What makes car insurance expensive?
There is no company that is consistently the most expensive. A high premium arises from a build-up of factors in your own file, and those factors can be named precisely.
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In brief
The question of which car insurance is the most expensive has no useful answer in the form of a brand name. The same company that is competitive for an experienced driver in a mid-range car may give the highest quote for a twenty-two-year-old in a sporty version. Insurers use their own acceptance models in which the same details carry different weight. As a result the order changes from profile to profile, and that is precisely what makes comparing worthwhile.
What pushes a premium up is always the same combination. A low or negative no-claims step after one or more at-fault claims weighs heavily, and a drop works through for years. The vehicle also counts: power, list price, how attractive it is to thieves and the repair costs of the model. A car with aluminium panels, matrix lighting and driver assistance systems in the bumper is expensive to repair after an apparently minor collision, and that is built into the premium.
The third layer lies in the cover itself. Comprehensive cover with no excess is the most expensive variant there is, certainly in combination with a replacement-as-new arrangement, additions for passengers, motor legal expenses, a replacement vehicle and cover for accessories. Every addition is defensible, but added together they double the picture compared with a bare Third-party liability plus third-party, fire and theft. If you are looking at a classic car or a car with a special value, acceptance runs through a classic car insurance with a valuation report.
This page deals with one situation. The full overview is on Compare car insurance.
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Get coveredWhy arrange it through Finass Verzekert?
We look at the terms as well as the premium, and stay your point of contact when there is a claim.
Independent
We are not tied to one insurer and compare on the basis of an objective analysis of several companies.
One fixed adviser
You call or email someone who knows your file. No menu options, no changing call centres.
Switching without hassle
We cancel your old policy and align the start date, so you are never a day without cover.
Help with claims
We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
Where the highest premiums come from
Four causes that make the biggest difference.
Restricted acceptance
After a cancellation by the insurer, a run of claims or an entry in a shared warning register, most companies refuse the application. Those that remain charge a risk premium and often impose clauses: a higher excess, compulsory security or the exclusion of certain drivers. The premium is high because the choice is small.
Young and inexperienced drivers
The age and driving experience of the regular driver count for more than who the car is registered to. Putting a car in a parent's name while a new driver uses it daily is not a saving but an incorrect declaration: after a loss the insurer assesses this under Articles 7:928 and 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code and the payout can be reduced.
Additional sections stack up
Passenger cover, motor legal expenses, a replacement vehicle and breakdown assistance abroad are separate modules with a premium of their own. Check that you do not already have them elsewhere: motor legal expenses is often included in an existing legal expenses insurance, and double cover does not produce a double payout after a loss.
Expensive does not mean all-encompassing
Even the most expensive policy does not pay for wear, design faults or mechanical failures, nor for diminution in value after a repair, nor for damage during races or speed trials. Traffic fines always remain at your own expense. If you pay more, you buy cover for more events, not an exception to the fixed exclusions.
What does your premium depend on?
- Power and list price: determine the rating group the vehicle falls into
- Bonus-malus step: a negative step can more than double the premium
- Age of the regular driver: under twenty-four a surcharge applies almost everywhere
- Level of the excess: no excess is the most expensive choice
- How prone the model is to theft: can lead to a compulsory security clause
- Number of sections included: every addition has a premium element of its own
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
What is covered
| Situation | Third-party liability | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|
| You hit the charging point on your own drive while parking | No | Yes |
| The battery is damaged in a collision you caused yourself | No | Yes |
| Your charging cable is stolen while the car is plugged in at a public charging point | No | Provided that |
| You reverse into your neighbours' garage door | Yes | Yes |
| Fire in the car while it is charging at home overnight | No | Yes |
| The range falls because the battery has less capacity after five years | No | No |
The most expensive form is not automatically the best: on a car with a low market value you are mainly paying for cover you will never call on.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Is there a list of the most expensive insurers?
No, and a list would be of little value. Insurers each weigh age, postcode, vehicle and claims history differently, so the order changes from applicant to applicant. What you can compare is how a company deals with market value, directed repairs and clauses. Those conditions matter more after a loss than the difference in premium.
Why is my premium so much higher after one claim?
An at-fault claim costs several steps on the no-claims ladder, and that drop works through in every year that follows. Also, a new company reassesses your claims history when you switch. Paying for a small loss yourself can therefore be cheaper than claiming; have that worked out beforehand rather than afterwards.
Will I be accepted everywhere with an expensive car?
Not as a matter of course. For high list prices and models that are often stolen, companies impose requirements on security, where the car is kept and sometimes on the age of the driver. Some insurers will not take certain versions at all. We know which parties do accept this segment and under what clauses they do so.
Does it help to place everything with one company?
A package discount can bring the total premium down, but note the other side. You tie yourself to one set of conditions and one claims policy, and in a dispute that affects all your policies at once. Weigh the discount against the quality of the individual covers. We will work out both options for you.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
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