Canstar vs Quashed: Which platform helps Kiwis Save More on Car Insurance in 2025?

Updated 13 November 2025

In 2025, the average cost of car insurance across New Zealand is $1,236 per year, or $103 per month for Q2 2025, according to Quashed’s index data, which you can read more about in the article, The average Cost of Car, House, and Contents Insurance in New Zealand. Rising inflation, increasing repair costs, and more frequent weather-related claims continue to push premiums higher. For Kiwi drivers, securing car insurance that’s both affordable and reliable has become essential.

This growing demand for better value insurance has led many New Zealanders to turn to trusted comparison platforms, such as Canstar and Quashed. While both aim to help consumers make informed decisions about car insurance, they take very different approaches.

Canstar is a long-established financial comparison website known for its expert research and star ratings, which assess car insurance products based on overall value rather than price alone. In comparison, Quashed focuses on helping drivers find and switch to car insurance that’s both affordable and better-suited to their needs, providing personalised, real-time quotes within minutes instead of general comparisons.

Why is it important to Compare Car Insurance in New Zealand in 2025?

Comparing car insurance in New Zealand can be time-consuming and confusing, but it’s one of the most effective ways to save money and find cover that truly fits your needs. Quashed’s market scan data shows that Kiwis save an average of $362 on car insurance when comparing through the tool, highlighting the financial savings of taking the time to compare. Visiting insurer websites individually, such as AA Insurance, AMI, State, or Tower, often means repeatedly re-entering the same personal and vehicle details to get a few quotes. For many drivers, this can take anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour.

Car insurance premiums vary significantly between drivers, vehicles, and regions as insurers assess risk differently based on factors such as:

Driver age and licence type
Claims and driving history
Vehicle make, model, and year
Location and theft/weather risk
Parking situation and chosen excess
Frequency of vehicle use

For example, insurers calculate risk using factors like location and parking. In Auckland, drivers in busy central areas such as Mount Eden or Newmarket often face higher premiums than those in outer suburbs with lighter traffic like Pukekohe. To learn more about how location affects pricing, explore our Auckland Car Insurance guide for detailed insights.

Insurance costs are influenced by many of the same factors across car, house, and contents cover. To see how car insurance premiums compare to other types of insurance in New Zealand, visit our Average Cost of Car, House, and Contents Insurance guide for a complete overview of current pricing trends.

Using tools that provide transparency and context is essential. Canstar helps Kiwis understand what affects insurance costs and how policy features differ. Quashed goes a step further by offering real-time, personalised quotes side by side, making comparison faster and easier.

Insurance Shopper Journey: Canstar vs Quashed

To understand the difference between using Canstar and Quashed, it helps to look at the journey a car insurance shopper experiences on each platform. Meet Charlie, a 22 year-old Wellington driver looking for a better deal on his comprehensive car insurance in 2025.

If Charlie uses Canstar

Charlie visits Canstar's car insurance comparison page and provides some high level information such as his age bracket (under 25), gender (male), and whether there's another driver under 25 on the policy.
The site displays a list of car insurance providers, each with a star rating that reflects Canstar's assessment of overall value, based on pricing, policy features, and customer satisfaction.
Charlie can view each insurer's key policy details, such as whether the cover is for market value or agreed value, whether there's new for old replacement in the event of a write-off, and whether monthly premium payments are available at no extra cost.
However, these are general summaries rather than real quotes. For Charlie to find out his actual premium, he must select a provider and click "Get Quote", which redirects him to the insurer's own website.
There, he has to re-enter his personal details, driving history and car information before seeing an accurate price. He must repeat this for each insurer he wants to compare.

Outcome: Canstar provides Charlie with valuable insights into the overall value and features of different insurers. He can easily see who offers flexible payment options or new for old cover. However, since Canstar doesn't generate personalised quotes, Charlie still has to visit each insurer's website to find out his real premium.

If Charlie uses Quashed

Charlie starts with the Quashed car insurance calculator by entering his car’s plate number to get an instant estimate of average high and low premiums for similar vehicles in New Zealand.
After getting his initial estimate, Charlie decides he wants a more in-depth comparison that reflects his actual driving profile. He then uses the Quashed Market Scan, entering his details, such as licence type, address, driving history, and preferred excess. He only needs to do this once; there’s no need to re-enter details elsewhere.
Within minutes, Quashed provides real-time personalised quotes from multiple insurers side by side, all based on Charlie’s driver profile.
He can easily compare premiums, excess options, payment frequency, and key policy benefits such as towing, key replacement, and young driver protection, all in one clear, easy-to-navigate dashboard.
Once he finds the best deal, Charlie can switch directly to that insurer online, saving time and avoiding the hassle of re-entering his details on multiple websites.

Outcome: Quashed gives Charlie a faster and more transparent way to compare car insurance. Instead of browsing general summaries or external websites, he sees personalised, real-time quotes in one place, allowing him to find a policy that fits his needs and budget in just a few minutes.

If Charlie uses both Canstar and Quashed

Some drivers start with Canstar to build their understanding before moving to Quashed for a personalised comparison. Charlie reads Canstar’s guides on what car insurance covers and the main cover types — Third Party, Third Party, Fire & Theft, and Comprehensive. He enters his details to view insurers side by side, with star ratings, key features, and options like new-for-old replacement and flexible monthly payments, giving him a solid overview of the market.

He then turns to Quashed for a deeper comparison. Using the Market Scan, Charlie sees real-time, personalised quotes from multiple insurers side by side, helping him identify which offers the best price and coverage for his driver profile.

Outcome: While Canstar helps Charlie understand the basics and compare general features, it falls short of showing his actual costs. Quashed goes further by providing real-time personalised quotes from multiple insurers, letting him see exactly what he’ll pay and switch instantly to a better deal. For drivers seeking clarity, speed, and savings, Quashed is the smarter choice.

Canstar

Canstar is one of New Zealand’s most established financial research and comparison companies. It reviews financial products, including loans, credit cards, KiwiSaver, and insurance, to help consumers make informed financial decisions. Canstar is known for its Star Ratings system, which measures overall value by balancing both price and policy features, not just cost alone.

When it comes to car insurance, Canstar offers:

Star Ratings based on their research and analysis
Basic comparison of comprehensive car insurance policies from major and challenger brands
Car insurance buying tips and renewal advice to help avoid overpaying
Guides explaining what car insurance covers and the types of cover available: Third Party, Third Party, Fire & Theft, and Comprehensive
Explanations of how to compare car insurance quotes online and what influences premium costs.
Insights on the car insurance for different driver types (learners, families, young driv
ers, and older drivers)
Updates on car insurance deals, industry news, and top-selling cars in NZ
FAQs and glossaries covering key terms like agreed value, market value, no-claims bonus, and nominated driver

Canstar can be useful for research and learning, helping New Zealanders understand how car insurance works and what to consider before buying or switching. However, it does not provide highly personalised, real-time quotes. Users are redirected to the insurer’s website to obtain pricing directly.

How Canstar’s Broader coverage Helps Kiwis

Strengths of Canstar

Trusted, independent research company with over 20 years of experience
Star Ratings based on their research and analysis
Basic comparison of comprehensive car insurance policies from both major and challenger brands
Provides some research and learning about car insurance options and features
Provides car insurance news, deals and educational content for different driver types
Free to use

Limitations of Canstar for Saving on Car Insurance

While Canstar is an excellent resource for understanding car insurance value and market trends, its focus on research rather than real-time pricing means it's less effective for drivers who want to find and secure immediate savings. The table below highlights the limitations of Canstar and their impact on Kiwi drivers looking to save on car insurance.

Limitations of Canstar	Impact
Does not provide real-time personalised quotes	Users cannot instantly see what their actual premium could be for their vehicle
Requires visiting each insurer’s website to get a price	Adds time and effort to the comparison process
Comparisons are based on general information, not personal data	May not accurately reflect savings available to an individual
Focused on education, not direct saving tools	Helps users understand value but not secure the lowest price
Provides general information, not tailored information	Users must still research and interpret results independently

These limitations show why Kiwis would turn to Quashed for real-time, personalised comparisons.

Quashed

Quashed is a New Zealand insurance comparison website designed to help Kiwis compare, shop, and save on car, house, contents insurance, and more.

Quashed focuses on assisting Kiwis to take action by giving drivers real-time personalised car insurance quotes from a wide range of New Zealand insurers in one place. It’s built specifically for New Zealand drivers who want to compare premiums, excess options and policy benefits quickly without the hassle of visiting multiple insurer websites.

What Quashed offers:

Real-time personalised quotes from multiple NZ insurers in a single dashboard
Market Scan feature utilises actual driver data, including license type, address, vehicle details, and driving history, generates tailored results
Comparison of pricing and policy benefits across the widest range of major insurers and challenger brands
A breakdown of policy benefits, premiums and excess options side by side
Easy switching – users can go directly from comparison to purchasing a policy in minutes
Free to use, with no repetitive form-filling or hidden costs

One of Quashed’s key advantages is its ability to compare a wide range of insurers. Alongside leading providers like AA, AMI, State, and Tower, Quashed includes challenger insurance brands often overlooked by consumers, such as AMP, Assurant, Autosure, Cove, and Provident Insurance. By reviewing both major and emerging providers, Quashed helps drivers discover policies that often offer sharper, better value, or unique coverage options that traditional insurers don’t always provide.

Before running Market Scan, users can try the Quashed car insurance calculator by simply entering the vehicle’s number plate. This tool provides an instant estimate, showing the average lowest and highest premiums for similar cars in New Zealand, along with potential savings. It’s a quick, easy way to get a real-time snapshot before diving into a personalised comparison.

How Quashed’s Market Scan works

Quashed’s Market Scan is its main point of difference, it’s a tool that pulls real personalised quotes from multiple insurers in real time based on your driving profile.

How it works in 3 simple steps:

Enter your details - Answer a few short questions about the car, driver and usage
Scan the market - View personalised quotes to compare instantly
Switch and save - Compare insurers, choose the best value option and switch easily

Ready to see how much you could save? Try the Market Scan now to view your personalised car insurance quote in minutes.

Quashed’s Market Scan showing real personalised car insurance quotes side-by-side.

What's analysed behind the scenes of the Market Scan:

Age and licence type
Claims and driving history
Car make, model, year, and value
Address and parking location
Policy choices and excess
Vehicle usage patterns

This leads to real pricing transparency, which Canstar cannot offer.

Tip when comparing: Don’t focus on price alone! Review the coverage, excess and claims process and choose a policy that genuinely fits your needs. Make sure that you’re not paying for coverage that you do not need or under-insuring yourself.

Ready to find a better deal? Run a free Market Scan with Quashed to compare personalised quotes side by side and take control of your car insurance costs with confidence.

When to use Canstar vs When to Use Quashed

Below is a simple breakdown that shows you when to use each platform:

If your goal is …	Use
To learn the basics of car insurance such as the difference between comprehensive and third-party cover	Canstar
To compare personalised car insurance quotes in real time and see exactly what you’ll pay	Quashed
To read guides and research about insurance, finance, or general money topics	Canstar & Quashed
To save time by entering your details once instead of visiting multiple insurer websites	Quashed
To see how insurers perform based on star ratings	Canstar
To help you find better car insurance deals tailored to your personal driver profile	Quashed
To explore a broad range of financial products such as loans, KiwiSaver or credit cards	Canstar
To switch or renew your car insurance instantly and secure savings	Quashed

Which Platform Actually Helps Kiwis Save More on Car Insurance in 2025?

Both Canstar and Quashed help New Zealand drivers make more informed car insurance decisions, but they cater to different needs. Canstar is best suited for those who want to understand how car insurance works, compare policy features and explore expert research on insurer performance. It’s a reliable place to start when you’re learning about coverage types and what affects premiums.

Quashed, however, is designed for drivers who want to take immediate action. By offering real-time personalised car insurance quotes from both major and challenger brands, Quashed allows users to compare prices and policy details side by side all based on their actual driver profile. Instead of relying on broad comparisons, you can see exactly what you’ll pay and switch to a better deal in minutes.

In 2025, with rising premiums and the cost of living rising, tools that provide clarity, speed and transparency matter more than ever. For drivers who want to save both time and money while finding cover that truly fits their needs, Quashed stands out as the smarter, faster and more personalised choice.

When Canstar is still Useful

While Quashed is the best option for real-time, personalised insurance comparisons, Canstar remains valuable for early research and general learning. Drivers may still want to use Canstar when they:

Want to learn the basics of car insurance, including cover types and common terms
Prefer to compare insurers based on star ratings
Are exploring broader financial products such as loans, credit cards, or KiwiSaver
Want to read educational articles or see overall insurer rankings before running a personalised scan

Canstar provides a good foundation for understanding the insurance market before moving on to Quashed for specific, data driven results.

The Smarter way to Save on Car Insurance in 2025

Car insurance shopping no longer has to mean guesswork, long forms or endless tabs. With Quashed, Kiwis can compare personalised quotes, explore coverage options and switch easily, all in one place. It’s built for New Zealand drivers who want real savings. For more tips on finding great value and lowering your premium, check out how to find the cheapest and best car insurance guide.

If your goal is to spend less time comparing and more time saving, sign up with Quashed today to take control of your car insurance costs with confidence in 2025.