Comprehensive car insurance is the best level of coverage. It includes cover for accidental damage to your own car, damage you cause to other people’s property, damage as the result of fire and theft and legal liability. It can include a hire car, windscreen damage and in some cases, roadside assistance too.
To help Australians find the best comprehensive cover for their needs, our insurance specialists have analysed over 90% of the most popular car insurers in Australia, then selected 4 of the top car insurance policies, as determined by that research.
Expert picks selected by Gary Ross Hunter – car insurance specialist
Best for features: Youi comprehensive car insurance
Youi is our pick for features because it's the only comprehensive policy to include roadside assistance as standard. It's also the highest rated well-known car insurer for customer service.
Includes roadside assistance. It's the only car insurance provider out of 32 to do this.
It's competitively priced. In our research, 6 insurers were marginally cheaper. None of them include roadside assistance.
Youi roadside assistance only pays for the first 2 call-outs in a year.
You usually need to finalise your car insurance quote over the phone.
Choice of repairer is an optional extra.
All comprehensive car insurance policies include cover for accidental damage, legal liability, theft and weather events. This table shows where policies often differ.
Provider
Average cost
Roadside assistance
Personal items
Locks & keys replacement
New car replacement
Customer satisfaction rating
Youi
$1,154
Included
Up to $750
Up to $1,000
Yes - see PDS for limits
4.38/5
AAMI
$1,000
Optional extra
Up to $1,000
Optional extra
Yes - see PDS for limits
4.32/5
NRMA
$1,204
Optional extra
Up to $500
Up to $1,000
Yes - see PDS for limits
N/A
Our average pricing is based on research of 1,100+ quotes from 37 insurers in Australia across 36 customer profiles. See our methodology.
Youi won the 2023 Finder Award for best features. To determine the winner, we got 1,182 quotes across 37 different comprehensive car insurance policies based on 36 different customer profiles. We then created a formula that scored policies based on features and value. The final score for our best features winner was based on a 30:70 split of price and features.
Free roadside assistance
Youi came in first place because it was the only insurer to automatically include roadside assistance when you take out a comprehensive car insurance policy. We could not find any other online insurer on the market that offered this benefit. You typically have to pay around $100 per year for roadside assistance cover.
Its customer service
Youi is the highest rated well known Australian car insurer by customers. It was voted by over 5,700 Australians as the best car insurer in the Finder Customer Satisfaction awards, scoring 4.38/5. We asked Australians across all major states (NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA) for their opinion about their current car insurer. Each customer rated the insurer out of 5 for:
Features and benefits
Customer service
Value for money
Ease of application
We also looked at other popular review websites. Youi scored higher than any other large car insurer, including Budget Direct, NRMA, Allianz and AAMI. Additionally, Youi only received 103 complaints to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). By comparison, other very large insurers AAI Limited (AAMI), Insurance Australia Limited (NRMA), Allianz and QBE received much more – 935, 623, 275 and 177 respectively.
Best for value: Budget Direct comprehensive car insurance
Budget Direct is our best value pick because it's one of the cheapest comprehensive car insurers for all age groups. Despite that, it doesn't cut corners with its coverage. It also has a better customer service record than its main competitors.
It's cheap. The average policy costs $1,004 a year, according to our research – $341 less than average.
It doesn't compromise on cover. It's very similar to major insurers like NRMA, Allianz and AAMI.
High customer ratings. It scored highly in the Finder Customer Satisfaction awards (4.32/5) and on other popular review websites.
Budget Direct isn't the cheapest insurer. AAMI is also around the same price – but it received significantly more complaints in 2022-23.
Happy with a basic policy? Bingle is even cheaper.
It has a $500 limit for stolen or damaged personal items. AAMI's is $1,000.
All comprehensive car insurance policies include cover for accidental damage, legal liability, theft and weather events. The table below shows how Budget Direct stacks up against 2 other popular insurers.
Provider
Average cost
Roadside assistance
Personal items
Locks & keys replacement
New car replacement
Customer satisfaction rating
Budget Direct
$1,004
Optional extra
Up to $500
Up to $1,000
Yes - see PDS for limits
4.32/5
AAMI
$1,000
Optional extra
Up to $1,000
Optional extra
Yes - see PDS for limits
4.32/5
NRMA
$1,204
Optional extra
Up to $500
Up to $1,000
Yes - see PDS for limits
N/A
Our average pricing is based on research of 1,100+ quotes from 37 insurers in Australia across 36 customer profiles. See our methodology.
Budget Direct won the 2023 Finder Car Insurance Award for best value. To determine our winners, we got 1,182 quotes for 32 eligible comprehensive car insurance policies based on 36 different customer profiles.
Our experts then researched and rated a total of 640 features. The final score for the best value winner was based on a 50:50 split of the price and features score. Budget Direct came in first place because it offered similar cover to other insurers but at a lower price.
It's cheap
Budget Direct was cheaper than average in all states where we got quotes. It's $460 less than average in NSW, $513 less than average in VIC, $214 less than average in QLD, $241 less than average in SA, $265 less than average in TAS and $423 less than average in WA.
NSW: $1,280 vs $1,740 (NSW average)
VIC: $1,164 vs $1,677 (VIC average)
QLD: $921 vs $1,235 (QLD average)
SA: $940 vs $1,181 (SA average)
TAS: $841 vs $1,106 (TAS average)
WA: $856 vs $1,279 (WA average)
However, Bingle is $237 cheaper than Budget Direct, making it the cheapest insurer available according to our research. It doesn't cover as much though. For example, Budget Direct's comprehensive policy can pay you up to $500 for personal items that are stolen from your car and up to $1,000 for a hire car if yours is stolen. Bingle doesn't cover any of this.
Customer reviews and AFCA complaints data
Australians rated Budget Direct 4.32/5 stars in the 2023 Finder Customer Satisfaction awards. This places it in the top 5 best rated car insurers of the 15 that were assessed. To determine these scores, we asked 5,787 Australians across all major states (NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA) for their opinion about their current car insurer. Each customer rated the insurer out of 5 for:
Features and benefits
Customer service
Value for money
Ease of application
We also looked at external customer reviews. Budget Direct ranked higher than all other popular car insurer including NRMA, AAMI, Allianz and Coles. Only Youi is rated slightly higher.
Additionally, Auto & General (which issues Budget Direct policies) received significantly less (706) complaints than AAMI, though it does have a smaller market share (meaning it's likely to get less complaints). AAI (which issues AAMI's policies) received the largest number of motor insurance-related complaints (1,698) during the most recent financial period.
Best for price: Bingle comprehensive car insurance
If you want a really cheap policy, Bingle is rarely beaten on price. It's easily the cheapest comprehensive car insurer out of the 37 providers we researched. On average, it's around $230 per year less than budget insurers like Budget Direct and AAMI. The catch? It covers the essentials (e.g. damage to your own car and others) but not much more.
Typically the cheapest comprehensive car insurer available.
It covers accidental loss or damage to your car, including theft and weather events.
Can cover ridesharing.
New for old car replacement isn't automatically included. Most comprehensive policies cover this.
It's online only with some customers complaining it is difficult to contact.
You can't choose your own repairer.
All comprehensive car insurance policies include cover for accidental damage, legal liability, theft and weather events. The table below shows where policies often differ. As you can see, Bingle is cheap because it doesn't cover you for as much. If you're not concerned about cover for these events, then it could be a good policy for you.
Provider
Average cost
Roadside assistance
Personal items
Locks & keys replacement
New car replacement
Customer satisfaction rating
Bingle
$767
No
No
Yes - limit not disclosed
Optional extra
N/A
AAMI
$1,000
Optional extra
Up to $1,000
Optional extra
Yes - see PDS for limits
4.32/5
NRMA
$1,204
Optional extra
Up to $500
Up to $1,000
Yes - see PDS for limits
N/A
Our average pricing is based on research of 1,100+ quotes from 37 insurers in Australia across 36 customer profiles. See our methodology.
It offers the cheapest comprehensive car insurance on average
We selected this top pick based on over 1,100 quotes we collected in 2023 for 36 different driver profiles ranging from 20 to 60 year-olds, across all major states. The car model we used for all quotes was a 2018 Toyota Corolla Ascent 4 Door Sedan.
Bingle was the cheapest policy by $53 per year. ROLLiN' came second ($821) and KOBA third ($906). We didn't consider any other features since the focus of this top pick is price.
NRMA offers two different comprehensive car insurance options and Veteran, Vintage and Classic Car Insurance cover. It's good if you want a trusted insurer (it's won Roy Morgan's most trusted insurer award since 2018) and the flexibility to choose from a range of options depending on your budget. Most insurers just have one comprehensive car insurance option.
$0 excess for glass damage with NRMA Comprehensive Plus – most insurers make you pay extra for this feature.
Lots of optional add-ons to help you adjust your price.
One of the only brands to offer vintage car cover.
There are lots of cheaper insurers according to our Finder Awards.
It has lots of negative online reviews.
The Vintage car insurance option won't cover you if you use the vehicle regularly.
All comprehensive car insurance policies include cover for accidental damage, legal liability, theft and weather events. This table shows where policies often differ.
Provider
Average cost
Roadside assistance
Personal items
Locks & keys replacement
New car replacement
Customer satisfaction rating
NRMA
$1,204
Optional extra
Up to $500
Up to $1,000
Yes - see PDS for limits
N/A
AAMI
$1,000
Optional extra
Up to $1,000
Optional extra
Yes - see PDS for limits
4.32/5
Budget Direct
$1,004
Optional extra
Up to $500
Up to $1,000
Yes - see PDS for limits
4.32/5
Our average pricing is based on research of 1,100+ quotes from 37 insurers in Australia across 36 customer profiles. See our methodology.
NRMA is one of the only major insurance providers to offer multiple comprehensive car insurance options. Typically, insurers only offer one level of cover. This makes it a good option for multiple budgets. It has also won Roy Morgan's most trusted brand in insurance award since 2018.
Our insurance experts have analysed over 90% of Australia's most popular car insurers*. We've shortlisted 4 policies based on Finder awards, customer reviews and AFCA data. We only looked at comprehensive car insurance policies. Remember to do some research yourself, since what's best for you will differ from person to person.
*Learn more about our methodology for determining Australia's most popular car insurers.
Why you can trust our research
90% of Australia's most popular car insurers analysed
5,700 customers surveyed
1,180 prices gathered
250+ hours of research
Written by experts
Editorially independent
Best rated car insurers
2023 Customer Satisfaction rating
Each year, our experts and insights team asks Australians to score their car insurance provider. As part of the Car Insurance Customer Satisfaction Awards for 2023, we asked over 5,700 Australians to rate their car insurer on value for money, features and benefits, ease of application and customer service. Of the 15+ insurers scored, these were the top 5. See our methodology for how each provider was scored.
Brand
Overall satisfaction rating
★★★★★ 4.38/5
★★★★★ 4.36/5
★★★★★ 4.32/5
★★★★★ 4.32/5
★★★★★ 4.22/5
Windscreen damage
Windscreen damage is the second most common car insurance claim. However, the excess often costs around the same as the repairs – so lots of insurers come with an excess-free windscreen damage add-on. Say your window is broken by hail. With this optional extra on your policy, you won't be out of pocket for the repair costs or the excess.
I took 20-30 minutes to research other providers, put together a few quotes and went back to them to see if they'd negotiate. They were more than open to compete with the rest of the market, and marked down their initial price to one that justified staying with them. It's really surprising how much you can save when you only need to put a small amount of time aside to compare your insurance options.
Comprehensive insurance is the best car insurance cover if you want full protection. It's the only level of insurance to cover damage to your own car as well as others. It's good for people who:
Have a car which would be expensive to repair
Would not be able to replace their car if it was written off
This covers damage to other people's property, including their vehicles. You can also add fire and theft protection for your own car. It could be good if your car is low value – for example, if you can afford to buy a new car if yours was written off in an accident. Third party car insurance is good for people:
On a budget with a low-value car
Who don't rely on their car for essential trips
Who can afford to replace their car if it's written off in an accident
This is mandatory car insurance and it's good if you can only afford the bare minimum. It covers legal and medical costs if you injure or kill someone in a car accident.
"To find the best deal, make sure you compare apples with apples, look for discounts like sign-up offers and review your policy every 12 months. The best value policy today might be more expensive when it renews next year, so review the market on your anniversary date so you're not paying a cent more than you need to."
"The 3 most common car insurance claims are vehicle collisions, storm or hail damage and windscreen damage. While everyone differs, it's worth keeping this front of mind when searching for car insurance that suits your needs. All the car insurance policies we've selected cover this (though you may want to add on no-excess windscreen damage cover for the latter)."
"If your car is low-value and you could get by without it, you might not need comprehensive cover. Consider third-party insurance instead - that’s what I did. Third party insurance is roughly half the cost of comprehensive cover, so you could save hundreds of dollars a year. Just be aware, you’ll only be covered for the cost of damage to other cars and property. If you accidentally damage your own car, you won’t be able to make a claim."
You pay the same as buying directly from the car insurer. Better still, we regularly run exclusive deals that you won't find on any other site – plus, our tables make it easy to compare policies.
We're experts
Our team of car insurance experts have researched and rated dozens of policies as part of our Finder Awards and published 330+ guides to make it easier for you to compare.
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Unlike other comparison sites, we're not owned by an insurer. That means our opinions are our own and we work with lots of car insurance brands, making it easier for you to find a good deal.
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Frequently asked questions
No. Different policies will suit different people. It's more about comparing your options so you can find one which is right for you, at a price you can afford.
According to the 2023 Finder Awards, Budget Direct provides the best value policy for those located in Queensland. Keep in mind there is no universal best car insurance policy and your driver profile may differ to the one we used in our awards. To find the best car insurance policy for you, be sure to compare multiple quotes and read the PDS.
According to the 2023 Finder Awards, Hume Bank Comprehensive provides the best value car insurance for those in New South Wales. It ranked in first place for both value and features meaning pricing and comprehensivesness of the policy have been taken into account. Remember, there is no universal best car insurance as everyone's circumstances and needs are different. To find a car insurance policy that best fits your needs, be sure to compare multiple policies and read the PDS to understand what you're covered for.
According to the 2023 Finder Awards, Hume Bank Comprehensive provides the best car insurance for those in Victoria. Keep in mind, there is no universal best car insurance. Circumstances and needs differ from person to person and are based on a range of factors such as age, gender and location. To find the best deal for you, it's wise to compare multiple policies.
According to the 2023 Finder Awards, Youi is the best value comprehensive car insurance for drivers in South Australia. According to our research, it costs an average of $640 per year in SA.
According to the 2023 Finder Awards, Budget Direct is the best value comprehensive car insurance policy in WA. Our research indicates Qantas Comprehensive car insurance is the best car insurance policy for features in WA.
According to the 2023 Finder Awards, Budget Direct offers the best value comprehensive car insurance in Australia and Youi is the best for features. However, it's important to note that the criteria used to determine our award winners may be different to your own circumstances. Always read the PDS to understand if the price and features offered are best for your needs.
That'll depend on your personal details, but if you're looking for low-cost cover, try our guide on how to find the cheapest car insurance.
37 car insurance policies analysed, awards research February 2023
250 hours+ of research, based on time taken to gather 1,000+ quotes and research each policy, February–March 2023
Gary Ross Hunter is an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, news.com.au, The Telegraph, Explore Travel and Escape. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Kaplan Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146).
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