Module 7: How to dodge rising car insurance costs

Car insurance is rising faster than the rate of inflation – here's how to avoid soaring costs.

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As part of your 5-minute budget, you already know how much you pay for car insurance.

You may have noticed a big increase in your bill recently. Car insurance has been hit hard by inflation, with premiums shooting up an average of 10.6% in the last 12 months.

And according to the latest Consumer Price Index Indicator, prices rose by a massive 8.2% for all types of insurance combined in the year to March 2024, the fastest rate of any consumer spending category.

It now costs a whopping $1,358 per year for comprehensive cover for the average Australian. You could be paying as much as $2,430 or even higher depending on the insurer, your age and driving history.

The average Australian can potentially save $496* per year on their comprehensive car insurance policy.

How to get cheaper car insurance

Don't simply set and forget or settle for the insurer you've seen the advert for. Compare prices from at least 4 providers.

We researched 33 comprehensive car insurance policies and found a $1,620 difference between the cheapest and most expensive providers. The cheapest policy was $496 less than the average price.

Bingle, ROLLiN', Hume and Budget Direct performed best for price. On average, all cost less than $1,000 a year. Bingle was the cheapest on average. It cost $862 per year, over half the price of the most expensive provider. (To get our average costs we used 60 different customer profiles ranging in age, gender and location.)

Product Finder Score Roadside Assistance Accidental damage Agreed or Market Value
Finder Score
Agreed or Market
Summary: A great value policy with exceptional customer service. Youi won the 2024 Finder Award for Customer Satisfaction. It scored highly for features and benefits, customer service and reliability. It also automatically includes roadside assistance in its price - a feature that typically costs upwards of $90 per year.
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Finder Score
Market
Summary: Our data shows it’s the cheapest comprehensive policy. It just covers the basics such as damage to your car, theft and storms – it doesn’t go in for add-ons and extras.

Who it might be good for: Those wanting a low-cost, no-frills policy.
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Finder Score
Optional
Agreed or Market
Summary: Budget Direct Comprehensive is highly commended as a feature-packed car insurance. It's cheaper than most, plus you can lower costs by adding age restrictions.

⭐ Current offer: 15% off your first year's premium when you take out a policy online. T&Cs apply.

Who it might be good for: Anyone who wants a good value policy.
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ROLLiN' logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
Agreed
Summary: One of the most cost-effective insurers for under 25s, according to Finder research, with no aged-based excess.

⭐ Current offer: Get 10% off the base premium for the first 2 consecutive monthly policies and up to a 15% potential monthly discount from your 3rd month for being a safer driver. Minimum premiums may apply. T&Cs apply. Learn More.

Who it might be good for: Young drivers looking to keep costs down and anyone who’d like to get more flexibility from their car insurance.
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Kogan logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
Agreed or Market
Summary: Kogan comes with all the perks that most comprehensive car insurance policies include, but you’ll also be entitled to some benefits from its online store. This usually comes in the form of a gift voucher or discount if you buy online.

⭐ Current offer: Get up to 10% off your first year's premium, and $10 monthly Kogan.com credit (valid on $100+ purchases) with new online Comprehensive Car Insurance. T&Cs apply.

Who it might be good for: Kogan shoppers and those after a good range of policy options.
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Coles logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
Optional
Agreed or Market
Summary: Coles Comprehensive Car Insurance includes the benefits you'd expect, plus features like grocery replacement (up to $200 if damaged or stolen. T&C's apply).

⭐ Current offer: Get up to $50 off a Coles shop every month for 12 months with free Coles Plus Saver when you take out a new Comprehensive Car Insurance Policy & link your Flybuys. Offer ends 31.08.25.

Who it might be good for: Those who want great quality cover and more rewards with Flybuys.
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Real logo
Finder Score
Finder Score
Optional
Agreed
Summary: Real Comprehensive Car Insurance provides similar coverage to other insurers for the important stuff like looking after your car if it's stolen or you crash. It's also one of the few insurers who offer a Pay As You Drive policy, so you might be able to save big if you don't drive much.

Who it might be good for: Those that don't drive much can take advantage of its Pay As You Drive policy.
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Australian Seniors logo
Finder Score
Not yet rated
Finder Score
Not yet rated
Optional
Agreed
Finder’s summary: Australian Seniors’ comprehensive policy includes complimentary hire car for a stolen car, up to $1,000 for a damaged trailer or caravan, up to $500 for emergency travel and accommodation cover.

⭐ Current offers: Save 5% on your first year's car insurance premium by holding a valid Seniors Card. T&Cs apply.

Who it might be good for: People over 50 years old looking for flexible cover options.
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Finder Score for car insurance

We analyse over 80 car insurance products and rate each one on price and features. What we get out the other end is a nice round number out of 10 to help you start comparing.

To make sure we're comparing apples with apples, we collect quotes for 8 different personas and analyse different car insurance features. Our team then does some fancy maths to get the Finder Score, taking both price and features into account. We analyse comprehensive, third party fire and theft and third party property damage products individually.

Read the full Finder Score methodology

What should I look out for with car insurance?

There are a few other ways you can lower costs.

  • Choose a higher excess. In return, your insurer will offer you a lower premium. Just make sure you can afford to pay the excess.
  • Restrict drivers. This is a good option if you're over 25. Several insurers will lower your premiums if you restrict your policy to drivers over a certain age. Budget Direct, for example, has the biggest range of any major insurer: 21+, 25+, 30+, 40+ or 50+.
  • Low kilometre benefits. Car insurers including Budget Direct, AAMI and Everyday will lower your premiums if you drive less.
  • Review every 12 months. Insurers like to entice us in with sign-up offers and discounts. They can be good for the first year. After 12 months though, they'll often increase your premiums substantially.

Sadly, loyalty usually doesn't pay. Review your policy every year and compare to find a better deal.

*Based on the average cost of comprehensive car insurance of $1,358 and the lowest average policy of $862 across 33 policies.

Module 7 quiz

Gary Ross Hunter's headshot
Journalist

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. See full bio

Gary Ross's expertise
Gary Ross has written 590 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Health, home, life, car, pet and travel insurance
  • Managing the cost of living

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