Aviva Car Insurance Review
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Aviva is a giant of the insurance world, and the biggest general insurer in the UK.
Globally it has 33 million customers. This review, however, will just focus on Aviva motor insurance. While the company now goes by Aviva, it used to be known as Norwich Union in the UK until 2009. IS AVIVA THE RIGHT INSURANCE PROVIDER FOR YOU? Compare and save over £200 
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Aviva’s claim
Its “Why Aviva?” message is “We’re always here to help, with extra savings and support, for when you need it most.” Pretty vague stuff and probably the least you’d expect from car insurance. It’s other claim is somewhat more direct and eye-catching: quality car insurance with a claim that 10% of those who have insurance through the company pay £169 for standard cover. There are also multi-car discounts of up to 18% when you buy insurance online (the 18% rate applies to just one in ten customers). If you’re an existing Aviva customer, you can, they claim, get up to 20% off your car insurance when a policy is bought online. They also boast of a 24/7 claims line. Standard cover includes the following: Uninsured driver cover; personal belongings cover; recovery transport if you have an accident and can’t drive your car; windscreens, sunroofs and mirrors covered; repair network – they’ll send out someone to fix a dent or a scratch. Excess starts at £150 and goes up to £1,050. |
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Types of Aviva Policy
For owners of cars that have a value of under £5,000, Aviva Third Party, fire and theft policy is often most appropriate. This way you’ll only receive a pay out if an accident wasn’t your fault. If it is, or it’s 50-50, you’ll get nothing. While third-party cover can work out cheaper, it’s always worth checking if this is your preferred option on the grounds of cost, because some insurers will even charge less for some comprehensive policies. Perhaps the most obvious reason is that if you opt for third party, some insurers will categorise you as a higher-risk driver. Aviva short-term insurance is also useful when you’re planning a trip and want to share the drive. Most other drivers will be able to drive a vehicle other than their own and receive third-party cover. However, that might be deemed unfair to the owner of the other vehicle, so short-term cover is a good solution. Aviva offer policies lasting between one and 28 days. 
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It’s quite possible for learner to be added to someone else’s policy, so allowing them to driver that person’s car.
But, of course, a claim will affect the other person’s renewal price and, unless it’s protected, also lose them any no-claims bonus. So, learner insurance is an alternative. This allows you to cover yourself while driving a third-party’s car for a period of between one day and three months. There are restrictions on this policy however – it only offers cover between 6am and 10pm. But Aviva says cover can work out as cheaply as £2.50 a day. Some insurers will allow you to build up your no-claims bonus while starting with such a policy. But we’ve looked through the small print and can’t find any mention that Aviva automatically allows that. Might be worth trying to negotiate this, however. Beyond the basics of third-party cover and comprehensive, Aviva, like most car insurers, offers a wide selection of optional extras. COMPARE CAR INSURANCE POLICIES NOW Compare and save over £200 Beyond the basics Aviva insurance offers many add-ons. These allow you to tailor your policy, should you wish. Aviva breakdown cover is a fairly standard offering these days and Aviva is no different. The same is true of protecting your no claims bonus, legal support and advice, a courtesy car, if your vehicle is off the road due to an accident; foreign use for protection if you take your car to Europe (third-party cover for 90 days a year is included in all UK policies at no extra cost); physiotherapy if you need it following an accident, and personal accident cover for serious injury to you or your partner as the result of an accident. Before you fork out for expensive extras, make sure they're worth it by reading our guide. |
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