Admiral is part of the Admiral Group - currently the UK's largest car insurer. Bell, Diamond, Elephant and Gladiator are also Admiral brands.
We've reviewed four of Admiral's policies - Essential, Gold, Platinum and Littlebox.
Admiral policies are underwritten by Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited.
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.
Check Which? insurance ratings and compare deals using the service provided by Confused.com
Here's how Admiral scored in our latest survey:
To be a Which? Recommended Provider, an insurer must:
We review a lot of policies - and our 'Best Buy' badge recognises the individual products that stood out as being the most comprehensive in our analysis. It doesn't reflect customer service. However, we won't give a provider a Best Buy badge where there's evidence - either from our surveys or from Financial Conduct Authority data - of poor service or a poorer-than-average record of paying claims.
Additionally, we look at how consistently good the cover is in policies. To make the cut, a policy needs to have scored at least three out of five points in two thirds of the areas we've rated.
Lastly, all Best Buy policies must provide - either as standard or as an option - the following levels of cover as a minimum:
'Comprehensive' cover (meaning it covers third party claims, fire, theft and accidental damage to your car), a temporary courtesy car if yours is under repair or if it has been stolen or written off, a repairs guarantee period of at least 3 years, cover for damage to your windows or windscreen, legal expenses cover, liability cover of £20m or more and personal accident cover.
We analyse and rate 78 key elements of car insurance policies to come up with the overall policy score.
Initially, we score all of the product elements out of five, reflecting how competitive each provider is in this area compared with other insurers. We assess how important different policy elements are to drivers when choosing and using a car insurance, and weight different areas of cover accordingly to enhance/reduce their impact in the overall product score.
We’re not influenced by third parties. We work entirely on behalf of you, the consumer – nobody else. See our statement of editorial independence for more.
Admiral's standard Gold policy scored 59% - below the average of 64% in our analysis so it's in the bottom half of our table.
It includes an 'uninsured driver promise', which means you can claim without worrying about your no-claims discount if you're involved in an accident caused by an uninsured driver. It also guarantees repairs that it organises, for the lifetime of the vehicle - which only a minority of insurers do.
Areas in which it fell down included low levels of cover for windscreen and windows damage, and a high cancellation fee of £60.
Gold's personal belongings cover provides up to £300 per claim (an average amount). However, it's one of a minority of policies that cover mobile phones, laptops and tablets. Most exclude some or all of these items.
Admiral's Essential policy offers a lower level of cover and earned 58% in our analysis - in the bottom 40% of policies rated. Littlebox - Admiral's telematics (or 'black box') offering - received the same score.
Its pricier Platinum policy received 59% in our analysis, the same as Gold. This policy comes with breakdown cover , which isn't reflected in our scoring.
Tables last updated February 2024. Next update January 2025. We recommend checking policies before buying.
We asked Admiral customers who have recently made a claim how they felt about their car insurance.
Admiral earned a customer score of 60% - which is poor and places it in the bottom half of our table. It was the same with its claims-specific rating. Admiral's 56% places it last out of 25 insurers.
Here's how customers rated Admiral in various areas of service:
Select a table:Table last updated in February 2024. Next update in January 2025. A dash '-' indicates insufficient sample size (less than 30) to generate a star rating.
Admiral's policies are generally cheapest to buy on comparison websites. Its policies can be bought on the following ones:
Discounts are available for covering multiple vehicles and for taking out both car and home insurance with Admiral. It also provides a discount to drivers with dash cams .
Above information correct as of December 2023.
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
If you need to make a claim with Admiral car insurance call 0333 220 2033 or you can start a claim online.
How can I cancel Admiral car insurance?
To cancel your car insurance with Admiral, you can choose from these options:
Phone: call them at 0333 220 2000 during weekdays between 9am and 6pm, and on weekends between 10am and 4pm.
Email: send an email to cancel your policy. You can expect a reply within around 24 hours.
Live chat: use the live chat feature on Admiral's website - available Monday to Friday from 9am-6pm, and on weekends from 10am-4pm.
Can I drive any car with Admiral comprehensive insurance?
Like most comprehensive policies, Admiral's policies include Driving Other Cars (DOC) cover. As the name suggests, this covers you for driving vehicles other than the one named on your Admiral policy.
However, the cover is for emergency situations - not sustained or everyday use. And not all policyholders are covered - just those aged 25 and over with a full manual licence.
Also, you won't get full comprehensive cover when driving another car, but third party cover only.
Find the right policy for your vehicle using the service provided by Confused.com
Find the right policy for your vehicle using the service provided by Confused.com
Which? Limited is registered in England and Wales to 2 Marylebone Road, London NW1 4DF, company number 00677665 and is an Introducer Appointed Representative (FRN 610689) of the following:
1. Inspop.com Ltd for the introduction of non-investment motor, home, travel and pet insurance, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to provide advice and arrange non-investment motor, home, travel and pet insurance products (FRN310635). Inspop.com Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to provide advice and arrange non-investment motor, home, travel and pet insurance products (FRN310635) and is registered in England and Wales to Greyfriars House, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff, South Wales, CF10 3AL, company number 03857130. Confused.com is a trading name of Inspop.com Ltd.
2. LifeSearch Partners Limited (FRN656479), for the introduction of Pure Protection Contracts and Private Health Insurance, who are authorised and regulated by the FCA to provide advice and arrange Pure Protection Contracts and Private Health Insurance Contracts. LifeSearch Partners Ltd is registered in England and Wales to 3000a Parkway, Whiteley, Hampshire, PO15 7FX, company number 03412386.
3. HUB Financial Solutions, for the introduction of equity release advice and an annuity comparison service, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (‘FCA’) to provide advice and guidance on financial products for those who have retired or are approaching retirement (FCA Firm Reference Number: 455713). HUB Financial Solutions is registered in England and Wales to Enterprise House, Bancroft Road, Reigate, Surrey RH12 7RP, company number 05125701.
4. Alan Boswell Insurance Brokers Ltd (FRN 301), for the introduction of non-investment landlord insurances, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to provide advice and arrange insurance contracts. Alan Boswell insurance brokers Ltd is registered in England at Prospect House, Rouen Rd, Norwich NR1 1RE, company number 02591252.
Other financial services:
Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), Unit 26 (2.06), Newark Works, 2 Foundry Lane, Bath BA2 3GZ. London & Country are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
We do not make, nor do we seek to make, any recommendations or personalised advice on financial products or services that are regulated by the FCA, as we’re not regulated or authorised by the FCA to advise you in this way. In some cases, however, we have included links to regulated brands or providers with whom we have a commercial relationship and, if you choose to, you can buy a product from our commercial partners.
If you go ahead and buy a product using our link, we will receive a commission to help fund our not-for-profit mission and our campaigns work as a champion for the UK consumer. Please note that a link alone does not constitute an endorsement by Which?.
