in EU
- Slightly lower aftermarket audio/electronic equipment cover
- Workmanship warranty is not quite as strong (5 years vs lifetime)
- No cover for key loss on Essentials
Admiral vs Direct Line Cost Comparison
The table below compares another aspect of car insurance we all care about: the cost of the insurance.
It appears that Admiral's comprehensive policy is noticeably cheaper than Direct Line. This makes sense given Admiral's standard comprehensive plan offers fewer features than Direct Line's standard offering.
However, as we always say, quotes are very case sensitive and you must get your own quotes before making any decisions.
| What Policy? | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Admiral Comprehensive | £543.20 | £48.60 (11 payments, £48.73 deposit) |
| Admiral Third Party, Fire and Theft | £424.48 | £37.98 (11 payments, £38.05 deposit) |
| Direct Line Comprehensive | £891.74 | £81.74 (10 payments, £148.64 deposit) |
| Direct Line Comp Plus | £703.92 | £64.52 (10 payments, £117.32 deposit) |
| Direct Line Motor Legal | £28.00 | £2.58 |
| Direct Line Guaranteed Hire Car Plus | £20.16 | £1.86 |
Above are the sample quotes for our driver, a 45-year-old male driving a 2017 Ford Fiesta, 5,000 miles a year. He parks at home. He has been driving for 20 years and has 5 years of no claims. Car insurance quotes are extremely sensitive and very case specific. For example, car insurance costs vary by age quite significantly. However, as we always say, quotes are very case sensitive and you must get your own quotes before making any decisions.
Admiral vs Direct Line Reviews and Ratings Compared
It is always good to observe customer reviews as it shows how their clients are enjoying (or not enjoying) their service.
Below, you'll see that Direct Line have a lower Trustpilot rating and a slightly worse FOS Complaint Ratio, indicating Admiral customers may have a better experience.
| Review Site | Admiral Ratings | Direct Line Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 4.5 out of 5 | 3.8 out of 5 |
| FOS Complaint Ratio | 4.07 | 4.5 |
Admiral vs Direct Line Cancellation Fees Compared
No one wants to cancel their car insurance — it normally means something bad has happened — but, unfortunately, you may have to. If that is the case, keeping cancellation fees in mind is important.
Looking at the table below, you'll see that Direct Line applies no fee when canceling during the cooling-off period but £48.16 after that period. Admiral will give you a full refund during the cooling-off period and refund you based on the amount of coverage you have received after that -off period.
Mid-term changes are adjustments such as an address or registration plate change. This is more common than you think. Admiral will change between £9.50 to £65, while Direct Line will not charge a penny.
| When Are You Cancelling | Admiral | Direct Line |
|---|---|---|
| During cooling off | £25 | £0 |
| After cooling off period | £60 | £48.16 |
| Mid-term admin changes | £25 | £0 |
Important Phone Numbers
Admiral and Direct Line have fairly similar opening times. Direct Line are open for two hours longer Monday to Friday and half-hour longer on Sundays than Admiral. However, they are not open on bank holidays, like Admiral.
Admiral and Direct Line's webchat opening hours are extremely similar. Admiral's webchat opens earlier than Direct Line's webchat, every day of the week. If you're an early bird, this might be something to keep in mind.
| Opening Hours | Admiral | Direct Line |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Service (Mon-Fri) | 8am-7pm | 8am - 9pm |
| Customer Service (Sat) | 9am-5pm | 9am-5pm |
| Customer Service (Sun) | 9:30am-4pm | 10am-5pm |
| Customer Service (Bank Holiday) | 9:30am-4pm | Closed |
| Webchat (Mon-Fri) | 7am-10:45pm | 8am-11pm |
| Webchat (Sat) | 8am-7:45pm | 9am-9pm |
| Webchat (Sun) | 8am-7:45pm | 10am-9pm |
| Emergency Hotline | 24-hour | 24-hour |
Admiral Contact Numbers
| Admiral Contact Numbers | |
|---|---|
| Customer Service (UK) | 0333 220 2000 |
| Renewals | 0333 222 6715 |
| Claims (in UK) | 0333 220 2033 |
| 24 Hour Helplines | |
| Windscreen Claims | 0333 220 2025 |
| Accident recovery | 0800 600 840 |
Contact Numbers for Direct Line
| Direct Line Insurance Contact Numbers | |
|---|---|
| New quotes or general enquiries | 0345 246 3761 |
| Claims | 0345 303 1714246 8471 |
| Help completing online quotes | 0345 835 3500 |
| 24 Hour Helplines | |
| Accident recovery | 0800 269 015 |
Policy Documents
More information about Admiral car insurance policies can be found by reading their policy documents.
To read about the full details of a Direct Line policy, including what's covered and exclusions, read through the Direct Line car insurance policy documents here.