1st Central car insurance review

1st Central offers car insurance, as well as home insurance, underwritten by 1st Central Underwriting (previously known as Skyfire Insurance Company Limited). You can purchase policies direct or via comparison websites.

We've reviewed four of 1st Central's car insurance policies: its two premium policies – Extra Premier and Extra + Legal – as well as its standard Extra cover and the Extra + Breakdown policy. We've also surveyed 58 1st Central customers who've claimed on its policies.

All four policies cover drivers aged between 17 and 87. 

Please note: this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular T&Cs of an insurer before committing to any financial products.

Does 1st Central offer the best car insurance?

See how this compares with the best car insurance, or read more about how we rate car insurance.

What does 1st Central car insurance cover?

We reviewed four of 1st Central's policies. Select a policy from our table to see what it offers and our score.

Compare car insurance deals

Check Which? insurance ratings and compare deals using the service provided by Confused.com

Get a quote

'Reasonable on paper, but without backing of claimants'

Dean Sobers, Which? car insurance expert, says:

1st Central’s Extra Premier and Extra + Legal policies both earned scores of 65%. Extra Premier actually bundles in more – including both legal expenses cover and breakdown cover – but the latter isn’t a factor in our analysis (we rate breakdown cover separately) .

Both were in the top 40% of policies we rated, and so were considered as potential Best Buys. Unfortunately, 1st Central’s comparatively poor feedback from claimants meant its policies were excluded from making the cut.

On paper, though, its policies had a decent array of features. All four that we looked at include 90 days overseas cover as standard, £1,500 cover for lost or damaged keys as standard, and low cancellation fees (£10) if you decide to switch mid-year.

Less impressively, its cover for driving other cars only applies in emergency situations (this isn’t always the case with other policies), and if there are multiple drivers on the policy, only the main driver can accrue no-claims discount.

Unlimited no-claims discount protection

Like most policies we examined, 1st Central’s offer no-claims discount protection (NCDP) as an optional extra. This means a certain number of claims won’t reduce your hard-earned NCD. With many policies, this is up to two claims in three years. 

However, very rarely, 1st Central doesn’t place an annual limit on the number of protected claims. 

Extra and Extra + Breakdown

Extra cover and Extra + Breakdown were mostly the same as Extra Premier and Extra + Legal, but lacked legal cover. They scored 61%, slightly below the average of 62%.

How did customers rate 1st Central's car insurance?

We asked 1st Central customers who have recently made a claim how they felt about their car insurance.

1st Central earned a customer score of 60%, which places it at the bottom of the table in 12th place. It scored 54% when assessed specifically for its claims service (14th out of 14). The average customer and claims scores were 76% and 75%.

One policyholder claimed that customer service at 1st Central could be 'challenging at times', while another felt the person they spoke to was 'very argumentative'.

Here's how customers rated 1st Central in various areas of service:

How can you save money on 1st Central car insurance?

You can buy 1st Central policies directly from its website, or from the following comparison websites:

• Compare the Market
• Confused.com
• CompareNI (Northern Ireland)
• Go.Compare
• MoneySuperMarket
• Mustard
• QuoteZone
• Uswitch

In general, policies are cheaper to buy through online comparison websites and priciest when bought over the phone. It's always worth looking at all your options before buying.

1st Central has a multi-car version of its policy that offers discounts for covering multiple vehicles. You can also get a discount if you take out both your car and home insurance with 1st Central. 

1st Central may be willing to offer additional discounts if you contact it at renewal to discuss its renewal offer.

Want to pay monthly?

You can choose to pay your premium in one go or in monthly instalments. Paying monthly usually costs more overall. This is because paying by instalments is usually provided as a form of credit – with interest or other charges applied.

When we reviewed 1st Central's policies, its rate for paying in monthly instalments was between 17-25% APR. The average rate charged among providers that told us their rates was 20.49% APR.

However, it would be cheaper still to pay annually and spread the cost with an interest-free purchase credit card.

Above information correct as of December 2025.

How does 1st Central compare with other providers?

1st Central's customer score of 60% placed it at the bottom of our customer satisfaction table, in 12th (or last) place, behind Churchill with 72%. 

Its claims score of 54% landed it in 14th place – again, last place. Churchill and Hastings Direct both scored 71% for claims satisfaction. 

With a policy score of 65% for both its Extra Premier and Extra + Legal cover, 1st Central was just behind Churchill's Comprehensive Plus policy, Quote Me Happy's Premier and Plus with Legal policies, General Accident's standard car insurance, and also Privilege's Comprehensive Plus. These all earned 66%.

The standard Extra policy scored 62%, while Extra + Breakdown earned a policy score of 61%.

1st Central: how can I claim?

If you need to make a claim with 1st Central car insurance, call 0333 043 2011 or start a claim online.

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

Should you buy 1st Central car insurance?

While its cover works fairly well on paper, mediocre customer feedback means we can’t recommend 1st Central’s policies.

How we rate car insurance