🚩 Automatic car insurance is a policy type that covers vehicles with automatic gearboxes.
It tends to be more expensive than policies covering manual cars because automatic cars usually have:
✔ Higher repair costs
✔ A higher value
💡 Top tip: If you have an automatic car, then to get a quote all you have to do is let us know when filling out the quote form.
✔ Yes, car insurance is a legal requirement regardless of whether you drive an automatic car or a manual car.
The price of your policy will on factors like your
age
driving experience
location
Younger drivers and those with limited no-claims history usually pay more, while experienced drivers with a clean record can often find cheaper automatic car insurance quotes.
There are three main types of automatic car insurance to choose from:
Usually the cheapest option, fully comprehensive cover will cover you for damage, repairs, medical expenses, fire damage and theft, as well as damage done to someone else, their car or their property.
Third-party, fire and theft policies offer cover for other people, their vehicles and their property, as well as protection for your own vehicle if it’s stolen or damaged by fire
Third-party only car insurance is the least comprehensive type of cover available, and it’s the minimum legal requirement you must meet to drive on UK roads. It’s also usually the most expensive of the three
Fully Comprehensive | Third-Party, Fire and Theft | Third-Party Only | |
|---|---|---|---|
Damage to your vehicle | Yes | No | No |
Damage caused by your vehicle | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Theft | Yes | Yes | No |
Damage caused by fire | Yes | Yes | No |
Injury to the driver of your car | Yes | No | No |
Injury to a third-party, including other drivers and passengers | Yes | Yes | Yes |
While the cost of car insurance will vary based on your personal circumstances and the car you own, automatic cars tend to be more expensive to insure.
This can be because automatic vehicles are usually more expensive to buy, and their parts and repairs can cost more if something goes wrong as they can be more complex and speciailised.
There are many factors that affect the price of your car insurance premium, including the type of car you have.
In general, automatic cars are more expensive to insure than manuals. This is for several reasons:
Automatic cars are generally more expensive to buy than manuals. This means they tend to fall into higher insurance groups, which insurers use to help work out premiums.
Cars in lower insurance groups usually have lower premiums.
Because automatic cars tend to cost more, they also have higher repair prices.
Full electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids in particular can be more expensive to repair due to the amount of technology.
There is also a greater risk of the car being written off if the battery is damaged in an accident
An automatic gearbox is more complex than a manual gearbox, so costs more to replace
Having an automatic only licence may result in higher premiums as more claims are made with this licence, according to insurers’ data
✔ Yes, if you’re only licensed to drive an automatic car your premiums are usually more expensive. That’s because insurers tend to view drivers with an automatic-only licence as higher risk as:
They have limited driving experience
Insurance data shows increased claims frequency
So if you have a full UK car licence, and can drive both manual and automatic cars, you’ll usually be rewarded with cheaper premiums.
🚩 Not all insurers penalise automatic-only licence holders to the same degree, however, so shopping around may reduce your costs.
💡 Top tip: Remember, there are many factors that affect the cost of car insurance, including your age, experience and even location.
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For many, automatic cars are easier to drive, and I can see the appeal in choosing an automatic over a manual. However, it’s important to know that insurance costs are typically higher, as are repair and claim costs. Having an automatic-only licence can also push up your premiums, so if you’re learning to drive then consider learning to drive in a manual. Either way, having all the information before weighing up the pros and cons of getting an automatic is a wise thing to do; remember, you can get car insurance quotes ahead of buying a vehicle, which means you can get an idea of the potential costs before buying an automatic car.
Sara Newell Motor & Home Insurance Expert
Yes, anyone with a valid UK licence can drive an automatic car. Even if you hold a manual licence you can legally drive an automatic car. Letting the car handle the gears might feel a bit strange at first but you’ll soon get used to it.
Yes, an automatic car is often easier to learn to drive than a manual. All you need to do is put your car in ‘D’ for ‘drive’, accelerate gently and off you go. Manual cars may have up to six gears, and you’ll need to make sure you’re in the right gear for the speed and road conditions you are driving in. Check out our manual vs. automatic guide for more advice.
When you take out automatic car insurance, you may want to consider some additional features to bolster your cover. Depending on your provider, you’ll usually have the choice of:
Breakdown cover, which gives you access to roadside assistance if your car breaks down
Windscreen cover, which lets you claim for the cost of replacing a cracked or shattered windscreen
Legal cover, which will pay out for certain legal costs related to a claim by you or another party
Driving abroad cover, which insures you for taking your car overseas and driving in the EU
Courtesy car cover, which provides a replacement vehicle for you to use while yours is in repair
Multi-car cover, which lets you drive more than one car under a single policy
Personal accident cover, which pays out in the event that you’re injured or killed in a road accident
Replacement keys, which covers the cost of replacing a set of keys if they’re lost, damaged or stolen
Wrong fuel, which pays for repair costs if you accidentally top up the tank with the wrong fuel
Not necessarily. Insurers tend to view automatic-only licence holders as higher risk due to increased claims but there are lots of factors which influence insurance premiums, and not all insurers penalise automatic-only licence holders to the same degree. It’s worth shopping around to find the best premium.
Yes, if you have a manual licence rather than an automatic-only licence insurers usually consider you less likely to have an accident so your premium will be lower. But, remember, there are lots of factors which are used to calculate insurance premiums, not just driving licence type so it’s a good idea to compare prices to find the right premium for you.
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Yes, you can earn SuperSaveClub rewards when you buy car insurance through MoneySuperMarket.
This includes:
Up to £15, which you can withdraw as a pre-paid Mastercard or a gift card for brands like Sainsbury's and Amazon.co.uk
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Yes, car insurance is included in our Super Save Price Promise.
If you buy through us then find the same deal for less we will:
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Reviewed on 21 May 2026 by
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Based on the median annual price of comprehensive policies sold through MoneySuperMarket in March 2026.
Based on the median annual price of comprehensive policies sold through MoneySuperMarket in March 2026.
51% of consumers could save up to £506.99 Consumer Intelligence , Mar 2026 Exc NI, CI, IOM
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