Most reliable smallish automatic car for £4k

[anonymous-user]

I am getting sick of driving a manual car and my girlfriend only has an automatic (she's Australian, nobody drives a manual there) licence so I think it is time to get one. I usually frequent the shed forum but I am willing to up the budget to around £4K

If it was me I would just go out and buy a W211 E320 CDI, but girlfriend is refusing to drive anything that big. Realistically we are talking Ford Focus size and possibly a little smaller.

Requirements are :

1)The gearbox has to be as reliable as possible.
2)It must creep forward and drive like a traditional auto, basically put it in drive, lift your foot off the brake and forget about it.
3)Not bothered if it is diesel of petrol but nothing below 30 MPG
4)No ancient four speed autos. Last car my girlfriend owned was a 2011 Mazda 2 and I HATED the gearbox.
5)Don't care about paddles or lightning fast changes but the smoother the gear change the better
6)Don't care about the badge on the front

Currently I am subconsciously steering away from anything that says DSG, multi tronic, power shift, CVT, EDC etc.

[Truckosaurus]

May I recommend a Lexus IS250.

Fits the requirements, probably smaller than the latest generation Focuses as well, and definitely smaller than an E-class.

No turbos or anything like that to go wrong and Toyota running costs.

[aaron_2000]

This fits the bill nicely IMO

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008222...

But I'd go for this personally

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008252...

Edited by aaron_2000 on Monday 7th September 14:06

[dhutch]

I was going to ask if the 1 series came up in autos, given you can't see to find a 3er that isn't an auto deisel.

Obviously in the country manual is seriously common, and obviously cheaper to make/develop tends to rule to lower end and smaller car market. Aka, what you are asking for is somewhat rare if you rule out mid sized saloon. Hence I guess the thread!

[anonymous-user]

Truckosaurus said:

May I recommend a Lexus IS250.

Fits the requirements, probably smaller than the latest generation Focuses as well, and definitely smaller than an E-class.

No turbos or anything like that to go wrong and Toyota running costs.

That is a good call and a car I have actually investigated myself. However I have pointed them out in the past and been told they are "massive" and that it's too big.

Using logic and quoting measurements is a waste of time, it's not actually anything to do with the dimensions it is more to do with whether it looks or feels big. We hired a car once and were given a Renault Captur which again was described as "massive" when we walked up to it. It's 4.227 Metres long. She says would be happy to drive my current Megane 2 if it was auto which is 4.209 Metres long.

I have given up trying to work this out but generally :

1)Anything C Class/A4 or 3 series is "massive"
2)Anything that is Focus/Megane sized but has a high roofline and faux SUV looks is "massive"

Basically a Focus/Megane/Kia Ceed/Golf/Civic/Corolla etc with a basic auto gearbox would be the ideal choice.

I would go for a 1 series but all of the four cylinder engines are ticking time bombs.

[MrOrange]

Mini Auto. Not sure if you can one for £4k but must be close.

[mbwoy84]

Astra J.

Not very often I'd recommend a Vauxhall for anything, but my sister can only drive automatics so I was always lumbered with the task of sorting her a car out. Now I love a big auto cruiser, but small, low-powered autos have never gone together for me, so the car history on this one is as follows:

- 2001 Nissan Micra 1.0 (K11). I thought being Japanese it would at least be a dependable choice, plus at this time she wanted something as small as possible, but a low-mileage Micra with FSH turned out to be an unreliable heap of junk and eventually went bang, so the search for a replacement led me to.....

- 2001 Vauxhall Corsa (C) 1.4 - I was trying to find something around 4/5 years newer, but the premium you seemed to pay on these small cars over a manual was killing most of the cars I was hoping to find off, so rather reluctantly picked up a Corsa of the same age. I was also sceptical of a Vauxhall as I've never been a big fan of their modern offerings, especially on the engine side of things, but it was low mileage, had FSH, was a fully loaded model in unusual, but nice colour scheme and it was a "proper" auto, not one of the semi-automatic Vauxhall Easytronic offerings, which I wouldn't touch with a bargepole, and it turned out to be a little gem and perfectly reliable, so after about 18 months I picked her up her current car.....

- 2011 Vauxhall Astra (J) 1.6 SE - Again, a low-mileage car with decent spec and the gearbox for a low-powered auto is very good. It won't win many races, but is perfectly adequate. She's had it coming up for 5 years now and apart from routine maintenance items it's only needed a new coolant level sensor and a new alternator (the old one didn't give up, but the pulley had started to make a hell of a racket).

So, as very much a non-Vauxhall fan, I would recommend one of their autos for a reliable, small automatic in the £4k price bracket.

[aaron_2000]

Joey Deacon said:

I would go for a 1 series but all of the four cylinder engines are ticking time bombs.

The petrol 4 pots are, but the 2.0 diesels are usually pretty much bulletproof.

[anonymous-user]

mbwoy84 said:

Astra J.

- 2011 Vauxhall Astra (J) 1.6 SE - Again, a low-mileage car with decent spec and the gearbox for a low-powered auto is very good. It won't win many races, but is perfectly adequate. She's had it coming up for 5 years now and apart from routine maintenance items it's only needed a new coolant level sensor and a new alternator (the old one didn't give up, but the pulley had started to make a hell of a racket).

So, as very much a non-Vauxhall fan, I would recommend one of their autos for a reliable, small automatic in the £4k price bracket.

I had never even considered an Astra, but it looks like that might be the perfect choice.

1)Lack of image and desirability = massive depreciation = cheap
2)6 speed auto (according to parkers anyway)
3)Decent fuel economy (39MPG according to parkers)
4)Looks relatively modern.

Something like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2011-60-VAUXHALL-ASTRA-...

[anonymous-user]

aaron_2000 said:

Joey Deacon said:

I would go for a 1 series but all of the four cylinder engines are ticking time bombs.

The petrol 4 pots are, but the 2.0 diesels are usually pretty much bulletproof.

I would argue the N47 is one of the least reliable diesel engines you can buy

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[grudas]

Joey Deacon said:

That is a good call and a car I have actually investigated myself. However I have pointed them out in the past and been told they are "massive" and that it's too big.

Using logic and quoting measurements is a waste of time, it's not actually anything to do with the dimensions it is more to do with whether it looks or feels big. We hired a car once and were given a Renault Captur which again was described as "massive" when we walked up to it. It's 4.227 Metres long. She says would be happy to drive my current Megane 2 if it was auto which is 4.209 Metres long.

I have given up trying to work this out but generally :

1)Anything C Class/A4 or 3 series is "massive"
2)Anything that is Focus/Megane sized but has a high roofline and faux SUV looks is "massive"

Basically a Focus/Megane/Kia Ceed/Golf/Civic/Corolla etc with a basic auto gearbox would be the ideal choice.

I would go for a 1 series but all of the four cylinder engines are ticking time bombs.

honestly get a lexus is250 SE-L with front/rear parking sensors and reverse camera factory fitted and it'll be the easiest thing to park ever.

my other half is lacking in confidence big time but she was happy to drive my old is250 and parked it everywhere she needed to.

add auto box to the game and she literally loved the car the most out of all she had, mazda 3(too big, couldn't park), daihatsu copen(horrible clutch/etc struggled with it) etc.

is250 was the one.

[mbwoy84]

Joey Deacon said:

I had never even considered an Astra, but it looks like that might be the perfect choice.

1)Lack of image and desirability = massive depreciation = cheap
2)6 speed auto (according to parkers anyway)
3)Decent fuel economy (39MPG according to parkers)
4)Looks relatively modern.

Something like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2011-60-VAUXHALL-ASTRA-...

Yes, that should be spot on.

[Seanseansean]

My brother has an auto only license.
He had a 2007 Astra 1.8 auto.
Had it got about 3/4 years.
Never had an issue, it’s been a really good car.

[Ardennes1944]

I thought I read somewhere that the automatics used in the Astra H were pretty unreliable? I had discounted them for some reason (and I am not thinking of the usual M32 manual box)

[Tripel Karmeliet]

+1 for Lexus IS250 - comfy, fully loaded and will not break down

Lexus and a Vauxhall dont belong on the same page

£3500 for this is daylight robbery, and it has the ML sound system - A no brainer

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008182...

[aaron_2000]

Joey Deacon said:

aaron_2000 said:

Joey Deacon said:

I would go for a 1 series but all of the four cylinder engines are ticking time bombs.

The petrol 4 pots are, but the 2.0 diesels are usually pretty much bulletproof.

I would argue the N47 is one of the least reliable diesel engines you can buy

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Yeah I was thinking of the M47

[Tripel Karmeliet]

aaron_2000 said:

This fits the bill nicely IMO

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008222...

But I'd go for this personally

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008252...

Edited by aaron_2000 on Monday 7th September 14:06

A smelly 4 pot Derv over a smooth as silk Lexus V6...

[sbk1972]

Honda Civic
Honda Jazz
Honda Accord

[ZX10R NIN]

I'd say take a look at the CLC:

CLC200 Sport bulletproof running gear a nice place to be & they're are a good few to choose from

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008252...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009013...

220cdi

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008182...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008122...

CLK220cdi Sport a nice compromise in size between an E Class & Focus.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008262...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008182...

CLK200 Sport these have a bit more go than the CLC200

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008182...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008122...

[aaron_2000]

Tripel Karmeliet said:

aaron_2000 said:

This fits the bill nicely IMO

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008222...

But I'd go for this personally

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008252...

Edited by aaron_2000 on Monday 7th September 14:06

A smelly 4 pot Derv over a smooth as silk Lexus V6...

When he made it clear that a Lexus is too big, then obviously yes. I found my GS300 to be completely characterless even though it was a very nice car.