What is and isn't covered by comprehensive insurance?
What does comprehensive insurance cover?
- Cover against injury to other people
- Damage caused by flooding
- Damage to other cars
Some policies offer you a range of policy add-ons as standard, too. Others might charge you extra to add them to your policy.
Typical add-ons include:
- Breakdown cover
- Motor legal protection
- Courtesy car provision
- Windscreen cover
- Personal accident cover
- No claims bonus protection
What isn’t covered by comprehensive insurance?
- Damage or injury caused when drink-driving or under the influence of illegal drugs
- Driving without a valid licence
- Theft caused by carelessness
To help lower your risk of theft, always lock your car, close windows and keep valuables out of sight. It's also worth considering additional security like an immobiliser, car tracker or a steering wheel lock. As well as making your car more secure and less appealing to thieves, they might also lower the cost of your insurance.
What’s the difference between comprehensive, third party fire and theft and third party insurance?
The difference is in what they cover.
- Third-party insurance is the lowest of the car insurance policy types you can get. It's the minimum level of cover you need to legally drive on the roads.
- Third party, fire and theft provides the same cover as third-party, but also covers your car if it’s stolen or catches on fire.
- Fully comprehensive is the highest level, and typically covers you for a lot more.
Is fully comprehensive cheaper?
Even though it offers a higher level of cover, you might find that comprehensive insurance actually works out cheaper than third-party policies.
This because, traditionally, a lot of high-risk drivers tended to go for third-party cover as a way of lowering their insurance costs. Insurers have adjusted their pricing to reflect this.
Fully comprehensive | Third Party Fire and Theft | Third Party Only |
---|---|---|
£882*
|
£1,6481
|
£2,1121
|
If a lower level of cover gives you what you need, it's still worth comparing the cost of all levels, just in case there's a difference based on your own circumstances.
There are ways you can make savings on comprehensive insurance:
- Planning ahead: Our data shows the later you leave it the more you might pay, with around 18 days1 before your policy ends being the best time to renew.
- Paying a higher excess: The more you're willing to contribute to the cost of a claim, the cheaper your insurance costs might be. Just make sure you're able to pay this amount if you need to make a claim.
- Named driver: Add a more experienced driver who may occasionally drive your car, especially if you’ve recently passed your test
- Comparing quotes: when your policy comes up for renewal, compare to find a great deal
*Confused.com price index data Q2 2024.
1Confused.com data Q2 2024.
How much is fully comprehensive insurance?
The average price for a fully comprehensive policy is £941*. Your insurer takes several factors into account when calculating the cost of your car insurance, so exactly what you pay is unique to you.
This includes:
- Your age
- Your occupation
- Where you live
- Your car's insurance group
- Your driving history
- Your estimated annual mileage
- Your class of use
For a general idea of how much a policy might cost you, here's the average price customers pay according to their age:
Age | Average car insurance premium* |
---|---|
17-20
|
£2,138
|
21-25
|
£1,754
|
26-30
|
£1,270
|
30-39
|
£946
|
40-49
|
£740
|
50-59
|
£575
|
60-69
|
£472
|
70+
|
£480
|
*Confused.com price index data Q2 2024.
Why choose Confused.com?
- In 2002, we launched as the first price comparison site for car insurance. Based in Cardiff, we help over 5 million customers a year with their policies so we know what we're talking about when it comes to insurance
- We're not owned by an insurance company and we're 100% independent. This means you'll see the best prices available to you based on your information, and not for any other reason.
-
Need help with your insurance? Our Cardiff-based team is here to support you. Take a look at our contact page to find ways to get in touch.
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And if you're still not convinced, with Confused.com Rewards you can choose a free gift when you buy car insurance**. You'll have 4 different rewards to choose from and you're free to choose whichever one you want!
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Page last reviewed: 24 January 2024
Reviewed by: Louise Thomas