Car insurance isn't something you buy because you want to. I mean sure, I'd buy it even if I didn't have to, but I do have to, and so does basically everyone else in the US who wants to drive a car. Regardless, comparing insurance isn't particularly easy, especially if you don't know what you're looking for.

Google is doing something to help the situation, as long as you live in California. With Google Compare for car insurance, you can stack multiple companies against one another to see how they rank.

You can make comparisons whenever you search for car insurance or head directly to the Google Compare website. The latter will ask you for your zip code, car, and other details before providing you with a list of quotes from various providers (currently, 13).

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Obviously you're going to want to see which has the best price, but you can also see who offers the most discounts or provides the best customer service. The tool doesn't let you leave ratings and reviews just yet, but such functionality is in the works, along with support for other states.

Car insurance isn't all that Google lets users compare. Folks in the UK can look up travel insurance and mortgages, while we in the US can search through various credit cards. Don't be surprised if some of the other services cross the pond eventually.

Source: Google blog