Staggering cost of learning to drive in 2025 revealed
New drivers in 2025 need to fork out almost £6700 to pass their driving test and buy their first new car, latest research has revealed.
The annual report from Go.Compare does at least show the bill has fallen nearly 6% from 2024’s £7100 figure, but it’s still an eye-watering sum.
A 17-year-old with a part-time job would need to work for 111 days to save enough for it – that’s an entire year of Saturday and Sundays.
Driving lessons alone cost more than £2000, while the average spend on a first car remains £3000. The only significant year-on-year decline is new driver car insurance, down 22% from £1776 to a "mere" £1387.
"It’s no surprise that for young drivers, the top two concerns about taking to the roads are focused on cost," says Go.Compare motoring expert Tom Banks
Banks explains that new drivers will always face higher bills than more experienced motorists, largely because insurers offer quotes based on the level of risk that a driver poses.
"Drivers who are new to the road are more likely to be in accidents."
Young drivers could mitigate some of this with a telematics insurance policy. They either come in the form of a black box installed in your car, or a smartphone app which collects data about your vehicle’s movements and driving habits to send back to your insurer.
There’s the age-old advice of choosing the right first car, too. Typically speaking, smaller cars with less powerful engines are cheaper to insurer, but it can vary significantly between different models.
"If you’re shopping around for a new motor, take a look at some insurance quotes before you buy," suggest Banks.
The findings also revealed that some new drivers have it better than others. One in three said their parents purchased a car for them – and 11% said their parents paid for all of the running costs of their motor.
Ask HJ
What's the best way to insure a learner driver?
My partner is learning to drive and wanted a second-hand car to learn in. She is currently retraining and has no income, therefore I have paid for the car (a Kia Picanto). I drive a Skoda and have insurance that only covers myself on just this car (not insurance to drive any car). What is the best way to insure both of us on the Kia? Should I add the Kia to my insurance and then add learners' insurance to my policy? Or should I take out a separate policy for the Kia for myself and add learners' insurance?
There are a few options you could explore to see what is best for you and your partner, and what could be most cost effective. Your partner could take out their own provisional policy on the Kia, which will cover them for 12 months while they learn. They’ll then need to contact the insurer once they pass to update the policy. You can then be added as a named driver, as you will need to have cover in place for this vehicle too in case you need to take over while out with the learner. This can often be the cheapest option and can help to build their NCB while they learn.
Alternatively, you could add the Kia to your policy under a multi-car policy, or take out a separate policy. In this case, your partner would need to either be added as a named driver. However, this should only be done if you are the main driver of that car. If the car is mostly used for your partner to learn in, then it could be considered as fronting, as the policy holder is not the main driver of the car. It’s also worth noting that if they are a named driver, any claims they make will affect your NCB.
Another option is for them to take out a separate learner driver policy alongside your policy. This provides shorter term cover, and acts as a standalone policy, so won’t affect your NCB. Depending on how long the cover is needed for, this could work out more expensive.
There is more information on options for learner drivers, including how much each policy option could cost here: https://www.confused.com/car-insurance/learner
Answered by Rhydian Jones
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