Learning to drive in downtown Toronto comes with a handful of challenges. But for a lot of people living in the core, the biggest one is that they don’t have access to a car and have no easy way to practice driving. Richard was one of these people.

We caught up with Richard, a Toronto-based Kruzee student who took our Beginner Driver Education (BDE) course and got his G2 four months after he signed up.

Before Richard Found Kruzee

Richard’s roadblock wasn’t nerves or a failed test. It was access. Living in downtown Toronto, he had “limited access to a car to use to practice driving.”

It’s a more common challenge than people realize. Roughly a quarter of Toronto households don’t own a vehicle at all, and in the downtown wards that number climbs to close to half. When you live in the core, a car is often more hassle than it’s worth – between parking costs, insurance, and a transit network that gets you most places anyway.

The catch is that plenty of people living downtown still want a driver’s licence for things like out-of-town road trips or job requirements. However, not having access to a car can be a real problem. Borrowing one as a G1 driver means finding a fully licensed G driver (with at least four years of experience) who’s willing to sit in the passenger seat while you practice.

Add in the fact that downtown streets demand a lot from new drivers – streetcar tracks, cyclists, one-way streets, construction – and it’s easy to see why people living in the core put the whole thing off.

What Changed With Kruzee

Richard signed up for Kruzee’s BDE course in July of 2025 and was paired with one of our top-rated instructors, Bill, for his in-car lessons. Two things changed immediately.

First, the car problem disappeared. Every Kruzee instructor drives a fully insured, dual-control vehicle that students take their lessons in. No borrowing required. Second, Richard realized the value of taking driving lessons goes beyond access to a car.

“Getting immediate access to a car alongside an experienced and helpful driving instructor who could coach me through certain driving techniques made me feel very comfortable,” he told us. “It was an overall great learning experience.”

Working with a trained instructor means every lesson has a purpose. Bill would watch how Richard handled a specific maneuver, correct it in the moment, and then use that insight to shape the next lesson.

From No Car to a G2 Licence in Four Months

Richard signed up with Kruzee in July and passed his G2 road test roughly four months later in November, without ever having his own car.

It’s worth clarifying: those four months are his time with Kruzee, not his time as a new driver. Ontario requires you to hold a G1 for one year before taking the G2 road test – eight months if you take an MTO-approved BDE course like Kruzee’s. Richard had already cleared that requirement when he enrolled and was only missing the training.

Kruzee’s BDE course is divided into two parts:

• 30 hours of online theory – covering key topics such as rules of the road, defensive driving, and the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol
• 10 hours of in-car instruction – one-on-one lessons with a certified Kruzee instructor

Richard worked through the theory at his own pace and then booked his lessons with Bill when it worked for him. Four months later he had his G2, on a timeline set by his own availability.

Richard’s Advice for New Drivers

When asked what he’d tell someone just starting out, Richard kept it simple: “Have confidence in yourself and make sure you’re safe at all times while driving on the road.”

Those two ideas may sound like they pull in opposite directions, but they don’t. Confidence on the road comes from knowing what to do before you have to do it. A driver who has practiced scanning for hazards, keeping a proper following distance, and making controlled decisions isn’t second-guessing themselves in traffic, because the habits are already there.

These skills are the foundation of defensive driving, and they’re something Kruzee instructors work on with students from day one.

Final Thoughts

Not having a car to practice driving in isn’t a dead end – it just means the traditional route to a licence won’t work for you. That route assumes you have access to a car and a fully licensed driver with the time and patience to sit in the passenger seat.

With Kruzee, Richard was able to take a different route. One where not having a car was no longer a roadblock, and he was able to pass his road test after four months.

No car? No problem. Find a top-rated instructor near you and get started today.