Fully Comprehensive Insurance
Fully Comprehensive Insurance Quotes
You could save up to £535* on your car insurance in minutes.
Partnered with Quotezone
We’re partnered with Quotezone. As an Introducer Appointed Representative of Seopa Ltd (FCA FRN: 313860), we receive a commission if you purchase insurance products via SimplyQuote.co.uk.
We do not provide advice or make recommendations. Your choice of provider is entirely your own.
Compare insurance quotes from the UK’s leading fully comp car insurers including:
What Is Fully Comprehensive Car Insurance?
Fully comprehensive car insurance is the highest level of cover available to UK drivers, protecting your own vehicle as well as third-party property and injuries.
Under the Road Traffic Act 1988, every driver must hold at least third-party insurance. Comprehensive cover goes well beyond that legal minimum by paying for repairs to your own car after an accident, even when you are at fault.
It also covers fire, theft, vandalism, and windscreen damage as standard. According to the ABI, around 90% of UK motorists choose this level of protection.
If you are still deciding between cover tiers, our main car insurance page lets you compare quotes across all three levels in one search.
How To Compare Fully Comprehensive Car Insurance Quotes
Comparing quotes side by side is the fastest way to find the right balance of cover and cost.
Enter Your Details
Provide your name, address, occupation, and driving history. Add your vehicle’s registration, make, model, and annual mileage.
Choose Your Cover Preferences
Select voluntary excess, no-claims discount years, and any add-ons you want included. A higher voluntary excess lowers the premium but increases your out-of-pocket cost at claim time.
Review and Compare Results
Results appear ranked by price. Check each policy’s excess, courtesy car provision, and claims limit before deciding on the cheapest quote.
Buy Your Policy Online
Once you have chosen a policy, purchase it directly from the insurer. Always confirm the provider is FCA-authorised before handing over payment details.
What Does Fully Comprehensive Car Insurance Cover?
Comprehensive cover protects you, your passengers, your vehicle, and third parties in a single policy.
Third-Party Damage and Injury
Every comprehensive policy includes the same third-party protection as a standalone TPO policy. If you cause an accident, your insurer pays for repairs to the other driver’s vehicle and any injury claims from third parties.
Accidental Damage to Your Own Vehicle
This is the key advantage over lower-tier policies. Whether you hit a bollard in a car park or collide with another vehicle, your insurer covers the repair bill minus your excess.
It also covers single-vehicle accidents such as hitting a pothole, scraping a kerb, or sliding off an icy road. Without comprehensive cover, you would pay for these repairs yourself.
Fire and Theft
Comprehensive cover includes everything in a third-party, fire and theft policy. If your car is stolen, set alight, or damaged by an attempted break-in, the insurer pays the market value or repair cost.
Windscreen and Glass
Most comprehensive policies cover windscreen chips and cracks without affecting your no-claims discount. Excess is typically nil for chip repairs and £75–£125 for a full replacement.
Personal Injury
Comprehensive cover pays a lump sum if you or a named driver suffer a serious or fatal injury in an accident. Payouts typically range from £5,000 to £100,000, depending on the policy.
This benefit sits on top of any third-party claim for injuries caused by another driver. Check the personal injury limit when comparing policies, as it varies widely between providers.
What Levels Of Car Insurance Can You Get?
UK car insurance falls into three tiers, each offering progressively more protection.
| Cover level | Third-party damage | Fire & theft | Own vehicle damage | Windscreen | Personal injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Third-party only (TPO) | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Third-party, fire & theft | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Fully comprehensive | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Despite offering the most cover, comprehensive policies are often cheaper than TPO. Insurers view drivers who choose comprehensive cover as lower-risk, which pulls the premium down.
See our guide on how car insurance is calculated for a full breakdown of what affects your quote.
What Is Not Covered By Fully Comprehensive Car Insurance?
Even the broadest policy has exclusions, and knowing them prevents a nasty surprise at claim time.
Wear and Tear
Tyres, brake pads, clutch plates, and other parts that degrade through normal use are never covered. Insurers expect you to maintain your vehicle to a roadworthy standard.
Keep a record of services and MOT results. If a claim is linked to poor maintenance, the insurer can reduce or refuse the payout.
Driving Under the Influence
Any claim made while the driver was over the legal alcohol limit or under the influence of drugs will be rejected. Your policy may also be cancelled, which makes future cover far more expensive.
A driving conviction can push premiums up sharply. See our convicted driver insurance page for specialist options.
Driving Without a Valid Licence
If your licence has expired or been revoked, your insurer is not liable for any claim. Check your licence expiry date annually to stay compliant.
Intentional Damage
Deliberate damage you cause to your own vehicle, or fraud of any kind, voids your policy entirely. Insurers use fraud detection systems and share data through the Claims and Underwriting Exchange.
Driving Other People’s Cars
Your comprehensive policy does not automatically cover you to drive someone else’s vehicle. Some policies include a “driving other cars” clause, but it usually provides third-party-only cover, not comprehensive.
How Does A Fully Comprehensive Car Insurance Claim Work?
Filing a claim follows a set process, and understanding each step helps you settle it faster.
Report the Incident
Contact your insurer within 24 hours with the date, time, location, and a description of what happened. If another driver is involved, swap insurance details at the scene.
Assessment and Repair
The insurer sends an assessor or asks you to visit an approved garage. For minor damage under £1,000, many insurers offer a fast-track repair service.
If the repair cost exceeds the car’s market value, the vehicle is declared a total loss. You receive a payout equal to the car’s pre-accident value, minus your excess.
You reverse into a wall and cause £2,500 of damage, and your policy carries a £300 compulsory excess plus a £200 voluntary excess. You pay £500 in total; the insurer covers the remaining £2,000.
Because you were at fault, the claim affects your no-claims discount. If you have NCD protection, the discount stays intact, but the base premium may still rise at renewal.
How Much Does Fully Comprehensive Car Insurance Cost?
The average UK comprehensive car insurance premium is around £560–£620 per year, but your quote will depend on your age, vehicle, postcode, and driving record.
| Driver profile | Typical annual premium | Key factor |
| Experienced driver (30-50, clean record) | £400–£700 | Low risk, high NCD |
| Young driver (17-24) | £900–£2,000 | Age and inexperience |
| New driver (25+, just passed) | £800–£1,400 | No NCD built up |
| High-performance vehicle | £1,200–£2,500 | Insurance group 40+ |
Young drivers face the steepest premiums. Our guide on how much young drivers insurance costs breaks down the numbers by age band.
If you drive an EV, expect premiums 10–20% above the petrol equivalent due to costlier parts. Our electric car insurance page compares specialist providers.
*51% of consumers could save £535.17 on their Car Insurance. The saving was calculated by comparing the cheapest price found with the average of the next four cheapest prices quoted by insurance providers on Seopa Ltd’s insurance comparison website. This is based on representative cost savings from May 2026 data. The savings you could achieve are dependent on your individual circumstances and how you selected your current insurance supplier.
How To Save Money On Fully Comprehensive Car Insurance
Small changes to your policy setup and driving habits can cut hundreds from your annual premium.
Build Your No-Claims Discount
The first claim-free year typically earns a 30–40% discount, building to around 60–70% after five years. That means an experienced driver with a full NCD could be paying less than a third of the standard rate.
Protecting your NCD with the add-on described below keeps the discount intact even if you claim. The cost of NCD protection is usually repaid within one claim-free renewal.
Increase Your Voluntary Excess
Raising voluntary excess from £100 to £500 can reduce your premium by 10–15%. Only do this if you can afford to pay the higher amount in the event of a claim.
Secure Your Vehicle
Parking on a private driveway or in a locked garage lowers theft risk. Fitting a Thatcham-approved alarm or tracker can trigger further discounts from some insurers.
When you fill in a quote, where you park overnight is one of the first questions asked. Moving from street parking to a garage or driveway can cut the premium by 5–25%, depending on postcode.
Consider Telematics
A black box policy monitors your driving and rewards safe habits with lower premiums. This is especially effective for younger drivers who lack a no-claims history.
Pay Annually
Monthly instalments add 15–30% in interest charges, so paying upfront saves that cost entirely. Read our guide on paying monthly vs annually for a full comparison.
Add a Named Driver
Adding an experienced driver to your policy can bring the average risk down and reduce the premium. If you insure multiple cars in one household, a multi-car policy may offer a further discount.
What Add-Ons Are Available For Fully Comprehensive Car Insurance?
Most comprehensive policies cover the core risks, but optional extras let you tailor the policy to your circumstances.
Breakdown Cover
Roadside assistance, home start, and onward travel in a single add-on. Standalone breakdown policies exist, but bundling it with your car insurance is often cheaper.
Higher-tier breakdown cover adds European recovery and overnight accommodation. Check whether the policy covers all named drivers or just the policyholder.
Motor Legal Protection
Covers legal costs if you need to pursue an uninsured driver or dispute a claim decision. Limits typically range from £50,000 to £100,000.
Key Cover
Replacing a modern car key can cost £200–£500. Key cover pays for replacement and reprogramming if your keys are lost, stolen, or damaged.
Personal Belongings
Standard policies cover the car itself, not what is inside it. This add-on protects items such as laptops, tools, and sports equipment up to a set limit.
Courtesy Car Upgrade
Basic courtesy car cover gives you a small runaround while yours is being repaired. An upgrade guarantees a like-for-like replacement, which matters if you drive a larger vehicle.
No-Claims Discount Protection
Protects your discount even if you make one or two claims in a policy year. The discount is preserved, though the base premium itself may still rise at renewal.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the legal minimum is third-party-only cover. Comprehensive is optional but gives far broader protection for a similar price.
Only if your policy includes a driving other cars clause, and even then you are usually covered at third-party level only, not comprehensive.
Insurers associate TPO buyers with higher risk because they tend to be younger or have poorer driving records. That pushes the TPO premium above comprehensive for many driver profiles.
Most UK policies include a minimum of third-party cover in EU and EEA countries. For full comprehensive protection abroad, you usually need to add an EU extension.
The insurer pays the market value of the vehicle at the time of the loss, minus your excess. If you owe more on finance than the car is worth, gap insurance covers the shortfall.
Build a no-claims discount, take a Pass Plus course, choose a car in a low insurance group, and consider a telematics policy. Our young drivers insurance page has a full list of tips.
Not as standard; breakdown cover is an optional add-on. Some insurers bundle it into premium tiers, so check your policy documents.
Yes, unless you have NCD protection. A fault claim typically removes two years of discount; a non-fault claim may also affect it if your insurer cannot recover costs from the other party.
Compulsory excess is set by the insurer and cannot be changed. Voluntary excess is the amount you choose to pay on top, and raising it reduces your premium.
Yes, monthly payments include interest that adds 15–30% over the year. Paying upfront avoids that charge and is the single easiest way to cut your overall cost.
Yes, most major insurers now offer comprehensive policies for EVs, often including battery cover as standard. Premiums tend to be higher than for petrol equivalents because of costlier repair parts.
It is a short-term policy that lets you retrieve a car from a police compound. Our guide on impound insurance explains the process and costs.
Car Insurance Guides
