Advice needed on small automatics, first time (clueless!) buyer

Lon Dubh

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone had any good information (including any horror stories!) on small second hand automatics. Basically if people knew if certain cars tended to be a lot of trouble I would be interested in hearing about it, or if certain years in certain cars were bad, or if they had gearboxes that tended to breakdown too easily - I have heard the gearboxes go in automatics and are very expensive to fix.

I was thinking of getting something along the lines of Opel Corsa, Nissan Micra, Toyota Yaris or Ford Fiesta, Kia Picanto. Basically a small automatic up to about 1.3 litre engine is what I would be looking at. I would have about 5,000 maybe up to 6,000Euro to spend.

My main concerns would be value for money and reliability. I will be doing very low mileage mostly in the city. I don't really care about the look of it, or "gadgety" things, though I might get a reverse camera put in.

I am dreading buying something that ends up needing a tonne of work done on it, or that constantly has things going wrong in it, as I won't be able to afford paying back a car loan and paying for major fixtures at the same time. I know there are no guarantees but I'm trying to avoid a major blunder.

I have been reading a bit online about various automatics but there is not a lot of good information out there, well not that I have found. So any information would be appreciated. I probably won't start to look properly until after I get my full licence (I hope to sit my test in June) so I have time to really think about what I want to buy. If anyone knows of good review websites that focus on automatics as well I would be interested.

I know no car will be perfect, and I'll be limited in what is available second hand, so I suppose it is all about relative value.

LizT

Out of curiosity, why do you want an automatic if you're getting a full licence?

Lon Dubh

Oops, sorry when I said full licence I meant that I was doing my test and would be changing the provisional licence for a "proper" licence where I can drive on my own.

I'll be doing my test in an automatic so will be restricted to that. I did this mainly because I have a medical condition which means my stamina isn't great, so an automatic will be easier for me to drive. I was also very nervous when I started with the lessons. I felt I would be less nervous in an automatic, as I could concentrate on looking around and safety issues when learning to drive and not have to worry about changing gears. That is not so much an issue now that I am used to driving but the stamina issue still means an automatic would be easier for me. It does limit my choice a lot though.

Nissan doctor

Small cars with auto boxes are very rare in Ireland and would, for the most part, have been special orders.

There were a fair few small Japanese imports brought in with auto boxes and IMO an old shape Micra (up to 2002) or a Yaris(up to about 04/05) are about the most reliable cars on the road.

Import Micra's are called March's and imported Yaris are called Vitz if your looking.

Mycroft H

There should be a few old style colt automatics about too.

nowuckenfurries

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3201805

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3180362


Just Search donedeal, there's plenty of small autos around, 2 above for example

bazz26

2008 Mitisubishi Colt 1.3 litre:


http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201208207083813

CJhaughey

Lots of the car rental companies have small autos for overseas drivers.
The old ones must have gone somewhere?

kerten

If you are a nervous driver it is better to buy a car with old style torque converter automatic box.

I recommend 02-05 Yaris/Vitz(1.3 engine fits better to automatic box) or 2003+ Micra/March with automatic gearbox.

Both are easy to drive and control with good visibility. Yaris would be more reliable I guess.

Marcusm

Looks like there's some 2008 Hyundai i10s and Suzuki Swifts out there which could fit your criteria with some price negotiation. I know some owners who are complimentary of these marques in small autos.

Lon Dubh

Thanks a million guys.

Do people think it would be a bad idea to buy and ex-rental car? At least some of them would have been driven by tourists who wouldn't know the (sometimes crap!) roads here. I don't know if that really makes much of a difference, though I suppose a lot of the other people who would have had them would be learners or older people (who may never have had to sit a test) so they might be no better. Hopefully I am not offending anyone by totally generalising there.

Thanks everyone for the names of small automatics. The Micras and Yaris's seem the most common cheaper ones, though Suzuki swifts and colts sometimes pop up as well and the odd other one (I've just been looking on websites and in the local paper so far). Thanks Bazz for that website address as I don't think I saw that one before. I might have to buy private just to increase my choice as garages don't seem to stock a lot of them.

I'm a bit torn on the Micra's as I have heard in general the older ones are very reliable (though admitedly this reputation seems mostly from manual versions, but I have spoken to 2 people who had an automatic version and thought they were great), but on the other hand as they would be an older car I would be worried about things going wrong as parts might wear out. Having said that older is cheaper so possibly easier to afford repairs. Decisions decisions :pac:

Hopefully I might get a chance to test-drive a few cars and it might give me a better feel for it.

I read somewhere about the Yaris automatic that certain years didn't have a great gear-box but I need to look that up again. Though admitedly mostly people probably write about problems they are having and it wouldn't indicate the percentage likelihood of a problem.

Kerten thanks for the tip about the automatic box. I will look that up so I can try to understand more about the automatics.

Thanks again everyone.

Nissan doctor

Lon Dubh wrote: »

Thanks a million guys.

Do people think it would be a bad idea to buy and ex-rental car? At least some of them would have been driven by tourists who wouldn't know the (sometimes crap!) roads here. I don't know if that really makes much of a difference, though I suppose a lot of the other people who would have had them would be learners or older people (who may never have had to sit a test) so they might be no better. Hopefully I am not offending anyone by totally generalising there.

Thanks everyone for the names of small automatics. The Micras and Yaris's seem the most common cheaper ones, though Suzuki swifts and colts sometimes pop up as well and the odd other one (I've just been looking on websites and in the local paper so far). Thanks Bazz for that website address as I don't think I saw that one before. I might have to buy private just to increase my choice as garages don't seem to stock a lot of them.

I'm a bit torn on the Micra's as I have heard in general the older ones are very reliable (though admitedly this reputation seems mostly from manual versions, but I have spoken to 2 people who had an automatic version and thought they were great), but on the other hand as they would be an older car I would be worried about things going wrong as parts might wear out. Having said that older is cheaper so possibly easier to afford repairs. Decisions decisions :pac:

Hopefully I might get a chance to test-drive a few cars and it might give me a better feel for it.

I read somewhere about the Yaris automatic that certain years didn't have a great gear-box but I need to look that up again. Though admitedly mostly people probably write about problems they are having and it wouldn't indicate the percentage likelihood of a problem.

Kerten thanks for the tip about the automatic box. I will look that up so I can try to understand more about the automatics.

Thanks again everyone.

The advantage of the old model micra and yaris is that they suffer almost no mechanical failures so the only things to look out for would be standard wearable items that any older car would need doing over time.

Lon Dubh

Thanks Nissan Doctor, I might go for an older one so if I am going for a Micra or Yaris as I have heard from a few people now that they are good, and it would be more affordable for me anyway, especially as a first car. I suppose a lot will depend on what is out there as well when I really start to look more seriously this summer.

bazz26

Suzuki Swift is worth looking at too:

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=813267112649000

sunnysoutheast

Lon Dubh wrote: »

Thanks Nissan Doctor, I might go for an older one so if I am going for a Micra or Yaris as I have heard from a few people now that they are good, and it would be more affordable for me anyway, especially as a first car. I suppose a lot will depend on what is out there as well when I really start to look more seriously this summer.

Check out honestjohn.co.uk for reviews.

My advice would be to avoid any of the "automated manual"-type automatics, I've driven a couple of these and found them very difficult to drive at slow speed and I'm a great driver who only drives autos .

I'd also suggest you look at importing from the UK as there could be much more choice, but check the VRT as an auto box usually results in a substantial C02 penalty.

Can't comment on the Colt, but I've driven a Swift auto on hire and I thought it was pretty good.

SSE

Lon Dubh

Hi Sunnysouteast, yeah another auto driver Thanks for the link to that website. He has some information on automatics there which is great (some other places I looked at only reviewed the manuals in the cars I would be interested in).

At the moment I am thinking of focusing my search on an old Micra's (unless something else comes up that seems good value). This would get me started at least with a first car which is really my priority at the moment. I'm still on my provisional and if I don't pass my first test this summer I wouldn't want to keep doing all the learning and practice via lessons (as I am now) because of cost.

I might get a few years out of a first car by which time I might have a better feel for what I am looking for/not looking for in a car. I could always expand my search a bit if I get nowhere after a few months, though the old Micra automatics are common enough so I have a good chance of locating one. I have a local mechanic who will do a check really cheaply if I can get the car to him for a check as well.

Thanks guys.

bambera

In a similar situation as the op, also looking out for a small automatic for a learner driver (my mother).

As mentioned, a lot of the ones I've come across online are Japanese imports.
Is it risky going with an import; as in can you actually find out how many owners it had and it's service history before arriving in Ireland?

ProudDUB

OP, I bought an automatic 2007 Ford Focus and am very happy with it so far. It is a 4 doors saloon so it is not "small" as such, but it is only a 1.3 so it won't cost the earth to run. When I was shopping around, I found carzone.ie to be a great website. I loved how you could filter your search by so many criteria...engine size, county the car is in, price range, automatic vs manual, colour, no of doors, make and model, disel vs petro etc etc. There were always dozens and dozens to choose from, so the myth of automatic cars not being common here is untrue. You'll have loads to choose from.

The mechanic who helped me on my search told me to target Fords, Toyotas, Nissans and Renaults. He didn't specify particular models. He based that on cars that he personally finds to be the most reliable, and easiest and cheapest to repair if something does go wrong, based on the price of spare parts for them, and the number of hours he has to put in to fix them.

Best of luck to you. Driving in Dublin traffic is an absolute breeze with an automatic car. I have no idea why everyone doesn't do it.

Lon Dubh

Bambera, I rang around insurance companies today and one question they asked me was whether a car I was interested in was an import (I just saw a car a few days ago I might be interested in). I knew it wasn't an import as I did a check via motor check on it beforehand, so I don't know what they would have said if it was. But before getting a car it could be good to ring around to get insurance quotes, and in case any nasty surprises show up on insurance company systems as well. If you have a specific car in mind you can give them the licence plate as well and then get a quote based on the specific car.

ProudDub, I thought all the ford focus automatics were 1.6 Litre engines so that is interesting. They are not too big as you say (I had some lessons in one), though I would still be inclined towards smaller myself if I can get one.

colm_mcm

Never heard of a 1.3 or even 1.4 automatic focus. Fiesta maybe, but if it's a durashift est I'd steer clear.


Op I think insurance companies are only once rend if its a Japanese domestic market import as they have different security standards and parts can be expensive or take longer to get, making them less attractive to insurers.

Pottler

Give the old Micra a miss. The auto boxes(mostly jap imports)are fine, but they are an utter deathtrap in a collision. Come up a few years, but it's hard to fine a small automatic that is not inherently unreliable. Sister is disabled(as a result of micra auto folding in on her) and now has hand control meganes(auto)but the gearbox life is a joke - some struggled to last a year and are a 3.5k repair at main dealer. Hers were under warranty but I'd hate to be paying for them myself.