Cost for new drivers is £131 cheaper than in 2024

A new report from Go.Compare Car Insurance has found that the cost of getting on the road in 2026, including the cost of a first car, has fallen slightly (1%), from £7,040 in 2025 to £6,969.

In 2024, the report revealed that the cost of getting on the road had hit an all-time high of £7,100. Since then, costs have gradually fallen (£7,040 in 2025 and £6,969 in 2026). The largest reductions this year are in first-year insurance premium (-14.2%) and average first-car purchase (-6%).

This year’s report has found that two significant costs associated with getting on the road have fallen in the past 12 months. The average amount that 17- to 21-year-olds pay for their car insurance has reduced by 14.2% from £1,516 to £1,300. This is the largest individual saving seen this year for getting on the road. Added to this, the amount that young drivers are spending on buying their first cars, has fallen 6% from £3,190 to £3,000.

The report also shows that a number of the costs associated with getting on the road have risen in the past 12 months. Between 2025 and 2026, the total cost of learning to drive rose sharply – up 17%(£359) to £2,469, although the full cost of getting on the road fell slightly because first-car and insurance costs dropped.

Tuition was the biggest driver of this increase, with lesson costs rising by 11.1%, up £225 from £2,025 to £2,250. Driving lessons now account for a slightly larger portion of the total cost of getting on the road, making up almost a third (32.3%) in 2026, compared with 28.8% in 2025.

The 2026 calculation also includes a new £100 cost for use of the instructor’s car at the practical test.

The first car remains the largest single expense for a new driver, although its share of the overall cost fell slightly, from 45.3% to 43.0%.

This year saw Vehicle Excise Duty increase by £10, from £190 to £200. The provisional licence and combined theory and weekday practical test fees remained £34 and £85 respectively. Overall, the savings on the car and insurance totalled £406, exceeding the £335 increase from lessons, road tax and the instructor test-car cost by £71.

Commenting on this latest report, Steve Ramsey, Motoring Expert said “The cost of learning to drive has risen sharply in the past year, with learners facing a 17% increase as lesson costs climb and the cost of using an instructor’s car for the practical test is factored in. However, lower first-car and insurance costs have helped offset this pressure, meaning the overall cost of getting on the road has edged down by 1%.”