Coles vs AAMI car insurance

Coles and AAMI have strong comprehensive car insurance policies. We've scoured their product disclosure statements (PDS) and picked out the details that matter. Check out the list of features to see which offers the better car insurance policy for you.

What's the difference between Coles and AAMI car insurance?

• Emergency repairs. If your car is involved in a collision and emergency repairs are essential to drive it from the accident scene, AAMI will cover you for double the amount that Coles does – $1,000 compared to $500.
• Emergency travel and accommodation costs. AAMI will also reimburse you $1,000 for emergency travel and accommodation costs, compared to Coles, which pays $500. This benefit is in case your car is stolen or damaged as a result of an insured event and it cannot be driven safely. It pays for accommodation and travel costs incurred to return you home.
• Hire car. If your car is stolen, Coles will pay $50 per day for up to 14 days for a hire car or $700 in total. AAMI will pay $1,000 in total for up to 21 days. This works out at slightly less per day, but you'll be covered for longer, just in case the car takes some time to be repaired. AAMI also provides hire car cover after an accident that was not your fault, but Coles does not.
• Grocery replacement cover. Coles is one of the few providers to offer grocery replacement cover. Basically, if your car is damaged by an insured event with groceries in the vehicle, Coles will pay you up to $200 to replace them.
• Personal property. Coles only covers you for up to $500 for personal property while AAMI reimburses you up to $1,000.

How do both brands compare?

	Coles Comprehensive	AAMI Comprehensive
About the provider	Coles is one of Australia's largest retailers and also provides car, building and landlord insurance. Its products are linked to flybuys, which means that you can earn more points when you purchase a policy.	AAMI is part of the Suncorp Network, which also provides insurance for brands such as AAMI, Suncorp, GIO, Apia, Shannons and Bingle. It provides car, home, travel, life and business insurance.
Underwriter	Insurance Australia Limited (IAL)	AAI Limited
State served	Australia-wide	Australia-wide
Products available	Comprehensive, third party fire and theft, third party damage	Comprehensive and third party property damage (fire and theft optional add on)
Damage to car
Fire
Storm
Flood
Theft or attempted theft
Hire car after theft	$50/day	$1,000
Emergency repairs	$500	$1,000
Emergency travel and accommodation costs	$500	$1,000
New car replacement
Personal property	$500	$1,000
Grocery replacement cover	$200
Locks and keys replacement	$1,000	$1,000
Towing
Trailer and caravan cover	$1,000	$1,000
Roadside assistance	Optional	Optional
No claim discount
	Get quote	More info

What benefits do Coles and AAMI offer?

• Hire car following a car accident that was not your fault. AAMI automatically provides you with a hire car if you are involved in an accident with another vehicle that was not your fault and your car needs to be repaired.
• New for old replacement. Both providers will replace your car (or pay the replacement cost of a new one) if it is less than two years old and is written off within this time.
• Child seats and baby capsules. Both providers will pay up to $500 towards replacing your child seats and baby capsules if they are damaged by an insured event (while in your car) or stolen from your locked car.

What kind of exclusions do Coles and AAMI come with?

Both policies contain similar general exclusions such as pre-existing damage, consequential loss as well as depreciation, wear and tear.

However, for personal property cover (e.g. items stolen from your vehicle) Coles will not pay for mobile phones, GPS, electronic devices, money, cheques, financial transaction cards or negotiable instruments. However, AAMI states that accidental loss or damage to your personal property (e.g. clothing, electronic and telecommunication devices) in your car is covered. Tools and items used in a trade or business are excluded from both policies.

Coles also does not include "hire car after a not at fault accident" cover (hire car after an accident is an optional add-on). Hire car after a not at fault incident is automatically included with AAMI's comprehensive policy.

For a thorough understanding of what's excluded, always read the product disclosure statement.

Which underwriters do each company work with?

Coles is underwritten by Insurance Australia Limited (IAL) and AAMI is part of the Suncorp Network. IAL is the largest general insurance company in Australia and New Zealand and underwrites approximately $12 billion of premiums annually. The Suncorp Network consists of brands including Bingle, Suncorp, GIO, Apia and Shannons. AAMI car insurance is underwritten by AAI Limited, a joint initiative between Good Shepherd Microfinance and the Suncorp Group.