Owning a car is one of the best feelings you can have. The second you get the keys in your hand, you can hit the open road whenever your heart desires. But while it might be an incredibly liberating experience, that freedom doesn’t come cheap. In fact, the AAA estimates that the annual cost of car ownership exceeds the $12,000 mark.

The number one way you can keep those outgoings to a minimum is with an extended warranty watching your back, but there are so many providers to choose from, it can be a tough call. To save you hours of research, our ongoing comparison series does the hard work for you, putting two of the leading names in extended auto protection head to head to see who comes out on top.

This time, we’ll be taking a look at Endurance and Toyota, more specifically comparing Endurance’s Supreme protection with Toyota’s Platinum level extended warranty. Keep reading to find out which you should invest in.

What Is an Extended Warranty and Why Do You Need One?

If you’re here, you probably already have some idea of what an extended warranty plan is and why having one is a great way to protect yourself out on the road. But to make sure you have the complete picture, we should go all the way back to the beginning of a car’s life cycle.

Every new car rolls off the production line with what’s known as a Garantía de Fábrica (which is the same as a manufacturer’s warranty). This is a coverage plan that effectively acts as the manufacturer’s promise to repair or replace any components that fail due to fault within a predetermined number of years or miles traveled after purchase (whichever of the two comes first). While it’s amazing while it lasts, all good things must come to an end. Once it expires, you, as the owner, are financially responsible for any future repair bills.

Thankfully, there are a couple of ways you can continue to enjoy the peace of mind you’ve become accustomed to. The first is what’s known as a more traditional extended warranty, which can be purchased via a dealership or sometimes directly from your manufacturer. This does exactly as the name implies, extending your factory warranty coverage beyond the expiration date. Hold on a moment before you rush to sign up, however — while this type of coverage sounds great in principle, it has some major downsides. For example, all work must be carried out at an authorized dealership (which isn’t ideal if you break down hundreds of miles from one). Even worse, you must have a valid factory warranty to qualify for an extension. Leave it just a moment too late, and you’re out on your own.

As a result, a vehicle service contract (VSC) from a third-party provider, like Endurance, is the universally preferred alternative. This is because third-party warranty providers have an incentive to offer almost like-for-like coverage at a much better price point, usually throwing in some helpful extra perks to give you maximum value for money. On top of that, work can be carried out by the certified mechanic of your choice, and it doesn’t matter whether you have an active factory warranty when it comes to signing up. As long as you meet your provider’s eligibility criteria, you’re all set.

While we’re on the topic, it’s worth pointing out that an extended warranty/vehicle service contract and auto insurance are two very different things. More specifically, an extended warranty or VSC is designed to protect you against the cost of repair bills incurred as a result of unexpected component failure, while auto insurance is designed to protect you against repair bills incurred as a result of a collision, extreme weather, or other such incident. The two work great together, however, so it’s always recommended you take out both for total money-saving potential.

Las compañías

Now that you’re all clued up on what an extended warranty is, let’s take a brief look at the auto protection providers in question:

About Endurance Warranty

Since 2006, Endurance has made a name for itself as one of America’s leading vehicle service contract providers. Based out of Illinois, we’ve spent the last two decades helping thousands of U.S. drivers save serious money on the cost of car ownership. We pride ourselves on our unrivaled eligibility, offering a wide range of plans aimed to cater to an even wider range of car owners. From casual commuters to rideshare drivers, and even high-mileage vehicle owners, we have you covered. We’re always willing to be flexible, too, so if none of our base plans quite meet your individual needs and budget, our friendly team will customize a plan that checks all the right boxes.

Top-quality coverage is just the tip of the iceberg — we also offer some of the best benefits. All Endurance plans come with Asistencia en carretera 24 horas al día, 7 días a la semana (including towing, fuel delivery, and lockout services), rental car reimbursement, and trip interruption coverage as standard. Better yet, every Endurance customer also gets a year’s free access to our Elite Benefits package, adding on up to four tire repairs or replacements annually, key fob replacement, up to $500 in collision discounts, and up to $1,000 in total loss protection.*

Unlike the majority of extended warranty providers, we’re also the direct administrator of all our plans, meaning there are no pesky middlemen to deal with when you come to make a claim. Our award-winning customer service team is always on hand via phone or email if you have a query. Plus, the Endurance smartphone app puts all of the most important information right in your pocket. Endurance plans are also fully transferable, potentially increasing the value of your vehicle if you sell it.

About Toyota Extended Warranties

A brand that needs no introduction, Toyota is one of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers. It may come as a surprise, but the company’s origins actually lie in the Japanese weaving industry, when Sakichi Toyoda invented the world’s first automatic loom and set up the Toyoda Spinning and Weaving Company in 1918. Its success ultimately led to the development of automotive technology, resulting in the Model AA passenger car in 1936.

Like many vehicle manufacturers, Toyota offers extended warranty coverage to owners of its vehicles. The Toyota Vehicle Service Agreement is brought to you by Toyota Motor Insurance Services, and coverage can only be purchased via its own dealer network. There are three core levels of protection available from Toyota, ranging from basic Powertrain Protection all the way up to Platinum Protection. But it’s the latter level of coverage we’ll be focusing on in this comparison.

While there’s no BBB page with customer reviews attributed to Toyota Financial Services as an entity, they’re one of the most reliable car brands on the planet, so you would hope you can count on their warranties, too. What’s immediately apparent from reading their website, however, is that Toyota coverage is only available during or after financing a lease. New Toyota vehicles are eligible for the Platinum plan for up to 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first.

The Auto Protection Plans

So, let’s compare Toyota’s Platinum Protection with Endurance’s closest equivalent, the Supreme plan, in an overall coverage option comparison.

Supreme Plan from Endurance

If you want completely comprehensive coverage that’s as close to a factory warranty as it gets, Supreme has your back. This incredible plan protects almost every part, component, and system in your vehicle, including seals, gaskets, and even some advanced components that other providers won’t go near. If you’ve found another provider with a Platinum or Titanium plan, you can be confident that Supreme is at least as good (but probably better).

Supreme For Highline Vehicles from Endurance

Everyone wants to own a luxury vehicle, but unfortunately they aren’t so reliable. Because repairs are more frequent (and expensive), we created Supremo para vehículos Highline: a warranty designed for selected luxury cars that have less than 80,000 miles on the clock and are under 8 years of age.

Toyota Platinum Protection

The highest level of service agreement protection offered by Toyota is their Platinum plan, which sits above their Powertrain and Gold plans. As an exclusionary protection plan, it covers almost every component in your Toyota vehicle, with the exclusion of your tires, 12-volt battery, brake pads, and rotors, plus accessory drive belts. Coverage terms are flexible, ranging from 3 years/50,000 total vehicle miles to 10 years/125,000 total vehicle miles. However, your vehicle must still have an active factory warranty in order to purchase coverage, and any repairs can only be carried out at a Toyota dealership.

Other Auto Protection Benefits

Extended auto warranties or contratos de servicio de vehículos usually include at least some added benefits. But which of the two gives you the most for your money?

Endurance Standard Benefits

Asistencia en carretera 24 horas al día, 7 días a la semana: Breakdowns are bad enough without being stranded at the roadside, so we’ve made Asistencia en carretera 24 horas al día, 7 días a la semana standard with every Endurance plan. This includes towing, fuel delivery, and lockout services.

Rental car coverage: Breakdowns have a nasty habit of happening when you’re far from home, putting a stop to whatever plans you had. We cover rental car reimbursement to minimize the inconvenience and get you back on the road.

Trip-interruption costs: Sometimes, a bigger repair can keep your car in the auto shop for longer than expected. We reimburse replacement travel costs to get you back on the road ASAP.

Endurance Elite Benefits: Our exclusive Paquete de beneficios Élite can be added to any of our plans, giving you access to up to four tire repairs or replacements annually, key fob replacement, up to $500 in collision discounts, and up to $1,000 in total loss protection if you total your vehicle.

Toyota Platinum Protection Benefits

Asistencia en carretera 24 horas al día, 7 días a la semana: Similar to Endurance, Toyota gives you 24/7 roadside assistance for the duration of coverage. This includes towing (for covered breakdowns, to the nearest authorized servicing facility), flat tires, being locked out of your vehicle, dead battery jump starts, and fuel delivery services (up to 3 gallons, no more than two times per month; excludes fuel cell and electric vehicles).

Vehicle rental reimbursement: Toyota will reimburse you for the cost of a rental vehicle while yours is being worked on up to $50 per day for a maximum of 5 days per occurrence.

Trip-interruption costs: Trip-interruption coverage provides up to $100 per day for lodging and meals if you’re more than 150 miles from home.

Endurance Warranty vs. Toyota Platinum Protection: Pros and Cons

To finish up, let’s put the pros and cons of Endurance and Toyota side by side:

Ventajas de la garantía Endurance:

• The most trusted service contract provider in America
• Market-leading eligibility, flexibility, and affordability
• Award-winning customer service team
• Market-leading benefits
• Fully transferable coverage
• Direct administrator of all plans
• Handy mobile app

Contras de la garantía Endurance:

• Only available within the U.S.

Toyota Platinum Protection pros:

• Globally trusted name
• Comprehensive coverage available
• Some added benefits

Toyota Platinum Protection cons:

• Only three plans to choose from
• Only available within a small window after purchase or lease
• Only available for purchase via dealership
• Covered repairs must be carried out at a dealership

For the Very Best Protection, You Can’t Beat Endurance

The cost of car ownership is only ever on the rise, and modern vehicle components can set you back hundreds or thousands of dollars a year. With an extended car warranty or auto protection plan watching out for you, though, those unexpected repair bills will become a thing of the past. And Endurance is the most trusted provider of vehicle service contracts in America.

If you’d like to know more about how we can protect your vehicle and take advantage of our 30-day money-back guarantee, call an Endurance advisor at (800) 253-8203. Tú también puedes Solicite una cotización GRATIS (and we’ll get back to you) or tienda en linea para ver su precio ahora.

Nuestro extended warranty blog has plenty more automotive-related articles, including provider comparisons with CarShield, CARCHEX, y more.