Breakdown cover provides an important service for today’s motorist. It’s a type of cover that offers support if your vehicle breaks down unexpectedly - if you think this is something you can do without, imagine your car breaking down in the middle of nowhere, in the pouring rain, when you’re already late for an important occasion. It’s no wonder so many drivers see breakdown cover as a necessity.
If you’re just starting to look for breakdown cover, there’s lots of choice out there. From long established breakdown cover providers like the RAC and the AA, to the type of cover that comes when you take out car insurance, there’s plenty of choice. Breakdown cover from AXA is an example of the latter. Insurance company AXA offer breakdown cover as an optional extra when you take out a car insurance policy with them. But, what does the cover include? And how does it compare to breakdown cover from the RAC? Let’s take a look.
Contents
Cover - what’s included?
Brand & Reliability
Level of breakdown cover
AXA Cover - what’s included?
When you’re looking for breakdown cover you should really think about more than just cost - although everyone has a price in mind that they can afford and everyone wants to work within a budget. The breakdown cover you finally choose obviously needs to be affordable, but consider what you’re paying for, and the level of service you’ll be getting.
So, what’s included with particular types of breakdown cover packages from the RAC in comparison to AXA?
|
|
RAC |
AXA |
|
Hire car period available period with applicable policy
|
72 hours
|
24 hours (AXA rescue)
|
|
Personal based memberships available
|
Yes
|
Yes |
|
Onward transport for driver and passengers
|
Yes - driver and up to eight passengers
|
Yes - up to six passengers
|
|
Hotel accommodation available
|
Yes - for one night only
|
Yes - for one night only
|
|
European breakdown cover available
|
Yes |
Yes (AXA Assistance) |
RAC source - breakdown cover
AXA source - breakdown cover policy
Comparison made on the 21st December 2018
Brand and Reliability
The RAC have been serving the needs of motorists in the UK for over 120 years, so we’re firmly established as a trusted brand - and proud that 92% of our members have told us they would recommend RAC breakdown cover to their friends and family.
We’re also proud of our record, which is that our patrols fix four out of five vehicles at the roadside - within an average of 30 minutes.
Level of breakdown cover
With both the RAC and AXA, motorists can choose from a range of breakdown cover options, so you can select a level of cover that’s tailored to what you need. Give some thought to how often you drive, and where you drive - whether that tends to be shorter, local journeys or longer, nationwide journeys - and then take a look at the types of cover available.
Here’s a summary of the levels of cover offered by the RAC and AXA.
RAC
|
Roadside
|
With the RAC’s standard cover, if your car suffers a breakdown at least 1/4 mile away from home, you’ll get assistance at the roadside. We’ll try to repair it and get you on the move again.
|
|
Recovery
|
This cover allows for national recovery, as long as you break down more than a ¼ mile from your home. If we can’t get your car fixed at the roadside, we’ll tow it and any passengers to anywhere within the UK mainland.
|
|
At Home
|
If you experience a vehicle breakdown at home, or within 1/4 mile from your home, you can call the RAC out for help with this type of cover .
|
|
Onward Travel
|
Adding Onward Travel to your breakdown cover means you’ll get the use of a hire car, public transport or hotel accommodation for you and your passengers, so that you can continue your journey.
|
AXA
|
Roadside
|
If your vehicle breaks down at least one mile away from your home, AXA will send a rescue operator to try to repair it. If it can’t be fixed, it will be taken to a local garage.
|
|
Rescue
|
With this level of cover, if your vehicle can’t be fixed at the roadside or at a local garage, you’ll be offered a choice of being taken home or to another destination; bed and breakfast accommodation for one night, or the hire of another vehicle.
|
|
Rescue & HomeAssist
|
This policy adds cover at home, which is defined as either at your home address or within one mile of it.
|
Comparison made on the 21st December 2018