First car - Automatic recommendation

[mattman]

My daughter is coming up for her 17th birthday and starting the hunt for her first car. She can only drive autos due to a hip issue, so have been looking at mini’s around £2-3k.
Surprised how cheap (relatively) they are to insure compared to my 17yr olds car.

Don’t want to go as small as the Aygo/C1/107 type thing and don’t really like Korean cars - seen a couple of Polos and a 207 that might be suitable, but asking the PH brains if i’m missing anything else?

[Nickp82]

Suzuki Swift, great to drive and a normal auto box. Examples under £3k will be the 1.5 engine though so insurance may be a little high.

[kieranblenk]

Nickp82 said:

Suzuki Swift, great to drive and a normal auto box. Examples under £3k will be the 1.5 engine though so insurance may be a little high.

This, we took one up to 96k over almost 5 years and it never missed a beat. It was my partner's first car and the insurance was pretty reasonable if I recall. I adored that little car and miss it dearly, it didn't put a foot wrong in the 73k we did in it (bought it ex-mobility on 23k).

If the Swift is too pricey, check out the Splash which is only a 1.2 but has the same gearbox. The Nissan Micra auto is a popular little car and very reliable, we've had one in the family since 2007 and it again has been faultless despite being nearly 16 years old now.

[Zetec-S]

Something like a Fiesta?

2007 (mk6) 1.4 Zetec Climate
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Or for a bit more you could get a Mk7
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Or a Skoda Fabia?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...


Both will probably be a bit more reliable/cheaper to run than a £2-3k mini.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Any of the VW group small cars, Skoda Fabia, Seat Ibiza etc. Anything post around 2011/12 will have the DSG auto box, which is fantastic.

[ninjag]

Suzuki Swift is a great little car, very reliable and fun handling. We've hardly spent a penny on ours

[AlwynMike]

Even in Sport guise it's hardly a 17 yo's image, but the Honda Jazz is well respected, even though it has a CVT auto. Weak points: image. Rear wheel bearings and image.

[andy118run]

You mention the 207 - definitely consider this (or the 307/8) as an option.

My wife struggled to learn in a manual car so we got a low mile 2007 reg Peugeot 307 auto for her to learn in. Took her test in it too, and 4 years later she still drives it.

It's a 1.6 petrol and has been totally reliable. Only issue I recall was the parking sensors going a bit crazy so had them disconnected. Auto box has always functioned absolutely fine. Doesn't do a lot of miles - probably 15,000 in 4 years but even if it stands for a week or two, it starts and runs fine.

Can't imagine insurance would be too silly and they feel fairly safe/solid cars while being pretty easy to drive.

[ZX10R NIN]

Clio GT Line

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Fiesta Titanium

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Mazda3 Takara

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

207 Allure

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Swift

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[mattman]

Thanks guys - some good options I hadn’t considered