Buying an Automatic Car

frisbeeface

Hi there,

I'm looking to buy an automatic car around the €7,500 mark. I was leaning towards a Ford Focus 2007 or 2008 and was trying to do some research here on the motors forum to find out people's opinions on it and whether or not there would be a better car to look for.

What I've learnt so far (from what I could interpret) is that the older versions (2003/2004) are slower (with only 4 gears or something...) and are less fuel efficient than their manual counterparts - is this the same for the newer models?

I have also read a few people saying getting cars with a DSG box is better because they're faster (which is important to me) but then I read this article...http://motoren.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/vw-apologises-to-chinese-customers-over-dsg-woes-extends-warranty/

So could anyone help me out and tell me where to go from here? Speed and fuel efficiency are both important to me but top of the list is reliability! I have had too many crappy cars falling apart on me in the past!

Thanks

Victor Meldrew

frisbeeface wrote: »

Hi there,

I'm looking to buy an automatic car around the €7,500 mark......!

Any particular reason? Remember most autos in small engined cars are a bit grim. Had a 1.6 petrol megane and the 4 speed transmission was slow, noisy and thirsty.

The transmission then acted up, throwing gears and there was no specialist that could deal with it. so I reverted to a manual. Bigger petrol engine, bigger car, 30% better economy..

If you absolutely hate driving in town, fair enough, but you get the bills for a bigger car and the driving experience of a smaller car

colm_mcm

Get a Prius or a civic IMA

Neither are race cars but will be faster in real life than a focus etc.

frisbeeface

Basically, I don't like driving (I go a bit mad at the first sign of traffic) and thought an automatic might make me more comfortable, which might then make the journeys less frustrating.

I drive on the motorway for work though and go to Galway/Cork/Belfast a couple of times a year so for these journeys a slow, unreliable car would be a big issue. I guess I'm not completely against getting a manual but like the idea of switching to an automatic if there was a good option out there.

colm_mcm

Get a Prius so.

One with the luxury pack (or uk t4 spec)

Bigus

Plus one on a Prius too .

650Ginge

I have a Prius, it is a very smooth car with the cvt. very easy driven, too easy I have got to the point I can't think of a manual again.

Eastside

I would recommend an automatic anytime, dont see why people drive manual when there is an automatic option, I think it's an Irish thing, go abroad and automatics are far more popular, its as if people are afraid of them here, when I bought my first auto there was a lot of face pulling and gasps from friends/family that couldn't figure out why I didn't buy a manual. Basically, it simplifies everything, had a golf, I found it a lovely car to drive, highly recommend if the budget can stretch to it, I changed two years ago to a petrol auto merc but now upgrading to a diesel auto merc as I drive about 70 miles per day to/from work. As I said it just makes driving easier, especially traffic, couldn't be doing now sitting in traffic changing gear constantly, also I don't think fuel efficiency or power is a major issue nowadays, a 1.6 gold manual will not be any faster than an auto 1.6 golf. Best advice is to test drive and see for yourself, that's possibly the best place to start. Good luck!!

Flo89

Had to put off the purchasing of a car until now but have been looking at a few Priuses in my budget (max €9k preferably, if a very good offer could push to 10k).

However, I'm struggling to know whether a 2005 model with 59000 miles on it would be just as good or better than a newer model (07/08) with around 80-100 thousand miles on it. Any advice regarding this?

colm_mcm

Only plus point I can see is that the battery had an 8 (?) year warranty from new so an 08 gives you more peace of mind (warranty is 160km afaik)

Toyota stopped doing this extended warranty at some point though, can't remember when


Otherwise, I'd place condition over year usually.

Again, consider the civic ima, tend to be cheap enough

Big Nasty

frisbeeface wrote: »

Basically, I don't like driving (I go a bit mad at the first sign of traffic) and thought an automatic might make me more comfortable, which might then make the journeys less frustrating.

I drive on the motorway for work though and go to Galway/Cork/Belfast a couple of times a year so for these journeys a slow, unreliable car would be a big issue. I guess I'm not completely against getting a manual but like the idea of switching to an automatic if there was a good option out there.

Personally I wouldn't be arsed with a manual unless I was doing a lot of track days or spending a lot of time on twisty country roads. That said, even with a manual, once you're on the motorway and get up to speed you're going to be in top gear for the majority of the journey. On the other hand I wouldn't buy an auto in anything less than a 2L as I could probably walk faster.

Don't really get the auto hate by so many people
I've had two auto cars and both were fine, one was a Prelude which people thought was a disgrace to have in auto, was great I thought, most of the miles I did in it were Cork to Galway and Galway to Cork.

If it's a diesel focus the OP is considering I wouldn't rule out the auto on account of the small cc engine, auto boxes mate well to the torque from a diesel.

A friend has a 1.4 petrol auto Astra, now that is woeful, no doubt.

Guy:Incognito

RoverJames wrote: »

A friend has a 1.4 petrol auto Astra, now that is woeful, no doubt.

Whereas the manual version is the racing drivers choice?:)

An Astra (like most cars) is going to be an A-B car for most. If anything 99% of cars should be auto, right through the range.

Bigus

Google million km prius, they thrive on high miles.

Guy:Incognito

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Whereas the manual version is the racing drivers choice?:)..........

No but they are noticeably less woeful than the auto

APM

Get something like a Volkswagen/Audi/Seat with DSG, basically an auto gearbox. Very enjoyable to drive in traffic etc.

ffocused

I have driven autos for over 10 years now & had a 02 & 05 Focus. The 02 had an ancient 4 speed box with overdrive & was fine as long as you had no passengers in the car. With any extra weight is was a dog. The newer model was much improved.
Have you considered a bigger car? You could get a lot of car for your money if you would consider a 2.0 petrol auto. Fuel economy will be around 30mpg or 10km/l, which is not far off what a 1.6 petrol auto will return.
Honda Accord or Saab 95 on 07 plates can be had for under your original budget of 7500. I have had both & for reliability the Honda, or for pure comfort the Saab is great. Both are great to drive. I also agree with MCMLXXV that 2.0 is the best starting point for a nice driving auto.
I have never driven a hybrid so cannot comment on those.

Lutecia

I would as well recommend the Prius.
I got one myself not because it was a Hybrid, but because I was looking for an auto, that wouldn't be too expensive to run: The Prius made much sense: Cheap motor tax (especially after 08, but your budget will be tight for that), fuel economy is really good compared to a Focus 1.6 or similar, and the reliable (you don't want to get close to these pre-09 Mégane auto).
As for performance, it's slow if you live in the US, but compared to Irish cars ... 0-100 in less than 11 seconds. Not very far from a 2-litre auto car like a Mondeo for example.

galwaytt

RoverJames wrote: »

No but they are noticeably very marginally less woeful than the auto

FYP

Flo89

Sorry, more questions from me. I placed an offer on this car but got out-bid unfortunately.

So tonight I'm going to view this car:

http://www.cbg.ie/car_detail.aspx?ID=5309658

This has significantly higher mileage but it comes with the NCT done and more within my price range. I also feel more comfortable with the idea of it having a warranty for a year since it will be from a dealership.

However, the fact that it has high mileage means I want to be able to tell if it has been driven badly in the past. Any tips for this? I have read general advice but because the Prius is different from your average car, and it being automatic makes it different from anything I've driven before, are there tell-tale signs that the engine isn't in good nick? Obviously, I will be asking for a full history of ownership and service of the car but that doesn't tell you how it was driven really.

I'm also a bit concerned that the car may have been imported from a rental company from the UK - would this put you off getting it?

I have a terrible fear of getting this wrong -I probably could have gone up to the higher offer of the other Prius but got cold feet about it in the end- because I am TERRIBLE at making final decisions.

Thanks for all the tips so far. I amn't ready yet for a big car, I'm too used to hatchbacks I think and I'm not raising a family any time soon! But I think the Prius is a nice medium sized car and still roomy if I'm bringing friends places.

I've kind of been too persuaded by everything I've read on the Prius to change my mind on it now, my heart is set on it.

And that million km prius story was very interesting!

September1

In general automatic cars are less prone to mistreatment as computer instead of man is choosing at what revs is the engine going on. This does not help if someone just wants to damage car, but helps in case of typical drivers. I would choose ex-rental auto over ex-rental manual car for that reason.

There seems to be consensus that Prius is very capable of handling high mileages, maybe because of nature of CVT or fact that engine is not constantly running so you should focus on state of vehicle and service history.

Note that Priuses of 3rd generation (they have 1.8 engine) came with warranty of 3 years on car and 5 years on hybrid components, with exception of some UK imports that have 5 years warranty on car.

Flo89

I just realised I was posting under two names...frisbeeface is also me, but it's my friend's profile! Didn't realise I started off using it, must have been on his laptop. Sorry for any confusion. :P

Lutecia

Flo89 wrote: »

Sorry, more questions from me. I placed an offer on this car but got out-bid unfortunately.

So tonight I'm going to view this car:

http://www.cbg.ie/car_detail.aspx?ID=5309658

This has significantly higher mileage but it comes with the NCT done and more within my price range. I also feel more comfortable with the idea of it having a warranty for a year since it will be from a dealership.

However, the fact that it has high mileage means I want to be able to tell if it has been driven badly in the past. Any tips for this? I have read general advice but because the Prius is different from your average car, and it being automatic makes it different from anything I've driven before, are there tell-tale signs that the engine isn't in good nick? Obviously, I will be asking for a full history of ownership and service of the car but that doesn't tell you how it was driven really.

I'm also a bit concerned that the car may have been imported from a rental company from the UK - would this put you off getting it?

I have a terrible fear of getting this wrong -I probably could have gone up to the higher offer of the other Prius but got cold feet about it in the end- because I am TERRIBLE at making final decisions.

Thanks for all the tips so far. I amn't ready yet for a big car, I'm too used to hatchbacks I think and I'm not raising a family any time soon! But I think the Prius is a nice medium sized car and still roomy if I'm bringing friends places.

I've kind of been too persuaded by everything I've read on the Prius to change my mind on it now, my heart is set on it.

And that million km prius story was very interesting!

I wouldn't worry too much about mileage to be honest.
One thing to consider is actually the fact that the petrol engine doesn't make that many miles, especially in the city, where is it shut off most times!
Mileage of old Prius can be real high (in the US, there are plenty examples), and even the battery pack hold well.
* 1st example : on the battery gauge, there are 8 bars. But actually the lowest isn't 0% but 40% charge, and "full" is actually 80%. This allows the battery to last longer.
* 2nd example: when you start you car, during the first mile or so, the petrol engine will run constantly, to get at temperature (and with higher idle rev, like a normal car). However, if you accelerate during this first mile, most of the energy will be taken from the battery, and driven through the electric engine. This avoid the petrol engine to take too much revs/effort while it's cold. And that makes the engine last longer, obviously.
* Last thing, there is a "isothermal" tank, where after you've driven, the cooling fluid is stored. It allows the coolant to stay at a higher temperature for longer, and will be pumped back into the cooling system when you start again the car. That means your car will get at a correct temperature faster.

As for the size, I was driving Clios before, so for me as well, it felt like getting a bigger car (and I'm single too so not really needing the space). However the positive thing is that the width of the car was just 1cm more important than the Clio (2010) so for city driving in narrow streets, you don't feel the difference. Only issue may be parallel parking.

peace2804

I drove a 1.4 Petrol automatic, 1.9 Diesel automatic and a 2l Diesel Automatic (Sport version), all I can say is avoid a small engine if you are choosing an automatic transmission, as per the choice of the car and the engine, I would recommend an 03 - 05 Audi A4 1.9 or 2L as they are robust and there are plenty of them in the market so the price is good (from 3k to 5.5k). Best of luck.

Guy:Incognito

peace2804 wrote: »

I drove a 1.4 Petrol automatic, 1.9 Diesel automatic and a 2l Diesel Automatic (Sport version), all I can say is avoid a small engine if you are choosing an automatic transmission, as per the choice of the car and the engine, I would recommend an 03 - 05 Audi A4 1.9 or 2L as they are robust and there are plenty of them in the market so the price is good (from 3k to 5.5k). Best of luck.

I was driving a 1.0 auto Micra for a few weeks last year. It made no difference over a manual one. I wasnt in constant danger of death or not able to keep up with traffic. If anything it made driving a Micra more bearable.

Carpenter

Flo89 wrote: »

Sorry, more questions from me. I placed an offer on this car but got out-bid unfortunately.

So tonight I'm going to view this car:

http://www.cbg.ie/car_detail.aspx?ID=5309658

This has significantly higher mileage but it comes with the NCT done and more within my price range. I also feel more comfortable with the idea of it having a warranty for a year since it will be from a dealership.

However, the fact that it has high mileage means I want to be able to tell if it has been driven badly in the past. Any tips for this? I have read general advice but because the Prius is different from your average car, and it being automatic makes it different from anything I've driven before, are there tell-tale signs that the engine isn't in good nick? Obviously, I will be asking for a full history of ownership and service of the car but that doesn't tell you how it was driven really.

I'm also a bit concerned that the car may have been imported from a rental company from the UK - would this put you off getting it?

I have a terrible fear of getting this wrong -I probably could have gone up to the higher offer of the other Prius but got cold feet about it in the end- because I am TERRIBLE at making final decisions.

Thanks for all the tips so far. I amn't ready yet for a big car, I'm too used to hatchbacks I think and I'm not raising a family any time soon! But I think the Prius is a nice medium sized car and still roomy if I'm bringing friends places.

I've kind of been too persuaded by everything I've read on the Prius to change my mind on it now, my heart is set on it.

And that million km prius story was very interesting!

I had a test drive in THAT car but in the end I got 1 in Galway 08 (Cheaper Tax) when I was looking @ that car I offered them 8200 and they said that they would accept it keep this in mind nice car by the way .

anthony4335

I prefer the Honda hybrids, just on looks. Drove one and found it painfully slow, however I was driving an IS200 at the time. I have had 2 auto's so far a Subaru Legacy and currently a Saab 9-5 ,and I really loved the Legacy, it was a 4 speed but was really nice to drive. The saab is perfectly fine but I do miss the AWD of the legacy. I would look at this looks like good value.

http://www.carzone.ie/search/Honda/Civic/1.4-Hybr/201301211776921/advert?channel=CARS

Flo89

I am now the proud owner of a 2007 Toyota Prius 1.5! Got the one marked as €10,950 for €9000 (no idea how) and only 47,500 km on it from Denis Mahony Motors, as the other one had just been sold.

Very pleased with it, thanks again for all your advice.

I can see the difference in acceleration from a manual but it really doesn't bother me. It feels smoother and it's certainly quieter than my former '00 Peugeot 206!!

Hopefully nothing will go wrong with it but with a year's warranty I feel a lot more secure than had I gone private. Will update if anything really bad does happen!

Carpenter

Flo89 wrote: »

I am now the proud owner of a 2007 Toyota Prius 1.5! Got the one marked as €10,950 for €9000 (no idea how) and only 47,500 km on it from Denis Mahony Motors, as the other one had just been sold.

Very pleased with it, thanks again for all your advice.

I can see the difference in acceleration from a manual but it really doesn't bother me. It feels smoother and it's certainly quieter than my former '00 Peugeot 206!!

Hopefully nothing will go wrong with it but with a year's warranty I feel a lot more secure than had I gone private. Will update if anything really bad does happen!

Fecking great car I love my Prius :D:D

fricatus

Well wear!

Chippy01

Flo89 wrote: »

I am now the proud owner of a 2007 Toyota Prius 1.5! Got the one marked as €10,950 for €9000 (no idea how) and only 47,500 km on it from Denis Mahony Motors, as the other one had just been sold.

Very pleased with it, thanks again for all your advice.

I can see the difference in acceleration from a manual but it really doesn't bother me. It feels smoother and it's certainly quieter than my former '00 Peugeot 206!!

Hopefully nothing will go wrong with it but with a year's warranty I feel a lot more secure than had I gone private. Will update if anything really bad does happen!

Good luck with the car. I've had my Prius for 3 years now and can't really fault it.

Check to see if the recall work has been done on it.
Main recall was for the inverter pump.
There is another recent recall, and that's for a part of the steering shaft that can get excessively worn if the steering has had a lot of lock to lock incurred (manouvreing in car parks, for example)
My 07 (English import T-Spirit) had it's inverter pump changed by my local Toyota garage just last summer, and the steering shaft will be checked at it's next service (80,000 miles), next month.
Just go to Toyota's main site, search for recalls and input your chassis number or reg number.

Bigus

Chippy01 wrote: »

Good luck with the car. I've had my Prius for 3 years now and can't really fault it.

Check to see if the recall work has been done on it.
Main recall was for the inverter pump.
There is another recent recall, and that's for a part of the steering shaft that can get excessively worn if the steering has had a lot of lock to lock incurred (manouvreing in car parks, for example)
My 07 (English import T-Spirit) had it's inverter pump changed by my local Toyota garage just last summer, and the steering shaft will be checked at it's next service (80,000 miles), next month.
Just go to Toyota's main site, search for recalls and input your chassis number or reg number.

It came out of a main Toyota dealer so I'm sure she's grand for the recall work.

Good luck with it , but they just don't give trouble, also the mpg at this time of the cold year is the worst and you'll see big improvement in mpg in milder weather.

Bigus

Have you sold the 206 yet ? Pm me if you want to sell it.

SouperComputer

How about bangernomics? If you hate driving and want an automatic why not get something a bit luxurious with nice heated seats, good stereo etc. Might as well make the misery tolerable. I'm thinking S80 (super comfy seats and great surround sound system), 7 series BMW (again, good sounds with the DSP). This theory shoots economy out of the window of course. Drive it into the ground part it out when yer done

galwaytt

....well, I have a loan of a 10 reg Auris Hybrid 'til next week, and I'm keen to see what the whole hybrid thing is really like.
1 day in and some things are obvious: quiet. Very quiet. Eerily quiet.

I'll post up on the hybrid experience separately, but for this thread on autos, the Toyota CVT 'box gets top marks so far. I like it. More, as they say, anon.....

Bigus

galwaytt wrote: »

....well, I have a loan of a 10 reg Auris Hybrid 'til next week, and I'm keen to see what the whole hybrid thing is really like.
1 day in and some things are obvious: quiet. Very quiet. Eerily quiet.

I'll post up on the hybrid experience separately, but for this thread on autos, the Toyota CVT 'box gets top marks so far. I like it. More, as they say, anon.....

I've been extolling the hybrid virtues on boards for the last 7 years,

however lately there is slightly les vitriol to hybrids,compared to the past ,but that's another matter.

What'll I really like, is the pure efficiency and cost savings in a speed restricted Ireland when you drive within the law, plus the relative tax breaks on these vis a vis say your beloved 3.0 litre porsche's that had to go back across the water,

I f,kin love hybrids now and have no problem taking the family prius to Ventry ,over everything else in the stable , and this is happening for the last 7 years, even though i have acess to quite a desirable stable of faster thirstier sexier motors, even Now.

So in other words , in modern regulated, over taxed ,bailed out ,Ireland ,

id recommend aspiring to a hybrid for everyday use and an untaxed track car for the thrills, or better still spend the motoring dollars on some real petrol head Motorsport , and don't let the gov get your hard earned from road tax on a flashy road motor.

September1

Everything is relative, my impression of hybrid was about how loud it is.

colm_mcm

galwaytt wrote: »

....well, I have a loan of a 10 reg Auris Hybrid 'til next week, and I'm keen to see what the whole hybrid thing is really like.
1 day in and some things are obvious: quiet. Very quiet. Eerily quiet..

Wait till the engine kicks in