U drive Car Insurance Review
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Our articles are written by experts in their fields (finance, trading, insurance etc.) whose signatures you will see at the beginning and at the end of each article. They are also systematically reviewed and corrected before each publication, and updated regularly.
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This is the ultimate review to guide you through U drive car insurance.
You might already know that U drive offers several car insurance policy options.
Some are great, others not so much.
So if you want to get:
- Better value for money for your car insurance
- Indicative quotes
- Tips to lower your insurance premium, then you might love the following article.
Let’s dive right in.
Is U drive the best car insurance provider?
Getting the best car insurance deal is not all about the price. Indeed, focusing on just getting the cheapest deal might be a bad calculation when it comes to getting a good payout if you ever have an accident.
We’ve studied in detail U drive car policy terms and conditions and given our own ratings based on different criteria.
3 Safe overall rating for U drive
| Our rating | Our opinion | |
|---|---|---|
| Customer service & satisfaction |
Policy documents for the insurer companies can be easily accessed on the website | |
| Cover provided |
Insurance is provided for convicted drivers | |
| Value for money |
Policy renewal attracts a fee of £75 | |
| Financial strength for pay out | U drive works with a panel of insurers which includes ABC, Ageas, Aqua, Aviva, AXA, Eridge, ERS, Haven, Highway, Markerstudy, Octane, Sabre, Southern Rock, Tansar, Towergate, XS Direct and Zenith. Also, they are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This proves that they have an high ability to pay out claims. | |
| Technology |
No live chat option is available |
Expert and customer reviews on U drive
We compiled expert and customer reviews from independent institutions, to give you an overall idea of U drive's reputation.
| Review organisation | Consumer satisfaction rates for U drive |
|---|---|
| TrustPilot | 3,6/5 based on 476 opinions |
To check if U drive is the right car insurance for you, you can use our free comparison tool and finally compare coverage features, optional extras, excess, admin fees and customer rating without having to give any personal information.
Our review on U drive car insurance policy
U-Drive was established in 2014 and its focus is on providing special insurance services for young drivers, convicted drivers, drivers of high performance vehicles and also ex-company car drivers. Three levels of cover alongside optional extras like Breakdown cover, excess protection, keycare cover, legal cover, windscreen cover, car hire are provided.
The standard cover benefits offered on all three levels of covers are liability to others, fire and theft cover while the accidental damage is only available for the comprehensive cover level. U-drive works in collaboration with other insurers and as such, the other cover benefits associated with car insurance services would be determined by the insurance company in charge of the driver’s insurance.
Overall, this insurance company is recommended, especially for high risk drivers who are looking for quality insurance.
What does U drive car insurance policy cover?
Are TPO, TPFT and Comprehensive covers available at U drive?
| Car insurance policy | Available at U drive | Coverage in a nutshell |
|---|---|---|
| Third-Party Only |
| |
| Third-Party Fire and Theft |
| |
| Comprehensive |
|
Keep in mind that you can always add optional extras to your policy.
Main guarantees at U drive explained in details
Let's find out what does U drive covers in its car insurance policy.
Breakdown cover at U drive
Ageas provides breakdown cover as an optional extra for U drive and it comes in four levels:
- Roadside assistance which includes 24/7 roadside repair and assistance
- Roadside Plus which includes roadside assistance, onward travel, local and UK vehicle recovery
- Full UK Recovery which includes roadside assistance, onward travel, local and UK vehicle recovery and home assistance
- Full UK & European Recovery which includes roadside assistance, onward travel, local and UK vehicle recovery, home assistance and roadside assistance in Europe.
Keycare cover at U drive
This cover option is provided by U drive insurers which is Crusader Assistance. The protection comes with £1,500 limit of cover, including VAT and other services such as:
- theft or loss of keys
- broken in or damaged keys
- £75 a day for alternative means of transportation for 3 days in the case that you are stranded as a result of a stolen or damaged key.
Windscreen cover at U drive
Crusader Assistance is in charge of windscreen cover for U drive and it provides cover to:
- replace broken windows or windscreen glass in the insured vehicle
- repair damage to the windscreen.
Motor legal protection at U drive
U drive provides Motor Legal Protection services which
- £100,000 to provide for uninsured loss recovery
- Provision of replacement vehicle and cover for cost of vehicle repair
- Provision of cover for legal expenses
- 24/7 Motor Legal Helpline.
Personal policy injury available at U drive
Ageas which is one of the insurers of U drive offers the following as part of their Personal Accident Cover:
- £30,000 for bodily injuries as a result of an accident in the insured vehicle
- £5,000 in the case than insured person aged 16 or under dies as a result of an accident in the insured vehicle
- cover for permanent total body disablement as a result of an accident in the vehicle
- cover to loss of sight in both eyes as a result of an accident in the vehicle.
Coverage abroad at U drive
This cover is undertaken by Ages and their abroad coverage allows the holders to travel through Europe for 90 days. The list of countries includes:
Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France (including Monaco), Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy (including San Marino and the Vatican City), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland (including Liechtenstein).
Courtesy car at U drive
Crusader Assistance provides a car hire option and a replacement vehicle with an engine capacity of not more than 1,200cc, will be provided for a specific time frame which would be communicated to the driver on his/her policy schedule.
No-Claim Bonus (NCB) at U drive
The NCB will keep increasing every year provided the driver does not file a claim. No percentage is provided.
The no claims discount will not be affected if the only claims made are for a broken windscreen, window or sunroof glass or for replacement locks or keys.
At U drive, you can apply for the NCB protection. The NCB protection allows you to make a certain number of claims within a period without losing your No-Claim bonus.
NCB protection claims (number per year): 2 claim in 3 years.
Good to know
A No-Claim bonus is a reward that you get from driving during a long time (at least one year) without making any claim. The more years you drive without claims, the higher your NCB rate gets hence the higher the discount on your insurance premium.
How much does U drive car insurance cost?
You'll find below indicative car insurance quotes at U drive:
| Drivers'age | Monthly premium |
|---|---|
| 18 years old | £102,36 |
| 40 years old | £42,21 |
| 60 years old | £31,13 |
Costs of U drive insurance car policies vary widely based on different factors such as:
- The driver’s age
- The date on which they received their driving licence
- The type of car
- Expected repair costs if the car is damaged
- The performance, safety and security of the car
- The driver’s address and how busy the streets in the neighbourhood are
- Who drives the car (any additional driver on the policy)
- The driver's record of accidents and claims (number of injuries, No Claim Bonus etc.)
- Insurance taxes.
Good to know
The higher risk you represent, the more expensive your policy will be.
Is there any promo codes or discounts available at U drive?
No discount or cashback vouchers are provided. Information as regards the ncb is not provided.
If you want to get a cheaper car insurance policy, another good way to do so is to never auto renew and always compare car insurance quotes.
Save more on your car insurance checking out our 13 tops tips to cut your insurance premiums!
U drive car insurance policy summarized
Guarantees
| At U drive | |
|---|---|
| NCB benefit | Yes |
| Uninsured driver NCB benefit | Yes |
| Loss or theft of keys | £1,500 |
| Personal belongings | £300 |
| Audio equipment | £300 |
| Medical expenses | £300 |
| Liability limit for property damage | £20 000 000 |
| Legal expense | £100,000 |
| Courtesy car benefit | As standard |
| Courtesy car cover | 14 days |
| Coverage abroad | 90 days |
Excess
| At U drive | |
|---|---|
| Fire excess | £500 |
| Theft excess | £500 |
| Accidental damage excess | £500 |
| Windscreen replacement excess | No excess amount is required to make up for the unlimited services |
| Young driver excess | not stated |
Admin fees
| At U drive | |
|---|---|
| Interest charged by payment installments | Variable |
| Renewal fees | £75 |
| Cancellation fees | Cancellation fees during cooling off period : £75+ amount charged by insurer |
| Modification fees | Adjustment fee: £25 |
Other car insurance policies available at U drive
U drive black-box insurance
U drive provides insurance services for young drivers. More information on this can be gotten from the policy documents or customer care representatives.
U drive classic car insurance
Insurance is not provided for classic cars but U drive offers insurance for high performance and modified cars. However, little or no information is provided as pertaining this and the cover policy document is not readily available.
U drive van insurance
U drive provides van insurance. However, information on this is only provided for people who take out the insurance with the company.
How to contact U drive auto insurance?
U drive phone numbers
You will find all important phone numbers to contact U drive car insurance:
| Contact number | Opening hours | |
|---|---|---|
Customer Service | 0333 400 1060 | Monday – Friday 8.30am to 7.00pm |
New Quotes | 0333 400 1062 | Monday – Friday 8.30am to 7.00pm |
Existing customers | 0333 400 1061 | Monday – Friday 8.30am to 7.00pm |
Claims | 0208 487 0569 | 24 hours a day, 7 days a week |
U drive other contact details
You'll find below U drive main contact details:
| Contact details of U drive | |
|---|---|
| Email address | |
| Customer account with U drive login | no |
| Social media | Facebook, Twitter |
| Chatbot | No |
You can also contact them by mail by writing to U drive car insurance:
U drive car insurance
Grosvenor House,
4/7 Station Road,
Sunbury,
TW16 6SB
How to cancel your car insurance at U drive?
You can always cancel your car insurance policy at any time. However, some fees may apply especially if you cancel it after the 14 cooling-off period after your contract's anniversary date.
Since car insurance is a legal requirement, U drive as well as other insurers will renew your policy automatically at the end of the policy period without any notification from your side. However, U drive has the obligation to send you a renewal notice within 7 to 21 days before your contract comes to an end. You will therefore have 14 days - the cooling off period - to cancel your policy at reduced cancellation fees.
For the same reason, if you cancel your car insurance policy, you must sign up to a new one immediately. Find out more on car insurance legal requirement.
You would need to have various documents ready such as:
- your policy number (right hand corner of your documents);
- your bank details; and
- your payment method in case there are cancellation fees.
Watch out!
U drive could also refuse to cover your car any longer if you don't pay for your premiums within the time allocated, or if they find out that you omitted important information that was required by the company such as your driving experience or you if have committed a fraud of any kind. This act is known as ‘fronting’.
