Fully comprehensive car insurance
COMPARE GREAT VALUE QUOTES FOR COMPREHENSIVE CAR INSURANCE
We’ll refund up to £250 of your excess if you make a claim^
What's comprehensive car insurance and what does it mean?
There are three levels of car insurance: third party only (TPO), third party fire and theft (TPFT) and comprehensive.
Comprehensive car insurance – sometimes referred to as fully comprehensive – is the highest level of car insurance you can buy.
It covers more eventualities than the other two cover levels.
What’s the difference between comprehensive and third party car insurance?
A comprehensive car insurance policy will cover you for a wide range of damages, injuries and loss to you, your passengers and your vehicle, as well as other people and their property.
It means that if you’re involved in an accident, even if it’s your fault, you can claim to get your car repaired or replaced. And, where necessary, the insurance company can also compensate a third party involved in the accident.
A comprehensive policy also covers your vehicle for theft and fire damage. Or if, for example, you discover damage to your car when it’s parked in the street or a car park.
Third party car insurance is much more limited: it only covers the damage you cause to other vehicles and people.
Here’s exactly how each level of cover works:
- TPO is the legal minimum cover you must have in the UK. It only covers other people and their property, but not you or your vehicle.
So, it’ll cover the costs of damage or injury you cause to third parties, their vehicle or property when driving. But your car won’t be covered under this level if it’s damaged or stolen.
Find out more about TPO car insurance
- TPFT insures you for damage or injury to other people, their vehicle or property. Plus, your car is covered for repairs or replacement if it gets stolen or is damaged by fire. But it won’t cover damages to your car for any other reason.
Find out more about TPFT insurance
- Comprehensive cover is the highest level of cover.
It’ll cover the cost of repairing or replacing your own car if you’re in an accident where you’re found to be at fault, as well as compensating other people for damage or losses caused by you.
It’ll also cover everything included in TPFT cover – losses caused by fire, vandalism or theft.
Don’t assume comprehensive insurance will be more expensive, just because it offers better cover, though. Sometimes it’s cheaper than both TPO and TPFT policies.
Is it worth getting fully comprehensive car insurance?
This level of cover can offer real peace of mind as it protects you and pays to repair damage to your car in so many different situations - even if you’re involved in an accident that was your fault.
What’s covered by comprehensive insurance?
All policies differ but, in general, a comprehensive car insurance policy will include cover for:
- Accidental damage to your own or another person’s vehicle
- Accidental damage to other people’s property as a result of an accident in your car
- Personal injury - to you or other people in an accident that was your fault
Some policies will also include benefits like:
- Windscreen cover
- Theft of or damage to the contents of your car
- Legal protection
- No-claims discount protection
- Misfuelling
- Courtesy car
- Breakdown cover
What’s not covered by comprehensive insurance?
Comprehensive’ doesn’t mean absolutely everything’s included in the policy.
You may have to pay extra for some of the benefits listed above - like misfuelling cover, breakdown cover and the use of a courtesy car while yours is being repaired, for example.
Your policy documents will also list some exclusions, which you won’t be covered for.
Some typical exclusions are:
- Negligence – For example, theft when your car’s left unlocked or you’ve left valuables on show
- Wear and tear – Your policy won’t include cover for claims relating to the general wear and tear of your car (e.g. worn tyres, brake pads and rust)
- Invalid driving licence – You’ll need to have passed your driving test and kept your licence up to date
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs
Check policy documents to find out exactly what is and isn’t included in your policy.
Can I drive any car if I have fully comprehensive insurance?
It used to be common that policyholders with comprehensive cover were allowed to drive another person’s car.
But now this doesn’t usually apply and your policy’s only valid for the car included in your policy.
Some policies do have a ‘driving other cars’ clause. If yours does, your policy documents should tell you under what circumstances you’re legally allowed to drive another vehicle. It’s usually only intended for emergencies.
You’ll also only be covered on a third party basis. So, if you’re involved in an accident that damages the car, it won’t be covered. But it will cover damage to a third party’s car or property.
Insurers typically don’t offer policies that include ‘driving other cars’ cover to drivers under 25.
If you want to occasionally drive someone else’s car (a family member’s, for example) you can be added as a named driver to their insurance policy.
As a named driver, you’ll be insured to drive the vehicle with the same level of cover as the policyholder (the main driver).
How much does comprehensive car insurance cost?
You might expect comprehensive car insurance to be the most expensive cover option. It offers the most cover after all. But it's often cheaper than TPO and TPFT policies.
Our customers paid £549 on average for comprehensive cover, which is 40% cheaper than third-party only cover at £920.[1]
Things like your age, vehicle, annual mileage, claims history and previous convictions will also affect the amount you’ll pay.
How much does comprehensive car insurance cost?
You might expect comprehensive car insurance to be the most expensive cover option. It offers the most cover after all. But it's often cheaper than TPO and TPFT policies.
Our customers paid £454 on average for comprehensive cover, which is 33% cheaper than third-party only cover at £606.[1]
Things like your age, vehicle, annual mileage, claims history and previous convictions will also affect the amount you’ll pay.
*Average price paid annually for comprehensive car insurance purchased in 2021 and 2022 through Go.Compare.
Why is comprehensive car insurance cheaper?
Third party insurance options tend to attract drivers who are at a higher risk of accidents, meaning insurers often class these policyholders as more likely to make a claim.
Conversely, drivers who choose comprehensive cover are seen as being more responsible (and therefore less likely to make a claim).
So even if you’re trying to find ways to save money on your car insurance, make sure you check comprehensive quotes against other options.
You could get comprehensive cover for the same cost as, or less than, a third party policy.
£4 million refunded to customers with free excess cover^^
If you need to claim, we’ll pay £250 towards your excess^. Just another reason to make your life choices on Go.Compare.
^Up to £250 refunded after claim settled. Car insurance purchases only. Excludes breakdown, windscreen and glass repair/replacement. Full T&Cs apply.
^^Based on Go.Compare analysis of successful claims, August 2019 - June 2022.
What details do I need to get a quote?
When you compare quotes, you’ll need to tell us a few things like:
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Your personal info
Including your name, date of birth, address and job
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Details about your car
Make, model and year (or its reg number) and whether it’s ever been modified
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What cover you want
Let us know your car’s mileage and how you’re going to be using it, then pick the level of cover and any add-ons you need
Frequently asked questions
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Yes, you can. Although some insurers might have a minimum age limit on their policies, so you might have a slightly more limited choice across all policy levels. Also, you’ll be charged more than an experienced driver, making it even more important to shop around for a great deal.
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Fully comprehensive car insurance covers you for damage to your car if you’re involved in an accident and will pay out for the cost of repairs or pay you the market value of your car in the event it’s written off in an accident.
The value of a car reduces over time. So if your car is old and no longer worth a lot of money, you might end up paying more for a comprehensive policy than your vehicle is worth.
However, as we’ve mentioned, third party insurance cover might end up costing you more than a fully comprehensive policy anyway. Always check the cost of fully comp before opting for a third party policy even if your car is old and not worth much.
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Insurers take into consideration different factors when giving you a quote for a comprehensive car insurance policy. Things like your age, job, vehicle, annual mileage, claims history and previous convictions will all affect the amount you pay.
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There are a few things you can try to reduce your premiums for comprehensive cover including:
- Choosing a higher voluntary excess. Make sure you can afford the amount you’ll end up having to pay in the event of a claim, though
- Paying annually rather than monthly. It means you don’t have to pay any interest on the premium
- Being aware of added extras you may not need. For example, you may already have breakdown cover sorted, so you won’t need a policy that offers this
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Fuel cost calculatorPage last reviewed: 21 February 2023
Page reviewed by: Jasmine Hembury
[1]Average cost of annual car insurance bought through Go.Compare in November 2022. For comprehensive cover it was £454. For third party only cover it was £606.