While there are considerable differences in the estimated degree, what's not disputed is that typical premiums are on the rise - along with everything else pressuring our budgets.
Insurers are increasingly trying to appeal to cash-strapped customers, with various new products last year offering pared-down cover for lower premiums.
But new Which? research shows you needn't settle for subpar cover or service to keep insurance costs manageable.
Our Which? Recommended Providers
In November 2022, we surveyed thousands of car insurance customers who'd recently claimed, while also analysing policies from dozens of insurers.
The handful of providers offering quality cover as standard whilst also proven to excel at customer service were awarded our Which? Recommended Providers (WRP) icon.
Are the best insurers the most expensive?
To explore if premium cover and service always carries a cost, we asked 1,858 of the claimants in our survey how they felt the prices on offer from their insurer compared to other providers.
About six in ten (61%) believed they were paying about the same for cover with their current insurer as they'd be offered elsewhere. Meanwhile, a quarter (26%) believed they were paying a less expensive price, while one in 10 (12%) felt they were paying a more expensive price.
Among two of our five WRPs - LV and Direct Line (respectively 1st - 79% - and 2nd - 78% - when it came to customer score) - customers surveyed were also more likely than respondents generally to feel they were paying less for their cover than they would elsewhere.
Importantly, every insurance customer gets their own price, based on how risky the insurer thinks they'll be to insure. This means no insurer can sweepingly be described as 'cheap' or 'expensive' for all of its customers.
However, our findings show that providing excellent service and reliable cover doesn't inevitably entail the highest prices.
'Less expensive' insurers
When it came to how their customers rated them for service, both providers were reasonably mid-table in our analysis. Our 'customer score' reflects how satisfied and likely to recommend the insurer its customers are. AA's score of 72% placed it 7th of 15 providers rated, whereas Tesco's score of 70% ranked it 11th. The average customer score was 72%.
undefinedBeware of what's missing from 'streamlined' policies
When you're shopping for a cheaper deal, it's more vital than ever to check the smallprint for what's absent from some of the lowest-priced policies.
In November, we looked at recently-launched policies intended to appeal to customers trying to cut back on their insurance bills. We were skeptical as to what real value was being provided in some cases.
When we spoke to the AA about its position in our price table, a spokesperson commented: 'The majority of our customers feel that our market leading car insurance is competitively priced as it gives them peace of mind and provides the confidence to know they are in safe hands.
'While other policies are removing things like windscreen cover, we want to ensure our customers are comprehensively covered in their hour of need.'
Find out more:How to get the best value cover
Some 88% of claimants we surveyed told us they felt they were getting good value for money. However, regardless of whether or not you think your insurer offers cover well worth a hefty price tag, it's sensible to assume that there's some flexibility in the quote.
In the first instance, the best way to ensure you get the best deal is to shop around widely (ideally checking multiple comparison sites) to see what you insurer's rivals offer.
Find out more:undefinedsource https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/top-car-insurance-firms-and-policies-revealed-a2KRH5J4qCH4