Buying automatics at the bottom end of the market?

[vexed]

I always buy cheap and cheerful everyday cars, and so far in my motoring career a mix of 1-6k cars has worked well. I usually swap because i fancy something different and have only had one car which this approach wouldn't have paid off- a terminally rotten Mk 1 Mx5, although in the end I got the £1k it owed me back because someone drove into it!

I like having a car I can leave in carparks/abandon in town without worrying too much about, and chuck bikes/rubbish in the back of without feeling guilty.

I have always gone for manuals as I suspect automatics are more likely to have expensive failures at this price point and essentially write themselves off. I'm fully wedded to the PH mantra that fun cars have to be petrol NA, manual, RWD and lightweight, but an automatic would actually suit my day to day because I'm not after anything dynamically exciting.

Are bangernomic autos a bad idea or am I excluding myself from nice wafty day to day driving unnecessarily? Any particular manufacturers to go for/avoid?

[Twig62]

A torque converter automatic will be the most reliable option especially if it's Jap or Korean Just avoid anything DSG or any other automated manual version as they tend not to be reliable even when young/low mileage.

[samoht]

I had a free old Automatic Nissan Sunny for a while, it was reliable, just dog slow. As above, the general expectation is that Japanese torque converter automatics will be reliable (Unfortunately I wouldn't recommend Merc autos if you're seeking reliability). It actually takes away the clutch as an expensive consumable item (especially when paired with a DMF) and replaces it with a gearbox that should just need occasional fluid changes.

Main issue is that they don't exactly make the best of a small engine, so you might want a 1.8 or larger, depending on the size of the car. Fine as long as it doesn't hit you with £600 tax, and if it's not too thirsty for the mileage you're doing.

You could get a nice V6 IS250 auto, for instance.

[MrGTI6]

Twig62 said:

A torque converter automatic will be the most reliable option especially if it's Jap or Korean Just avoid anything DSG or any other automated manual version as they tend not to be reliable even when young/low mileage.

Absolutely. Dual-clutch autos should be avoided like the plague. DSG (VAG) and Powershift (Ford/Volvo) in particular.

Something boring like a Corolla (avoid the MMT 'box), Note or Micra would be boring but almost certainly reliable.