Comprehensive or third-party car insurance: how to choose

In brief:

1. Third-party insurance is the mandatory legal minimum (civil liability), while comprehensive cover also pays for damage to the insured vehicle, even in an at-fault accident.
2. In 2025, the average premium stood at 511 euros excluding tax for standard cover versus 601 euros excluding tax for comprehensive cover, according to France Assureurs.
3. Extended third-party or third-party plus formulas add theft, fire, broken glass and natural disaster cover without reaching the full price of comprehensive insurance.
4. The deciding factor remains the vehicle’s resale value compared with the extra premium paid for comprehensive cover over several years.

Choosing between comprehensive car insurance and third-party car insurance means weighing the level of cover against the available budget. The difference goes beyond price: it is mainly about what gets paid out after a claim, especially when the insured driver is the one at fault. This guide details the coverage of each formula, average market prices, and a method for choosing the right formula for a given vehicle.

Comparison table of car insurance formulas

*Source: France Assureurs, private car insurance market report, 2025 (average premium for a category 1 vehicle on a single policy).

This table gives the baseline figures. The sections below detail exactly what each formula covers and how to decide based on the vehicle’s situation.

Third-party insurance: the mandatory legal minimum

Third-party insurance corresponds to the civil liability guarantee, the only cover made mandatory by law for any motor vehicle driven in France. It exclusively covers bodily and material damage caused to a third party, whether another driver, a pedestrian, or property.

What third-party insurance does not cover

In an at-fault accident, third-party insurance pays for neither repairs to the insured vehicle nor its replacement if it is a total loss. Theft, fire, broken glass, or natural disasters are also not covered, unless the policy includes optional add-on guarantees.

An obligation with criminal penalties

Driving a vehicle without civil liability insurance is a criminal offense under the French insurance code, punishable by a fine of up to 3,750 euros, in addition to a possible driving license suspension and vehicle impoundment. This obligation also applies to a vehicle simply parked on public roads.

Comprehensive insurance: extended cover for the insured vehicle

Comprehensive insurance combines, in addition to mandatory civil liability, a set of guarantees that cover the insured vehicle itself, including when the driver is at fault in the accident.

• All-accident damage, including cases of full or partial fault by the insured driver
• Theft and attempted theft, with a payout based on the vehicle’s value at the time of the claim
• Fire and natural or technological disasters, as recognized by ministerial decree
• Broken glass, windshield, side windows and rear window
• Vandalism and malicious acts
• Collision with an animal, a guarantee increasingly common in recent policies

Deductibles and exclusions to check

Each comprehensive guarantee usually comes with a deductible, meaning an amount that stays the policyholder’s responsibility after a payout. Its amount varies significantly between insurers and by type of claim: it is often higher for broken glass or theft than for an at-fault accident. Classic exclusions, such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or driving without a valid roadworthiness test, apply to all formulas and are worth reading carefully in the policy’s terms and conditions.

Mid-tier formulas: extended third-party and third-party plus

Between simple third-party and comprehensive cover, most insurers offer a mid-tier formula, called extended third-party, third-party plus, or third-party comfort depending on the company. Its principle is to add a selection of optional guarantees to mandatory civil liability, without subscribing to the full comprehensive package.

The guarantees most commonly offered in these mid-tier formulas are theft, fire, broken glass, and natural disasters. They secure the costliest claims to repair out of pocket, such as a windshield or a stolen vehicle, while keeping a premium closer to simple third-party than to comprehensive cover. This formula particularly suits vehicles that still hold a reasonable resale value, without justifying the full price of comprehensive cover.

Average car insurance prices in 2025 and 2026

Car insurance premiums kept rising in 2025, and this trend continues in 2026, driven by higher repair costs and a growing frequency of claims linked to weather events.

“The average premium for a category 1 vehicle on a single policy stood at 511 euros excluding tax in 2025, a level up 6.5 percent from 2024. Under comprehensive cover, the premium reaches 601 euros excluding tax.” Source: France Assureurs, 2025

These figures, drawn from the professional federation’s statistics, cover a national average across all regions and driver profiles combined. In practice, the gaps observed on online comparison sites are often wider, with a differential of 40 to 60 percent between third-party and comprehensive formulas, depending on the driver’s age, region, claims history, and the insured vehicle’s model.

How to choose a formula based on the vehicle and driver profile

Choosing between the different formulas mainly comes down to comparing the vehicle’s value with the cost of the extra premium paid to cover it.

1. Estimate the vehicle’s current resale value, using a reference valuation guide or several comparable listings for a similar model.
2. Compare that value with the comprehensive extra premium paid over one or more years, meaning the difference between the comprehensive premium and the third-party premium for the same profile.
3. Factor in how the vehicle is financed: a vehicle still under a loan or lease is very often subject to a contractual obligation to carry comprehensive cover, imposed by the lender.

Once the vehicle’s value drops below 2 to 3 times this annual extra premium, the potential payout in an at-fault claim becomes too small to justify the added cost, and switching to an extended third-party or simple third-party formula becomes worthwhile. Conversely, a recent or financed vehicle almost always justifies comprehensive cover.

The no-claims bonus directly affects the premium amount, whatever formula is chosen: a driver with a strong no-claims record will always pay less, whether on third-party or comprehensive cover. Switching formula does not exempt a driver from following the rules of the mid-year cancellation process if the change also involves switching insurer.

This reflection on the insurance formula is worth starting as early as the checklist before buying a used car, since the cost of insurance over several years is part of a vehicle’s real budget, just as much as its purchase price.

Frequently asked questions