If you have got a missus with a good driving record then stick her on it even if she won't drive the car. Might reduce the premium, if not then don't.

Suggest you take a look at the Which report on car insurance that doesn’t just focus on the bottom line price but the customer service and response when you make a claim.

NFU Mutual seem to do extremely well , have local offices and their payouts on right offs are beyond belief. Downside they are very expensive.

LV come a close second as on recent post suggested . He had the accident a 8 in the morning and by 9 LV had recovered the car and arranged a hire car !

Direct Line come a close third and are improving their service all the time.

One thing these companies have in common is they underwrite their own policies so no need to refer the claim to a third party for a decision.

Other tips on MSE

Here are our top tips and tricks to find the cheapest cover.

• 1.NEVER auto-renew. Insurers can't charge existing customers more than newbies, but most can still save by switching

• 2.The cheapest time to get car insurance quotes is about 23 days before you need the policy to start

• 3.Check if you can save by adding a responsible driver to your policy

• 4.See if (legitimately) tweaking your job title can save you £100s

• 5.Before getting quotes, make sure you're on the electoral roll – it can affect costs

• 6.If you've more than one car, check whether a multicar policy is cheaper

• 7.Check if one policy for both your car and home insurance works out cheaper

• 8.For the cheapest policies, you'll usually need to pay annually

Most people buy insurance on price. This works fine until you need to make a claim when it becomes apparent that you get what you pay for. Worth noting that poor service could easily cost £1-3k if you need to make a claim for vehicle theft or write off valuation.

NFU apparently deliver very high levels of service. I got a quote last year but were more than twice what I was offered elsewhere - this seemed too high a premium for a service I hope never to use.

So currently with LV who generally come out fairly well on service levels. I will happily pay an extra £50pa to have that reassurance and avoid the hassle of changing.

I suppose its the risk-benefit ratio: for those with lower premiums generally, a doubling in price to get NFU may not be as bad as newer drivers and those in high risk areas / jobs or with a poor claims history.

I recall my quotes regularly being in the £300 - £400 range until I was in my late 40s and the range dropped by about £100, but NFU quotes regularly came in at £600+. Given I've only claimed once in 25 years of driving, going with NFU was, to me at least, not worth the extra. LV might be if the difference was only £50 rather than £300+.

My dad (nearly 80) thought so and changed from Axa a few years ago, the latter being his old 'staff' policy, but then he pays peanuts even now for his premium, probably around £100.

Shopping for car insurance can be overwhelming, but there are a few things to remember when comparing policies. First, consider your budget and the level of coverage you need.

Yes indeed. Maybe something obvious to follow, we will keep our eyes on it.