Darwin car insurance review

Darwin is part of the Direct Line Group. It was set up in 2018 and primarily sells through comparison sites.

It's distinct from its sister brands – Churchill, Direct Line and Privilege – in that it utilises its own pricing system that uses more sophisticated technology. It claims this allows it to provide premiums that more closely reflect the merits of each individual customer, rather than the group they belong to.

Its policy is underwritten by UK Insurance Ltd.

What does Darwin's car insurance cover?

Elements marked with a ✓ are covered as standard, those marked with a ✘ aren't covered as standard. Elements marked with a £ can be added to a policy as optional extras for an additional cost.

Does Darwin offer the best car insurance?

Here's how Darwin insurance scored in our latest car insurance survey:

Car Insurance

Darwin review

Overall Which? score

%

Our total score score combines ratings from real customers of the provider, and our expert analysis of the provider's policies. The total score is made up of 50% of the Customer Score and 50% of the car insurance policy score.

Which? customer score

%

Which?'s rating for customer satisfaction, based on feedback from real customers who recently made a claim. The score is made up of a customer's overall satisfaction with the brand, and how likely they are to recommend that brand.

Policy score

%

Which?'s rating of the quality of this company's car insurance policy. We analysed 73 features of its cover to calculate the policy score.

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To help you find the best car insurance policy, Which? goes the extra mile to sort the best from the worst.

Darwin's car insurance policy: is it good or bad?

We've rated hundreds of policy details and picked out the best and worst elements of this cover.

Members can log in to read our full policy analysis. If you're not already a member, join Which? for full access to these results and all our reviews.

In detail: every part of Darwin's car insurance rated

Core coverExcessesNo claims discount (NCD)Additional coverMisc coverPayment, fees and admin

Weighting	Policy element	Details	Rating
Most important	Courtesy car - included?
Most important	Courtesy car - guaranteed availability?
Secondary	Courtesy car period
Other	Courtesy car provided if car is stolen?
Most important	Windscreen damage - limit per claim (Approved Repairer / Non-approved repairer)
Most important	Window damage - limit per claim (Approved Repairer / Non-approved repairer)
Secondary	Sunroof damage - limit per claim (Approved Repairer / Non-approved repairer)
Secondary	Personal belongings - limit per claim
Other	Medical expenses - limit per claim
Other	Physio treatment included under medical expenses?
Other	Prescription costs included under medical expenses?
Other	Dental treatment included under medical expenses?
Other	Audio equipment - Limit per claim (Manufacturer fitted / Non-manufacturer fitted)
Other	Sat Nav - Limit per claim (Manufacturer fitted / Non-manufacturer fitted)
Other	Child car seat - Limit per claim
Secondary	Misfuelling cover - included?
Secondary	Misfuelling cover - what's covered?
Secondary	Misfuelling cover - limit per claim

Weighting	Policy element	Details	Rating
Most important	Fire excess (standard compulsory)
Most important	Theft excess (standard compulsory)
Most important	Accidental damage excess (standard compulsory)
Secondary	Non-approved repairer excess (standard compulsory)
Secondary	Windscreen repair excess (standard compulsory)
Secondary	Windscreen replacement excess (standard compulsory)
Secondary	Driver under 21 excess (standard compulsory)
Secondary	Driver 21-24 excess (standard compulsory)

Weighting	Policy element	Details	Rating
Most important	Number of claim-free years required to attain maximum NCD
Most important	NCD affected - Non-Fault accident
Most important	NCD affected - 3rd party uninsured
Secondary	NCD affected - Vandalism
Secondary	NCD affected - Hit while parked
Secondary	Can other drivers earn NCD on this policy?
Most important	NCD protection included?
Most important	NCD protection claims (number per year)

Weighting	Policy element	Details	Rating
Most important	Motor legal protection - included?
Secondary	Motor legal protection - limit per claim?
Secondary	Motor legal protection - covered if driver uninsured?
Other	Motor legal protection - covered if vehicle cloned?
Other	Motor legal protection - recovery of clamping and towing fees covered?
Most important	Personal accident cover - included?
Secondary	Personal accident cover - limit per claim in the event of death
Secondary	Personal accident cover - limit per claim in the event of disability
Other	Personal accident cover - maximum eligible age
Most important	Theft of keys - Included?
Secondary	Theft of keys - limit per claim
Most important	Loss of keys - Included?
Secondary	Loss of keys - limit per claim
Secondary	Total loss courtesy car - included?
Secondary	Total loss courtesy car period

Weighting	Policy element	Details	Rating
Most important	Repairs Guarantee Period
Secondary	Keys in car exclusion
Most important	Liability limit for property damage (including legal expenses)
Other	Onward travel costs in the event of an accident - limit per claim
Other	Accommodation costs in the event of an accident - limit per claim
Secondary	Driving other cars extension - level of cover
Other	Driving other cars extension guaranteed?
Other	Driving other cars - emergency cover only?
Other	Driving other cars - covered in Europe?
Secondary	Comprehensive cover to drive overseas - included?
Secondary	Driving abroad - Days per trip limit
Other	New car replacement - damage
Other	New car replacement - period

Weighting	Policy element	Details	Rating
Most important	Interest charged on payment by instalments (APR)
Most important	Renewal Fee
Secondary	Adjustment Fee
Secondary	Duplicate Documents Fee
Secondary	Cancellation fee within cooling off period
Secondary	Cancellation fee after cooling off period
Secondary	Payment Default Fee
Other	Claims helpline
Other	Windscreen helpline
Other	Legal advice helpline
Other	Notice if insurer cancels

Table last updated in February 2022. Next update in February 2023.

To see how Darwin's car insurance compares with other policies, see our guide on the best and worst car insurance.

How can you save money on Darwin's car insurance?

The first offer an insurer makes isn’t necessarily the best it's able to provide, especially if you’re renewing. So, before parting with your cash, check what other insurers are offering for comparable cover and ask if your current insurer can better it.

Carefully consider what’s optionally included in the quote. You may want the confidence of an all-singing, all-dancing policy, but certain add-ons might not be for you or could duplicate cover you already have separately.

Where you buy your cover can sometimes make a difference to what you’ll end up paying, which is why we recommend checking prices through multiple comparison sites (where available) as well as trying them direct. 

Darwin's car insurance policy is available through the following comparison websites:

• Compare the market
• Confused.com
• Go Compare
• MoneySupermarket

Above information is correct as of December 2021.

What is Darwin's car insurance claims number?

If you need to make a claim with Darwin car insurance call 0345 246 2089. It also has a 24-hour accident recovery helpline 0800 051 9958 and a 24-hour glass helpline 0800 328 9150.

You'll need your policy number and documents, your vehicle registration number and crime reference number, if applicable.

• Find out more: is it worth claiming on your car insurance?