What is Comprehensive Car Insurance?
Let's compare comprehensive car insurance quotes!
Get your quotes
Search over 120 different providers to find the young driver insurance option for you.
Compare policies
Check out the different types of car insurance and choose between annual and monthly payments to build the perfect deal.
Click to buy
Once you’ve found the car insurance policy for you, simply click through to purchase online. You could be fully covered in minutes!
What is comprehensive car insurance?
Comprehensive car insurance – also known as fully comprehensive – is the highest level of protection you can have before hitting the road. It pays out if you damage your car or a third party’s vehicle and if you injure someone in an accident, even if it was your fault.
With comprehensive insurance, you’re also covered against fire and theft, so if you’re looking for complete peace of mind, this might be the insurance cover for you.
OVER 120 PROVIDERS
Compare car insurance quotes from more than 120 Providers to find the best young driver insurance for you
You could save up to £515* on young driver insurance
*51% of consumers could save £515.24 on their Car Insurance. The saving was calculated by comparing the cheapest price found with the average of the next six cheapest prices quoted by insurance providers on Seopa Ltd’s insurance comparison website. This is based on representative cost savings from December 2024 data. The savings you could achieve are
dependent on your individual circumstances and how you selected your current insurance supplier.
What is included in fully comp insurance cover?
Different comprehensive insurance policies can offer different benefits, but, generally speaking, they will cover:
Accidental damage to your car or someone else’s car
Injuries sustained in an accident by you or someone else involved
Accidental damage to other people’s property
Damaged or stolen personal belongings
Windscreen repairs
Other benefits that may only be offered as optional add-ons might include:
Cover when involved in an accident with an uninsured driver
A courtesy car
Replacement of lost or stolen keys
Breakdown cover
Wrong fuel cover
No claims protection
Driving abroad cover
Legal protection
How does comprehensive insurance work?
It all starts with a quote. Complete the online application form, and you’ll be asked to input necessary information about yourself, your car, and any other drivers you want to include on your policy. This will allow the panel of over 120 insurers to provide you with an initial quote for comprehensive car insurance.
You can then choose the policy that works best for you; this might be the cheapest option or the one that offers the most coverage. Most insurers will also let you decide whether you want to pay for your comprehensive insurance in one annual or 12 monthly payments.
How much does comprehensive car insurance cost?
While you might assume that comprehensive car insurance is the most expensive option, it’s often the cheapest – even if you’re looking for young driver insurance!
On the other hand, drivers who choose third-party insurance are often greater risk-takers, which is reflected in the cost of the cover.
Even so, insurers take a whole range of factors into account when they work out the price of your car insurance, including:
How can I get cheaper comprehensive insurance?
There are many ways that you can cut the cost of your comprehensive insurance:
Choose a car from a low insurance group
Choose black box insurance
Park your car in a secure garage overnight
Pay annually rather than spreading the cost over 12 monthly payments
Agree to pay a higher voluntary excess
Add an alarm or immobiliser to your car to keep it safe
Can I drive any car if I have fully comp insurance?
In the past, having a comprehensive car insurance policy often meant you could get behind the wheel of someone else’s vehicle – with their permission, of course!
Unfortunately, this is no longer standard, and you’re usually only covered for the car detailed in your policy.
Look out for a ‘driving other cars’ clause. Your policy might offer this to cover emergencies, but check the terms and conditions to find out more.
If you do have a ‘driving other cars’ clause, you’ll only be insured on a third-party basis. The damage won’t be covered if you’re involved in an accident in someone else’s pride and joy. You’ll only be covered for damage to the third party’s vehicle.
‘Driving other cars’ clauses are usually only offered to drivers over the age of 25.
What are the alternatives to comprehensive car insurance?
If comprehensive cover isn’t the right fit for you, there are other types of insurance that you can consider.
Remember, it’s illegal to drive on UK roads without insurance.
- Third Party, Fire & Theft Insurance
- Third Party Insurance
- Black Box Insurance
Third Party, Fire & Theft Insurance
With a Third Party, Fire & Theft insurance policy, you’ll be covered for:
- Injuries to other people but not yourself
- Damage to another person’s car or property but not your own
- Legal claims made against you after an accident
- Theft of your car
- Damage as the result of a failed theft attempt, e.g., door lock repairs
- Fire damage to your car
While this type of insurance offers a good middle ground, you won’t receive any money towards repairing or replacing your car in the event of an accident. Your medical bills also won’t be covered.
Third Party Insurance
Third-party insurance is the minimum level of legal cover in the UK. It’s designed to safeguard other road users in the event of an accident.
You’ll be covered for:
- Injuries to other people
- Damage to another person’s car or property
As this is the bare minimum level of cover, you won’t be covered for any damage to your own car or injuries that you receive in an accident that’s your fault.
Black Box Insurance
Black box insurance – also known as telematics – can be a good option for young and newly qualified drivers who are looking for cheaper car insurance.
It requires a small device – the black box – to be installed into your car to monitor how you drive. If you avoid sharp breaking, rapid acceleration, and reckless cornering, you could qualify for a discount when you renew your policy.