Best second hand automatic?

dutopia · 06-03-2012 2:48pm #1

I'm moving back to Ireland (Don't ask!) from Korea where I've been living for the last few years. I never bothered getting a driver's license in Ireland because I was a student at the time and it was too expensive.

Anyway, I applied for my license in Korea and passed everything and got myself a full license. According to this article on citizen's information I can in fact exchange my Korean license for an Irish one on my return. The only issue is, my license is for an automatic.

I'm wondering if anyone has recommendations for any small, fuel efficient automatics? I'm looking at the Hyundai i10, the Hyundai Accent or a Kia Ceed. Budget is about 6k.

ProudDUB · 06-03-2012 3:09pm

OP, before you leave Korea get some documented proof of your driving record in Korea (both from your insurance company and what ever govt department keeps tabs on your driving record, tickets issued, points accrued etc etc) for as long as you have been driving over there. Get it on paper if you can so that you'll have a hard copy of it to post to others if need be. Get if emailed to you also that so it can be forwarded on to others if need be.

Getting an Irish DL is grand, but won't be able to insure the car that you buy over here if you can't provide info on your insurance claims history and driving record. Or they will insure you but they'll treat you as a brand new driver, and the cost will be thru the roof. I am buying my first car here soon and am doing the research on both buying, driving and insuring it based on the fact that I have never driven here. I have only ever owned and driven a car overseas. I have a flawless driving record, but I am kicking myself now that I didn't get the proof of it before I left the US. It is a pain in the a$$ trying to get it sent to me from here. I imagine it would be even harder do it for Korea.

biko · 06-03-2012 3:20pm

Nissan Figaro, all automatics

dutopia · 06-03-2012 3:46pm

ProudDUB wrote: »

OP, before you leave Korea get some documented proof of your driving record in Korea (both from your insurance company and what ever govt department keeps tabs on your driving record, tickets issued, points accrued etc etc) for as long as you have been driving over there. Get it on paper if you can so that you'll have a hard copy of it to post to others if need be. Get if emailed to you also that so it can be forwarded on to others if need be.

Getting an Irish DL is grand, but won't be able to insure the car that you buy over here if you can't provide info on your insurance claims history and driving record. Or they will insure you but they'll treat you as a brand new driver, and the cost will be thru the roof. I am buying my first car here soon and am doing the research on both buying, driving and insuring it based on the fact that I have never driven here. I have only ever owned and driven a car overseas. I have a flawless driving record, but I am kicking myself now that I didn't get the proof of it before I left the US. It is a pain in the a$$ trying to get it sent to me from here. I imagine it would be even harder do it for Korea.

Wow, thanks for the advice ProudDub, I didn't think of getting the insurance details etc, and you're right. I'll get that sorted out before I come back.

dutopia · 06-03-2012 3:50pm

biko wrote: »

Nissan Figaro, all automatics

Haha cute car but maybe not the most modern and fuel efficient

bazz26 · 06-03-2012 4:45pm

L-M · 06-03-2012 5:02pm

ProudDUB wrote: »

OP, before you leave Korea get some documented proof of your driving record in Korea (both from your insurance company and what ever govt department keeps tabs on your driving record, tickets issued, points accrued etc etc) for as long as you have been driving over there. Get it on paper if you can so that you'll have a hard copy of it to post to others if need be. Get if emailed to you also that so it can be forwarded on to others if need be.

Getting an Irish DL is grand, but won't be able to insure the car that you buy over here if you can't provide info on your insurance claims history and driving record. Or they will insure you but they'll treat you as a brand new driver, and the cost will be thru the roof. I am buying my first car here soon and am doing the research on both buying, driving and insuring it based on the fact that I have never driven here. I have only ever owned and driven a car overseas. I have a flawless driving record, but I am kicking myself now that I didn't get the proof of it before I left the US. It is a pain in the a$$ trying to get it sent to me from here. I imagine it would be even harder do it for Korea.

Finally, some good advice!

Stinicker · 06-03-2012 6:34pm

Get your self a 2.0l if your going Auto or else one of those VW DSG Autoboxs with a Diesel engine, absolute misers on fuel. If its a city runaround you want then the Hyundai would be grand just depressing if you get onto open road and with the acceleration of a wheelbarrow uphill.

dutopia · 07-03-2012 8:00am

bazz26 wrote: »

Small automatics are rare in Ireland and those that are there are not cheap or the ones that are cheap are because they are crap.

Some examples:
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=5013305146185130
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=713234379453280
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=5213301686494830
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201208207083813
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=613268221940080
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=4513292217252150
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201208207083816
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=201207206950807

Some of those cars look okay. It's kind of weird when you see a car with less than 100k on the clock and it's had 3 owners already. I wonder what's going on there. Thanks for the links. My Korean wife will not let me get a Japanese car though (lol). It'll probably be a Hyundai or Kia.

dutopia · 07-03-2012 8:02am

Stinicker wrote: »

Get your self a 2.0l if your going Auto or else one of those VW DSG Autoboxs with a Diesel engine, absolute misers on fuel. If its a city runaround you want then the Hyundai would be grand just depressing if you get onto open road and with the acceleration of a wheelbarrow uphill.

Haha that bad? The Accent is a 1.6L which would be good enough for two people anyway. Do I really need a 2.0L engine? Tax would be higher...

colm_mcm · 07-03-2012 8:47am

Isnt the accent automatic a 1.3

I'd get the Kia ceed by the way.

TomMc · 07-03-2012 8:59am

Anything from 1600cc upwards is perfectly fine as a daily driven auto in this county. It will also be more frugal around town or short hops than a 2.0L, which is much more suited to motorways and driving longer distances.

I'd be looking at Honda, Mitsubishi and Mazda in this sector. Many smaller autos will have lower mileage than normal, given they tend to be driven by more mature drivers. Owners tend to keep cars that bit longer, so too many owners in a short space of time is something to be wary of. Having said I know of one person with a disability who buys new quite often, think they get tax rebates/exemptions. A fair few autos on the used market, may have been hire cars (not necessarily a bad thing), but still check a vehicle's history fully before buying.

650Ginge · 07-03-2012 10:03am

Toyota Prius

GhostInTheRuins · 07-03-2012 10:15am

My previous car was an '02 opel corsa 1.2 petrol automatic. Not the most modern of cars nowadays but I'd get an average of 5l/100km from it. Plus it's not Japanese, so it's perfect for ya

dutopia · 07-03-2012 2:38pm

GhostInTheRuins wrote: »

My previous car was an '02 opel corsa 1.2 petrol automatic. Not the most modern of cars nowadays but I'd get an average of 5l/100km from it. Plus it's not Japanese, so it's perfect for ya

Good option, thanks!

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I have a few decent options now.

No to the Prius though!

Chris_Heilong · 07-03-2012 2:43pm

you should be able to find a JDM Import Honda Fit(Jazz) with an autobox, great little cars.

bazz26 · 07-03-2012 4:31pm

Lads, the OP has ruled out Japanese cars for personal reasons.

MuppetCheck · 07-03-2012 4:41pm

GhostInTheRuins wrote: »

My previous car was an '02 opel corsa 1.2 petrol automatic. Not the most modern of cars nowadays but I'd get an average of 5l/100km from it. Plus it's not Japanese, so it's perfect for ya

I find it very hard to believe an automatic Corsa would get over mid-50s mpg on average, especially so if it was the older 4 speed box.

GhostInTheRuins · 07-03-2012 10:57pm

MuppetCheck wrote: »

I find it very hard to believe an automatic Corsa would get over mid-50s mpg on average, especially so if it was the older 4 speed box.

Who said it was a four speed? It was a 5 speed easytronic auto box.

MuppetCheck · 07-03-2012 11:39pm

GhostInTheRuins wrote: »

Who said it was a four speed? It was a 5 speed easytronic auto box.

My point was if it was the old 4 speed it would be hard. I find it hard to believe that in easytronic an average of 56mpg is possible in a 1.2 petrol corsa auto.

GhostInTheRuins · 08-03-2012 7:33am

MuppetCheck wrote: »

My point was if it was the old 4 speed it would be hard. I find it hard to believe that in easytronic an average of 56mpg is possible in a 1.2 petrol corsa auto.

Well it was, believe me.

I miss that old car sometimes these days just because of fuel prices now and how light it was on the petrol

alias no.9 · 08-03-2012 9:43am

MuppetCheck wrote: »

My point was if it was the old 4 speed it would be hard. I find it hard to believe that in easytronic an average of 56mpg is possible in a 1.2 petrol corsa auto.

Is the easytronic not just a manual with an electronically controlled clutch? If so, it should match a manual for efficiency, no torque converter losses.

dutopia · 08-03-2012 2:02pm

I never considered a Corsa, there's another to put on the list of potentials - thanks. If it's getting anything like the mileage you're taking about that's fantastic.

I was reading about online and from what I can gather, the Accent does around 30 mpg and the i10 only does about 25 or less, which isn't great. That's mostly peoples' opinions though so I don't know for sure.

Potentials so far:

Open Corsa 2008 1.2 (8k)
Hyundai Accent 2008 1.4 (6k)
Hyundai i10 2008 (7k)
Kia Ceed 2008 (6k)

650Ginge · 08-03-2012 2:08pm

Se something like www.spritmonitor.de to get real mpg data.

Best second hand automatic?

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