Car for girlfriend to learn to drive in

megakid

megakid

megakid

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I am embarking on a mission to get my girlfriend driving. I want to buy her a small, cheap automatic hatchback to help her whilst she learns. It will also give her a year or two driving around in and around London to build her confidence.

Criteria

  • Hatchback
  • Cheap to service/maintain
  • Reliable
  • Automatic gearbox (aiming for an auto-only license)
  • Reasonably small, Focus sized is the limit.
  • Budget is £750-£1000 but could go a little higher if it was perfect.

I was initially thinking something from an Asian brand (Yaris, i10 etc) but perhaps the automatic gearbox limits my choices here.

Any ideas?
 
iaind said:
Why would she *aim* for an auto license?
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Simply because she is already pretty worried about learning to driving and I envision our future family cars to be automatic only. I'm a massive manual fan and have two "raw" manual cars but I wouldn't choose to drive them daily.

Anything to encourage her to drive with as few barriers as possible is my goal.
 
iaind said:
Why would she *aim* for an auto license?
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For my wife, because she had lessons in a manual and hated it. She could manage clutch control fine but always forgot the brakes and could never build any confidence as a result.

You (or someone else) will no doubt call her stupid or question her ability to drive at all so I'll preempt you by saying she's been driving me around quite a bit recently as practice and her road craft is very good and I would be surprised if she didn't pass first time when she finally takes her test in September.

Automatic only has given her the confidence she needs to be a good driver.
 
megakid said:
Simply because she is already pretty worried about learning to driving and I envision our future family cars to be automatic only. I'm a massive manual fan and have two "raw" manual cars but I wouldn't choose to drive them daily.

Anything to encourage her to drive with as few barriers as possible is my goal.
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You're probably right about where cars are going, but I wouldn't want a restriction on the license unless it was completely necessary. I understand the nervousness, but I'd certainly be encouraging her to give it a go then maybe consider switching to an auto if she's struggling. She might find it's no issue at all - even if she decides she'd prefer an auto and never owns a manual, not being restricted to an auto has to be a good thing
 
Manual really isn't too bad - once you've had a few lessons you don't even notice it, changing becomes a reflex based on the engine noise. I definitely echo the sentiment of not being locked into an auto license, it really does limit your options, and there might be a time where she needs to drive a manual and then suddenly isn't qualified to.
 
Can only echo the thoughts here of learning in a manual. People find it daunting, but seriously, look at some of the idiots who manage it perfectly fine, anyone can do it with a bit of practice and that's what the lessons are for.
 
I guess she could always do the manual license after she's built up confidence in an auto. I can see it being beneficial, and the fact is that some people (my gf included) will NEVER drive a manual, despite having the license for it. She's got no interest in acceleration, clutch control etc. just wants to get from A to B.
 
Ricochet J said:
Automatics are awesome in normal cars (bar performance cars). The sooner people migrate and leave out of date manuals, the better :p
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Absolutely, wholeheartedly agree. My Saab is an auto and I doubt I'll have another manual, at least not in a daily driver.

Would I want to be restricted to only being able to legally drive an auto though? Hell no.
 
iaind said:
Absolutely, wholeheartedly agree. My Saab is an auto and I doubt I'll have another manual, at least not in a daily driver.

Would I want to be restricted to only being able to legally drive an auto though? Hell no.
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The guy's gf hardly seems the type to ever want a thoroughbred six speed gearbox coupled with an 8 cylinder engine in front, and rear wheel drive at the rear :p

I personally wouldn't go for an auto only licence. My mum however, who is learning to drive, is going for an auto licence only.

There is a market segment to auto only licences. It's quite restrictive. But people can get by with those restrictions depending on who they are.
 
It's not so much the argument about whats better or what she will prefer, its just easier generally. There are plenty times in your driving career that you'll want to drive cars which arent your own - courtesy cars, hire cars, friends/relatives cars etc etc. If getting a manual license would be significantly problematic then the issues arent insurmountable, but OP's girlfriend should at least give it a go. There's no downisde to having a manual license and she's not yet established how much of an issue she'll have with the manual stuff.
 
MooMoo444 said:
Manual really isn't too bad - once you've had a few lessons you don't even notice it, changing becomes a reflex based on the engine noise.
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That's not even an issue on most of the typical learner cars (e.g. corsa's and fiesta's) these days, as they all have the change up/change down indicators.

Most newer cars are also more forgiving when it comes to pulling away/low speed maneuvering, as you tend not to even need any throttle as they apply some naturally to avoid stalling.


Whilst auto's may be the way forward, for current and used cars (especially smaller cars), you are limiting your choice to a fraction of the market.

iaind also makes a good point about hire cars etc.
 
iaind said:
It's not so much the argument about whats better or what she will prefer, its just easier generally. There are plenty times in your driving career that you'll want to drive cars which arent your own - courtesy cars, hire cars, friends/relatives cars etc etc. If getting a manual license would be significantly problematic then the issues arent insurmountable, but OP's girlfriend should at least give it a go. There's no downisde to having a manual license and she's not yet established how much of an issue she'll have with the manual stuff.
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+1

my gf was very much overwhelmed when she started learning, questioning the point of a manual etc but now she's fine with and agrees with me when I say it's best to just deal with it now and be able to drive any car rather than being restricted to auto only in the future.
 
megakid said:
Criteria

  • Hatchback
  • Cheap to service/maintain
  • Reliable
  • Automatic gearbox (aiming for an auto-only license)
  • Reasonably small, Focus sized is the limit.
  • Budget is £750-£1000 but could go a little higher if it was perfect.
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Nissan Micra K11.

Not the most exciting car in the world admittedly, but one that firmly ticks all your boxes.

There are plenty on E-bay etc that meet your price range

The K11 Micras are practically indestructible (You cant say that for the more recent models)

There are one or two issues that can arise on older ones, but nothing unduly expensive to deal with.
 
Ricochet J said:
Automatics are awesome in normal cars (bar performance cars). The sooner people migrate and leave out of date manuals, the better :p
Click to expand...

I'd disagree, I can't stand auto boxes on any car. Might disagree if I lived in central London, otherwise I find them hateful.
 
Ricochet J said:
Automatics are awesome in normal cars (bar performance cars). The sooner people migrate and leave out of date manuals, the better :p
Click to expand...

Automatics are very much not awesome in a slow wheezy ****box. A normal car with a bit of grunt, sure. But definitely not the sort of cars relevant to this thread.
 
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