Upgrades and additional cover

Some insurers will include them as standard, or you can pay extra to add them to your policy - think about which ones you really want or need before you buy.

Breakdown cover

This gets you and your car home or to the nearest garage if you break down. You can choose from three levels of cover - Roadside assistance, roadside assistance and recovery or roadside, recovery and home start. It’s usually cheaper to buy your breakdown cover separate from your car insurance though. Make sure you’re getting value for money by comparing it separately.

Courtesy car

If your car’s damaged because of an accident, your insurer can provide a courtesy car to get you from A to B while it’s being repaired - you’ll have to use their approved repairer. Watch out for exclusions. If your car is stolen or written-off, you might not be offered a courtesy car.

No claims discount protection

For every year you drive claim-free, you’ll get a discount on your car insurance. It’s valuable and has such an impact on the price of your insurance that you can protect it. That way, if you need to claim, it won’t impact your discount. Some insurers protect it entirely, others only reduce it by a year or two – it varies.

Personal injury

Personal accident compensates you for injuries caused by a car accident. The claim limit varies between insurers, and other drivers and passengers are sometimes covered too. You'd only claim on personal accident cover if the accident is your fault. That’s because if an accident isn’t your fault, the at-fault person’s insurer will pay out for any personal injury claims.

Legal expenses

If you’re involved in an accident, and it’s not your fault, legal assistance helps you claim from the person responsible. It’ll also help defending a claim brought against you. Generally, unless the insurer thinks you’ve got more than a 50% chance of success, they won’t cover the cost of legal fees. Claim limits also vary between insurers.

Windscreen repair and replacement

Covers the repair of chips and cracks to your car’s windscreen – sometimes it’s a free extra. It can also cover the replacement of your windscreen if it can’t be repaired, but you might have to pay a small excess.

Lost or stolen keys

If you lose your keys, or they get stolen, lost key cover can help cover the cost of replacing them. Getting high-tech keys replaced can easily run to hundreds of pounds these days, and that’s without your vehicle being stranded or needing a hire car in the meantime.