Will my insurance cover me to drive other cars?

Some fully comprehensive policies will cover you to drive other vehicles (in addition to your own). But before jumping behind a different set of wheels, check with your insurer that you definitely have this extended cover. You might also be covered to drive loan cars too but not if it is a hire car. However, it's worth noting that even if your comprehensive cover allows you to drive other vehicles, this is usually only up to the level of third-party coverage – so no theft or fire damage cover is provided. If you share a car (or someone else regularly uses your car), you can add other drivers to your policy – known as named drivers . Sometimes adding a named driver can even help to lower the cost of your own cover, especially if they are seen as 'responsible'.

What's the difference between a no-claims discount and a no-claims bonus?

These are two slightly different terms for the same thing. In essence, for every year that you go without making a claim, your insurer will usually give you a discount at renewal. That's because insurers like less-risky policyholders. And the more years you go without making an insurance claim, the larger the discount will be. For instance, an insurer may give 30-40% off if you can go without claiming for the first year of your policy, and then give you an extra 10% off if you're then claim-free in the second year. You can often also pay to protect any no-claims bonus you've built up – read more on how no-claims discounts work .

Will I have a higher premium if I've modified my car?

The more changes you make to your car, barring security ones, the more you're usually charged. Always tell your insurer about any modifications and whether you made them or not, or it may invalidate your policy (a modification is anything that isn't part of the standard vehicle specification, including factory-fitted optional extras such as alloy wheels). Even more savings are there for the taking if you can protect your vehicle by securing it. Fitting an alarm or immobiliser (especially one approved by Thatcham) can reduce the bill substantially – and may also provide some peace of mind.

What are my options if I only need temporary insurance?

If you're only after insurance for a less than a day, a week or few months, then a temporary car insurance policy is worth considering. The idea is this will work out cheaper than taking out an annual policy and cancelling it, where you'd usually pay admin fees. Using temporary insurance is often a good option to ensure you are covered while borrowing someone else's car, as you don't need to amend the car owner's existing policy, and, if something were to happen, you wouldn't impact their no-claims discount. Read more on temporary car insurance .

Should I get telematics (aka 'black box') car insurance?

A telematics policy prices your premium depending on how you drive. A device – known as a 'black box' – is installed in your car to monitor your actions behind the wheel – so the better your driving, the less you pay for cover when it is due for renewal. Telematics insurance can be one way to help bring down the insurance costs for younger drivers . If you are confident that you can drive well you can earn £100s back on your cover via a telematics policy. But be warned – driving badly could also see your premiums increase.

What effect does the excess have on my premium?

Be careful when deciding your excess. The larger the excess, the cheaper the premium usually is, but a large excess may leave you out of pocket if you need to claim. The excess is the amount you pay towards any claims you make. Say your excess is £250 and you have an accident that causes £1,000 worth of damage to your vehicle, you pay £250 and the insurer stumps up the rest. A few insurers will substantially reduce premiums for a £1,000 excess, so try this when getting quotes. The downside is having to shell out this amount in the event of a claim.

How can I estimate my mileage correctly?

Insurers use this information to help them calculate your premium. The less you drive, the cheaper your insurance can be, so while you always need to give a genuine estimate to avoid committing fraud, it makes it doubly important not to overestimate as you'll also end up overpaying. The best method is to look at how much you've driven in the past using accurate data, and if your driving habits haven't changed, put the same figures down. If they have, change the figure accordingly. The easiest ways to find out your history is by looking back at old MOT certificates or service documents where your mileage would have been recorded – just compare one year with the next for how far you've driven.

Insurance
Car Insurance

Car Insurance

How to find the best car insurance for you

Want a cheap car insurance quote?

Our revolutionary car insurance tool is designed to take the hard work out of finding a cheap price
Fill in one questionnaire and get our unique cost-cutting tips as you answer
You'll then get personalised ideas to cut your costs even further...

Use our Car Insurance Compare+ Tool

Car insurance: what you need to know

Car insurance is a legal requirement. If you want to know more about how to find the best car insurance for you, our guides can help:

Cheap car insurance for the tips and tricks you’ll need to know
Insurance for young drivers if you’re aged 17-25
Multicar insurance if you've more than one vehicle
Learner drivers’ insurance for when you're starting out

Why has the price of car insurance gone up?

Car insurance price hikes have slowed down but are still higher than previous years.

Insurers say the rises are down to rising car repair costs, the effect of inflation and, as the value of used cars increases, more being paid out when cars are written-off.

So it's more important than ever to make sure you’re getting the best price you can for car insurance. Our Car Insurance Compare+ tool can help you find cheaper quotes.

Use our Car Insurance Compare+ tool

Watch: Martin Lewis explains car insurance

NEVER auto-renew – check if you can get a cheaper policy elsewhere
Use our Car Insurance Compare+ tool to see if you can save
Want to stay with your existing insurer? Haggling can save you £100s
Use our top tips to cut the cost of your insurance
Always check the policy documents thoroughly before you apply

Watch Martin's video for more details, read a transcript, or...

Read our guide to
cheap car insurance

Why use MoneySavingExpert’s Car Insurance Compare+ tool?

It can help you get a cheaper car insurance quote – we’ll tell you:

The cheapest time to search for quotes
Show you your cheapest online quotes from one comparison site
Tell you whether it’s likely worth checking elsewhere
Provide personalised tips along the way to help cut your costs further.

Use our Car Insurance Compare+ tool

What type of car insurance do I need?

There are three main types of car insurance cover:

Third party – this is the minimum level of cover needed to drive legally, and only covers damage to someone else or their property.
Third party, fire and theft – as above, but with additional cover in case the car gets stolen or catches ablaze.
Fully comprehensive – the widest level of cover available. You get third-party, fire and theft cover, plus if you have an accident and it was your fault you can claim the cost of repairing your car (as well as any damage you cause to someone else or their property).

Find out more about the types of car insurance

What do I need to get a car insurance quote?

You'll need to provide a few details to get a quote:

Your personal details – including your age, your job and (often) details of your driving licence
Your no-claims discount history – insurers will give you a lower price the longer it's been since you made a claim. (Read more on whether you should protect your no-claims discount.)
Your car – details of the car’s registration if you know it, or the make and model if not.
Details of how you'll use your car – how many miles you'll do each year, whether you'll use it for business, commuting or leisure, and where you'll keep it.

Get a quote with
Car Insurance Compare+

What can affect my car insurance quote?

There are many factors that will impact how much you pay, including:

Your age – 25 and under, or 70 and over, and you’re likely to pay more.
Your job – some work is seen as more risky. Our handy job picker will help you decide if you can reasonably tweak your job title to cut costs.
Your car – insurers will consider all sorts of things, including how powerful and valuable your car is, and whether it’s a theft target.
Your address – urban areas can be more expensive, especially if you keep your car on the street.
Your driving history – which can include any claims and convictions, how often you drive and any no-claims bonus you have.

Martin Lewis explains how to save on your car insurance

Martin Lewis: "NEVER auto-renew – always check if you can get cheaper car insurance elsewhere. Our Car Insurance Compare+ tool does this for you, plus gives many other tips on how you can make further savings – for example, it's usually cheapest to renew around 23 days before your renewal date, and (legally) tweaking your job title can save you £100s. If you don't want to switch, always haggle – it does work."