Press release

Beware gaps in cover, warns Which?, as it finds just one in seven car insurance policies include a courtesy car if yours is written off

Which? is warning motorists to check car insurance policies before they buy, as its annual roundup of the best and worst reveals significant disparities in what’s covered as standard, from courtesy car provision to no claims discount protection.
6 min read
Press Team

To establish the best and worst motor insurance policies on the market, Which? assessed 66 policies offered by 25 providers and rated them against the level of protection offered in 94 key areas, assigning each an overall policy score. It also surveyed almost 3,500 drivers to establish customer satisfaction.

After many years of rising costs, car insurance prices finally began to fall last year, with last summer’s average price coming in at £551, nine per cent lower than in 2023, according to figures from the Association of British Insurers. This means that if you have previously had to compromise on cover to rein in costs, 2026 may be the ideal time to shop around and see if you could be getting a better policy for your money. 

Twelve policies from seven providers - Aviva, Saga, QuoteMeHappy.com, General Accident, LV, NFU Mutual and Tesco Insurance - were awarded Best Buy badges, impressing with comprehensive levels of cover.

However, Which? found stark differences when holding up the best policies against the worst. An increasing number of ‘basic’ insurance products have hit the market in recent years, and Which? is warning consumers to carefully weigh up whether these will provide value in the long run. Many of the poorer scoring policies Which? checked either come with a high compulsory excess or have gaps in what is covered as standard.

When Which? surveyed almost 3,500 policyholders about their most recent claims, windscreen damage was the second most common reason for claiming, accounting for a fifth (22%) of claims, yet four out of 16 ‘basic’ policies Which? checked don’t include this in the price as standard.

For those keen to protect their no claims discount (NCD), Which? found that only half (48%) of policies it looked at will spare a driver's NCD in cases where their car was vandalised, and a mere one in seven will protect your NCD if your car was hit by an unidentified driver while parked.

If your car is damaged, most policies (91%) will provide a courtesy car as standard. But if it’s completely written off, just one in seven (15%) do so, with a further eight in ten (80%) policies offering this as an optional extra. For those with an electric car, just one in ten (11%) policies will offer a car of the same fuel type if yours is in for repair. Which? is also advising consumers to look beyond the policy name when assessing which policy is the best for them - with a number of so-called ‘Silver’ policies actually achieving below average policy scores.

Which? Recommended Provider Aviva took pole position in the consumer champion’s survey with an impressive customer score of 81 per cent, and three of its five policies were named Best Buys - Aviva Platinum, with a policy score of 70 per cent, Aviva Gold (70%) and Aviva Signature (68%).

All three of these policies will spare your NCD if your car is damaged while parked, vandalised, or damaged by potholes, and Aviva’s Platinum and Gold options also impose no mandatory excess on accidental damage, fire or theft claims. 

Saga also secured three Best Buy badges for its Saga Plus (77%), Saga Select (75%) and Saga Standard (69%) policies. Unusually, with its Plus policy you have the option to freeze premiums for 2 years provided you don’t make a claim and your level of risk remains the same.

Quotemehappy.com secured two Best Buys for its Plus with Legal (66%) and Premier (66%) policies, both of which offer a lifetime guarantee on repairs the provider organises.

General Accident car insurance (66%), LV car insurance (73%), NFU Mutual car insurance (73%) and Tesco Insurance’s Gold policy (68%) also secured Best Buy badges.

Sam Richardson, Deputy Editor of Which? Money, said: “Falling car insurance premiums spell good news for motorists this year, with the possibility of securing comprehensive cover at a more affordable price.

“However, while our research found plenty of policies that impressed, it also revealed a substantial gulf between the best and worst options on the market – so always check the small print to make sure your policy covers everything you’d expect.”

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:

-If using this information, please include a link back to Which?’s best and worst car insurance

Methodology

-Which? surveyed 3,464 adults in the UK in October 2025 who had claimed on their car insurance in the past two years. Fieldwork was carried out online by Deltapoll. Separately, Which? assessed 66 policies offered by 25 providers and rated them against the level of protection offered in 94 key areas, assigning each an overall policy score.

Best Buys: Saga Plus (77%), Saga Select (75%), LV (73%), NFU Mutual (73%), Aviva Platinum (70%), Aviva Gold(70%), Saga Standard (69%), Aviva Signature (68%), Tesco Insurance Gold (68%),  General Accident (66%), Quote Me Happy Plus with Legal (66%), Quote Me Happy Premier (66%).Best Buy analysis

- Which? Best Buys all have high policy scores (our rating of how comprehensive policies are in general) - this year, a minimum of 65%. Which? ensures Best Buys can be relied on in a wide range of potential scenarios, rather than just excelling in a few. Of the 94 elements of cover evaluated, policies needed to have scored at least three out of five in two thirds of them (62 of 94 policy areas).- Every Best Buy policy covers accidental damage to your car, as well as fire, theft and your liabilities to other road users (‘third parties’) if you’re at fault in an accident. In addition, Best Buys guarantee repairs for three years. They also offer (as standard or as an optional extra) a temporary courtesy car if yours is under repair or has been stolen or written off.

-Further, they all include glass cover, offer legal expenses protection, and include liability cover of at least £20m, in case you cause damage to other people or their vehicles.

- Finally, all have personal accident cover. This pays out (£1,000-£100,000, depending on the policy and the level of cover you choose) if you suffer life-changing injuries or are killed in an accident. 

-While the Best Buy status doesn’t reflect customer service, candidates are excluded where there’s evidence - either from our surveys, FCA claims data or FOS data - of a poorer than average record of paying claims or a poor complaints record.

Tips for buying cover:

Been quoted a lower price this year?
You can probably still do better. A reduced renewal price likely reflects falling premiums, rather than that your insurer has got more competitive.

Use multiple comparison websites.
With these websites having slightly different panels of insurers and different deals, checking more than one helps you get the best price.

Check Which? scores
If you find a policy at a great price, check also how it compares for cover and service. You can search 66 policies that Which? has rated at which.co.uk/car-insurance.

Haggle.
Now you’ve researched rival prices and policies, contact your insurer if you’re tempted to switch (or even if you’re not but want a better price). Insurers aren’t guaranteed to budge but our research finds they’ll often improve their offer when challenged.

Want to upgrade?
If your policy isn’t everything you thought it was, check whether your insurer has alternatives. Many features can be added to your cover as optional extras.

About Which?

Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, empowering people to make confident choices and demand better. Through our research, investigations and product testing, we provide trusted insight and expert recommendations on the issues that matter most to consumers.

Fiercely independent, we put people over profit - shining a light on unfair practices, influencing policy and holding businesses to account to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone.

The information in this press release is for editorial use by journalists and media outlets only. Any business seeking to reproduce information in this release should contact the Which? Endorsement Scheme team at endorsementscheme@which.co.uk.