Finder car insurance rating
The Finder car insurance rating is a score we’ve given to Australian car insurers. It’s based on a combination of their pricing and their features.
We’re reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We don’t compare all products in the market, but we’re working on it!
How is the Finder car insurance rating determined?
We looked at 42 Australian car insurance brands and gave each brand a total score based on how comprehensive their policy is and how much it costs.
Price
To determine price, we got quotes for a male and female aged 19, 26, 40 and 66, making 8 drivers in total. Every driver lived in the same address in Sydney, NSW. They all drove the same vehicle, a 2018 Toyota Corolla. They drive 12,000kms a year, have an $850 excess, and are insured for market value where possible. Where market value isn't possible, we chose the default agreed value. They're a safe driver and haven't been in any accidents.
Please note that these costs aren't indicative of what you can expect to pay, but rather show how different insurance can cost across brands.
Features
We separated our feature score into 3 components - a benefits score, a payments score, and a customer support score.
Below, we've outlined what features we analysed and their weighting.
Where possible, we've tried to keep our options as binary and given a score of 0 or 1. Where this isn't possible, we'll expand the scoring criteria. For example, if something is automatically included in a policy it will be scored a 2. If it's an optional extra it will be scored a 1. If the insurer doesn't offer any cover, they'll get a 0.
For instances where a $ figure is attached to a feature, we'll up weight those that have a higher dollar coverage. If it's an extra such as roadside assistance, we'll positively weigh those that have a lower cost.
The total score is then taken and converted into a 5 point scale to determine our star rating.
Keep in mind, some features may be more useful to you than others. Make sure you do a thorough investigation of any policy before buying to make sure that it suits your needs!
| Benefits - 80% of overall feature score | Weighting |
|---|---|
| Choice of repairer | 10% |
| Lifetime repairs guarantee | 4% |
| Emergency Accommodation, transport, and repairs (including the $ amount offered) | 11% |
| Hire Car after theft (including the $ amount offered) | 10% |
| Roadside Assistance (Included, not included, or an optional extra) | 8% |
| Roadside Assistance (Cost per year) | 5% |
| Windscreen Cover | 5% |
| New car replacement (How many years old can your car be) | 5% |
| Personal Effects (Including the $ amount offered) | 10% |
| Agreed or Market Value | 10% |
| Key Replacement ($) | 5% |
| Accidental Damage | 3% |
| Storm Cover | 3% |
| Flood Cover | 3% |
| Legal Liability | 3% |
| How many policies do they offer? | 5% |
| Payments - 10% of overall feature score | Weighting |
| Adjustable excess | 20% |
| Monthly payment at no extra cost | 25% |
| Online Discount (%) | 25% |
| Online Discount ($) | 15% |
| Other discounts or offers | 15% |
| Application and Support - 10% of overall feature score | Weighting |
| Can you claim on their app? | 15% |
| Can you claim online? | 10% |
| Can you claim on the phone? | 10% |
| Do they offer instant claims approval? | 15% |
| Do they have a chat feature on their website? | 20% |
| Do they offer 24/7 phone assistance? | 15% |
| Can you get an online quote? | 15% |
What brands did we compare?
- 1300 Insurance
- 1st for Women
- AAMI
- Allianz
- ANZ Car Insurance
- Australia Post
- Australian Seniors
- Australian Unity
- Bendigo Bank
- Beyond Bank
- Bingle
- BOQ (Bank of Queensland)
- Budget Direct
- Bupa
- Carpeesh
- CGU
- Coles
- Commbank
- GIO
- Guild Insurance
- HBF
- Huddle
- Hume Bank
- ING
- Kogan
- NAB
- NRMA
- Over Fifty
- Ozicare
- People's Choice Credit Union
- Poncho
- Progressive
- Qantas
- QBE
- Real Insurance
- St.George Bank
- Stella
- Suncorp
- Virgin Money
- Westpac
- Woolworths
- Youi
Why are customer reviews not included in this rating?
We are currently looking into ways to integrate customer reviews of brands into our ratings. The challenge with customer reviews is that provider A may have 1,000 reviews, while provider B only has 50 reviews. This makes it less accurate to compare the two due to difference in sample size.
More guides on Finder
-
2021 Genesis GV80 Review
The 2021 Genesis GV80 stands out from the crowd, showcasing what the luxury brand is about.
-
2021 Nissan Navara Review
The 2021 Nissan Navara is widely viewed as the best Navara Nissan has made, outright. It's got excellent specs, an extremely attractive design, fantastic load-lugging and carrying capabilities, and an eager powertrain.
-
Nintendo Switch OLED review: Is a new screen actually enough?
The Nintendo Switch OLED offers a gorgeous screen and premium-feeling handheld experience.
-
Travel insurance for seniors over 80
Travel insurance is an essential expense for anyone planning a trip overseas, though sometimes it can be difficult to find cover if you are over 80 years of age.
-
Turtle Beach Recon controller review: Full control
The Recon controller provides some much needed extra control for Xbox and PC gamers but makes some trade offs to get there.
-
As lockdowns ease, car insurance costs will rise. But why?
Read about the 3 key reasons that lockdown easing could drive up the cost of car insurance.
-
Best routers in Australia
Make your Wi-Fi work for you at home or at work with our guide to the best Wi-Fi routers.
-
Sonos Beam Gen 2 review: Is it any good?
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a mid-range home theatre solution with Dolby Atmos and streaming support, but is it one of the best soundbars of 2021?
-
Expat Life Insurance
If you're an Australian planning to live overseas, then the good news is you can take out Australian life insurance.
-
Holiday home insurance
What to know about insurance before renting out your home, and what to look for in Airbnb insurance.
Ask an Expert
