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Young son wants to learn to drive. For a variety of reasons, needs to be automatic, so we need to purchase a car. Budget of £2500, learner and insurance friendly. It won't be doing long trips, nor need to carry much stuff. But would be great if the dogs could get in a boot for short trips (<5 miles).
What recommendations?
Cheap Volvo would fit the bill
https://www.gumtree.com/p/volvo/volvo-v50-automatic-2.4l-petrol/1378527308
Yaris?
My missus learned in one and still wants one I think they carry a bit of a "mummy's car premium" as a result but it might benefit from that on the insurance....
We actually are going the other way (we need autos as MrsMC has a disability, but need a small manual for Jnr to learn in) and everyone we've spoken to has suggested a Yaris, so I'm assuming the automatic version would do you.
Fwiw, we love our Skoda Fabia auto though if you want a small auto - maybe the estate version for dogs?
Smart car? Should be cheap to insure and buy if you get an old one. Cool too, would get a small dog in the back of the hard top.
A Yaris is worth a shout. I drove my sister's Yaris auto and was suprised how driveable it was for a small auto. Nice small car with easy to see corners for a learner as well.
Toyota Aygo/Peugeot 107/Citroen C1 - basically the same car but different outward styling.
The Aygo is the better looking, arguably better finished, the auto is actually a semi-auto, knock it into ‘M’ and you can use the paddles on the steering wheel to shift, which adds an element of fun to the driving experience on country roads.
Nice and compact, a bit noisy, but I’ve driven them many times and I like them a lot, if I had a need for a small car just for local use I’d happily buy one.
There is actually an endurance race series for the Citroen C1, amazingly, bloke I work with races Mazda MX5’s, and has done race commentary for the C1 races.
Smart fourtwo is a good shout as well, rather quicker than one might imagine, I had 95 out of one on the M4 uphill towards the Tormarton exit, according to my satnav, which impressed the heck out of me!
Another vote for a Yaris here. My partner has it and it’s great. Something I’ll never admit.
I think if you learn to drive in, and take your test in an automatic, you're only eligible to drive an automatic. Presumably that's not an issue, but worth considering if you haven't already.
Unfortunately automatics are the reserve of executive motors in this country. Buying a small automatic car secondhand really comes down to what is available at the time. Other half has a Micra which drives really well I think. Handling is crap, but gearbox is fine.
I think if you learn to drive in, and take your test in an automatic, you’re only eligible to drive an automatic
Yep, you're correct.
Unfortunately automatics are the reserve of executive motors in this country
I think that used to be the case, but autos are a lot more popular today. But if you're buying an older car then it might be tricky to find an auto version.
Yaris if you can find one.
Toyota Aygo/Peugeot 107/Citroen C1
Toyota Yaris
Honda Jazz
Fiat Panda is worth considering. My Mum had small auto Peugeots for years and when her last one died we had a serious talk about whether she should carry on driving. (93 at the time) Anyway doc and optician said she was ok so we decided to buy secondhand on a limited budget - £2500 as it happened. That way she could still have choice about using the car or bus dependent on how she was feeling and not worry about having £ks just sitting on the drive rusting/depreciating. I tried several things, Hyundai, Ford, Yaris etc and was just passing a Fiat dealership so popped in and tried one. Liked it so started scouring Auto trader etc. Found a lovely one on Facebook. Mum loves it. She's short and its the best visibility she has ever had in any car. . Basic but roomy and drives well for anything under 50 miles as it can be a bit rollerskatey. I'd get one for any of my kids and happily drive it myself .
Just bought a Panda so daughter can learn in a manual (our only other car was an auto) cheap to buy, cheap to insure - even cheaper than little Toyotas / Hondas etc - can get a bike in the boot or a fit decent bike roof rack, lots of low mileage examples, fun to drive. Inside is quite funky too (2013+ models) so it's a nice place to be. Autos are thin on the ground but do exist.
I borrow an old base mk4 Golf auto from the garage when mine is in there, and it's actually great to drive. Really solid. Assume the 1.6 might be a problem with insurance though?
Bit like this one...
Aygo and all the related cars - seconded.
Jazz - should be a definite contender, but maybe more expensive than others...
VW Lupo is cheeeeep and fun.
Scratch and ding and then sell on/scrap! after the new driver decides what car they actually want after the first year of motoring.
Unfortunately automatics are the reserve of executive motors in this country.
Are you still living in 1995? Didn’t you read what I said about the Toyota/Peugeot/Citroen cars above? A Toyota Aygo or Citroen C1 isn’t an executive car by any stretch of the imagination! Then there’s Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Vauxhall, plus lots more who do automatics right across the range! Motability clients often prefer autos for obvious reasons, we get lots of them through for repair/refurbishment, I’m after an EcoSport with an auto box, but to claim that only executive cars have them is just bloody daft! We’ve got a couple of thousand cars on site at the moment, more than half are autos, autos are so good now that manuals are dropping in popularity.
Going back to the subject at hand, the Vauxhall Viva and Adam are available with auto boxes, as are the Hyundai i10 and the Kia Venga, any of which would be ideal.
Toyota Yaris
Honda Jazz
Either of this will be good.
Other half has a Micra which drives really well I think. Handling is crap, but gearbox is fine.
By way of contrast, my OH has an 18-plate VW "Up!" It's a decent little car except it has an absolutely hateful gearbox, it's like something out of the 1980s. Changing gear - something it does often, for little discernible reason - takes several seconds and putting your foot down results in all the power disappearing whilst it ponders what you want it to do.
My other half went this route and ended up with a wee VW polo 1.4 auto, its cheap on tax, insurance and fuel, and the boot it surprisingly roomy for a little hatchback.
The CVT Honda Jazz is indeed an excellent gearbox but avoid at all costs the I-SHIFT from the 2011(?) model year. They only made it for 1 year before reverting to the CVT because it really was awful - just like most "automated manuals".
By way of contrast, my OH has an 18-plate VW “Up!” It’s a decent little car except it has an absolutely hateful gearbox, it’s like something out of the 1980s. Changing gear – something it does often, for little discernible reason – takes several seconds and putting your foot down results in all the power disappearing whilst it ponders what you want it to do.
Another example of an "automated manual" gearbox.....decent auto's are either torque converters or DSG's. Some CVT's are good too - the Honda being one of them.
I'd have no worries about having an auto-only licence now. A teenager passing their test now is going to spend more of their life driving electric cars than ICE ones, and electrics are classed as autos for licence purposes.