Cheap car insurance

Our verdict

Budget Direct is a great all-rounder. It's good if you want a cheap policy that's good value for money.

• Pros and cons

  • A budget-friendly comprehensive policy option that doesn't compromise on cover. You get very similar cover to other more expensive insurers but without the price tag. For these reasons, it won the Value award in Finder's 2023 Car Insurance Awards.
  • You can lower your costs by restricting drivers over a certain age. Budget Direct has the biggest range of any major car insurer: 21+, 25+, 30+, 40+ or 50+.
  • High customer ratings compared to other major insurers (4.32/5 on Finder) and a low proportion of complaints to the AFCA.

  • There are cheaper insurers but they cover less. If price is the biggest factor for you, Bingle is typically cheaper.
  • The product disclosure statement (PDS) spans over 2 different documents: part A details what's covered and part B includes the limits of that coverage in dollars. It's not a deal-breaker, just extra admin for you to read through.
  • The 15% online discount is only available to new customers, not those renewing their policy.

• How Budget Direct compares to other cheap insurers

  All comprehensive policies include cover for accidental damage to your own car, legal liability for damage to other people's property, theft and weather events. The below table shows where policies can vary, but this list is not exhaustive and you should read each PDS.

  Provider	Average cost	Roadside assistance	Personal items	Locks and keys replacement	New car replacement	Customer satisfaction rating
  Budget Direct	$1,004	Optional extra	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes – see PDS for limits	4.32/5
  AAMI	$1,000	Optional extra	Up to $1,000	Optional extra	Yes – see PDS for limits	4.32/5
  Youi	$1,154	Included	Up to $750	Up to $1,000	Yes – see PDS for limits	4.38/5
  Bingle	$767	Not available	Not covered	Yes – limit not disclosed	Optional extra	N/A

  Here is a more thorough car insurance comparison.

• How Australians 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.

• Why Budget Direct was selected

  

  It's cheap

  Our research of 37 providers shows Budget Direct is consistently cheaper than the average cost of car insurance in Australia. Based on the 1,180+ quotes we collected, the average cost of a comprehensive policy is $1,345. Budget Direct's comprehensive policy costs an average of $1,004, over $300 less than average.

  

  It's an award winner

  Budget Direct has earned its place as one of Finder's picks for the best car insurance. It won the 2023 Finder Car Insurance Award for Best Value because it offers similar coverage to other more expensive insurers, yet remains cheaper than average. This is particularly valuable during the current cost of living crisis.

  

  Customers love it

  Budget Direct's customers rated it 4.32/5, according to Finder's 2023 Customer Satisfaction Awards. This places Budget Direct in the top 5 best rated car insurers out of the 15 that were assessed.

Our verdict

Youi comprehensive car insurance is a competitively priced policy that gives you a lot for your money. It's a good option if you value good customer service and want to avoid big out-of-pocket expenses. If they don't quote you a price you're happy with, give them a call. This strategy has been tried and tested by several of the Finder team.

• Pros and cons

  • Youi was over $190 a year cheaper than the average comprehensive policy, according to Finder research.
  • It offers more than most – for example, it automatically includes roadside assistance. Other major insurers do not.
  • Youi customers rated the insurer 4.38/5 in our awards. It scored particularly well for customer service. 93% of those surveyed said they'd recommend Youi to a friend.

  • You can start your quote online but need to finish it with a phone call, which isn't ideal if you want an all-online experience. Pro tip: avoid the phone call by getting your quote on a Sunday.
  • Youi roadside assistance only covers the first 2 call-outs in a year.
  • If price is your sole consideration, there are cheaper insurers on the market.

• 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 and keys replacement	New car replacement	Customer satisfaction rating
  Youi	$1,154	Included	Up to $750	Up to $1,000	Yes – see PDS for limits	4.38/5
  Budget Direct	$1,004	Optional extra	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes – see PDS for limits	4.32/5
  AAMI	$1,000	Optional extra	Up to $1,000	Optional extra	Yes – see PDS for limits	4.32/5
  Bingle	$767	Not available	Not covered	Yes – limit not disclosed	Optional extra	N/A

  Our average pricing is based on research of 1,100+ quotes from 37 insurers in Australia across 36 customer profiles. See our methodology.

• How Australians 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.

• Why Youi was selected

  

  It's budget-friendly

  We got 1,180+ quotes and analysed over 640 policy features. Youi's comprehensive car insurance covers more than most insurers yet remains cheaper than average.

  

  Customer service

  Finder surveyed 5,700 car insurance policy holders in Australia for the 2023 Finder Car Insurance Customer Satisfaction Awards. Youi was the national winner. It was highly rated by its customers, scoring 4.38/5. 93% of surveyed customers saying they'd recommend Youi to a friend.

  

  Features

  Youi won the 2023 Finder Car Insurance Award for Features because it includes more features and benefits, such as roadside assistance, in its standard policy than many other insurers.

Bingle comprehensive car insurance is a very cheap option. It's almost never beaten on price. The catch? It only covers the essentials and it has an all-online customer service and claims team.

• Pros and cons

  • Bingle offers the cheapest comprehensive car insurance policy, according to Finder research. The average comprehensive policy in Australia costs $1,345. Bingle's average policy costs $767.
  • Bingle is great for those who need a comprehensive policy but don't want all the bells and whistles. It covers only the basics and the price reflects this.
  • Bingle's comprehensive car insurance policy can be paid in monthly instalments rather than annually in a lump sum.

  • Due to its lower cost, Bingle covers less than other car insurers. For example, there is no option to add on roadside assistance or personal effects cover.
  • To be covered for a new car replacement, you'll have to pay extra with Bingle. This feature comes included in most other car insurance policies, albeit at a higher price.
  • Bingle will only cover your car for its market value. Depending on your vehicle, this might not be adequate enough.

• How Bingle comprehensive compares to other cheap car insurers

  All comprehensive policies include cover for accidental damage to your own car, legal liability for damage to other people's property, theft and weather events. The below table shows where policies can vary, but this list is not exhaustive and you should read each PDS.

  Provider	Average cost	Roadside assistance	Personal items	Locks and keys replacement	New car replacement	Customer satisfaction rating
  Bingle	$767	Not available	Not covered	Yes – limit not disclosed	Optional extra	N/A
  Budget Direct	$1,004	Optional extra	Up to $500	Up to $1,000	Yes – see PDS for limits	4.32/5
  AAMI	$1,000	Optional extra	Up to $1,000	Optional extra	Yes – see PDS for limits	4.32/5
  Youi	$1,154	Included	Up to $750	Up to $1,000	Yes – see PDS for limits	4.38/5

• How Australians rate Bingle

  Due to Finder's eligibility criteria, Bingle was not able to be rated for the Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards. However, it is relatively poorly rated online, with many of its complaints about slow claim times and difficulty contacting it.

• Why Bingle was selected

  

  It's cheap

  We researched 37 different providers and got over 1,180 quotes. On average, Bingle offers the cheapest comprehensive car insurance policy. It's $578 cheaper than the average Australian car insurance policy. For this reason, we selected it as our top pick for price. For those who simply want the cheapest, it fits the bill.

ROLLiN' is cheap for young drivers. It's good if you're in your 20s and you can cancel any time.

• Pros and cons

  • It's hard to beat on price. ROLLiN's comprehensive policy is typically the lowest-priced policy for 20-year-olds. It was $41 cheaper than Bingle, which was the second cheapest brand, according to our 2023 pricing research.
  • ROLLiN' won't hit you with an additional excess based on your age – you'll just pay $800 per named driver. This isn't standard. For example, Bingle charges an extra age excess of $600 if the driver is under 25 years old.
  • ROLLiN' offers agreed value cover, giving you more control when it comes to your payout if your car's written off.

  • Every month, your premium is recalculated and renewed. This means it can increase or decrease from month to month with no indication of what your next bill will look like.
  • With ROLLiN', there's no cover for personal items (such as your phone or laptop) if they're damaged or stolen. Most other insurers offer personal effects cover of up to $500, $700 or $1,000.
  • Unlisted drivers need to pay a $3,000 excess.

• How RoLLiN' compares to other cheap car insurers

  All comprehensive policies include cover for accidental damage to your own car, legal liability for damage to other people's property, theft and weather events. The below table shows where policies can vary, but this list is not exhaustive and you should read each PDS.

  Provider	Average cost	Roadside assistance	Personal items	Locks and keys replacement	New car replacement	Customer satisfaction rating
  RoLLiN'	$821	Not available	$0	Up to $1,000	Yes see PDS for limits	N/A
  Budget Direct	$1,004	Optional extra	Up to $500	Up to $1,00-	Yes see PDS for limits	4.32/5
  AAMI	$1,000	Optional extra	Up to $1,000	Optional extra	Yes see PDS for limits	4.32/5
  Youi	$1,154	Included	Up to $750	Up to $1,000	Yes see PDS for limits	4.38/5

  To get the annual price for RoLLiN', we multiplied the monthly premium provided at the time of quoting by 12. When purchasing a policy for a real driver, RoLLiN's price can increase or decrease each month when the quote to insure is recalculated and your cover is renewed. The above is a guide only.

• How Australians rate RoLLiN'

  Due to Finder's eligibility criteria, RoLLiN' was not able to be rated for the Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards.

• Why we picked it

  We based our young drivers pick on the latest Finder Awards research for 2023.

  We analysed costs for 32 brands across 5 age groups. ROLLiN' was second best for price on average and the cheapest for 20-year-olds. Its annual cost of $821.14 was beaten only by Bingle ($767.11). For younger drivers aged 20, ROLLiN' was the most cost-effective insurer on average in Australia.

  Read more about Finder's car insurance methodology.