Best car insurance – 7 expert picks

Youi car insurance is the editor's pick for customer satisfaction because it's highly rated for: customer service, features and benefits, ease of application and value for money. 93% of Australians surveyed said they'd recommend Youi car insurance to a friend.

• 
  Pros and cons
  
  

  Pros:

  • Includes roadside assistance. It's the only car insurance provider out of 32 to do this.
  • Is willing to negotiate on price. Multiple Finder staff have called Youi and negotiated a cheaper car insurance policy than the one they were originally quoted.
  • Australian customers of Youi scored it 4.38/5 for customer satisfaction.
  • Winner of 12 out of the 22 categories in Finder's 2024 customer satisfaction awards. Yes, that many.

  Cons:

  • Youi roadside assistance only pays for the first 2 call-outs in a year.
  • You usually need to finalise your car insurance quote over the phone.
  • It can be more expensive than other insurers.

• 
  How Youi compares
  
  

  All comprehensive car insurance policies include cover for accidental damage, legal liability, theft and weather events. This table shows where policies often differ.

  Provider	Average cost	Roadside assistance	Personal items	Locks & keys replacement	New car replacement	Customer satisfaction rating
  Youi	$1,359	Included	Up to $750	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	4.38/5
  AAMI	$1,218	Optional	Up to $1,000	Optional	Yes - see PDS for limits	4.32/5
  NRMA	$1,043	Optional	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	N/A

  Our average pricing is based on research of 1,800+ quotes from 30 insurers in Australia across 60 customer profiles. See our methodology.

• 
  How customers rate Youi
  
  

  Customer service: 4.5/5
  ★★★★★

  Value for money: 4.25/5
  ★★★★★

  Features and benefits: 4.25/5
  ★★★★★

  Recommend to friend: 4.6/5
  ★★★★★

  Ease of application: 4.35/5
  ★★★★★

  Based on 385 customer reviews taken from the Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards.
  

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  Why we picked it
  
  

  It's an award winner

  Youi is the highest rated well known Australian car insurer by customers. It was voted by over 5,700 Australians as the best car insurer in the Finder Customer Satisfaction awards, scoring 4.38/5. We asked Australians across all major states (NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA) for their opinion about their current car insurer. Each customer rated the insurer out of 5 for:

  • Features and benefits
  • Customer service
  • Value for money
  • Ease of application

  We also looked at other popular review websites. Youi scored higher than any other large car insurer, including Budget Direct, NRMA, Allianz and AAMI. Additionally, Youi only received 208 complaints to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). By comparison, other very large insurers AAI Limited (AAMI), Insurance Australia Limited (NRMA), Allianz and QBE received much more – 2,231, 1,413, 575 and 412 respectively.

  Free roadside assistance

  Youi is the only insurer to automatically include roadside assistance when you take out a comprehensive car insurance policy. We could not find any other online insurer on the market that offered this benefit. You typically have to pay around $100 per year for roadside assistance cover.

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  See similar policies
  
  

  We've outlined the key features of a Youi policy and included policies with similar benefits. Keep in mind, this is a snapshot only and the full product can only be understood by reading the product disclosure statement.

  Provider	Roadside assistance	Personal items	Locks & keys	New car replacement	Average cost
  Youi	Included	Up to $750	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	$1,359
  Budget Direct	Optional	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	$992
  Virgin	Optional	$500	Yes	Yes - See PDS for limits	$1,057
  NRMA	Optional	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	$1,043
  Qantas	Optional	$750	Up to $1,500	Yes - see PDS for limits	$1,125

Budget Direct car insurance is our best value pick because it's one of the cheapest comprehensive car insurers for all age groups. Despite that, it doesn't cut corners with its coverage. It also has a better customer service record than its main competitors.

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  Pros and cons
  
  

  Pros:

  • It's cheap. The average policy costs $992 a year, according to our research – $371 less than average.
  • It doesn't compromise on cover. It's very similar to major insurers like NRMA, Allianz and AAMI.
  • High customer ratings. It scored highly in the Finder Customer Satisfaction awards (4.32/5) and on other popular review websites.

  Cons:

  • Budget Direct isn't the cheapest insurer. Bingle is cheaper – but it doesn't include as many benefits.
  • It has a $500 limit for stolen or damaged personal items. AAMI's is $1,000.
  • Its product disclosure statement (PDS) is split over 2 documents, creating unnecessary admin.

• 
  How Budget Direct compares
  
  

  All comprehensive car insurance policies include cover for accidental damage, legal liability, theft and weather events. The table below shows how Budget Direct stacks up against 2 other popular insurers.

  Provider	Average cost	Roadside assistance	Personal items	Locks & keys replacement	New car replacement	Customer satisfaction rating
  Budget Direct	$992	Optional	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	4.32/5
  AAMI	$1,218	Optional	Up to $1,000	Optional	Yes - see PDS for limits	4.32/5
  NRMA	$1,043	Optional	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	N/A

  Our average pricing is based on research of 1,800+ quotes from 30 insurers in Australia across 60 customer profiles.

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  How customers rate Budget Direct
  
  

  Customer service: 4.2/5
  ★★★★★

  Value for money: 4.1/5
  ★★★★★

  Features and benefits: 4.1/5
  ★★★★★

  Recommend to friend: 4.6/5
  ★★★★★

  Ease of application: 4.3/5
  ★★★★★

  Based on 398 customer reviews taken from the Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards.

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  Why we picked it
  
  

  It's an award winner

  Budget Direct won the 2024 Finder Car Insurance Award for best value. To determine our winners, we got 1,800 quotes for 30 eligible comprehensive car insurance policies based on 60 different customer profiles.

  Our experts then researched and rated a total of 814 features. The final score for the best value winner was based on a 30:70 split of the price and features score. Budget Direct came in first place because it offered similar cover to other insurers but at a lower price.

  It's cheap

  Budget Direct was cheaper than average across Australia. Despite this, it still offers a thorough policy that is competitive with much more expensive policies.

  Customer reviews and AFCA complaints data

  Australians rated Budget Direct 4.32/5 stars in the 2023 Finder Customer Satisfaction awards. This places it in the top 5 best rated car insurers of the 15 that were assessed. To determine these scores, we asked 5,787 Australians across all major states (NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA) for their opinion about their current car insurer. Each customer rated the insurer out of 5 for:

  • Features and benefits
  • Customer service
  • Value for money
  • Ease of application

  We also looked at external customer reviews. Budget Direct ranked higher than all other popular car insurer including NRMA, AAMI and Allianz. Only Youi is rated slightly higher.

  Additionally, when looking at compliants data from the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), Auto & General (which issues Budget Direct policies) received significantly less complaints than AAMI, though it does have a smaller market share (meaning it's likely to get less complaints). AAI (which issues AAMI's policies) received 2,231 complaints while Auto & General received 1,431, during the most recent financial period.

• 
  See similar policies
  
  

  We've outlined the key features of a Budget Direct policy and included policies with similar benefits. Keep in mind, this is a snapshot only and the full product can only be understood by reading the product disclosure statement.

  Provider	Roadside assistance	Personal items	Locks & keys	New car replacement	Average cost
  Budget Direct	Optional extra	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	$992
  Virgin	Optional	$500	Yes	Yes - If your car is written off in the first 2 years or is under 40,000 km	$1,057
  NRMA Comprehensive	Optional extra	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	$1,043
  ahm	Optional	$500	Yes	Yes - If your car is written off in the first 2 years	$1,469

Qantas car insurance is the top pick for points lovers because it regularly runs promotions where you can earn Qantas points when you purchase an eligible policy.

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  Pros and cons
  
  

  Pros:

  • Qantas's comprehensive policy offers a similar level of coverage to more expensive insurers, yet remains comparatively cheap.
  • It includes higher coverage limits than others like up to $1,500 for key replacement (others offer up to $1,000)..
  • You can save 15% on your first year’s premium when you purchase online. T&Cs apply.

  Cons:

  • If you choose to cancel your policy early, you may be charged a fee of $40. Some other policies don’t charge you to cancel early.
  • If points aren’t important to you then there are other, more well-known brands available for cheaper.
  • Its product disclosure statement (PDS) is split over 2 documents, creating unnecessary admin.

• 
  How Qantas compares
  
  

  All comprehensive car insurance policies include cover for accidental damage, legal liability, theft and weather events. The table below shows how Qantas stacks up against 2 other popular insurers.

  Provider	Average cost	Roadside assistance	Personal items	Locks & keys replacement	New car replacement	Customer satisfaction rating
  Qantas	$1,125	Optional	$750	Up to $1,500	Yes - see PDS for limits	N/A
  Budget Direct	$992	Optional	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	4.32/5
  NRMA	$1,043	Optional	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	N/A

  Our average pricing is based on research of 1,800+ quotes from 30 insurers in Australia across 60 customer profiles.

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  Why we picked it
  
  

  We picked Qantas car insurance for the points lovers category because it regularly runs promotions where points are up for grabs.

  With many loving to travel but struggling for the funds, the ability to earn points while spending on mundane insurance items is appealing. This is because it can help with the affordability of travel while taking care of life admin tasks.

• 
  See similar policies
  
  

  We've outlined the key features of a Qantas car insurance policy and included policies with similar benefits. Keep in mind, this is a snapshot only and the full product can only be understood by reading the product disclosure statement.

  Provider	Roadside assistance	Personal items	Locks & keys	New car replacement	Average cost
  Qantas	Optional	$750	Up to $1,500	Yes - see PDS for limits	$1,125
  Budget Direct	Optional extra	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	$992
  Virgin	Optional	$500	Yes	Yes - If your car is written off in the first 2 years or is under 40,000 km	$1,057
  NRMA Comprehensive	Optional extra	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	$1,043
  ahm	Optional	$500	Yes	Yes - If your car is written off in the first 2 years	$1,469

Australia Post is the top pick for features because it includes many benefits as standard, where other insurers would have them as optional extras for an additional cost. Also, its policies are issued by QBE which has one of the best complaints records of all the very large insurers. Why not just go with QBE then? Because Australia Post's policies tend to be cheaper.

• 
  Pros and cons
  
  

  Pros:

  • It's one of the only insurers to include excess-free repairs if your windscreen is damaged. Many providers will make you pay extra for this.
  • No stressing if someone else drives your car. Cover applies to anyone who gets behind the wheel.
  • It's a great way to access the product and service you know and love from QBE but at a more affordable price point.

  Cons:

  • It's not cheap. Based on our research of 30+ comprehensive car insurance policies, it's in the top 5 most expensive.
  • Roadside assistance isn't available via Australia Post. If you want this, you'll need to pay for it separately.

• 
  How Australia Post compares
  
  

  All comprehensive car insurance policies include cover for accidental damage, legal liability, theft and weather events. The table below shows how Australia Post stacks up against 2 other popular insurers.

  Provider	Average cost	Roadside assistance	Personal items	Locks & keys replacement	New car replacement	Customer satisfaction rating
  Australia Post	$1,668	No	Up to $1,000	Limit not disclosed	Yes - see PDS for limits	N/A
  AAMI	$1,218	Optional	Up to $1,000	Optional	Yes - see PDS for limits	4.32/5
  NRMA	$1,043	Optional	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	N/A

  Our average pricing is based on research of 1,800+ quotes from 30 insurers in Australia across 60 customer profiles.

• 
  Why we picked it
  
  

  We picked Australia Post for features because it has a really thorough comprehensive policy with high benefit limits. Many features that form a standard Australia Post policy are listed as optional extras on other policies, making its default policy quite comprehensive. It's good for drivers who are less budget focussed and more interested in a policy with all the bells and whistles.

• 
  See similar policies
  
  

  We've outlined the key features of a Australia Post policy and included policies with similar benefits. Keep in mind, this is a snapshot only and the full product can only be understood by reading the product disclosure statement.

  Provider	Roadside assistance	Personal items	Locks & keys	New car replacement	Average cost
  Australia Post	No	Up to $1,000	Limit not disclosed	Yes - see PDS for limits	$1,668
  QBE	No	Up to $1,000	Limit not disclosed	Yes - see PDS for limits	$2,430
  Kogan	No	Up to $1,000	Lmit not disclosed	Yes - see PDS for limits	$2,105
  Aldi	No	Up to $1,500	Up to $1,500	Yes - see PDS for limits	N/A
  Qantas	Optional	Up to $750	Up to $1,500	Yes - see PDS for limits	$1,125

If you want a really cheap policy, Bingle car insurance is rarely beaten on price — as such, it won the 2024 Finder Car Insurance Award for low-cost. On average, it costs around $862. The catch? It covers the essentials (e.g. damage to your own car and others) but not much more.

• 
  Pros and cons
  
  

  Pros:

  • Typically the cheapest comprehensive car insurer available.
  • It covers accidental loss or damage to your car, including theft and weather events.
  • Can cover ridesharing.

  Cons:

  • New for old car replacement isn't automatically included. Most comprehensive policies cover this.
  • It's online only with some customers complaining it is difficult to contact.
  • You can't choose your own repairer.

• 
  How Bingle compares
  
  

  All comprehensive car insurance policies include cover for accidental damage, legal liability, theft and weather events. The table below shows where policies often differ. As you can see, Bingle is cheap because it doesn't cover you for as much. If you're not concerned about cover for these events, then it could be a good policy for you.

  Provider	Average cost	Roadside assistance	Personal items	Locks & keys replacement	New car replacement	Customer satisfaction rating
  Bingle	$862	No	No	Yes - limit not disclosed	Optional	N/A
  AAMI	$1,218	Optional	Up to $1,000	Optional	Yes - see PDS for limits	4.32/5
  NRMA	$1,043	Optional	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	N/A

  Our average pricing is based on research of 1,800+ quotes from 30 insurers in Australia across 60 customer profiles.

• 
  Why we picked it
  
  

  Bingle won the Finder Car Insurance Award for low-cost. That's because it offers the cheapest comprehensive car insurance on average across Australia.

  We selected this top pick based on over 1,800 quotes we collected for 60 different driver profiles ranging from 20 to 60 year-olds, across all major states. The car model we used for all quotes was a 2019 Toyota Corolla Ascent 4 Door Sedan.

• 
  See similar policies
  
  

  We've outlined the key features of a Bingle policy and included policies with similar benefits. Keep in mind, this is a snapshot only and the full product can only be understood by reading the product disclosure statement.

  Provider	Roadside assistance	Personal items	Locks & keys	New car replacement	Average cost
  Bingle	No	No	Yes - limit not disclosed	Optional	$862
  Australia Post	No	$1,000	Yes	Yes - see PDS for limits	$1,668
  Kogan	No	$1,000	Yes	Yes see PDS for limits	$2,105
  CGU	No	$1,000	$1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	$1,209
  Bendigo Bank	No	$1,000	Yes	Yes - see PDS for limits	$1,596

NRMA car insurance offers two different comprehensive options and Veteran, Vintage and Classic Car Insurance cover. It's good if you want a trusted insurer (it's won Roy Morgan's most trusted insurer award since 2018) and the flexibility to choose from a range of options depending on your budget. Most insurers just have one comprehensive car insurance option.

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  Pros and cons
  
  

  Pros:

  • $0 excess for glass damage with NRMA Comprehensive Plus – most insurers make you pay extra for this feature.
  • Lots of optional add-ons to help you adjust your price.
  • One of the only brands to offer vintage car cover.

  Cons:

  • There are at least 6 cheaper insurers according to our Finder Awards.
  • It has lots of negative online reviews.
  • The Vintage car insurance option won't cover you if you use the vehicle regularly.

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  How NRMA compares
  
  

  All comprehensive car insurance policies include cover for accidental damage, legal liability, theft and weather events. This table shows where policies often differ.

  Provider	Average cost	Roadside assistance	Personal items	Locks & keys replacement	New car replacement	Customer satisfaction rating
  NRMA	$1,043	Optional	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	N/A
  AAMI	$1,218	Optional	Up to $1,000	Optional	Yes - see PDS for limits	4.32/5
  Budget Direct	$992	Optional	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	4.32/5

  Our average pricing is based on research of 1,800+ quotes from 30 insurers in Australia across 60 customer profiles.

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  Why we picked it
  
  

  NRMA is one of the only major insurance providers to offer multiple comprehensive car insurance options. Typically, insurers only offer one level of cover. This makes it a good option for multiple budgets. It has also won Roy Morgan's most trusted brand in insurance award since 2018.

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  See similar policies
  
  

  We've outlined the key features of a standard NRMA comprehensive policy and included policies with similar benefits. Keep in mind, this is a snapshot only and the full product can only be understood by reading the product disclosure statement.

  Provider	Roadside assistance	Personal items	Locks & keys	New car replacement	Average cost
  NRMA comprehensive	Optional	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	$1,043
  Virgin	Optional	$500	Yes	Yes - see PDS for limits	$1,057
  Budget Direct	Optional extra	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	$992
  Real Insurance	Optional	$500	Yes	New car replacement Yes - see PDS for limits	$1,463
  ahm	Optional	$500	Yes	Yes - see PDS for limits	$1,469

Hume Bank comprehensive car insurance is the 2024 Finder car insurance award winner for features. Out of 37 insurers and over 1,800 quotes, its comprehensive policy came out on top. If you want a lot for your money, they could be the insurer for you.

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  Pros and cons
  
  

  Pros:

  • Cover for accidental loss of or damage to your vehicle.
  • New for old car replacement, trailer and caravan cover, rental car after theft and more.
  • It typically costs less than $1,000 a year – over $300 less than the average comprehensive policy.

  Cons:

  • Budget Direct, Bingle, ROLLiN and more are cheaper.
  • Maybe you don't need lots of features.
  • Rental car following an accident is an optional extra.

• 
  How Hume Bank compares
  
  

  All comprehensive car insurance policies include cover for accidental damage, legal liability, theft and weather events. This table shows where policies often differ.

  Provider	Average cost	Roadside assistance	Personal items	Locks & keys replacement	New car replacement	Customer satisfaction rating
  Hume Bank	$959	No	Up to $1,000	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	N/A
  Budget Direct	$992	Optional	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes - see PDS for limits	4.32/5
  AAMI	$1,218	Optional	Up to $1,000	Optional	Yes - see PDS for limits	4.32/5

  Our average pricing is based on research of 1,800+ quotes from 30 insurers in Australia across 60 customer profiles. See our methodology.

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  Why we picked it
  
  

  It's an award winner

  Hume Bank's comprehensive policy won the Finder features award. To determine our winners, we got 1,800 quotes for over 30 eligible comprehensive car insurance policies based on 60 different customer profiles.

  Our experts then researched and rated a total of 814 features. The final score for the best value winner was based on a 20:80 split of the price and features score. Hume Bank came in first place because it offered better cover to other insurers at a lower price.