By clicking a retailer link you consent to third-party cookies that track your onward journey. If you make a purchase, Which? will receive an affiliate commission, which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion.

06 Aug 2024

Best car insurance for the over-50s 2024

Do car insurance costs increase as you age? We compare the insurers that specialise in policies for older drivers

Dean SobersSenior researcher & writer

In this article

Getting the best car insurance when you're over 50

Your 50s and 60s should be among your cheapest years for car insurance - providing you pick the right policy.

Yet as you get older, costs can begin to rise, and some insurers may refuse to take you on entirely.

Here we reveal the best insurers for older drivers and explain how to get cheaper cover.

Please note that the information in this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular terms and conditions of an insurer before committing to any financial products.

Compare car insurance deals

Check Which? insurance ratings and compare deals using the service provided by Confused.com

Get a quote

Best over-50s car insurance providers

NFU Mutual car insurance

Maximum age: 80
Policy score: 76% on its standard car insurance policy - 4th of 61 policies we rated
Customer score: 81% - 1st out of 27 insurers we had customer scores for
Claims score: 84% - 1st out of 25 insurers we had claims scores for

We like: It doesn't charge admin fees or interest if you want to pay monthly. It's been a Which? Recommended Provider since we launched our scheme more than a decade ago.

We don't like: You have to call to get a quote, and it favours customers in rural areas so it may not offer cover if you live in a major city.

Read our expert review of NFU Mutual.

LV car insurance

Maximum age: 80
Policy score: 78% on its standard policy - 3rd of the 61 policies we rated
Customer score: 70% - 2nd of the 25 insurers we had customer scores for
Claims score: 74% - 2nd out of 25 insurers we had claims scores for

We like: LV is one of a minority of insurers guaranteeing repairs for a vehicle's life, and its policy is one of about a third offering a temporary replacement car if yours is stolen. It also offers protection for no-claims discounts against an unlimited number of claims.

We don't like: A replacement car after an accident doesn't come as standard you have to pay extra.

Read our expert review of LV car insurance.

Best over-50s car insurance compared

Our table includes the car insurers for which we received customer scores and analysed their policies, ranked by customer score.

To sort by 'max age', click the three lines icon. To read more about these insurers, click the insurer name.

				Get a quote
RECOMMENDED PROVIDER NFU Mutual	80	81%	76%	Check you're getting a great deal and search for a new car insurance policy using the service provided by Confused.com Compare car insurance deals
RECOMMENDED PROVIDER LV	80	70%	78%
Axa	85	70%	57%
Aviva	84	68%	74%
AA	99	66%	66%
Churchill	No age limit (80 if bought via Price Comparison Wbsite)	66%	64%
Co-op Insurance	99	65%	72%

Table note: last updated in February 2024. Next update in January 2025. Customer survey: Based on an online survey of 2,793 adults (Customer Score) - members of the Which? Connect panel and members of the public - who had made a claim in the past two years. Survey conducted in November 2023. Sample sizes given in brand 'info'. 'Customer score' reflects the general satisfaction of customers with their insurer and their likelihood of recommending it. A dash ('-') means not enough responses to include a star rating. . See our full methodology.

What does over-50s car insurance cover?

When shopping around, consider as much of the market as possible.

Don't feel you have to go for a specialist policy. In our analysis of standard car insurance policies we found that:

The average maximum age was 87
Several insurers had policies with no maximum age - Churchill, Direct Line, Privilege, Sainsbury's Bank and Saga)

Some insurers market their products specifically at older drivers, typically those over the age of 50.

Generally speaking, they will have high maximum age limits and an emphasis on features they think older drivers will value.

For instance, Saga provides very generous levels of cover for driving overseas – a full year's comprehensive cover in its Select and Plus policies.

Is over-50s car insurance cheaper?

Be warned: over-50s cover may not be cheaper than standard car insurance.

All insurers take numerous factors into account when setting your premium, not just your age. And with many more insurers offering standard policies than over-50s policies, there's more competition between standard providers.

If you're looking for the cheapest car insurance you should seek quotes from different comparison sites, plus insurers that aren't on them such as Direct Line and NFU Mutual.

Our guide to getting cheap car insurance includes everything from tweaking your cover to cut costs to haggling with your insurer.

Find out more: Is it worth getting life insurance over 50?

You don't need an old-age car insurer

Dean Sobers, Which? car insurance expert says:

'Age plays a big role in the prices car insurers set for drivers. The youngest tend to pay the most, and average premiums start ticking upwards for those past their seventies - but as a general rule of thumb, getting older works in your favour for most of your years of driving.

'Of course, there's much more to you than your date of birth - which is exactly why you shouldn't let your age dictate how you choose insurer. Providers carefully research the sorts of things their target customers probably want in their insurance, but an insurer trying to appeal to you as being great for those of your age isn't guaranteed to be your perfect fit.

'You don't necessarily need a "specialist" insurer. Think carefully about the cover you want, and make a list of these requirements. Then look around widely (comparison sites make this fairly easy) to find insurers that meet these needs for the most reasonable price.'

Find out more: finding cheap insurance.

Check you're getting a great deal and search for a new car insurance policy using the service provided by Confused.com. Get a quote now

More on over-50s car insurance

Not necessarily - in fact your 50s and 60s could be your cheapest decades for car insurance.

On average, younger drivers pay some of the highest premiums, and then as you get older, car insurance costs decrease (at least compared with premiums paid by drivers of other ages).

However, this trend reverses once you pass your seventies and premiums begin to rise.

Find out more: best car insurance companies in the UK

Car insurance should be (relatively) cheap in your 60s. If you're finding your premium rising, get quotes from other insurers - you should still have access to standard car insurance policies.

Update insurers about changes in your circumstances, such as retiring or moving home, as this could affect your premium.

In your 70s, insurers may begin to raise premiums. But it's still worth shopping around as you'll still be able to get standard policies.

Those aged 80 and above may start running up against insurers' maximum ages. With many insurers having no maximum age, however, this shouldn't force you off the road.

You might see your premium go down when you retire, if you were using your car to commute, or had a job insurers consider risky.

However, you might also see it go up, because of insurers passing on their rising costs, claims you've made, or crime in your area increasing.

Either way, it's vital you tell your current insurer you've retired, in case the premium does fall, and seek quotes from other providers to see if you'd be better off elsewhere.

If you're now driving far less than average (7,400 miles according to the most recent non-pandemic figures) than you may be better off with pay-per-mile insurance.

There is no age at which you have to stop driving.

At age 70, you need to renew your driving license. You then have to renew every three years. The DVLA will send you a D46P form 90 days before your 70th birthday, or you can renew on the DVLA website.

Renewing is free and doesn't involve a test - but make sure you use the government's websites, as various copycat sites may attempt to charge you. You can drive while you're waiting for your license to be renewed.

If you develop a health condition that affects your driving (check the list of conditions on the DVLA website), you must inform DVLA and your insurer.

They may not stop you driving, but could make you do another driving test, and the insurer may raise your premium.

How we analyse car insurance

Our editorial independence means we are able to work on behalf of consumers, not insurers. That means our reviews are fair and there's no hidden agenda.

Customer score

This is based on a survey of 2,793 policyholders (adults of all ages) who have recently made a car insurance claim. The score reflects how satisfied customers say they are with their provider and how likely they would be to recommend it.

Insurers must receive a minimum of 30 customer responses to be included.

Policy score

This is our assessment of the quality of standard cover comparing 78 elements of a policy. We weight certain features of cover or costs (fees and excesses) based on the impact we think they generally make, from courtesy cars to breakdown cover.

Among the highest-weighted elements are the insurer's guarantee on repairs, cover for glass damage, conditions of its no-claims discount, whether it'll provide a replacement vehicle, fire, theft and accidental damage excesses, and interest rates charged for paying premiums in instalments.

We carry this analysis out every 12 months. The next update will be in January 2025.