What began as an advocacy group in 1913 and later introduced roadside assistance in 1923 has evolved into one of Canada’s top car insurance companies. Today, CAA Insurance offers a variety of insurance products, including home, tenant, travel, and car insurance.
But are they the right choice for your car insurance needs? That’s a decision only you can make.
In this article, you’ll learn more about CAA car insurance, the potential pros and cons to consider, and how it’s different from an insurance broker like YouSet. That way, you can make the most informed decision and choose a provider that matches your needs and expectations.
How is YouSet different from CAA?
YouSet combines the convenience of an online platform with the advantages of a licensed insurance broker, while CAA is a direct-to-consumer insurer that underwrites and sells its own policies.
As such, there are key differences between YouSet and CAA to consider, which you can see outlined clearly in the table below.
| YouSet | CAA | |
| Type of provider | Digital insurance broker | Direct-to-consumer (D2C) insurer |
| Products | Home, tenant, condo, and car | Home, tenant, condo, car, pet, travel, health, and life |
| Number of insurers | 18 insurers (Full list of YouSet insurers) | 1 insurer (themselves) |
| Price comparison | Side-by-side comparison, shows multiple quotes | No comparison, only shows one quote (their own) |
| Underwriting | Does not underwrite policies | Direct writer (underwrites its own policies) |
| Checkout | Online checkout or by phone | Call to purchase |
| Claims | Claims handled by the insurer, additional support from YouSet, as needed | Claims handled directly by CAA |
CAA car insurance pros and cons
As with any insurance provider, it’s important to understand what CAA offers and what it doesn’t. This is key to helping you determine if it aligns with what you’re looking for in a car insurance provider.
Pros
- Household name
- Available Canada-wide
- Discount for CAA members
- Offers pay-as-you-go option for low-milage drivers
Cons
- Restricted to CAA products and pricing
- Limited self-serve checkout, phone call needed to buy
- Regional club model
- Bundling savings may be limited
Household name
After over 100 years in business, CAA is well-known by Canadians for its wide range of services, including roadside assistance, travel planning, insurance (home, tenant, car, travel, etc.), and advocacy for motorists and travellers.
Restricted to CAA products and pricing
Since CAA car insurance policies are underwritten by the company’s own insurer, you are limited to their products, prices, and discounts. In contrast, when you shop with a broker like YouSet, multiple carriers are considered, ensuring a broader selection and increasing your chances of finding the best possible price.
Available Canada-wide
CAA car insurance is available nationwide. However, since policies are bought through regional clubs, the products and discounts available may vary by location.
Limited self-serve checkout, phone call needed to buy
Even though CAA provides online quotes, you may not be able to actually buy that policy through their website in your region. In many cases, you’ll need to call CAA directly and speak with a sales representative to complete your purchase.
Discount for CAA members
If you’re already one of the approximately 7 million Canadians who are CAA members, the added discount for existing customers may factor into your decision. However, if you’re not, the discount might not hold much value, as you’d need to pay for a membership to access the savings.
Regional club model
Given CAA’s structure as a federation of regional clubs, home insurance is typically purchased through your local club rather than a single national website. This means the process and available options may vary depending on your region.
Offers pay-as-you-go option for low-milage drivers
CAA provides a pay-as-you-go insurance option for low-mileage drivers looking to pay based on how much they drive. While it can offer potential savings, it requires tracking mileage with a device and regularly reloading kilometres. Also, as of January 2025, this option is only available to drivers in Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.
Bundling savings may be limited
Bundling home and car insurance with CAA can save you money, as advertised. However, bundling with a single carrier doesn’t always offer the most savings possible. Rather, a mix-and-match approach to bundling, where products and pricing from multiple carriers are considered and combined, can help you maximize your savings and find the most cost-effective solution.
CAA vs. YouSet car insurance
After getting a quote from CAA and doing your own research, it’s always wise to compare the quoted price to a policy from an alternative provider, such as YouSet, to see if that’s truly the best price you can get or if there’s a better deal available.
Since 2017, YouSet has been making it easier for Canadians to buy home and car insurance online. Why spend hours manually comparing quotes when our proprietary technology can do it all for you in less than 4 minutes? Not only that, but we’ll also have Canada’s top insurance providers competing for your business, ensuring you get the best price year after year. With over 300,000 users and an average online review rating of 4.9 stars, YouSet is a broker well worth considering.
Best price year-after-year
YouSet’s algorithms are designed to do one thing - find you the best price. Not just the first time you buy, either. If your price increases at renewal, we’ll alert you and even help you re-shop with another carrier.
Transparent renewals
Anytime a YouSet insurance policy comes up for renewal, our team will make sure you’re paying the best price possible for your policy. If that’s no longer working, we’ll help you re-shop another carrier for a better deal.
Mix-and-match approach to bundling
YouSet is the only digital broker in Canada that automatically compares the cost of bundling home and car insurance from a single carrier against the cost of mix-and-matching home and car carriers. Whichever option offers the maximum savings is the one we present to you.
Buy, manage, and renew your policy online
How much easier would it be if you could purchase a policy, personalize it to fit your needs, make modifications to it, and renew it, all without having to make any phone calls or wait on hold? With YouSet, you can do all that and more with our self-serve features.
Highly reviewed by Canadians
With an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on Google, the general consensus among YouSet users is that YouSet is making it easier to find affordable insurance and buy it online at the best price year after year.
We do the searching, you get the savings
