Best Car Insurance (2026)

There are over a hundred brands selling car insurance in the UK. Which are our favourites? Find out which companies made the NimbleFins list of best car insurance companies (aka the cheapest) and read about which are the largest (aka the most popular).

Two major takeaways from our 2026 update: 1) Aviva's acquisition of Direct Line Group has dramatically reshaped the market, creating a single group with over 25% market share and brands spanning every price point from Darwin and Churchill Essentials to Direct Line Premium and 2) Ageas has become the UK's third largest personal lines insurer following its 2025 acquisition of esure, combining the Ageas, esure, Sheila's Wheels and Saga brands under one group.

Best Car Insurance

The NimbleFins car insurance team has reviewed the UK's biggest car insurance companies in order to find the best car insurance for different needs How do the companies compare across important factors like price, customer service and features? Read the following reviews to help identify the best car insurance provider for your needs:

Top 10 Biggest Car Insurance Companies UK

Of the top cheap car insurance companies in the UK market, many are household names and have mascots or jingles you'll recognise from their TV ads. But which are actually the most popular? The NimbleFins team has dug through company financial filings — specifically the Solvency and Financial Condition Reports (SFCRs) published by insurers each year — to figure out who writes the most motor insurance business. Here is our list of the largest car insurance companies in the UK.

The market looks very different in 2025 compared to just a year ago, following a wave of consolidation. The biggest change is Aviva's acquisition of the Direct Line Group, which completed in 2025, catapulting Aviva to the top of the rankings with an estimated 25.4% market share—nearly double that of the next largest group. Admiral holds second place with ~14.9% market share, followed by Allianz (which includes LV=) at 10.1% and Hastings Direct at 9.4%. Note that our estimates exclude firms whose SFCR consolidates UK and international business together (such as Zurich and Covea), which means their UK market share is not directly comparable using this methodology.

Note, this doesn't reflect foreign companies like Zurich and Covea whose SFCR data does not separate their UK and international business, so we are unable to report on the size of their UK businesses.

1. Aviva

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Consider this if you have a good driving record and want a company with a good customer service reputation.

Aviva is now the largest car insurance group in the UK, following their acquisition of the Direct Line Group, which completed in 2025. Combined, we estimate the Aviva group holds around 25.4% of the UK motor insurance market—well ahead of its nearest rival. The group now underwrites policies under a wide range of brands including Aviva, Quotemehappy.com, One Call, Direct Line, Churchill, Darwin, Privilege, and By Miles.

The Direct Line Group brands give Aviva a strong presence on price comparison websites (PCWs), with Churchill Essentials and Darwin consistently ranking among the cheapest options. In December 2024—prior to the acquisition completing—Direct Line added their flagship brand to Compare the Market for the first time, a significant shift given the brand had previously been sold exclusively direct. Aviva's own brand has also been available on PCWs since 2020, and from 2022 to 2024, Aviva's motor customers on PCWs increased by 50%.

Aviva has won the General Insurer of the Year award at the Insurance Times Awards for the 10th year running (2024), and was named Defaqto Car Insurer of the Year 2025—recognised for a product range closely aligned to what customers value most. Which? named Aviva a Recommended Provider for 2025 and 2026, with a customer satisfaction score of 81%—the joint highest of any car insurer they surveyed. Aviva has also improved significantly on complaints handling, with complaints per 1,000 policies falling from a high of 8.55 in 2019 to just 3.04 in the first half of 2024.

Quick Takeaway: The Aviva group now offers an unusually wide choice of brands at different price points—from Direct Line and Churchill through to Quotemehappy and Darwin on comparison sites. However, if you've had an accident in the past 5 years, research by NimbleFins experts indicates you may receive a less favourable price from Aviva-group brands than you'd find elsewhere.

2. Admiral Group

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Consider this if you want car insurance from one of the UK's largest car insurance companies and find lower customer rating scores acceptable.

The Admiral Group is the second largest auto insurance group in the UK with ~14.9% of the motor insurance market according to NimbleFins calculations, underwriting policies through their Admiral, Bell, Diamond, elephant.co.uk and Gladiator brands. Technically speaking, Admiral is the trading name of EUI Limited.

We were very happy to report that back in 2022, Admiral added a carriage of goods for hire and reward product, which provides the correct class of cover for customers who work as delivery drivers or couriers, and Admiral Essential, a lower-cost, lower-tier (i.e. fewer features) policy sold via the comparison channel. Additionally, Admiral launched the Admiral virtual assistant (AVA) for car insurance, to help customers self serve to address queries or make a change.

Quick Takeaway: Admiral can be a great option for arranging a car insurance policy quickly online and, for many motorists, for a competitive price. Their brands can be found on most price comparison sites, such as our partner QuoteZone and one of their brands may be amongst the cheapest available offers.

3. Allianz

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Consider this if you want a policy with nearly every coverage feature available in the market.

Allianz used to sell under the "Flow" brand in the UK, but they rebranded and are now using the name the most people will recognise as one of the world's larger insurance and asset management companies: Allianz. At the end of 2019 Allianz completed their acquisition of LV General Insurance Group (LV GIG). LV= motor insurance policies are still underwritten by Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Ltd, but ultimately this is now owned by Allianz. With LV= and Highway, the Allianz Group is now an estimated 10.1% share of the UK motor insurance market.

Note, Allianz-branded motor insurance is online-only, so we tested them out. Our experience with their service email was very positive, with a really quick response time. And we weren't even emailing as an existing customer. Add to that, super Trustpilot scores (the highest in the group!).

Quick Takeaway: Allianz is now a firmly established top-three player in the UK motor insurance market. Their product is solid, their prices seem attractive, and the addition of LV= gives customers a choice of brand within the same group. LV= in particular has consistently scored well in our price tests and customer satisfaction research.

4. Hastings Direct

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Consider this if you want great quality, affordable car insurance from a company people recognise and trust.

Hastings Direct are a very popular insurance company, with 4.4 million live insurance policies in force as of late 2025, reflecting 15% year-on-year growth. They sell direct and via price comparison websites (PCWs). Around 90% of Hastings premiums written are sold through PCWs. And PCWs are the only way to buy the cheapest of their products, Hastings Essential car insurance. They also offer two higher tiers of cover (Direct and Premium), which can be purchased via comparison sites or direct from their website. Plus they have YouDrive (a black box plan) and Multi Car cover (providing discounts for households with between 2 and 4 cars), and a few additional brands (insurePink and People's Choice).

Hastings Direct continue to invest in digital capabilities, which means it's easier for customers to buy online and manage their accounts via a customer portal and app (which is highly rated with 4.7 stars in Apple's App Store).

We also like that Hastings Direct prides themselves on simple and straightforward insurance. This shows in their policy documents, which our experts think are easier to understand than some of the competition.

Note that Hastings Essential car insurance, while cheapest of their plans, has far fewer features—for instance, windscreen cover is not included and cannot be added, however legal and breakdown can be added for an extra charge (roughly £20 and £35, respectively). Those with a slightly larger budget who want more features should consider their Direct and Premier policies, which are not quite as cheap but have lower excesses and better coverage.

On 8 December 2021, Hastings completed its sale to Sampo, which also owns motor insurance companies in other countries in Europe (e.g. Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Baltic countries). Note that there's been a shift in the customer mix towards lower-risk customers, so higher-risk motorists may find Hastings has less appetite for their business than in previous years.

Quick Takeaway: If you're after good quality, affordable car insurance, then Hastings Direct is definitely a company to consider. Not only that, but they have high customer satisfaction ratings at Trustpilot and Fairer Finance.

5. Ageas

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Consider this if you want a large, award-winning insurer with a wide range of brands and strong customer service credentials.

Ageas is a Belgian-headquartered international insurer and one of the largest car insurance groups in the UK, with an estimated 8.7% share of the motor insurance market according to NimbleFins calculations. They sell direct under the Ageas brand as well as through brokers and a wide range of partner brands, which include Age UK, RAC, ASDA Money, Carrot Insurance and Castle Cover—so if you've bought car insurance through one of these names, your policy may ultimately be underwritten by Ageas.

In 2025, Ageas completed the acquisition of esure from Bain Capital for £1.3 billion, adding the esure, Sheila's Wheels and First Alternative brands to their portfolio. They also entered a 20-year partnership with Saga in 2024, taking over the underwriting of Saga's motor and home insurance business. Combined, the Ageas group now serves nearly 7 million customers in the UK.

Ageas has a strong track record on customer service, winning the Personal Lines Insurer of the Year award at the British Insurance Awards in 2025 and holding an ICS ServiceMark with Distinction accreditation from the Institute of Customer Service.

Quick Takeaway: The Ageas group now covers a broad spectrum of the market—from the Ageas brand sold direct and via brokers, to esure and Sheila's Wheels on comparison sites, to a long list of affinity and partner brands. Worth checking multiple brands within the group when shopping around, as prices can differ.

6. AXA

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Consider this if you want a large, international company that offers a solid set of features.

We calculate that AXA is the 6th largest car insurance company in the UK, with an estimated 5.4% share of the motor insurance market. A large international company, AXA sells policies under their own brand and they also underwrite policies for a number of other brands such as mypolicy.co.uk and the MOJA label. They used to underwrite pay-by-mile By Miles, but that was sold to the Direct Line Group in 2023, and following Aviva's acquisition of Direct Line Group, By Miles is now part of the Aviva group. But if you have bought car insurance from a brand that doesn't underwrite their own policies, you may find that your cover ultimately lies with AXA.

AXA had strong motor insurance performance in the UK, up 6% in 2023, but suffered financially from higher claims frequency for UK motor lines. Since then, AXA undertook certain underwriting measures resulting in a significant turnaround in the UK motor business—perhaps leading to the current interest in offering very competitive rates in our tests.

Quick Takeaway: The company offers customers the standard coverage and discounts that you'd expect from a large international insurance company.

7. NFU Mutual

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Consider this if you live in a rural area and want a highly rated insurer with a personal, local service.

NFU Mutual is a mutual insurer—meaning it is owned by its members rather than shareholders—and occupies a distinctive niche in the UK car insurance market. With an estimated 4.2% market share, it is one of the larger players, but it operates very differently from most of the companies in this list. NFU Mutual does not sell via price comparison websites; policies are only available through their network of around 300 local agency offices, making it a genuinely direct, relationship-based insurer.

Originally focused on the farming community (NFU stands for National Farmers' Union, though NFU Mutual is a separate organisation), the company now serves a broad range of rural and semi-rural customers across the UK. They are consistently among the highest-rated insurers for customer satisfaction.

Quick Takeaway: NFU Mutual is not for everyone—you won't find them on a comparison site, and their premiums can be higher than the market average. But for those who value local, personal service and consistently high claims satisfaction, they are well worth considering, particularly if you live outside a major city.

8. First Central

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Consider this if you want a competitively priced policy from a data-driven insurer that regularly appears among the cheapest on comparison sites.

First Central is one of the UK's faster-growing major insurers, having expanded rapidly by leveraging data and technology to price risk more precisely than many traditional competitors. With an estimated 3.1% market share, they have established themselves as a significant player, particularly on price comparison websites where they frequently appear among the cheapest options.

The company underwrites policies under the First Central and 1st Central brands and is headquartered in Guernsey, with underwriting operations in Gibraltar. Their focus on analytics and pricing sophistication has helped them grow their book while maintaining underwriting discipline.

Quick Takeaway: First Central is a strong option for price-conscious shoppers, particularly those who buy via comparison sites. Their data-driven approach means pricing can be very competitive for certain driver profiles, though as with any insurer it is worth checking the policy details and excess levels alongside the headline premium.

9. Tesco Bank Insurance

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Consider this if you are a Tesco Clubcard holder looking to combine loyalty rewards with competitive car insurance pricing.

Tesco Bank Insurance is the car insurance arm of the UK's largest supermarket group, and with an estimated 2.9% market share it is one of the top 10 largest UK motor insurers. Tesco Bank Insurance separated from Tesco Bank in 2025 and now operates as a standalone insurance business, underwriting its own motor policies through Tesco Underwriting. One of its most distinctive features is the ability for Tesco Clubcard holders to use their points to pay for or discount their car insurance premium—a genuine differentiator in a market where loyalty benefits are rare.

Tesco car insurance is available via price comparison websites as well as direct, and the brand regularly appears at competitive price points on comparison sites.

Quick Takeaway: Tesco Bank Insurance is worth considering if you're already a Clubcard customer, as the ability to offset your premium with loyalty points is a tangible benefit. Outside of that, compare them on price as you would any other insurer.

10. Marshmallow

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Consider this if you are new to the UK or have overseas driving history that traditional insurers don't take into account.

Marshmallow is one of the UK's most prominent insurtechs and the newest entrant to the top 10, with an estimated 1.1% share of the motor insurance market. Founded in 2017 by twins Oliver and Alexander Kent-Braham, Marshmallow was built specifically to serve drivers who had moved to the UK and found themselves penalised by traditional insurers for lacking UK driving history. By using alternative data sources and proprietary risk models, Marshmallow is able to price more fairly for drivers with overseas experience—often delivering significant savings compared to incumbents.

Marshmallow is a fully licensed insurer (one of only a small number of UK insurtechs to hold their own FCA licence and carrier entity) and has grown to insure over 1 million drivers in the UK. The company raised $90 million in a Series C round in April 2025 at a valuation of over $2 billion, with backing from Portage Capital, BlackRock, and Columbia Lake Partners. Policies are sold directly via their website and app, and through price comparison websites.

Quick Takeaway: Marshmallow is particularly worth checking if you've recently moved to the UK or hold an overseas driving licence, as their pricing model is specifically designed to recognise driving experience that UK insurers traditionally ignore. For long-established UK drivers, standard comparison site results will likely surface more competitive options.

Note, for the above best companies for cost analysis, we focused on companies that are both among the largest motor insurers in the UK and readily available on multiple comparison sites, since that's how 90% of people buy their car insurance. You may find other companies/brands that are a better fit and/or price for you.

Small vs. Big Insurance Companies

There are pros and cons of choosing either a small or large insurance company. For example, a smaller company might offer more personalised customer service (e.g., you might speak with the same agent each time you call). While dealing with a big insurance company like most of those in this top 10 list may feel impersonal, larger auto insurance companies generally have good financial stability.

Not only do the top insurance companies in the UK underwrite and pay claims worth billions of pounds every year, but they're often able to offer lower premiums by leveraging their resources. A small insurance company may be more likely to become insolvent, potentially leaving you without cover when you need it. While we can get an idea of a large insurance company's financial strength from S&P, Moody's and Fitch, these ratings agencies typically don't analyse smaller companies.

As a result it can be harder to understand the financial strength of a small company. That said, those who prioritise having a personal customer experience may still prefer a small company, which may be fine so long as you are comfortable with its financial situation. In the table below, we list financial ratings for some of the largest UK car insurance companies (or their parent companies), reflecting available data from Moody's, S&P and Fitch.

When deciding between a small or large car insurance company, keep in mind factors such as opening hours, coverage options and the range of policies on offer. For example, a small insurance company may have a more personal touch but you may have more difficulty reaching an agent, especially out of hours. The top UK insurance companies often have lines open at least some part of the weekend, which can be a big help for those unable to call during regular working hours.

Additionally, small insurance companies may not have as many coverage options or as wide a range of price points. For example they may be less likely to provide cover to an accident damaged car. If weekend availability or having discounts and a wide range of features is a priority for you, consider a large insurance company.

Mutual vs. Stock Insurance Companies

Another factor to consider is whether your insurance company is owned by shareholders or policyholders. Companies owned by stock holders are trying to maximize profits for their owners—a strategy that doesn't always align with what's best for policyholders. Mutual companies, on the other hand, are owned by the policyholders so the interests of the owners and customers is aligned.

NFU Mutual is the only policyholder-owned company in the top 10 largest UK motor insurance companies. A large portion of NFU Mutual's profits go towards reducing premiums for existing members, called a Mutual Bonus—in fact for 2020 they'd receive a discount between 11.5% and 16.5%, depending on how long they've been a member.

Customer Complaints

While looking at online customer reviews is one way to get a feel for the customer experience, it's also useful to look at official complaints made by customers with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), as well as complaints data from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). However you can't just look at the raw number of complaints because, all else being equal, a larger insurance company will naturally have more complaints than a smaller one.

In order to compare companies on an equal footing, we first standardised FOS data by calculating the number of general insurance complaints per £ million of written general insurance premiums (which involves standardising the H2 '25 complaints across the whole of 2025). As you can see in the table below, according to this metric, Allianz and NFU Mutual have the lowest rate of complaints according to this metric—0.11 and 0.30 complaints per £ million of written premium, respectively.

Using a different metric (complaints per policy from the FCA), Allianz stood out for having the lowest complaints rates (0.56 complaints per 1,000 policies in force), followed by Ageas and Tesco Underwriting.

The worst performing according to FCA metrics were AXA and Hastings, with 4.77 and 7.8 complaints per 1,000 policies in force, respectively.

FAQs

Methodology

In order to establish a list of the top ten motor insurance companies in the United Kingdom, we gathered data on premium prices and also gross written premiums by reading through SFCR regulatory reports, press releases, annual reports and risk management reports for each company. In all but one case, we used the SFCR data on gross premiums written for motor vehicle liability insurance and other motor vehicle insurance in order to determine the amount of motor insurance business a company wrote. Note, that there may be reporting discrepancies between the SFCR reports and the gross written premiums listed in annual reports.

We also gathered ratings Fitch, S&P, Moody's and AM Best financial ratings from the insurer's websites, and looked at complaints data from the FCA and FOS.

Notes

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