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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

The cheapest car quote has a higher excess and covers less. Is it really worth saving the money?

Not necessarily. In New Zealand, saving money on car insurance can be a false economy if the cheaper policy leaves you paying substantially more after an accident. The key is whether the premium saving is worth the extra financial risk and the cover you're giving up.

I'd compare the policies based on what you'd have to pay in a bad week, not just what they cost each year.

How to decide if the cheaper quote is worth it

  • Higher excess: You pay more out of your own pocket when you make a claim. If the excess is $1,500 rather than $500, you'd need to find an extra $1,000 at claim time.
  • Less cover: You might lose protection for things such as windscreen damage, theft, natural events, or damage to someone else's property, depending on the policy.
  • Lower premium: The saving is real and guaranteed, while an insurance claim is uncertain. But the saving needs to be large enough to justify the additional risk.
  • Your ability to absorb a loss: If paying the higher excess or replacing your car unexpectedly would cause financial stress, stronger cover can be worth paying more for.

A quick example: how much are you really saving?

Imagine these two quotes:

Cheaper policy Better cover
Annual premium $700 $950
Excess $1,500 $500
Annual saving $250 —
Extra cost if you claim $1,000 —

You save $250 a year, but if you need to claim, the higher excess costs you an extra $1,000. That's four years of premium savings wiped out by one claim, before accounting for the cover you've lost.

These are illustrative figures, not actual quotes. Consumer Protection NZ recommends considering whether you could comfortably afford the excess before choosing a higher one. Car insuranceInsurance

My rule of thumb

  • Choose the cheaper policy if the premium saving is meaningful, the exclusions don't affect you much, and you could comfortably pay the higher excess tomorrow.
  • Pay more for better cover if your car is valuable, you rely on it every day, or losing it or paying for major repairs would put you under financial pressure.
  • Consider a middle option by asking the insurer for a quote with a lower excess, or comparing a third-party, fire and theft policy if comprehensive cover is disproportionately expensive for your car. Car insurance buying guideCar insurance

Let's compare your actual quotes

If you share the details below, I can work out whether the cheaper option is genuinely better value.

The most important thing to compare alongside those numbers is exactly what the cheaper policy excludes. Two policies labelled “comprehensive” can still have significantly different benefits and limitations.

Ask anything

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.

Captured 11 October 2026

Gemini · New Zealand

The cheapest car quote has a higher excess and covers less. Is it really worth saving the money?

Whether saving money on a cheap car insurance quote is worth the trade-off depends almost entirely on your cash flow security and how likely you are to make a claim.

In the New Zealand insurance market, lower premiums are almost always achieved by shifting more financial risk onto you through a higher excess and narrower policy inclusions.

The Hidden Costs of the "Cheaper" Quote

Before locking in a low-premium policy, weigh up what you are actually trading away:

  • The Out-of-Pocket Shock: An excess is your financial contribution to an accepted claim. If a cheap policy bumps your excess up to $1,000 or $1,500 (plus potential age or unnamed driver extras), you must ask yourself: If I have an accident tomorrow, can I comfortably pull that cash from savings without derailing my finances?
  • The "Small Claim" Trap: If minor damage occurs (like a parking lot scrape or a cracked windscreen) and the repair estimate is $800, but your excess is $1,000, the insurer pays nothing. You end up paying for the repairs entirely out of pocket while having saved only a couple of hundred dollars on your annual premium.
  • Narrower Cover: Cheap quotes often strip out valuable benefits standard in comprehensive tiers—such as a guaranteed rental car after an accident, roadside assistance, windscreen protection with zero excess, or choice of repairer.

When is the Cheap Quote Actually Worth It?

Opting for a high-excess, stripped-back policy can be a smart financial move if:

  1. You have an emergency fund: You have enough cash set aside specifically to absorb a high one-off excess without stress if the worst happens.
  2. You are a low-risk driver: You have a safe driving history, park off-road securely, drive low annual kilometers, and rarely face high-risk traffic environments.
  3. The maths works in your favor: If a higher excess saves you $300 a year on your premium, but only raises your risk exposure by $500, you come out ahead as long as you don't claim over a multi-year period.

When Should You Avoid It?

  • Tight monthly budget: If paying a sudden $1,000 excess would force you into debt or credit card reliance, the upfront savings on your premium are entirely negated.
  • Young or shared drivers: Remember that in New Zealand, standard excesses often stack with age or inexperienced driver excesses (e.g., an extra $400 to $1,500 if someone under 25 or with a restricted licence is driving). A "cheap" policy can quickly become an expensive nightmare if a younger family member drives the car.

The Golden Rule: Treat insurance as protection against financial catastrophe, not a discount coupon. If a cheap quote leaves you financially exposed to everyday bumps and scrapes, paying a slightly higher premium for a balanced excess is usually the safer peace of mind.

Ask Gemini

Gemini is AI and can make mistakes.

Captured 11 October 2026

AI Overviews · New Zealand

The cheapest car quote has a higher excess and covers less. Is it really worth saving the money?

AI Overview

Choosing the cheapest car insurance quote is rarely worth it if the high excess and low coverage leave you financially vulnerable after an accident. In New Zealand, a cheap policy often looks like a good deal upfront, but a single incident can easily wipe out any premium savings.

Here is a direct comparison to help you weigh the true cost of both options:

Feature Cheapest Quote (High Excess / Low Cover) Better Policy (Standard Excess / Full Cover)
Upfront Cost Lower monthly/annual premiums. Higher monthly/annual premiums.
Out-of-Pocket Risk High. You must pay a large sum before the insurer contributes. Low to Moderate. A smaller, manageable out-of-pocket expense.
Exclusions Often excludes windscreens, roadside help, or hire cars. Often includes or offers add-ons for these common issues.
Total Loss Scenario May only pay out market value minus a massive excess. Pays out agreed or market value with a standard excess deduction.

How to Decide If It is Worth It For You

To determine if the savings are real, ask yourself these three questions:

  • Can you afford the excess tomorrow? If the cheap quote has a $1,500 excess and your car is damaged tomorrow, do you have $1,500 sitting in an emergency fund to get it fixed? If not, the policy isn't working for you.

  • What is the value of your car? If your car is only worth $3,000, paying a high premium doesn't make sense, and a high-excess, third-party policy might be logical. If your car is worth $15,000, a high excess and poor coverage put a major asset at risk.

  • What exactly is missing? Look closely at the exclusions. If the cheap policy excludes windscreen coverage , remember that a single stone chip on a NZ highway can cost $400 to $1,200+ to fix out of pocket.

The Middle Ground

You do not have to choose between the absolute cheapest or the most expensive policy. You can often lower a higher-quality premium by:

  • Choosing a higher voluntary excess that you can actually afford (e.g., raising it from $400 to $750, rather than a massive $1,500+).

  • Restricting drivers to those over 25 if no young drivers use the vehicle.

  • Opting out of unnecessary add-ons (like road assistance if you already have an AA membership).

To help tailor this advice, could you tell me what the excess amount is on the cheap quote, the approximate value of your car , and whether it's for comprehensive or third-party insurance?

Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026

Google AI Mode · New Zealand

The cheapest car quote has a higher excess and covers less. Is it really worth saving the money?

Deciding whether to go for the cheapest car rental or insurance quote with a higher excess (and lower coverage) comes down to a simple risk trade-off: guaranteed savings today versus potential high out-of-pocket costs tomorrow.

Here is how to weigh it up to see if the savings are genuinely worth it:

  • The Financial Gamble: A higher excess means you are shouldering more of the financial risk if something goes wrong. If the excess is $2,500 and you have a minor scrape, you pay the first $2,500 yourself. You have to ask yourself: If an unexpected bill of that size lands on my plate tomorrow, will it cause financial stress?
  • The "Peace of Mind" Cost: Premium or mid-tier options with a zero or low excess remove the mental load of worrying about every rogue piece of gravel, tight parking space, or stray shopping trolley. For many drivers, paying a bit extra is essentially buying insurance for their own peace of mind.
  • The Fine Print Trap: Cheaper quotes often exclude critical things like windshields, tyres, underbody damage, or roadside assistance. If an excluded part gets damaged, your "cheap" rental suddenly becomes much more expensive than the comprehensive option would have been.
  • The Frequency Factor: If you are an exceptionally cautious driver or only driving short, low-risk distances on familiar, well-paved roads, you might successfully dodge any incidents and come out ahead financially. But if you're navigating unfamiliar roads, high-traffic areas, or rough terrain, the odds of a mishap tick upward.

The Verdict:
It is only worth saving the money if you have enough emergency cash set aside to comfortably absorb the higher excess without blinking, and if you have carefully read the policy exclusions to ensure you aren't caught out by uninsured damage. If a single incident would wipe out your savings or ruin your trip, the higher-tier coverage is usually the safer bet.

If you'd like, let me know:

  • What the price difference is between the two quotes
  • What the excess amounts are for each ($)
  • What specific coverages or exclusions are missing from the cheap one

I can help you crunch the numbers to see if the risk actually makes financial sense.

Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026