Comprehensive cover

Comprehensive is the level banks and finance houses insist on while a vehicle is financed, because it protects their interest in the car as well as yours. It is also the only level that pays to repair your own vehicle after an at-fault accident, which is why it is the default choice for any car whose replacement you could not comfortably self-fund.

Within comprehensive, the detail is in the schedule. The value basis (retail, market or agreed) decides what a write-off pays; the excess structure decides what you pay first; and optional extras — car hire, windscreen, tyre and rim, and accident-scene assistance — are added on top, sometimes for a small extra premium. Two comprehensive policies at very different prices often differ precisely here.

Comprehensive is broad but not unconditional. Claims can still be declined for an undisclosed driver, a lapsed premium, a required tracker that was never fitted, or driving under the influence. Reading the exclusions and keeping your disclosures current is what keeps the cover dependable.