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I wasn't convinced comprehensive car insurance was worth it until my car was stolen. If I didn't have comprehensive cover, I would have been out of pocket thousands of dollars when buying a new car.
The 3 comprehensive car insurance policies below are based on our 2023 Finder Award winners. We have broken them down based on price, value and features.
Why you can trust our research
30+ policies to compare
250+ hours of research
5,700 customers surveyed
22 popular car insurers rated
Written by experts
Editorially independent
Finder survey: What type of car insurance do Australians have?
Response
CTP & comprehensive
82.41%
I don’t own a car/car insurance
5.86%
CTP & third party property only
5.77%
CTP & third party fire & theft
3.28%
CTP only
2.68%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1006 Australians, December 2023
Best value comprehensive car insurance: Budget Direct
What we like about Budget Direct:
It was our 2023 Finder Awards winner for best value comprehensive car insurance. It covers you for the essentials, such as damage to your own car and others, plus pays for other expenses including if you need to replace your keys or get a hire car if yours is stolen. Plus you get a 15% discount in your first year when buying online.
It earned the highest score for best value in our Finder Awards and an average price of $1,003 a year. Youi came second with an average price of $1,153.
Budget Direct doesn't necessarily offer the cheapest comprehensive car insurance policy. That award goes to Bingle. However, it does cover you for more.
AAMI is typically around the same price as a Budget Direct policy.
Best comprehensive car insurance for features: Youi
What we like about Youi:
It's good if you want a very comprehensive policy – Youi won our award for best features. It covers all the basics plus it's the only car insurance provider to automatically include roadside assistance with its comprehensive policy.
It costs an average of $1,154 per year inclusive of roadside assistance. Only 6 other insurers could beat this average cost but none of them include roadside assistance (which is typically around $100 extra per year).
Youi placed first out of 15 car insurers in Finder's Car Insurance Customer Satisfaction Awards 2023. It scored particularly highly in the categories of customer service and ease of application.
You usually need to speak with someone over the phone before you buy a policy, so if you'd rather do it all online, Youi may not be best for you.
Its roadside assistance feature only covers the first 2 call-outs in a year.
You don't automatically get to choose your own repairer. You have to pay extra for this.
Cheap comprehensive car insurance: Bingle car insurance
What we like about Bingle:
At an average of $767 per year, Bingle had the cheapest comprehensive car insurance premiums out of the 30+ providers we reviewed in our Finder Awards. That's $53 cheaper than the second cheapest policy: ROLLiN'.
It's cheaper than other insurers because it covers you for the essentials and nothing more – for example, it'll cover damage to your car, from bad weather to accidents, plus damage to other people's cars and property. If you want cover for agreed value then you'll need to look elsewhere.
Bingle isn't the best policy if you want lots of extras. For example, windscreen cover and a hire car after an accident aren't automatically included.
Bingle is all online and its customer service can be difficult to get through to, according to customer reviews.
Top pick for quality service: Aus Post comprehensive car insurance
What we like about Australia Post:
Its policies are issued by QBE which has one of the best complaints records of all the very large insurers. Why not just go with QBE then? Because Aus Post policies tend to be cheaper.
It's one of the only insurers to include excess-free repairs if your windscreen is damaged. Many providers will make you pay extra for this.
No stressing if someone else drives your car. Cover applies to anyone who gets behind the wheel.
It's not cheap. Based on our research of 30+ comprehensive car insurance policies, Budget Direct, AAMI, Allianz and more were all cheaper.
Roadside assistance isn't available via Aus Post. If you want this, you'll need to pay for it separately.
All of these top picks were selected by insurance editor Gary Ross Hunter. They are based on our research of 37 different comprehensive car insurance policies. We got over 1,000 quotes based on 36 driver profiles (differing ages, gender and locations) to get an average cost.
We then analysed hundreds of features across all of these car insurers, plus looked at external data including from the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).
How much does comprehensive car insurance cost?
To give you an idea of how much comprehensive car insurance might cost, we've broken down prices by different ages. Keep in mind, costs differ based on your individual circumstances.
To get these costs, we sourced 393 quotes from 37 comprehensive car insurance providers using the driver profiles of a 20-year-old male and a 20-year-old female. Quotes were gathered using different states and the averages have been used in the table above. To know more about the driver profile used to source these quotes, see Finder's car insurance methodology.
Comprehensive car insurance quotes for 30-year-olds
To get these costs, we sourced 197 quotes from 37 comprehensive car insurance providers using the driver profile of a 30-year-old male. Quotes were gathered using different states and the averages have been used in the table above. To know more about the driver profile used to source these quotes, see Finder's car insurance methodology.
Comprehensive car insurance quotes for 40-year-olds
To get these costs, we sourced 197 quotes from 37 comprehensive car insurance providers using the driver profile of a 40-year-old female. Quotes were gathered using different states and the averages have been used in the table above. To know more about the driver profile used to source these quotes, see Finder's car insurance methodology.
Comprehensive car insurance quotes for 50-year-olds
To get these costs, we sourced 197 quotes from 37 comprehensive car insurance providers using the driver profile of a 50-year-old female. Quotes were gathered using different states and the averages have been used in the table above. To know more about the driver profile used to source these quotes, see Finder's car insurance methodology.
Comprehensive car insurance quotes for 60-year-olds
To get these costs, we sourced 197 quotes from 37 comprehensive car insurance providers using the driver profile of a 60-year-old male. Quotes were gathered using different states and the averages have been used in the table above. To know more about the driver profile used to source these quotes, see Finder's car insurance methodology.
What does comprehensive car insurance cover?
Always covered
Repairs to your car if you're in an accident
Repairs to your car if it's vandalised
Payment if your car is stolen or set on fire
Repairs if your car is damaged in a storm
Typically covered
New car replacement if yours is written off within a certain period
Payment if personal items inside the car are stolen or damaged
Damage to a caravan or trailer
Emergency costs if you're stranded
I once made the mistake of insuring a brand new car for market value instead of agreed value (in an attempt to save on my premium). Unfortunately, the car was stolen and written off. When I went to claim on insurance, I found that the market value wasn't high enough to cover what I still owed on the car and I ended up being out of pocket by around $7,000. While insuring for agreed value can increase your premium, at least it could prevent you from being stuck in the position I was!
— Alex Dalrymple, car owner
Compare comprehensive car insurance by state
As part of the Finder car insurance awards, we sourced 1,000+ quotes across over 30 different providers in 6 different states. The providers listed in the table below were the top 5 cheapest of the providers researched and reflect the estimated annual cost based on the profile used. Keep in mind, your own cost will vary depending on your personal circumstances and it's always best to compare a range of providers.
We didn't include quotes for NT and ACT because the sample size was too small.
To determine these average costs for NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC and WA, we sourced over 1,000 quotes from 30+ policies using 36 driver profiles across different ages, genders and locations. The pricing above reflects the average of these per state. We have displayed the top 5 cheapest providers for the state, as per the research. Please note, while we've tried to include as many providers as possible, this is not a full market comparison. Read more about Finder's car insurance methodology.
Your cost will differ depending on your circumstances. Some things that can affect the cost of your quote include your gender, the type of car you drive, the colour of the car, how long you have been driving and the amount of cover you need.
Be sure to read the product disclosure statement (PDS) to find cover that suits you.
Frequently asked questions
Comprehensive car insurance is the highest level of car insurance you can get in Australia. It's the only type of car insurance that will cover damage to your own car as well as damage to other people, vehicles and property.
It covers costs caused by fire, storm and hail damage and replacement costs if your car is stolen. Depending on which comprehensive car insurance policy you buy, you can also get cover for roadside recovery, a hire car if yours is ever out of action and emergency accommodation costs if you're stranded far from home.
According to Finder research, Bingle is the cheapest comprehensive car insurance policy at an average of $673 per year. Remember, everyone's circumstances are different and each insurer will assess your individual criteria so prices may vary.
Comprehensive car insurance covers far more situations than either third party insurance or third party fire and theft. However, it's also the most expensive. Our research shows the average price of comprehensive car insurance is roughly twice that of third party insurance.
Comprehensive
Third party fire and theft
Third party
Accidental damage to your car
Malicious damage to your car
Damage due to flood or storm
Damage due to fire
Theft
Damage to other people's property
Emergency transport and accommodation
Hire car following accident
Personal property replacement
New car replacement
Replacement of car keys
There may be some difference between insurers.
Comprehensive car insurance policies can cover you for business use but not by default. You'll need to let your insurer know you plan to use the vehicle for both personal and business use. Your premiums may increase when you add comprehensive car insurance for business use to your existing policy, but it's essential if you want to be covered while using the vehicle for work.
There are lots of different factors that affect the cost of your car insurance policy. We've listed the most significant ones below.
Factor
What happens?
Age
Young drivers usually pay more for their insurance
Experience
Experienced drivers often enjoy cheaper premiums
Gender
Men sometimes pay more than women, although it's usually equal in older drivers
History
Drivers who have made recent claims will pay more for their premiums
Car value
Cheaper cars are less expensive to insure
Car features
If your car has safety or security features, it may be cheaper to insure
Usage
People who drive fewer kilometres per year may have cheaper premiums
Location
Cars kept in safe neighbourhoods or secure locations can see cheaper premiums
Cover
A higher level of protection that offers extra perks will be more expensive
Excess
If you choose a higher excess, your premiums will be lower
Restrictions
If you restrict the age of other drivers, you may be able to lower your premium
Here are a few ways to make your comprehensive car insurance premiums more affordable.
Shop around. Our research shows you can save thousands of dollars just by comparing.
Increase your excess. Choosing a higher excess will lower your premiums.
Look for no claim discounts. Some insurers offer big discounts to safe drivers.
Restrict usage. Premiums may be cheaper if only select people will drive the car.
Restrict age. If you restrict the minimum age of any driver, your premium might drop.
Keep it safe. Installing a car alarm or keeping your vehicle in a garage can earn you a discount.
Look for deals. Some insurers will offer discounts for buying online.
Some comprehensive policies will cover anyone with a driving licence. However, others will restrict the age of drivers or the experience of drivers. Some policies will only cover named drivers. These are usually settings that you can customise yourself but if you're unsure always ask your insurer directly.
Comprehensive car insurance isn't compulsory in Australia. However, compulsory third party (CTP) is a legal requirement.
Yes. Compulsory third party (CTP) insurance covers you for legal expenses if you injure or kill someone in a motor vehicle accident. Comprehensive car insurance doesn't cover you for this.
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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