My experience with Friendship Auto School was excellent. From booking my first lesson to scheduling and taking the road test, everything was done with such ease. I had to cancel my road test the first time due to scheduling conflicts, but Heman, my instructor, was quick to respond and scheduled the next test within a week. Heman is very patient, encouraging and knowledgable. He really instills confidence in you and teaches you to be a better drive. Not to mention the tips and tricks he has for all maneuvers. I'd highly recommend Friendship Auto School and Heman. read more

Needed to do some refresher lessons after living in Boston for a while after moving from outside the US. Heman was a great instructor. Calm, encouraging, easy going. It could've been easier for me since I wasn't starting from scratch. But the whole process was fairly easy. $60/hour lessons and $160 for the test, which you did on a weekend instead of going through the RMV chaos in the week. read more

I had a terrible experience on a first private driving lesson with Paul. He had a rude and condescending tone, and pushed me to start driving in a high traffic area in the middle of Central, even though I told him repeatedly I'm not comfortable and would like to go to a less crowded place for my first lesson. He dismissed my requests, so I ended up cutting the lesson short and got out of the car. Even though I had not used the full hour of the class (indeed I had used less than half), he demanded that I pay him for the full hour. I DO NOT recommend this driving school, and I will be switching to another one with more friendly instructors. read more

I took over 10 lessons and attempted 3 road tests here, spending more than $1,000, but I still didn't obtain my driver's license. By the end, even the thought of driving made me feel uncomfortable. After switching to another instructor, I quickly began to feel more confident and noticed significant improvements in my driving. My new instructor was calmer and focused on addressing the most critical issues first. In contrast, Paul often overwhelmed me with advice that, while perhaps well-intentioned, was sometimes conflicting. This only increased my anxiety and confusion. After one of my failed tests, Paul told me I didn't pass because I "didn't look confident enough." Yes, my facial expression might sometimes be misinterpreted as "sad" or "thinking" by people from different cultures, but there's nothing I can do about that--and it shouldn't have anything to do with my driving skills. Paul's teaching style may work for some, and I'm glad some of his students have benefited from his approach. However, if you find yourself becoming more anxious and uncertain about driving, I strongly recommend trying another instructor or seeking help from a friend. I wish I had realized this sooner. By the way, he never tried to pronounce my name correctly. Instead, he called me by a nickname I never agreed to. read more

As someone commented, I am surprised by the positive reviews over here. I took three classes with them a few months ago and was very disappointed with the way they teach. The instructor used to ask me to drive while looking at his phone throughout the class, shouting in between when I make a mistake. Since we have to pick another driver by the end of the class, he used to make me break all the traffic rules and steer the wheel himself, while asking me to increase acceleration. As a result, I didn't learn anything in the three classes and have developed a deep fear of driving. It's fine even if you start learning late, avoid this school like a plague. read more

I highly recommend friendship autoschool! I took 4 lessons with Paul and had an amazing experience learning from him. Paul is very professional,patient and helpful. Paul has been very supportive to help me learn quickly and more inprtabtly taught me how to driver safely. I thoroughly enjoyed our friendly conversations and passed my road test with ease, all thanks to Paul! I personally liked how the school is managing the classes amidst this pandemic situation,keeping everyone safe and comfortable. Even during the road test I was highly impressed by the extra safety measures taken by Paul and other instructors to ensure everyone's safety. If you are a beginner and want to learn driving,this is the place for you! Once again Thanks a lot for everything Paul read more

Paul is GREAT. So patient, supportive, and you don't have to go through the SLOTH-paced RMV crap to book your driving test because he does it for you. He is VERY experienced, knows all of the drivers instructors, and picked me up on time at the Porter Square Train Station on a weekly basis. I would recommend this driving school to anyone, he is very flexible too. read more

I'm 30, never got my license, had my permit about 4 times and always let it expire because I'm a city kid and never had a reason to learn to drive. My (now) fiancé has finally had enough of being my taxi driver, so here we are. I took two driving lessons with Paul, who is patient, funny, and upfront. He will nitpick your driving, and you will thank him for it. I had him schedule my road test for me because for two whole weeks I'd stay up until midnight waiting for the slots to reset and could never find a test available. Paul got me a test in less than a week, and I literally just rolled out of the road test with a pass (don't worry, I'm parked and not texting and driving!). It was so easy and quick with Paul, which was great because my permit expires the 18th. Thank goodness I passed - all thanks to Paul! ps you will pay him for booking your test and for the examiner, so be prepared about the costs and just ask what's expected (you'll have to also pay mass.gov). pps. Dont schedule your own appt if they book for you, because you will override their appt. read more

I took ~10 lessons with Paul from June-September. I had no prior driving experience and with his help I passed my driving test on the first attempt after postponing learning to drive for many years. I have driven with a few other instructors in the Somerville area and Paul is by far the best. He's very attentive throughout the lesson and never spoke on the phone for more than 5 minutes. He communicates clearly and consistently gave me actionable tips to be a better and safer driver. He took time to explain the mistakes I was making, why they were mistakes and how to correct my maneuvers until I had a grasp on the concepts. For any anxious drivers out there, he also has a calm personality and is very patient. He never intervened unless absolutely necessary and never grabbed the wheel or raised his voice while I was learning. Paul was always on time and made an effort to schedule lessons that worked for me despite being busy. He takes his business seriously and treats students with mutual respect. 5/5 stars! I would recommend Paul and Friendship Auto to anyone and am very grateful to have had him as an instructor. read more

The driving instructor is rude and impatient... his rates weren't accurate he kept changing the price per lesson... I don't recommend at all

As a 28 year old New Yorker who never needed a driver's license until now I had practically no experience going into this. Paul was fantastic, he was extremely patient with me and also very accommodating to my schedule. Paul also handles the entire process for booking the road test, which is a huge plus. I left every lesson feeling more confident and by the time of the test I was ready to go :) Needless to say, I passed my road test and highly recommend Paul/Friendship Auto School! read more

They charge, (cash only) $50/1hour lesson, $140 for accompanying and providing a car for the road test. My daughter had Paul as the instructor. I was a bit nervous about this but it turned out to be a great decision and she was extremely pleased. He picked her up at a T station, always punctual and friendly. He had connections at the RMV to get the road test sooner than from the RMV website. She had no prior driving experience and passed after her second road test. Very pleased and highly recommend***** read more

Surprised at all the positive reviews on here. The instructor, Paul, was incredibly unresponsive and rude when I tried to reschedule a lesson. I'm glad I didn't get lessons from him and have instead booked with a much nicer person at a Cambridge driving school. read more

I passed my road test after about 8 lessons with Dominique! He is so friendly and a very good instructor. I was very nervous about driving and I had other driving teachers in the past who made me feel very stressed but Dominique was very patient with me. We practiced parallel parking, K turns, generally being comfortable driving, and everything else I needed for the test. The lessons are private because of COVID and are 50 minutes long. read more

What a weird experience on the phone... I an upcoming road test, so I started calling driving schools to get a vehicle and sponsorship for the test and 1-2 hours practice. I was calling during the test week, so most driving schools were already fully booked (also, I am assuming because of COVID). When I called the Friendship Auto School, the person who answered (I didn't get their name) said they weren't sure about the availability and that they will call me back. So naturally, I continued making calls to inquire about the availability and rates of other schools. When the Friendship Auto called me back, they didn't identify themselves and just said, "we are THE driving school," so I asked, "Which one?" ... He got so offended that I called other driving schools, was soo rude to me, and then said we only have 2 hours availability on Friday for practice. When I told him that wouldn't work because my test is on Friday and I would like to get at least 1-hour practice before then, he hung up me.. I didn't know we were "exclusive" and that I am not allowed to look elsewhere.... dude.. this is a business, no need to get offended and be rude to potential customers because they looked up other service providers... read more

My experience with Friendship Auto School is pretty mixed. I think Paul is nice. The car he used was in good shape. I didn't feel like the instructions he gave me were super clear. They weren't awful, but they didn't always make sense. He picked some great roads in Medford to drive around in, which was good for me since I live in Cambridge which is much tougher to get around in for a brand new permit holder. I have some complaints though: 1) paul spent a lot of time on the phone, this wasn't a huge deal but it scared the hell out of my during my first lesson because i felt like he wasn't paying enough attention, especially when dealing with a brand new student. it didn't bother me in later lessons. 2) that second nor'easter we had? i had a lesson scheduled during that, which would have been my second, and I asked to reschedule it because it was literally my second lesson and I didn't feel like it would be safe to drive with all the hail and wind and downed power lines. I was forced to pay for the class since Paul felt, and I quote, "it won't be raining in the car". And it's like, yeah dude I know that, but even experienced drivers are skidding out all over the place, maybe having "ms i have all of one hour behind the wheel" out there would not be a good idea for anyone. 3) i had a class scheduled for the day before my road test, which obviously was a big deal because, you know, road test. Paul totally bailed on me, didn't call or text. I had to text him to find out what was up and got really inadequate responses from the dude who, again for those in the back, BAILED ON ME THE DAY BEFORE MY ROAD TEST and made me pay for a class i couldn't attend due to a nor'easter. what if he'd been sponsoring me? what if he just didn't show up for the road test? that would've sucked. so it's a mixed bag. I didn't feel like Paul was super engaged, but when he was it was good. The not showing up and trying to force me into an uncomfortable and honestly dangerous situation were not cool though. (i did pass my road test but i don't feel like i can attribute it much to Friendship, I think it was more just spending time driving) read more

I don't really see what the negative reviews on here is about - I had a great experience with Paul and Friendship Auto. Paul's instructions and tips are great - albeit with some accent, but once you get used to it (within 20 minutes) it's not a problem. He's always punctual, always friendly, and usually pretty funny. He knows the test well and knows exactly how one should drive to pass the test. Paul was also able to book a road test for me more than 1 month earlier than the date DMV offered online. I took 6 hours with him with almost no prior driving experience, passed on the first try. 10/10 recommend read more

Paul is phenomenal! Before him I was with another driving instructor who wasn't nearly as good. Choosing the right driving instructor does matter. Paul is calm, patient and knowledgable. He will tell me nicely when I'm doing something wrong or problematic. One big thing I learned from Paul is that driving is a language spoken on the road, and it's important to communicate with other drivers what I'm doing, through my actions. He really helped me pass my road test and gain the necessary skills to be a good driver! 100% recommend. read more

Paul is a patient and polite driving instructor. He has good techniques that help me pass the road test. He is easy to contact and punctual. His school car is very new. I really recommend him. read more

I am SO glad I chose Friendship Auto School. Paul is a GREAT teacher and I really appreciated his patience and support. I highly recommend him!! I passed my test on my first try, thanks Paul!! read more

I would recommend Friendship Auto to anyone! Paul is amazing. He is patient, informative, and will never waste your time. Anything he tells you is for your greater good of learning how to drive. Thanks for everything!! read more

I need to write this review, as my experience with this school was disappointing and frustrating. My instructor was Paul H. Let me start off by saying: ok, Paul came on time, he did seem to sincerely be trying to teach. Those are my 2 good points about him. I am trying my best to be fair, and I don't think he had bad intentions. What I did feel was that he wasn't showing respect/understanding for me as a student and the flexibility/ability to teach to my needs. We could not communicate well, because he tends to go off on long spiels by himself. Problem being, he just starts saying a ton of stuff to explain things he thinks I have problems with, and he doesn't let me get a word in otherwise. A lot of things would have been a lot easier had I been allowed to just ask what is on my mind first, and then, if he could have responded with some simple, concise answers. I gave him some pushback on this, and he basically responded, that he's the teacher, he's the one with the experience, and he can only explain it one way. He doesn't want to answer your question in a different way if you cannot understand what he is saying the first time around. This was an issue for me. For example, on a 2nd class, I was taking a previous student back to wherever she lived. As we neared a highway, I was getting nervous, since I wasn't sure, are we getting on the highway? I wanted a yes/no, because I was definitely not prepared to go on the highway, and should that be where we were headed, I would refuse to do it, because I wasn't ready yet. He went into a kind of sarcastic spiel of "Do you think I don't care about my life? Or about (student in the back)'s life?? Or about my kids???" etc. OK, just tell me, am I going on the highway YES or NO? Please.. I don't have time for this when we are driving--just need clear answers from you. End of story is I discontinued my lessons after my 3rd class. I'm sorry, but even good intentions are not good enough sometimes, given my disappointing experience. read more

This is many years after I went to Friendship Auto School but I'm a fairly new yelper. They are terrible! During the lesson the "instructor" (and I use that term so loosely that he can barely be counted in that category) was CONSTANTLY on his cell phone scheduling appointments and trying to get new business. Before Friendship, I had never driven before. Ever. So before I got onto an extremely busy intersection Mystic Valley Parkway (the one next to Ghetto Glen but coming from the other direction where there is the pizza hut) ... I requested "Do you think you could stop using the cell phone during the lessons?" He SCREAMED at me saying he wasn't a slave and that I couldn't tell him what to do. Needless to say, I canceled all future driving appointments with him. DO NOT USE THEM. read more

I had a terrible experience with Friendship Auto School. I wanted to write this review because I picked them based on the one (positive) review I read here. I hope yelpers become more active rating driving schools. For one, I was left stranded at the end of the first lesson and told to take the T home (they had initially promised to drop me off back at my house). This was because the instructor had booked another appointment right at the end of my lesson and proceeded to pick up the next person without notice, in fact, while asking me to vacate the car! Two, I discovered later that I was ripped off (the cost of the RMV test) because I had already paid the fee. They charge $35/hour lesson and $100 for the RMV appointment. On the day of the road test, there was a weird dynamic between the examiner and the Friendship Auto School instructor (they definitely recognized each other and I got the sense that there had been some kind of a problem between them before) . The examiner ended up failing me for backing up more than three times while parallel parking. Immediately after the test, and as if nothing had happened, the instructor just wanted to book another road test asking, on the spot, for another $100. If you want to go through them, make sure you discuss costs first and drop off arrangements. My honest assessment - They're only out for your money (which would be ok if they also delivered a good service) but I think they were extremely unprofessional. Research more schools, or go directly with the RMV -it's much cheaper and in my case, going through a school was a disadvantage and did not help my chances of passing! read more

Paul is fantastic! I booked an hour driving lesson with him before my driving test and he totally was the reason why I passed.I've been driving since I was 18(now im 24) but I was just always scared to get my license after failing once. Since I have been driving so long I deffinatly had an ego and a certian way of driving,aka (stubborn b*$&¿ Syndrome lol) he,in a very nice way made me focus and prepared me for my test (because it is very different from everyday driving.) He had me completly prepared and laughing,which was good because the guy who gave me the test nearly had me in tears.....BUT I passed! ;) thanks paul!..Hes awesome and im sending my bf to him asap.paul totally knows what hes doing so if you dont pass its your own fault lol LISTEN to him :o) read more

I recently took my licensing road test through Friendship Auto School. Jean took care of the paperwork, scheduled the test site with a MA state trooper, and picked me up at home. They were flexible with scheduling on a weekend, and the test itself was relatively painless; I passed on the first try. It does cost more to go through a private driving school than to test directly with the RMV, but it saves some hassle. For example, according to records on the RMV website, fewer driving school candidates are failed for vehicle conditions (the school provides a standard test vehicle) and thus avoid repeat tests. Friendship's rates are competitive with other local schools. read more

Great for me. It is true that the instructor talks on the phone but he is absolutely the multitasking guy and never got me without a very good explanation for my questions and very patient. If you are doing something 'wrong' he will tell you also and make sure you do the right away. What I found great is that they pciked me up at home and were vey flexible with the schedule - if you call in advance in need of an extra class or cannot attend it, they find out a way to fit you in so that you will receive proper amount of practice. They also arranged my test for a Saturday morning and I passed first time. I do recommend it. read more

I probably would have gone two more decades terrified of driving if it weren't for Paul! I had had bad experiences both on my own and with other schools, so I started my block of ten lessons feeling very apprehensive. However, Paul immediately put me at ease, and I feel like I truly learned how to drive properly at the same time. I can see why some people call Friendship Auto School unprofessional; it IS more "casual" than some of the other schools like Brookline and Bay State. However, this casualness can work to your advantage when it comes to scheduling lessons and the test; they will work with you instead of hindering you with arbitrary rules. Paul does talk on the phone during lessons, so if that's going to bother you, then I would encourage you to find a different driving school. Somehow, I didn't mind, even though I was a nervous wreck--he will NOT leave you in doubt of where you're going, and, after all, he has a business to run! Pick ups and drop offs were always relatively timely (i.e. +/- 5 minutes), and exam day went smoothly as well. Thank you, Friendship Auto School! read more

I hired Friendship Auto School to sponsor my road test. Initially Paul was not very responsive, but he reached out to me when he had an opening for his Saturday road tests. This school costs considerably more than other schools in the area, but being tested sooner was worth the expense to me. Although he technically offers in car instruction, it is very cursory on the ride to the testing location. It is definitely not enough to refresh your technique before the test, so the sponsorship charge is purely the car rental, and sponsor. As long as you know what you are getting though, Friendship Auto School is a good deal, and I encourage others to get out there, and get licensed. read more

I was happy with the lessons but the conduct on the day of my exam left me really not wanting to ever come back. I had a good time at my lessons and really felt that I mastered parallel parking, the only think I was struggling with. On the day of the exam, Dominique was nice and got me to the place of the exam. I was there moved to a different car, which was VERY different than the one I had practiced in (now, I get that you should be able to drive any car at all, but there is something to be said about taking a super stressful exam in a car that you know). I failed the parallel parking on the grounds of parking "too far" once and "too close" the other time, which I thought was idiotic, but the instructor didn't say anything. After I left the exam, the school never followed up and I ended up feeling really ripped off and used just for the $120 I gave for the Saturday exam. I would not book with them again - it is clear that they cannot guarantee anything, but following up after I paid over $200 for 2 hours and an exam would have been the least decency expected. read more

Paul is AMAZING. It only took him 7 one-hour classes to change me, who had no driving experience what so ever, into a qualified driver who just passed the road test this afternoon. It took me quite a while before settling with Friendship Auto school to learn how to drive. I did lots of research online, scanning through all the reviews, trying to compare all different driving schools. Quite honestly, love driving school probably receives way more good online reviews than anywhere else, which made me a little suspicious; in comparison, all the good reviews for Friendship Auto School (Esp. about Paul) seems quite personal and detailed. So I went ahead and scheduled a lesson with Paul. Then everything followed just naturally. I took all my lessons with Paul. He's a very chill, laid-back person who's really good at helping you getting rid of nervousness. He's really patient too--- even when I make a mistake several times in a row, he would understand that I'm trying and would tell me to take it slow. The whole learning experience was very pedagogical too. We started from simply driving calmly & comfortably on the street, knowing the speed limit, watch the road signs & pedestrians to how to make left turns in a complicated intersection, parking on a hill, backing up, three-point turn and eventually we spent ~ 2 classes focusing on parallel parking. All these were extremely helpful--- when I was taking the road test this afternoon, all the questions that the examiner asked were familiar. Oh and he's really great at calming you down right before the test too--- I was really nervous this afternoon, but he was really supportive, trying to distract me from being so nervous. He verbally described the whole process of the test routine which slowly calmed me down, and I eventually passed the test! I had a great experience learning from Friendship Auto. I would definitely recommend it to all my friends. read more

Paul is fantastic! I hadn't driven in 20 years (yep, 20 YEARS) and was so nervous but Paul was wonderful and helped me feel relaxed and confident. He helps you get good driving habits in place, and he is so calm and supportive. Highly recommended! read more

Paul from Friendship Auto School is the truly the best! He was very patient with me and provided guidelines and tips that really made a difference. He doesn't want you to only pass the test, but feel comfortable on the road and drive well. He is super nice, reliable, and respectful and I honestly did not have even a minor issue with him. He took care of everything, including scheduling the test and picking me up on the day of. The prices they charge are not high anyway, but they are well worth your money. I passed on the first try. read more

Excellent service! Dominique was an amazing instructor. The pick up service is really convenient and included on the service. The car (Honda Civic) is really comfortable and easy to drive. I definitely recommend Dominic (6172938064 to contact him directly) and I will keep spreading the word! read more

Short story: Friendship Auto School is terrible. Please go somewhere else. It is a waste of time and money. Long story: Let me begin by addressing how unprofessional the lessons are. First of all, the car sucks. It's tiny and dirty and difficult to drive in. The instructor is almost always on his phone, which is honestly annoying and distracting for anyone trying to learn how to drive. I have a question or I start getting nervous and he is on the phone asking me to "hold on a second" Are you serious? And he's almost always late and will get you home late. I had an 11 o clock AM lesson; he didn't show up until after 11:30 and someone else was driving. I took the wheel almost around noon. Then he picked up someone else to drive. Ultimately, I didn't get back home until about 2pm. He also once had me pull over to a bathroom and had me wait at least 10 minutes in the car. Do that on your own time! And the rudest thing was when he had me pull into a gas station and handed me $15 and asked me to go put gas in the car...are you kidding me? My own mother doesn't even ask me to put gas in the car. I cannot believe how disrespectful he is and that he actually expected that from me! And finally, perhaps why I am most upset. I've been taking the private classes for a couple weeks and on the third lesson, he had given me the exact date I would be taking my road test. He said everything would be all set. All set, yeah right. He completely screwed me over. Not only did he FORGET to schedule me, he put someone else in my place and has no idea when I can finally take my road test! I've been waiting for weeks for an answer. I leave for college in a week, and I doubt I'll be able to get it before then. Not to mention by the time I'm home again and have time to take this test, my permit will have expired. I am not content one bit. I wouldn't recommend this driving school not even to the worst of my enemies. It's actually that bad. But try Canto Auto school on Broadway in Somerville! The poor lady there is trying to help me out and see if I can fix this mess I'm in before I leave in a week. Shows you how they actually care about people. Yours Truly Xo. read more

I am checking in to say I am super proud of myself and this company specially for helping me pass my road test. I took it with Dominique and he was an amazing instructor he pick me up in Cambridge and drove me all the way to Lynn and back to my house after my road test. The car the company uses is at the top chart of it all. Honda is really comfortable and easy to drive. I definitely recommended them. No questions ask. read more

Great and affordable lessons. Was also easy to schedule with flexible times throughout the day. Gets you up and ready for the test as well as works to practice the skills you will need to be safe on the road. read more

Amazing instructor who will help you pass first time! Paul is patient, kind and really knows his stuff. I had been driving in the UK and needed to do a test in US. Paul gave me all the advice I needed and it really helped. Couldn't recommend this driving school enough, he is brilliant! read more

Dominique was very patient with me. I had taken my road test twice and failed both times, but he saw what my issues were and worked with me on them until I was comfortable enough to take the test. He's very nice and understanding and takes the time to explain any errors that you might make in the road test. He's also very funny and was very helpful in helping to calm me down since I was so nervous about failing the test a third time. I passed this time and I don't think I would have if it wasn't for him. read more

Dominque is absolutely amazing! He is VERY patient, calm and very knowledgeable. I already had a license from another country and I was going for my Mass license. I explained my situation and he guided me accordingly. I passed my test the first time thanks to Dominique and I definitely recommend this school. read more