New temporary car insurance 'Jaunt' launches: is it worth buying?

Driving someone else's car can be nerve-wracking, especially if you're not covered by their insurance. To provide peace of mind, insurer BGL has launched a new brand, Jaunt, to offer temporary insurance policies - but is the cover worth the cost?

Jaunt allows drivers to take out comprehensive car insurance to drive someone else's vehicle for up to 30 days. It joins a growing market of short-term car insurance companies looking to provide drivers with more flexible options.

Here, we take a look at how Jaunt works, whether short-term car insurance is worth buying and how it compares to traditional policies.

What is Jaunt insurance?

Jaunt car insurance allows drivers between 18 and 75 to take out insurance on a car, van or motorhome for as little as an hour or up to a full 30 days.

The policy covers you if you're borrowing someone else's car, a situation where traditional car insurance may leave you at risk.

So, how does the new policy measure up? Our experts have analysed Jaunt's cover and how it compares to standard protection from traditional car insurance providers.

Best parts of Jaunt's Policy

When rating how good or bad a policy is, Which? gives each policy element a score out of five stars: five being the highest and 0 the lowest.

Based on our analysis, Jaunt's cover for theft or loss of keys, windscreen damage and windows damage would get a full five-star rating.

This is because Jaunt pays 'market value' for these types of claims, rather than a fixed sum which may not be enough to cover the cost of damage.

Worst parts of Jaunt's policy

Jaunt scored poorly for its personal belongings cover limit of £150 and its medical expenses limit of £100. Both elements would be scored two out of five stars based on our analysis.

On average, the car insurance providers we've previously analysed offer £235 for personal belongings and £247 for medical expenses.

The excess you pay under Jaunt's policy is also very expensive compared to most traditional car insurance providers.

If you wanted to make a claim for fire, theft, windscreen replacement or accidental damage, you could expect to pay a minimum excess of £250. Some car insurance providers, like NFU Mutual, don't charge any excess for fire or accidental damage claims at all.

Unlike most traditional insurers, Jaunt also doesn't provide a 24-hour helpline for emergencies, windscreens or legal advice.

To see how other providers stack up, Which? members can see a full breakdown of how we've rated over 30 car insurance providers in ourbest and worst car insurance guide.

Do other providers offer temporary car insurance?

There are a number of short-term car insurance providers.

Cuvva, The AA, Dayinsure and the RAC all offer similar policies to Jaunt and allow drivers to get car insurance cover by the hour or day.

The terms will vary, as will the costs, so it's worth shopping around to find the right cover for you.

• Find out more: car insurance explained

Is temporary car insurance worth buying?

While temporary car insurance can be a quick and convenient way to protect yourself for short trips, it can be quite expensive if you're planning on using it for multiple days.

The table below shows a sample of the quotes drivers living in a small town in Lincolnshire might expect to pay for a small hatchback using Jaunt:-

An alternative to short-term car insurance is adding a named driver to an existing car insurance policy. While this could cause the existing policyholder's car insurance premium to increase for the period of time the extra driver is added, it may work out cheaper than a temporary policy, especially if the driver intends to use the car for more than a week.

It's also worth shopping around to see if using a hire car could work out cheaper, as insurance is generally built into the cost.

After analysing 15 companies, our experts rounded up the top four recommended car hire companies. Which? members can view which companies made the top of the list and why.

• Find out more:car insurance add-ons fees and charges

How to get cheap car insurance

Whether you're looking to buy your first car insurance policy, or hoping to renew, there are a number of ways to ensure you get comprehensive cover at a competitive price.

First, while the price of your car insurance premium is an important factor, don't just settle on the cheapest option.

Make sure you read the terms and conditions of any policy carefully to check it covers everything you need.

Buying a car insurance policy that doesn't give you enough cover will end up costing you more in the long run, especially if you have tomake a claimand find out you're not covered for the damage.

The time of year you take out car insurance cover can also have a big impact on the price you pay.

Research shows that February is thecheapest month for car insurance, while December is themost expensive month.

To help you find the best insurer, we've combined expert analysis of more than 30 standard car insurance policies along with feedback from thousands of policyholders to produce independentcar insurance reviews.

For more tips and information, check out ourcar insurance advice guide.