Relaible cheap automatic

Stovepipes · 18 Oct 2015 at 12:59

I've got about £1500 to buy an automatic for my sister who is learning to drive and was wondering if there's any good recommendations for that budget?

I personally quite like the Renault Modus but I didn't have much luck with Renaults years ago and was wondering if there are better small cars out there for the money?

Cheers.

RogerMesenseless · 18 Oct 2015 at 13:26

Why not a manual? You'd get a decent old fiesta for £1500.

lemonade · 18 Oct 2015 at 13:43

Mk1 Toyota Yaris, super reclaimable and has a good autobox which is hard to find on small engined cars.

[TW]Fox · 18 Oct 2015 at 14:07

Do not learn to drive in an automatic unless a medical condition prevents otherwise.

Stovepipes · 18 Oct 2015 at 15:42

RogerMesenseless said:
Why not a manual? You'd get a decent old fiesta for £1500.

Many years of trying to learn in a manual and she's given up now.

lemonade said:
Mk1 Toyota Yaris, super reclaimable and has a good autobox which is hard to find on small engined cars.

Cool I'll have a look. Thanks

OhEsEcks · 18 Oct 2015 at 16:06

Some day, with everything going flappy paddles, we're going to end up like the US, where driving manual is a novelty.

Iamzod · 18 Oct 2015 at 18:51

Talk her out of driving, I only know one person who has an auto only licence due to not being able to pass in a manual and their driving a few years later is scary.

Third Opinion · 18 Oct 2015 at 22:13

OhEsEcks said:
Some day, with everything going flappy paddles, we're going to end up like the US, where driving manual is a novelty.

I agree, to be honest I know prefer an automatic for day to day driving. If you want the sportier, drivers feel go for manual.

My other half has a manual license, but by choice has gone automatic as she is sick of a manual whilst sitting in traffic. For her driving is just getting from A to B at work.

[TW]Fox · 18 Oct 2015 at 22:16

Stovepipes said:
Many years of trying to learn in a manual and she's given up now.

The answer to this is to get her taught properly not give in and go automatic only. Frankly if she can't master something as relatively simple with practice as a clutch and gearbox I'd worry about her ability to be safe at other aspects of driving.

I'm thoroughly bored of manual cars and drive automatics now but I'd never recommend anyone pass a test in anything but a manual. For a start if she has a low car budget cheap automatics are almost all a liability, anyway - less reliable, suck more fuel, etc.

If it's taking years and she still can't pass a test perhaps its time to think that perhaps driving isn't sensible.

Clarkey · 18 Oct 2015 at 23:13

I would agree, operating a manual transmission is really simple, if you can't do it after years then alarm bells are ringing.