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Evidence · Car insurance

Every question, every answer, every source

Explore all 183 car-insurance questions and the 728 answers saved on 11 October 2026. Read the original responses and download the tables behind the study’s comparisons, sources, sentiment and factual checks.

questions
183
answers saved, of 732 planned
728
consumer situations
12
named regions
16
AI platforms
4

01

Every question, with its answers

Each question went to the four AI platforms. All were collected with a New Zealand setting. Open a question to read every captured answer in full.

Showing 20 of 183 questions

Show all 183

02

The tables behind the study

Every figure on the study page comes from these tables. They are CSV files, which open in any spreadsheet.

  • Questions

    questions.csv

    One row per question, with its exact saved wording.

    Question ID, source references, question, consumer situation, named regions, question group and collection setting

    183rows

    Download questions (CSV)

  • Answers

    answers.csv

    One row per captured answer, with its full text.

    Answer ID, question ID, platform, collection setting, consumer situation, named regions and full answer

    728rows

    Download answers (CSV)

  • Sources by answer

    sources.csv

    One row per website recorded as a source of an answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, assistant, collection setting, website and publisher type

    4,213rows

    Download sources by answer (CSV)

  • Checks against primary sources

    checks.csv

    One row per stated assertion checked, for one platform.

    Check, question and answer IDs, assistant, exact passage, verdict, primary-source finding, URL and date

    96rows

    Download checks against primary sources (CSV)

  • Consumer recommendation coding

    consumer-recommendation-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed provider role in a consumer-selection answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, provider, role, counted recommendation, exact passage and conditions

    301rows

    Download consumer recommendation coding (CSV)

  • Consumer selection membership

    consumer-selection-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the matched consumer-selection comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, question group and full text; the same twelve questions per platform

    48rows

    Download consumer selection membership (CSV)

  • Ongoing support coding

    support-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed named-provider role in an eligible support answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, provider, role, support-preference decision and exact passage

    49rows

    Download ongoing support coding (CSV)

  • Ongoing support membership

    support-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the actual consumer-support group.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, question group and full text; acquisition validation is excluded

    32rows

    Download ongoing support membership (CSV)

  • Regional recommendation coding

    regional-recommendation-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed provider role in a region-named selection answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, named consumer region, platform, provider, recommendation decision and exact passage

    440rows

    Download regional recommendation coding (CSV)

  • Regional selection membership

    regional-selection-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the matched regional comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, named consumer region, platform and equal-comparison membership; sixteen questions per platform

    64rows

    Download regional selection membership (CSV)

  • Insurer sentiment

    insurer-sentiment.csv

    One row per unique saved claim about an insurer in a selection answer.

    Claim, question and answer IDs, insurer, saved stance, exact passage and original-answer offsets

    1,926rows

    Download insurer sentiment (CSV)

  • Recorded source URLs

    source-urls.csv

    One row per recorded answer, website and URL association.

    Answer ID, question ID, platform, website, URL, source records and presence in the captured answer text

    6,056rows

    Download recorded source urls (CSV)

Use these tables to trace findings back to the original questions and answers. The full text of each answer is also on this page, under its question.

03

Read in full and checked

Some answers were read in detail or checked against official sources. Those appear on the study page, beside the findings they support.

ChatGPT · New Zealand

When I'm comparing car quotes, how much should I care about agreed value and the excess?

When comparing car insurance quotes in New Zealand, agreed value and excess are two of the most important things to compare after the premium. A cheaper quote can look attractive but leave you worse off after a crash or theft. Consumer NZ

Agreed value: care a lot if your car is valuable or hard to replace

Agreed value is the amount you and the insurer agree your car is worth. If the car is written off or stolen (and not recovered), the insurer pays that agreed amount, subject to the policy terms and deductions such as excess. Consumer Protection

It matters more if:

  • Your car is newer or worth a lot of money.
  • You have a car loan and want certainty that a payout will cover what you owe.
  • Your car is modified, rare, collectible, or difficult to replace.
  • Market prices for your vehicle fluctuate.

Example:

  • Quote A: $25,000 agreed value
  • Quote B: market value only

If your car is written off, Quote B may result in a lower payout depending on the insurer’s valuation of the vehicle at that time. Consumer NZ

For an older, common car that is easy to replace, the difference may matter less.

Excess: care a lot about how you handle risk

The excess is the amount you pay yourself when you make a claim. A higher excess usually lowers your premium, but means a bigger bill if something happens. Consumer Protection

Example:

  • Quote A: $500 excess, $1,100/year premium
  • Quote B: $1,500 excess, $850/year premium

Quote B saves $250/year, but if you claim you are taking on an extra $1,000 cost.

A good rule:

  • Choose an excess you could comfortably pay tomorrow if your car was damaged.
  • Don’t choose a very high excess just to shave a small amount off the premium.

How I’d weigh them when comparing quotes

A rough priority order:

  1. Coverage quality (what is and isn’t covered)
  2. Agreed value / payout basis
  3. Excesses (including any extra excesses)
  4. Premium price
  5. Extras (windscreen cover, rental car, roadside assistance, etc.)

Also check for:

  • Young/inexperienced driver excesses if relevant.
  • Theft-related excesses for higher-risk vehicles.
  • Whether the agreed value is reviewed at renewal and still matches what the car is worth. Consumer NZ

In practice, I’d usually prefer a quote that is a little more expensive but has a realistic agreed value and an excess I can comfortably afford, rather than the cheapest quote with a low payout or a painful excess.

If you share the two quotes (premium, agreed value, excess, and car year/model), I can help compare them.

Ask anything

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.

Captured 11 October 2026

Gemini · New Zealand

When I'm comparing car quotes, how much should I care about agreed value and the excess?

When comparing car insurance quotes, both agreed value and the excess matter significantly, but they serve entirely different purposes. How much you should care about each depends heavily on your financial buffer and the actual market value of your vehicle.

1. Agreed Value (vs. Market Value)

The agreed value is the set payout amount you and your insurer agree on if your car is written off or stolen.

  • How it works: Unlike a market-value policy (which pays what the insurer calculates the car was worth right before the accident), an agreed-value policy locks in a specific payout figure for that policy year. Insurers usually adjust this downward slightly at annual renewal to account for depreciation.
  • When you should care a lot:
    • If you drive a vehicle that depreciates rapidly, is a sought-after import, or has custom modifications/accessories that standard market valuation might miss.
    • If you want total certainty on what cash payout you’ll receive in a worst-case scenario, eliminating any arguments with the insurer over the car's pre-accident worth.
  • When you can care less: If your car has a very low overall market value (e.g., worth under $3,000 to $4,000), the difference between a market-value payout and an agreed-value payout will be minimal, yet the insurer may still charge you a higher premium for the fixed guarantee.

2. The Excess

The excess is the first portion of any claim you agree to pay out of your own pocket.

  • How it works: If you have a $500 excess and lodge a $3,000 repair claim, the insurer pays $2,500 and you pay the remaining $500. Insurers let you toggle this: a higher excess lowers your regular premium, while a lower excess raises your premium.
  • When you should care a lot:
    • Cash flow and emergency savings: If a sudden $500 or $1,000 bill would strain your finances, choosing a low excess is vital.
    • Additional penalties: Check the fine print for extra excesses that stack on top of your standard one—such as age excesses (for drivers under 25), unlisted driver excesses, or restricted licence penalties. A policy that looks cheap upfront can come with a crippling total excess if a younger family member drives the car.
  • When you can care less: If you have a healthy emergency fund and are confident you could comfortably absorb a higher out-of-pocket cost in exchange for a permanently lower monthly or annual premium.

Summary Checklist for Comparing Quotes

  1. Prioritize the Excess based on your cash flow: Can you comfortably pay it tomorrow if you have a minor accident? Don't opt for a massive excess just to get the cheapest quote if it leaves you financially exposed.
  2. Weigh Agreed Value against the car's worth: If it’s a newer or specialty vehicle, prioritize agreed value to avoid getting short-changed. If it’s an older commuter car, market value or a lower agreed value is usually fine.
  3. Look at the total cost-benefit: A quote with a high agreed value and a low excess will always cost significantly more in premiums. Balance those features against your actual risk tolerance.

Would you like to review how specific policy types (like comprehensive versus third-party) factor into this decision for your vehicle?

Ask Gemini

Gemini is AI and can make mistakes.

Captured 11 October 2026

AI Overviews · New Zealand

When I'm comparing car quotes, how much should I care about agreed value and the excess?

AI Overview

When comparing car insurance quotes, you should care a great deal about both agreed value and excess , as they directly dictate how much you will pay both now and after an accident.

Here is how to weigh them against each other to find the best policy.

Agreed Value vs. Market Value

Agreed value is the fixed amount the insurer agrees to pay if your car is written off or stolen. Market value is what the car was worth on the open market right before the incident.

  • Why you should care: Agreed value gives you absolute certainty. If you have a car loan, an agreed value ensures you won't be left owing money to the bank if the car is totaled. Market value fluctuates and drops quickly, which can leave you short.

  • The tradeoff: Agreed value policies usually come with slightly higher premiums.

  • The verdict: Prioritize agreed value if your car is financed, has expensive modifications, or is a specific model you want to replace like-for-like. Opt for market value only if you want the absolute lowest premium and don't mind a unpredictable payout.

Understanding the Excess

The excess is the out-of-pocket amount you must pay before your insurer covers the rest of a claim.

  • Why you should care: It acts as a lever for your premium. A higher excess lowers your regular monthly or annual payments. A lower excess raises your premium.

  • The danger zone: Never choose an excess higher than what you can comfortably scrape together in an emergency. If your excess is $1,000 and you don't have that in savings, your car won't get fixed.

  • The verdict: Look closely at voluntary vs. compulsory excess. Some policies look cheap because they sneak in high compulsory excesses (like underage driver excesses or special vehicle excesses) on top of your standard excess.

Direct Comparison: How to Balance Them

If your priority is... Look for this setup: Why?
Lowest regular bill High Excess + Market Value Drops your premium to the absolute minimum, but carries the highest financial risk if you crash.
Financial certainty Low Excess + Agreed Value Maximizes your payout and minimizes your out-of-pocket stress, but costs the most upfront.
The sweet spot Moderate Excess + Agreed Value Keeps your total loss protected while keeping monthly payments manageable.

💡 Pro-Tip for Comparing Quotes

Don't just look at the premium price tag. Calculate the "worst-case scenario" cost for your first year:
Annual Premium+Total Excess=Your Actual Financial RiskAnnual Premium plus Total Excess equals Your Actual Financial RiskAnnualPremium+TotalExcess=YourActualFinancialRisk

Sometimes, a quote that is $50 cheaper per year carries a $400 higher excess, making it a much worse deal if you actually need to use it.

To help narrow down your quotes, would you like to share the age of your car , whether it is under finance , or if there will be any drivers under 25 on the policy?

Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026

Google AI Mode · New Zealand

When I'm comparing car quotes, how much should I care about agreed value and the excess?

When comparing car insurance quotes, both agreed value and the excess play a massive role in how much you pay upfront versus how much protection you actually get if things go wrong. They trade off against each other and directly affect your wallet at different times.

Here is a breakdown of how much you should care about each and how to balance them:

1. Agreed Value

  • What it is: The fixed amount your insurer agrees to pay you if your car is written off or stolen during the policy term, regardless of market depreciation.

  • How much you should care: High importance , especially if you drive a car whose market value drops quickly, or a specialty/modified vehicle.

  • Key details to weigh:

  • Market Value vs. Agreed Value: A "market value" policy means the insurer decides what your car was worth right before the accident (which can lead to unpleasant surprises and lower payouts). An agreed value gives you certainty.

  • The cost difference: Insurers usually charge a slightly higher premium for a higher agreed value. Check if the agreed value matches a realistic replacement cost for your exact car make, model, and year.

  • Annual review: Agreed values typically drop slightly at each annual renewal to reflect depreciation, so make sure it still aligns with your expectations each year.

2. The Excess

  • What it is: The amount you agree to pay out-of-pocket toward the cost of a claim before the insurer covers the rest. (Note: This often includes a standard excess plus extra amounts like an unlisted/young driver excess or a-voluntary excess).

  • How much you should care: Moderate to high importance , depending on your cash flow and risk tolerance.

  • Key details to weigh:

  • The premium tradeoff: Choosing a higher excess (e.g., $1,000 instead of $400) will lower your regular premium payment. Conversely, a lower excess costs more monthly or annually.

  • Affordability in an emergency: Ask yourself: If I have an accident tomorrow, do I have that excess amount sitting in a savings account ready to pay instantly? If a higher excess would stretch your finances too thin after an accident, it is not worth the minor savings on your premium.

  • Voluntary vs. Standard: Some insurers let you voluntarily raise your excess to drop your premium. Only do this if you are confident you can cover that higher amount out of pocket.

How to balance them in your comparison

  • Prioritize Agreed Value if: You cannot afford to take a sudden financial hit if your car is totaled and market payout falls short of buying a reliable replacement.

  • Prioritize a manageable Excess if: You want to lower your regular premium but want to ensure that if you do have a bingle, paying the excess won't cause a financial crisis.

  • The "Sweet Spot": Look for a quote that offers a realistic agreed value paired with an excess you could comfortably pay tomorrow without stressing your budget.

If you want, let me know:

  • The rough value and age of your car
  • Whether you prefer lower upfront costs or maximum protection

I can help you figure out which combination makes the most financial sense for your situation.

Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026