How to find which car insurance is best in Australia?
The best car insurance fits your needs and budget, helps you in your time of need and pays out if the time comes.
Older or cheaper cars may need basic coverage, while others benefit from comprehensive policies with extras like roadside assistance and hire cars. Policy prices have risen in the last few days, so you've come to the right place to look for a better deal.
Here's a few terms to know before you get started:
- Accidental damage is when someone else damages your car.
- Agreed value is the payout you'll get if your car is totalled and can't be repaired. It's a predetermined amount set when purchasing the policy. Ideal for expensive or modified cars.
- Market value is the payout for a totalled car, based on its pre-accident market price. This is riskier, since value changes daily. Best for cheaper cars or those who can afford to chip in savings for a new car, if the market value falls short of your expectations.
- Legal liability refers to the amount you're covered for if you damage someone else's property. It starts at $20 million as standard.
- Roadside assistance helps with breakdowns like flat tyres or dead batteries. Ideal for frequent travellers without nearby help.
- Best for customer satisfaction: Youi Comprehensive
- Best for value: Budget Direct Comprehensive
- Best for bonuses: Qantas Comprehensive
- Best for price: Bingle Comprehensive
- Best for features: Coles Comprehensive Insurance
Why you can trust our research
40 car insurance policies analysed
1,400+ car insurance quotes collected
300+ hours of research
How to negotiate a better deal on your car insurance
The best car insurance is often about finding a balance between a policy that covers all you need at a price you can afford.
The thing about insurers is, they don't expect you to negotiate or to even know that this is an option. The reality is, a lot of insurers are willing to negotiate on price, if you just ask the question. So, if you find a policy you like but it's a bit outside the budget, here's a script you can follow.
You: "Hi, I was looking at my car insurance premium and it's more expensive than I was expecting. I was wondering if there's any flexibility around that price? I've gotten a few other quotes elsewhere that are coming in cheaper."
Them: "Hello. No worries, let me see what we can do for you."
At this point, they'll typically transfer you to someone in sales.
Sales team: "Hi, I can see here that you'd like to see if we can do a better price for you on your car insurance premium. We can reduce this by around 7%. How does that sound?"
You: "That's excellent, thank you!"
Alternatively, if they're unwilling to budge on price then it's time to compare and switch. You can simply say: "That still doesn't fit within my budget, thank you for your time anyway".
Tried and tested tips
What to avoid when getting car insurance
Here's what I've learnt, as someone who compares policies for a living.
- Don't assume being well-known = a good policy. Oftentimes, it's the smaller, lesser known brands that offer a great value policy. They charge less because they can't lean on their brand so much to get business, but they often cover more features.
- Don't pay monthly without checking for fees. Some providers charge up to 15% more for you to pay monthly and by the end of the year, you end up dishing out hundreds more.
- Don't overinsure your car. Comprehensive insurance is not mandatory and it's very expensive to hold, especially if you're paying more in insurance than your car is worth! Think about what you actually need based on the value and use of your car, and you ability to buy another .
- Third party property damage: Does not cover damage to your own car so it's best for people with really old cars that aren't worth much and don't care if it gets damaged.
- Third party fire and theft: Only covers your car from damage that arises from a fire or theft - you can be covered for up to around $10,000. So it's best for people with a vehicle under the value of $10,000.
- Comprehensive: Covers your car for damage that arises due to accidents, fire, theft, storms and more. Great for those with higher value cars or those who couldn't afford to replace their car in the event of an accident.
- Baby boomers: $105
- Gen X: $120
- Gen Y: $201
- Gen Z: $185
Frequently asked questions
Sources
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