Hastings Direct car insurance review

Hastings Direct was launched in 1997 and is part of Hastings Group, which also includes the brands InsurePink and People's Choice. 

Its policies are underwritten by Advantage Insurance Company Limited.

Here, we've reviewed Hastings Direct's standard policy, its Premier policy, its more basic Essentials policy and its YouDrive policy, which is a 'black box' policy that monitors your driving via a small, wireless tab that you pop in your car.

YouDrive covers drivers aged 17-70, while the other policies cover drivers aged 17-85. 

Please note that the information in this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular terms and conditions of an insurer before committing to any financial products.

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Does Hastings Direct offer the best car insurance?

Here's how Hastings Direct scored in our latest survey:

• 66% customer score, meaning it's joint-7th out of the 19 car insurers we rated
• 60% policy score on its standard policy, so it's joint-19th out of the 31 providers we reviewed
• 63% claims score Joint-9th out of the 19 insurers we compared.

See how this compares with the best car insurance.

What does Hastings Direct car insurance offer?

How good are Hastings Direct's car insurance policies?

Hastings Direct's standard policy ranked in the middle of our policy tables.

It achieved a score of 60% in our analysis, one percentage point shy of the 61% average.

It includes a comparatively generous £500 medical expenses cover for every passenger in the car if you're in an accident. This contributes towards such expenses as prescription costs, physiotherapy treatment, dental treatment and optician costs.

On the downside, there's no cover for misfuelling (damage caused by putting the wrong fuel in the tank) or for damage to the vehicle's sunroof.

Low excess for fire, theft and accidental damage

A plus point is a very reasonable £45 compulsory excess payable in fire, theft and accidental damage claims. Across the policies we looked at, these excesses tended to be around £150, on average. 

Hastings Direct vs Hastings Premier, Essentials and YouDrive

Hastings Direct's most comprehensive policy (Premier) earned 61%, which was exactly average in our analysis, and just above the standard policy's 60% score.. 

Features it includes as standard are RAC breakdown cover (which in other policies you'd pay £30 to add in) and legal cover (which would otherwise cost £35 or more). 

Hastings Direct's Essentials policy pares back various features including cover for your windscreens and windows. It was the lowest-rated policy in our analysis, with a score of 44%. 

YouDrive is a telematics (black box) policy that uses a wireless tab and your smartphone to track your driving. It comes with many of the same features as the standard policy and earned the same 60% score.

How did customers rate Hastings Direct's car insurance?

We asked Hastings Direct customers who have recently made a claim how they felt about their car insurance. 

Hastings Direct had a 66% customer score. This was average and placed it joint-7th among 19 brands.

Comments from Hastings Direct customers who were satisfied overall included: 

• 'When I made a claim,  they were very supportive and talked me through the process every step.'
• 'Customer service are very helpful the claims part of the app is very straightforward and easy to use.'
• 'Been very helpful each year whilst renewing my policy and matching my renewal prices to other companies without hesitation. Very friendly staff and always happy to help.'

When we asked policyholders about their most recent claim, Hastings received a score of 63%, close to the average score of 66% and placing it joint-9th out of 19 providers.

Here's how customers rated Hastings Direct in various areas of service:

How can you save money on Hastings car insurance?

Hastings Direct's car insurance policies are sold via the following price comparison sites:

• Compare the Market
• Confused.com
• GoCompare
• MoneySuperMarket
• Mustard
• QuoteZone

On all of its policies besides YouDrive, Hastings Direct offers discounts for covering multiple cars.

Above information correct as of December 2024.

How does Hastings Direct compare with other providers?

Hastings Direct scored 66% for customer satisfaction and 63% for claims, which puts it in the middle of our rankings. 

If you're after a higher-rated experience, LV, NFU Mutual, and Aviva offer significantly better customer and claims scores.

Hastings Direct: how can I claim?

If you need to make a claim with Hastings Direct car insurance, you can do so online or call 0333 321 9800.

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