These products offer the best value and outcomes considering various product features and price.
7+
Great
Competitive products within their group.
5+
Standard
But these products still offer reasonable value and have the basics sorted.
0+
Basic
Offering basic cover with limited features or higher pricing.
You could score 15% off new policies purchased online from Finder award winning car insurance provider, Budget Direct. T&Cs apply. Recently taking home the award for 'Car Insurance - Value' and getting Highly Commended in both the 'Car Insurance - Features' and 'Car Insurance Customer Satisfaction SA' - categories. Read on to find out whether this provider is for you.
Our verdict
Pros
Budget Direct's comprehensive car insurance policy was highly commended in this year's Finder Award for value because it provides a similar level of cover to other insurers but at a lower price.
You get access to its hail alert service, Hail Hero.
You can get a 15% online discount. T&C's apply. on your first year's premium for a new policy purchased online.
It's legal liability limit is $20,000,000 while some other insurers offer higher limits at $30,000,000.
Budget Direct's comprehensive policy covers personal effects Up to $500 while other insurers like Youi cover Up to $750.
"Budget Direct Car Insurance has been a great product to have for peace of mind. I have Third Party, Fire and Theft because I drive an older car (that I would replace if it were damaged or broke down) and the pricing has consistently been better than other options I've looked at. "
Taylor Blackburn
Finder crew member
How does Budget Direct compare with other car insurers?
We obtained quotes across a range of providers for a 30 year old male based in NSW.
We currently don't have that product, but here are others to consider:
How we picked these
Customer Satisfaction rating
Each year, our experts and insights team asks Australians to score their car insurance provider. As part of the Car Insurance Customer Satisfaction Awards for 2024, we asked Australians to rate their car insurer on value for money, features and benefits, ease of application and customer service. Of the insurers scored, these were the top 3. See our methodology for how each provider was scored.
Brand
Overall satisfaction rating
★★★★★ 4.44/5
★★★★★ 4.30/5
★★★★★ 4.19/5
"Great customer service and it was easy to add roadside assistance to my insurance policy."
Anon, WA
Budget Direct customer
"Competitive premium and excellent claims process."
Anon, VIC
Budget Direct customer
"Professional, reliable and cheap."
Anon, QLD
Budget Direct customer
What do Australians think of Budget Direct roadside assistance?
3.97/5 overall for Customer Satisfaction - lower than the average of 4.31, and this was the lowest score in the category
3.96/5 for Trust - lower than the average of 4.52, and this was the lowest score in the category
3.99/5 for Customer Service - lower than the average of 4.33, and this was the lowest score in the category
Budget Direct's comprehensive car insurance policy offers a wide range of included coverages, and other add-ons.
Vehicle damage: If you're ever involved in a crash, you'll be covered for repairs or a new vehicle. This cover extends to things like theft, intentional damage from a break-in, fire, floods and storms.
Vehicle towing: If your car is stolen or in an accident, Budget Direct will pay to recover your car and tow it to the nearest authorised storage location.
Transport or accommodation: If you can't drive your car home, Budget Direct will cover the costs to get you home, or arrange for accommodation if transport can't be organised.
Child seat protection: Baby seats aren't cheap, so Budget Direct will pay up to a certain cost for any capsules that are in your car at the time of the incident.
What additional cover options are available?
Restricted driver discounts. Receive a discount on your premium by restricting the youngest driver of your car. You can choose to restrict the youngest driver age to either 21, 25, 30, 40 or 50.
Roadside assistance. Don't want to be stranded on the side of the road with a flat battery or tyre? You might want to take out roadside assistance cover.
Hire car. Get your hire car costs reimbursed if your car is stolen or in an accident.
Choice of repairer: If you have a garage or smash-repairer of choice, you can choose to add on "Choice of repairer" so you can have your car fixed by the business of your choice.
Compare Budget Direct policies
Compare other products
We currently don't have that product, but here are others to consider:
A good policy for you will differ to what a good policy for your friend is, because how good a policy is depends on your personal circumstances and what you need out of the policy. Budget Direct comprehensive car insurance won the 2024 Finder Award for Value because it has a similar level of coverage to other more expensive insurers but for a cheaper cost. If you're looking for a good-value policy with a nice balance of features at an affordable price, then Budget Direct may be a good car insurance option for you.
Budget Direct is underwritten by Auto & General Insurance Company Limited.
You have two available options for lodging a claim with Budget Direct. You can use the online self-service portal or the traditional way of over the phone. The upside to using the website is that you can lodge a claim 24/7 in the event that you have to.
Peta Taylor is a publisher at Finder, working across all of insurance. She's been analysing product disclosure statements and publishing articles for over 2 years. Peta is passionate about demystifying complex insurance products to help users make well educated decisions with confidence. Peta is part of Finder's insurance awards team and works alongside editorial and insights experts to bring users the best insurance products every year.
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Gary Ross Hunter has over 6 years of expertise writing about insurance, including life, health, home, and car insurance. Having reviewed hundreds of product disclosure statements and published over 800 articles, he loves simplifying complex insurance topics for everyday readers. Gary has contributed to major outlets like Yahoo Finance, The Sydney Morning Herald, and news.com.au, and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from the University of Glasgow, along with a Tier 2 General Advice certification, ensuring his work adheres to ASIC’s RG146 standards.
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Can I pay premiums on a fortnightly basis?
Hi Ani, Yes, Budget Direct offers a fortnightly option. There’s a discount for annual payment, but you can choose fortnightly, monthly or annual.
Do you have any insurers that cover caravan insurance?
Thanks
Hi MJ,
Yes, you can review some options here.
Hope this helps!