Buying car insurance is compulsory in the UK if you are driving your vehicle on UK roads, however, finding the best car insurance policy can be an overwhelming task. We summarise some of the best car insurance providers in our article, 'Best car insurance in the UK' but in this review, we take a look at Aviva car insurance specifically. It is advisable to read the review in full, however, you can jump to specific sections of the article using the following links:
- What is Aviva?
- Aviva car insurance key features
- What does Aviva car insurance cover?
- How much does Aviva car insurance cost?
- What is the excess on Aviva car insurance?
- How to make a claim on Aviva car insurance
- Aviva car insurance customer reviews
- Pros and cons of Aviva car insurance
- Alternatives to Aviva car insurance
- Summary
What is Aviva?
Aviva is one of the largest car insurance providers in the UK and also offers a range of general insurance, life insurance, health insurance and investment products. Aviva has been providing services to customers for over 300 years and has over 15 million customers to date. Aviva car insurance policies are underwritten by Aviva Insurance Ltd.
Aviva car insurance key features
- Choose between fully comprehensive and third party, fire & theft policies
- Multi-car cover (insure up to 5 vehicles at the same address and get a 10% discount per vehicle)
- Uninsured driver cover
- Electric and hybrid vehicle cover
- Repairs made by Aviva-approved repairers are guaranteed for as long as you own the car
- Protect your policy with additional extras including no claim discount protection, courtesy car and UK breakdown cover
- 4 & 5 star defaqto ratings
What does Aviva car insurance cover?
If you insure your car with Aviva you can choose between fully comprehensive or third party, fire & theft car insurance. Fully comprehensive car insurance is the most extensive car insurance policy which includes cover for damage to both your vehicle and a third party vehicle or property. Third party, fire & theft car insurance is less comprehensive as it does not cover against damage to your own vehicle however it will cover for fire and theft claims.
With Aviva you can take out a range of car insurance policy types including single cover, multi-car cover, electric and hybrid vehicle cover, telematics car insurance, temporary car insurance and insurance for learner drivers and classic cars. You can also get cover for vans, business vehicles and motorhomes.
Below we compare the different policy types for a single car insurance policy with Aviva.
| Fully comprehensive | Third party, fire & theft | |
| Loss or damage |  |
Fire & theft only |
| Third party claims for damage or injury | |
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| Vehicle recovery | |
Fire & theft only |
| Legal costs | |
|
| Individual no-claim discount | |
|
| Uninsured driver cover | |
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| Driving other vehicles (over 25s only) | |
|
| Motor injury protection | |
|
| Electrical breakdown | |
|
| Tyres | |
|
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Aviva car insurance optional extras
There are a number of additional benefits available with Aviva car insurance which can be selected at an additional cost. We explain the additional cover available below:
UK Breakdown Cover
You can choose to enhance your Aviva car insurance policy with breakdown cover in the UK (excludes Northern Ireland) at an additional cost. There are a number of tiers to choose from, all with varying levels of cover, that can ensure your car is either repaired where you have broken down or ensure you get transported to your destination.
Before purchasing cover, however, it is worth comparing the cost of separate breakdown cover to ensure you are getting a good deal.
No-claim discount protection
No-claims can be built up for each year that you do not make a claim on your car insurance policy. If you have earned 3 years or more No Claim Discount (NCD) then you can choose to protect your discount by paying an extra premium. With this 'protected' no-claim discount you can make one claim each year without your current no-claim discount being affected. Any subsequent claims are likely to affect your no-claim discount.
The following table explains how your no-claims discount will be affected if you make a claim on your Aviva car insurance.
| Current No-Claim Discount (NCD) | Number of claims made during the period of insurance | NCD from next renewal (protected) | NCD from next renewal (unprotected) |
| 1 or 2 years | 1 or more | protection unavailable | 0 |
| 3 years | 1 | 3 years protected | 1 |
| 2 | 1 year | 0 | |
| 3 or more | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 years | 1 | 4 years protected | 2 |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| 3 or more | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 years or more | 1 | 5+ years protected | 3 |
| 2 | 3 | 0 | |
| 3 or more | 0 | 0 |
Motor Legal
You can choose to add Motor Legal cover to your Aviva car insurance policy at an additional cost. The motor legal cover has up to £100,000 of legal cover to recover legal costs in the event of an accident. Legal cover is only usually provided in the event that the legal team believe you are likely to win the case.
Courtesy car
If you purchase a comprehensive car insurance policy with Aviva you can choose to add a courtesy car as an optional extra. This means that if your car is damaged, stolen or written off you will have another vehicle to drive for the duration of the repairs at an approved repairer or for up to 14 days if your car is irreparable or stolen.
Motor Injury Protection Plus
You can choose to enhance the amount of personal injury protection if you have a comprehensive policy. The optional extra provides additional cover for the policyholder, their partner and any named driver in the event of death or serious injury as well as physiotherapy cover for less serious injuries. This enhanced cover does come at an additional cost.
European use
If you regularly travel within the EU or Europe you can purchase this optional cover for when visiting countries abroad. A full list of the countries covered can be found in the policy documents and you would need to carry your proof of insurance with you at all times.
How much does Aviva car insurance cost?
How much you pay for your Aviva car insurance varies depending on a number of factors including your age, the car you drive and where you live as well as your driving experience and the type of insurance you choose.
It is also worth noting that the price of an Aviva car insurance policy can vary if found via a comparison website, this is because the car insurance policy offered by Aviva directly is different to the policy offered via a comparison site. In this instance, it would be worth comparing the policies to see which offers the better cover for your circumstances.
A full list of the factors that affect how much you pay for your car insurance can be found in our article, 'How much does car insurance cost?' We also share a number of ways in which you can save money on your car insurance in our article, '10 tips to save money on your car insurance'.
What is the excess on Aviva car insurance?
Car insurance usually has two types of policy excess, voluntary and compulsory. Compulsory excess is the amount set by the insurer and voluntary excess is the amount chosen by you when taking out a quote.
When taking out an Aviva car insurance policy you can choose between a number of excess levels ranging from £150 - £1,050. The higher the policy excess you choose, typically the lower your insurance premium. However, this is the amount payable in the event of a claim so you need to ensure it is affordable.
Drivers under the age of 25 typically have to pay an additional excess for their car insurance with Aviva, on top of the standard excess selected when getting a quote. Drivers aged between 17-20 have to pay £300 on top of the standard excess for accidental damage claims and drivers aged between 21-24 have to pay an additional £200. If you have a high-performance or high-value vehicle, you may also have to pay a higher excess amount.
It is also important to note that if you do not use an Aviva-approved repairer when getting your car fixed after an accident, an additional excess of up to £350 may apply in addition to any standard excess amounts.
If you make a claim for windscreen damage or repair the excess payable is £115 for replacement and £10 for repair.
How to make a claim on Aviva car insurance
If you need to make a claim on your car insurance policy you can do so by logging in online or by contacting 0345 030 6925. When making a claim you will need to provide details of the claim, the extent of damage to your vehicle and the details of any third parties involved. If your vehicle is damaged Aviva says it will instruct a repairer and confirm whether you are able to get a courtesy car. If the vehicle is beyond repair Aviva will pay you the market value.
If you are making a claim for glass damage you can arrange repair or replacement on the Aviva website.
Aviva car insurance customer reviews
Aviva is rated as 'Excellent' on Trustpilot with a score of 4.3 from over 28,000 reviews. 74% of reviews rate Aviva as 5 stars while 13% rate Aviva as 1 star. Those that rate Aviva as 5 stars cite a clear website and competitive prices. Those that rate Aviva as 1 star cited delays with claims and problems with communication. It is worth noting, however, that not all of the reviews are related to car insurance directly but to Aviva as a whole.
Pros and cons of Aviva car insurance
Pros
- Choose between fully comprehensive and third party, fire & theft policies
- Get multi-car cover and insure up to 5 vehicles at the same address and get a 10% discount per vehicle
- Repairs made by Aviva-approved repairers are guaranteed for as long as you own the car
Cons
- High excesses for those under 25
- Courtesy car not included as standard
- No option for third party car insurance
Alternatives to Aviva car insurance
In this section of the review, we compare Aviva car insurance to two other car insurance providers. Another quick and easy way to compare car insurance policies is via a comparison site such as Quotezone*. Comparison sites allow you to compare multiple car insurance policies at once to find the best deal. We have partnered with Quotezone* so that you can search and compare quotes from over 110 UK car insurance providers. Not all comparison sites are whole of market, however, so you may be able to find a better deal directly with an insurer, particularly from those that don't feature on comparison sites, such as Direct Line.
In the following table, we compare Aviva car insurance to Admiral and Direct Line. Further information on these providers can be found in our reviews:
Aviva vs Admiral vs Direct Line
| Aviva | Admiral | Direct Line | |
| Policy Types |
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| Uninsured driver protection | |
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| Multi-car insurance discount | |
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| Temporary car insurance | |
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| Optional breakdown cover | |
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| Policy amendments admin fee | |
|
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| Defaqto rating | 4 & 5 star policies | 5 stars (3 star rating for Essential policy) | 5 stars |
Summary
Aviva is one of the UK's biggest insurers offering a wide range of insurance and investment products. Its car insurance policies offer a good level of cover and have 4 or 5 star Defaqto ratings. You can also choose between a number of different policy types with Aviva, including temporary car insurance and insurance for electric vehicles.
Younger drivers wishing to get insurance with Aviva should consider the higher excess that is payable in addition to the standard excess if they need to make a claim but this is usually quite common amongst insurers for drivers under 25. If you do make a claim with Aviva, and your car is repaired against damage, the repairs by an Aviva-approved insurer are guaranteed for the duration of which you own the car.
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