Comprehensive Car Insurance Quote from Allianz, AXA, Zurich and Aviva: Excess, Premium and No-Claims Discount
See how each cover level, the deductible and your claim history change the price of a motor policy 👇
Car insurance is easy to forget once it is paid. The policy sits in a drawer or an app, renews itself each year, and nobody checks whether it still fits. Meanwhile the car gets older, your commute changes, a new driver joins the household and insurers revise the way they calculate risk. The result can be a premium that no longer reflects your situation, or protection with gaps you only discover after an accident.
Requesting a new car insurance quote takes little time and tells you where you stand. Below we walk through the standard levels of motor cover, the role of the deductible and the no-claims discount, the main insurers in the United Kingdom, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia and the United States, and the extra conditions that apply when a bank still owns part of the car. No price is promised here, and nobody is approved in advance: each company assesses the vehicle, the driver and the chosen cover before it offers a figure.
The three levels of motor cover explained
Insurers use different product names in each country, yet the structure underneath is almost always the same. Start with the narrowest protection and work up:
- Third party liability: this is the entry level. If you cause a crash, it pays for the other person's injuries and for repairs to their car, wall or fence. Your own vehicle receives nothing. Many jurisdictions, including the UK, Australia, South Africa and most American states, make some type of liability cover compulsory or close to it.
- Third party, fire and theft: the middle option keeps that liability protection and adds compensation when the car is stolen or destroyed by fire. If you hit a post, though, the repair bill is yours. Owners of older vehicles with a low market value often settle on this level.
- Comprehensive car insurance: the top layer covers accidental damage to your own car regardless of fault, together with theft, fire, flood or hail and, in many cases, glass and windscreen repairs. Banks and leasing companies normally demand this level.
One counterintuitive point: the basic level is not guaranteed to be the cheapest. Some insurers treat people who buy minimal cover as riskier customers and price them accordingly, so a comprehensive quote can occasionally come in close to, or even below, a liability-only quote. Ask for all three before deciding.
Deductible, claim history and what sets the price
The deductible, or excess
British, Australian and South African policies call it the excess; American and Philippine ones usually say deductible. Either way it is the portion of every claim that comes out of your own pocket. There is normally a fixed compulsory amount chosen by the insurer and an optional voluntary amount you add yourself. A larger voluntary excess tends to reduce the insurance premium, but it only makes sense if you could cover that sum at short notice. Drivers under 25 or with a recent licence may also carry an additional young-driver excess.
No-claims discount
Every policy year that ends without a claim builds your no-claims discount, sometimes called a no-claims bonus. After four or five clean years it can be one of the largest reductions on your renewal. Several insurers sell a protected no-claims option for an extra charge, so that a single claim does not reset the discount, although the underlying price may still go up. When you switch companies, request a letter or certificate confirming your claim-free record so the new insurer can apply it.
Factors behind the premium
- Vehicle: the make, model, engine power, cost of parts and how often that model is stolen.
- Address and parking: your postcode or zip code, whether the car sleeps in a garage, a driveway or on the street, and local crash and crime rates.
- Who drives: age, years with a licence, past claims, motoring convictions and, in certain countries, a credit score.
- How the car is used: annual mileage, commuting, business trips or delivery and ride-hailing work all change the risk.
- Policy settings: the excess you pick, additional named drivers and extras such as a hire car while yours is repaired.
No two insurers weigh these elements identically, so the same driver and car can receive very different figures. The premium varies by insurer, vehicle and driver profile, which is the strongest argument for collecting several quotes built on identical details.
Who sells car insurance where
A handful of international groups trade in many countries, while domestic firms frequently hold the largest share at home. The companies listed here are frequent choices and are mentioned only as examples of the market:
- Aviva and Direct Line: household names in Britain, offering comprehensive policies, third party fire and theft and extras like breakdown recovery and legal cover.
- Allianz: headquartered in Germany, it provides motor insurance in Europe, Australia and several Asian countries, in some places through partner brands.
- AXA: the Paris-based group sells car insurance in a number of European and Asian markets and offers online quote forms in many of them.
- Zurich: from Switzerland, with private and fleet motor products in Europe, Latin America and parts of Asia.
- Generali: one of Europe's biggest motor insurers, also active in Asia, the Philippines included.
- Santam, OUTsurance and Discovery Insure: major South African players. Santam works heavily through brokers, while Discovery Insure ties rewards to driving habits recorded by a smartphone app.
- Malayan and Pioneer: long-standing insurers in the Philippines that provide comprehensive cover and the compulsory third party liability policy required for vehicle registration.
Australia and the US have dozens of national and regional carriers, which makes a comparison website or an independent broker useful. In any market, look beyond the first number on the screen: review how claims are settled, the size of the approved repairer network and what policyholders say about service.
Cover levels side by side
| Policy type | Pays other drivers | Stolen or burned car | Repairs to own car | Typical price position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Third party liability | Yes | No | No | Often the lowest, with exceptions |
| Third party, fire and theft | Yes | Yes | No | In between |
| Comprehensive car insurance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Often the highest |
Every company decides its own limits, exclusions and optional add-ons. Before comparing, open the policy schedule and the key facts or product disclosure statement. Two offers sold under the same name may still treat the excess, glass claims or replacement vehicles differently.
Leased or financed cars and breakdown help
If the vehicle was bought with a car loan, a lease or a hire purchase contract, the lender generally wants comprehensive car insurance in force for the entire agreement and may need to be listed on the policy as having a financial interest. Dealers and banks sometimes bundle their own insurance at the point of sale, but in many countries you are free to buy cover from a different insurer as long as it satisfies the contract terms. It is also worth asking about gap insurance, which pays the shortfall between the insurer's settlement and the outstanding loan balance if the car is written off while it is still worth less than you owe.
Breakdown cover, also called roadside assistance, comes bundled with some comprehensive policies and is an optional extra with others. The usual services include towing to a garage, battery jump-starts, spare tyre fitting, help when you are locked out and a small amount of emergency fuel. Check the yearly call-out limit, the maximum tow distance and whether the service works away from home or across borders.
Requesting a car insurance quote in six steps
- Have the vehicle details ready. Number plate, make, model, year of manufacture, expected yearly mileage and the overnight parking location.
- Note your record. The date you passed your test, recent claims or driving offences and evidence of your no-claims discount.
- Decide the level. Comprehensive for a newer or financed car; liability with fire and theft, or liability alone, for a vehicle of lower value.
- Choose an excess. Pick a deductible you could realistically pay if you needed to make a claim.
- Compare three or more offers. Enter the same information with every insurer so the premiums can be compared like for like.
- Check what is excluded. Pay attention to terms on drivers not named on the policy, business use, modified cars and trips abroad.
Give accurate answers throughout. Incorrect details may allow the insurer to cut or decline a claim later, a loss far larger than anything saved on the premium.
Common questions
1. Which is better for an older car, comprehensive or third party fire and theft?
It depends on the car's value and your savings. If a write-off would not seriously hurt your finances, the middle level may be enough; if you could not afford to replace the car, comprehensive cover gives broader protection. Quote both and compare.
2. Will raising my voluntary excess always reduce the premium?
Usually it does, but by how much varies from one insurer to another. Only choose an excess you could pay straight away after an accident.
3. Does my no-claims discount move with me to another insurer?
In most countries it does. Ask your current company for written confirmation of your claim-free years and share it with the new insurer when you apply.
4. My car is on a loan. Am I free to choose any insurer?
Often yes, provided the policy meets the cover your finance agreement demands, which is usually comprehensive for the full term. Read the contract to see whether the lender must be named.
5. How do I know if breakdown cover is part of my policy?
Look at the policy schedule or ask the insurer. Some comprehensive policies include it and others charge extra, and the call-out and towing limits differ.
The right motor policy is the one that pays out when something goes wrong, at a price your budget can carry. Line up quotes with matching cover and excess, protect the claim-free years you have built and read the full wording before you commit.
Informational content: Appzinplay is an independent information site with no affiliation to any insurer, bank, lender or organisation named on this page. Premiums, cover, excess levels and eligibility criteria change and are set by each company, so confirm every detail in the official policy documents before buying.