MoneySuperMarket’s 2025 New Driver Report
Want to know what it really costs new drivers to hit the road in 2025? Our New Driver Report separates dream from reality.
Our deep dive into new driver costs and trends reveals the most popular first car for new drivers is a Toyota (although the dream is a BMW)
Dorchester, Bath and Llandrindod Wells among cheapest places to insure new drivers in the UK
From Mr Beast to Jamie Chua, Kim Lim and Keemakazi, the average cost of the highest-earning influencers’ first cars is £144,100, with some exceeding £1.79million
The average annual car insurance cost for a new driver1 has risen 31% since 2021. In 2025 the average annual premiums for a driver with a newly held license (under two years) comes in at £1,640, compared to £1,131 in 2021.
This cost increase hasn’t gone unnoticed by new drivers. In our recent survey, 80% of newly qualified drivers say they include insurance costs when it comes to budgeting for a new car, with the majority (54%) estimating they’ll need to budget £20,000 for their first car and insurance.
However, the good news for new drivers is that our own data shows the cost of getting on the road is significantly less, with the average vehicle value for new drivers in 2025 around £4,600.
To help new and learning drivers budget for insurance for their first car, we’ve created a Quick Quote Calculator. The tool helps drivers find and compare approximate insurance costs for a range of vehicles quickly and easily without the need for specific vehicle details, so it’s a handy tool if you’re researching what type of car to buy.
2025 Stats, trends and costs for new drivers
With so much choice in the car market, a lot of focus on electric cars, and the power of social media influencers, we wanted to discover which cars new drivers wish they could drive, versus the reality. Our 2025 New Driver Report covers:
Insuring New Drivers – 2025 Statistics & Trends: Using our own data we reveal the average insurance costs for new drivers over the years, as well as the most expensive and cheapest cities for first-time drivers and most popular car makes and models being insured for new drivers.
Dream First Cars for New Drivers: Our new survey unearths the dream cars that new drivers wish they could drive away in, as well as what features they deem most important in their first car - versus the reality of what cars they actually drive.
Most Popular First Cars Chosen by Influencers: Our analysis of YouTube, Instagram and TikTok content creators reveals the most popular first cars with the young and famous and how much they could typically cost new drivers to insure.
Insuring new drivers: 2025 statistics & trends average annual premium for new drivers1 over time
January 2021 | January 2022 | January 2023 | January 2024 | January 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
£1,130.84 | £1,278.01 | £1,597.59 | £1,781.30 | £1,639.74 |
It roughly costs £850 more a year to insure a new driver than an experienced driver in 2025. The average cost to insure an experienced driver in 2025 is £782.
Average vehicle value for new drivers1 over time
January 2021 | January 2022 | January 2023 | January 2024 | January 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
£4,110 | £4,516 | £4,652 | £4,660 | £4,612 |
New drivers tend to be insured on vehicles that are 52% cheaper than the average motorist’s car. The average vehicle value for drivers in general in 2025 is £9,721.
Most popular first car brands for new drivers1
Vehicle Make | % of New Drivers Being Insured |
|---|---|
Ford | 15% |
Vauxhall | 13% |
Volkswagen | 12% |
Toyota | 6% |
BMW | 5% |
Ford, Vauxhall and Volkswagen are the most popular first cars for new drivers purchasing their policies through MoneySuperMarket; the most popular age band for new drivers who have had a licence for 2 years or less is 20-29 years old.
Cheapest places in the UK for new driver insurance1
Postcode Area | Average Annual Premium for New Drivers |
|---|---|
Isle of Lewis, Scotland | £1,028.05 |
Llandrindod Wells, Wales | £1,050.38 |
Kirkwall, Scotland | £1,238.23 |
Dorchester, England | £1,276.02 |
Bath, England | £1,281.72 |
Worcester, England | £1,295.32 |
Gloucester, England | £1,306.80 |
Perth, Scotland | £1,309.68 |
Shetland Islands, Scotland | £1,311.38 |
Cambridge, England | £1,316.35 |
Areas in Scotland top the UK’s cheapest places to insure new drivers, with Llandrindod Wells in Powys Wales coming second and Dorchester taking the top spot for England.
First cars for new drivers
We asked 1,000 new drivers to share the make of their first car, revealing that manufacturers of popular smaller hatchback models such as Nissan, Kia and Peugeot are losing ground to the likes of Toyota and Audi.
The most common first cars for new drivers
Rank | Car Brand | % of new drivers who drive this car |
|---|---|---|
1 | Toyota | 23% |
2 | Audi | 14% |
3 | Ford | 13% |
4 | Honda | 6% |
5 | Hyundai | 6% |
6 | Volkswagen | 6% |
7 | Vauxhall | 5% |
8 | Nissan | 4% |
9 | Peugeot | 4% |
10 | Kia | 4% |
Toyota: With a reputation for reliability, safety and low running costs, our survey shows that Toyota comes out as the most common first car for new drivers in 2025. From fuel-efficient models like the Yaris and Corolla, as well as a choice of hybrid models, Toyota appeals to the environmentally conscious as well as savvy-budgeters, thanks to its low depreciation and purse-friendly maintenance and insurance costs. For new drivers in the UK, it’s also one of the cheaper cars to insure; the average annual insurance premium for a Toyota is £1,4841.
Audi: Somewhat of a status symbol with young influencers and professionals, Audi’s appeal stems from its models’ sleek designs and premium feel, and the German manufacturer is growing its entry-level options with the likes of the A1 and Q2. New drivers can expect to pay on average £1,9931 a year in car insurance costs for an Audi.
Ford: An ever-present producer of first cars, Ford continues to be a popular choice for new drivers decade after decade thanks to iconic models such as the Fiesta and Focus, as well new electric and hybrid variants that offer a future-forward option without a premium price tag. Newly qualified Ford drivers will need to budget around £1,6351 a year for their insurance premium.
The same group of new drivers were also asked to reveal their dream first car if money was no object, and unsurprisingly the results enormously differed from the real-life first car answers.
The cars new drivers wish they drove in 2025
Rank | Car Brand | % of new drivers who want this car |
|---|---|---|
1 | BMW | 15% |
2 | Mercedes-Benz | 12% |
3 | Lamborghini | 12% |
4 | Tesla | 10% |
5 | Porsche | 6% |
6 | Audi | 6% |
7 | Ferrari | 5% |
8 | Toyota | 5% |
9 | Bugatti | 4% |
10 | Bentley | 4% |
According to our new survey, the top dream cars for new drivers in 2025 reflect a clear desire for status and innovation. Leading the list is BMW, chosen by 15% of respondents as their dream first car. With its sporty performance and strong brand recognition, BMW has captivated new drivers who may see it as one of the ultimate symbols of success.
Close behind, Mercedes-Benz (12%) holds strong appeal thanks to its cutting-edge technology and reputation for luxury - qualities that resonate with image-conscious new motorists. Also tied at 12% is Lamborghini, an aspirational pick that highlights the influence of social media and celebrity culture. Lamborghini’s bold design and exotic status make it the ultimate fantasy vehicle for many drivers.
Tesla rounds out the top four at 10%, thanks to its tech-savvy image and futuristic appeal. With a combination of digital convenience and climate awareness, Tesla is one of the most recognised electric car brands on the market.
The most important features in a first car
The features that new drivers think are the most important in a first car are that it ‘looks cool’ (29%) and its brand reputation or image (36%).
The value new drivers put into the aesthetic and branding of a car could be a sign that social influencers are having a big impact on new drivers. We investigated the first cars of the top earning young content creators on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, to find that Mercedes-Benz (the second most popular ‘dream car’ in our survey) was by far the most popular first car for young influencers.
Most popular first cars with social media influencers
Rank | Car Make | Rich Influencer |
|---|---|---|
1 | Mercedes Benz | 11% |
2 | Tesla | 4% |
3 | Lamborghini | 4% |
4 | Land Rover | 4% |
5 | Audi | 4% |
6 | Honda | 3% |
7 | Porsche | 2% |
8 | BMW | 2% |
9 | Jeep | 2% |
10 | Dodge | 2% |
By analysing the content of over 70 of the ultra-wealthy and most influential young content creators, we found that the most popular first car for influencers is a Mercedes-Benz, followed by a Tesla and a Lamborghini.
While some influencers had relatively ‘normal’ first cars, such as a Honda Accord (Alana Thompson) or a Ford EcoSport (Annica Jane), the majority of the first cars driven by influencers come with a starting cost of over £30,000 and go up to nearly £1.8million (namely Kim Lim’s Bugatti Grand Sport Vitesse).
To conduct the research, we sourced a list of the top earners among young content creators and analysed their social media and YouTube channels to discover the most popular first car brands and models. Mercedes-Benz comes out on top among the first cars for high-earners, specifically the AMG G63 model. This specific car not only looks beautiful on the road (and on social media) but also offers drivers high performance behind the wheel and is owned by the likes of LeBron James Jr and Canadian media personality, Josh Richards.
Tesla follows in second place, with the most popular model being the Model X – the first car for Addison Rae, James Charles and Jojo Siwa.
One of the most famous influencers in the world, Mr Beast, showcased a BMW i8 as his first car, whilst Kylie Jenner’s first car was a Land Rover Range Rover, and Romeo Beckham drove a Maserati Levante as his first car.
With our survey of new drivers showing the most popular ‘dream cars’ largely consistent with the most frequently seen influencer first cars (Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Lamborghini, Porsche and Audi), we delved into the typical insurance costs for popular models of these brands to reveal the insurance costs new drivers would have to cover on top of the car’s costs:
New driver insurance costs for aspirational first cars
Car Make | New Driver Annual Car Insurance Costs |
|---|---|
Audi | £1,978 |
Porsche | £2,101 |
Mercedes-Benz | £2,141 |
Tesla | £2,231 |
Lamborghini Urus | £7,085 |
Sources and methodology
1 ‘New drivers’ data based on policies purchased on MoneySuperMarket where the driver has held a full UK license for 0-2 years.
Insuring New Drivers Fact Box: Insurance costs and averages based on MoneySuperMarket’s car insurance sales data from January 2021 to January 2025. Data correct as of May 2025.
New Driver Survey: Using Censuswide, we surveyed over 1,000 new drivers in the UK, asking them questions about their dream first car, their actual first car and their budgeting plans for their first car. All participants received their driving license in the last two years (the requirement for the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act).
Influencer study: We compiled a database of more than 70 of the world’s wealthiest young content creators (who are old enough to drive), based on rankings from Forbes, The Times, and L’Officiel. We then examined their publicly available social media channels to identify the make and model of their first cars, revealing which car brands were most commonly owned as first vehicles among the influencers analysed.