Automatic first car advice

Gael23

i Know it’s got potential drawbacks but have decided learning in an Autimatoc is the best option for me.
In terms of a first car what should I be looking for. I potentially have the money to get something decent but should I get something that just does the job until I have the test passed particularly for insurance?

biko

How about something small like Micra/Yaris?


Learning -> Buying

Bass Reeves

Gael23 wrote: »

i Know it’s got potential drawbacks but have decided learning in an Autimatoc is the best option for me.
In terms of a first car what should I be looking for. I potentially have the money to get something decent but should I get something that just does the job until I have the test passed particularly for insurance?

Get the test passed first in a manual gearbox car. Some say if you pass the test in an automatic you may only drive automatic car not sure if it is true. If it true you would be advised to pass in a manual car as opposed to automatic

biko

Bass Reeves wrote: »

if you pass the test in an automatic you may only drive automatic car not sure if it is true.

It is true and OP have said this is what they want to do, so that's settled.

Can you recommend a car?

Gael23

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Get the test passed first in a manual gearbox car. Some say if you pass the test in an automatic you may only drive automatic car not sure if it is true. If it true you would be advised to pass in a manual car as opposed to automatic

Yes aware of that and it is true.
I thought I had posted in the Learning to drive page.

colm_mcm

Your post got moved by a moderator

colm_mcm

My own feeling would be if you’re starting out from scratch driving to buy something cheap to make mistakes on first and upgrade later.

Hyundai Getz/i10/i20 Kia Picanto and Rio, Suzuki Swift, Nissan Micra have easy to use gearboxes.

I would avoid Toyota Yaris, most French cars (because of type of gearbox), anything VW/Seat/Skoda for the first cheap car.

Odelay

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Get the test passed first in a manual gearbox car. Some say if you pass the test in an automatic you may only drive automatic car not sure if it is true. If it true you would be advised to pass in a manual car as opposed to automatic

Manuals will be a thing if the past in five years time.

colm_mcm

Odelay wrote: »

Manuals will be a thing if the past in five years time.

Where will all the manual cars go?

Banzai600

Gael23 wrote: »

i Know it’s got potential drawbacks but have decided learning in an Autimatoc is the best option for me.
In terms of a first car what should I be looking for. I potentially have the money to get something decent but should I get something that just does the job until I have the test passed particularly for insurance?

ive had 2 micra automatics, early one 1996 & 2006 bubble type car.



I did pass my test and currently drive a manual car, small 1 ltr yaris, and its a flyer.



the autos are great, not to bad on juice / handy to run. If you are a first timer, do your test in a manual, unless you are sticking to an auto. Its something less for you to think about being nervous etc.


lots of nay sayers in ireland re auto gearboxes, theyre talking through their hats. Buy what suits you.


if a around city etc, they are great , no gear changes / clutching in traffic etc.

personally id never touch a german car, always japanese. But thats my preference.

Bass Reeves

biko wrote: »

It is true and OP have said this is what they want to do, so that's settled.

Can you recommend a car?

I would have read ops original post slightly different. Yes they said they wanted to.learn in an automatic and were looking a new car but they questioning this and should they buy something that would just do in the meantime.

Any small new automatic will cost up on 20k. Add in insurance and I'd new you will want comprehensive. Tricky getting insurance as a first time driver and comprehensive is even harder. Throw automatic into the mix and you are limiting you options.

Trying to buy small secondhand automatic cars is very hard. It is relatively easy to buy a good clean small manual car and there depreciation is very low. Manual gearboxes will be with us for another 20+ years in some form or other. I was not sure op had realized the conquences of learning in an automatic car so I pointed it out. IfI had not someone else would.

Op you have very limited choice in 2nd hand auto-cars especially in smaller models. If you are looking for one you will literally have to take what you come across. Your other choice is learn in a manual, unless there are physically reason's that you cannot then that is your best option.

colm_mcm

Do insurers penalise for automatic cars? Wouldn’t have thought so.

biko

I have had both and never noticed a problem with insurers.
Even switched car mid-term and no change in my premium.
Mind this is just my own experience.

To answer OPs question - In terms of a first car what should I be looking for?
Small car with a small engine.
Cheap to insure and tax.

Toyota iQ
Hyundai Getz
Honda Jazz
Hyundai i10
Nissan Almera Tino
Hyundai i20

colm_mcm

Almera Tino is 1.8 though - maybe you meant the Note


Had forgotten the gearbox in the iQ was Multidrive CVT and not the awful Multimode. They’re a great little car. They’re tiny of course but you’ll get 3 6 footers in no problem.

Banzai600

likes of a jazz, almera not in the small car bracket imo.

Yaris / Micra etc are similar. 1 / 1.2 engine is plenty for a small type car.



stick with a nice cheap car to start off with, a decent NCT, and service history if you can, the Yaris are a great car.

biko

You may want to browse the Bangernomics thread for a small automatic.

You can even search it like so
https://www.boards.ie/search/submit/?thread=2057996773&query=automatic

Idbatterim

I went auto and many people I know have. non will go back to manual and the ones that are currently manual, are going auto next time.

Lurching

Odelay wrote: »

Manuals will be a thing if the past in five years time.

People have been saying that for years and it hasn't happened yet.

The rise in hybrids and electrics will push it further, but there's still a lot of internal combustion cars being sold.

Idbatterim

Lurching wrote: »

People have been saying that for years and it hasn't happened yet.

The rise in hybrids and electrics will push it further, but there's still a lot of internal combustion cars being sold.

what does ICE have to do with whether they are auto or manual. more and more will switch to them, ICE or not

higster

colm_mcm wrote: »

My own feeling would be if you’re starting out from scratch driving to buy something cheap to make mistakes on first and upgrade later.

Hyundai Getz/i10/i20 Kia Picanto and Rio, Suzuki Swift, Nissan Micra have easy to use gearboxes.

I would avoid Toyota Yaris, most French cars (because of type of gearbox), anything VW/Seat/Skoda for the first cheap car.

Why avoid VW/Seat/Skoda?
Reason I ask is daughter in same boat as OP and got a seat...gulp.

OP, small automatic cars hard enough to come by tbh and are a tad more expensive (my guide was 10%). Insurance not to bad when get it with tracker (monitors speed etc). Not sure can say specific company....

Gael23

I like the Hyundai i10 but it’s so small I wonder how protected you are in an accident.

freddieot

Gael23 wrote: »

I like the Hyundai i10 but it’s so small I wonder how protected you are in an accident.

Less protected than you will be in a Focus, or a Mondeo or a Range Rover. However, as I understand it you need a small car with automatic as a first time choice and to get through your test. If you go for larger cars then you will move up not just in terms of safety but also in terms of insurance, tax, running costs etc. You may also find it far harder on a test than a small auto.

You can check the crash results for most cars by looking up ENCAP on YouTube. You might be surprised at some of the results for cars you could be looking at. Hyundai and Kia are well up there in terms of safety.

My other half learned in an Auto Micra and passed her test in one a few years back. Neither of us would go back to a manual car - ever.

Effects

Taking a really short sighted view doing a test in an automatic. Much better off learning to drive manual and then having the option of both.
I much prefer driving automatic myself, but there's times when you need to know how to drive manual.

colm_mcm

higster wrote: »

Why avoid VW/Seat/Skoda?
Reason I ask is daughter in same boat as OP and got a seat...gulp.

OP, small automatic cars hard enough to come by tbh and are a tad more expensive (my guide was 10%). Insurance not to bad when get it with tracker (monitors speed etc). Not sure can say specific company....

In that (fee grand) price bracket you’re usually looking at the 3 cylinder 1.2 which is a dog of an engine. Then you’re probably into early DSG models too which could be a bit chancey.

bliger

Gael23 wrote: »

i Know it’s got potential drawbacks but have decided learning in an Autimatoc is the best option for me.
In terms of a first car what should I be looking for. I potentially have the money to get something decent but should I get something that just does the job until I have the test passed particularly for insurance?

have a look Toyota auris hybrid, not so small, and good for insurance. Automatics its only advantages not drawbacks.

DaveyDave

Honda Jazz?

colm_mcm

bliger wrote: »

have a look Toyota auris hybrid, not so small, and good for insurance. Automatics its only advantages not drawbacks.

1.8 petrol mightn’t be that insurance friendly for a learner driver?

Gael23

bliger wrote: »

have a look Toyota auris hybrid, not so small, and good for insurance. Automatics its only advantages not drawbacks.

Are they all 1.8?

Effects

bliger wrote: »

Automatics its only advantages not drawbacks.

Except that you can't drive a manual car. That's a drawback.

bliger

colm_mcm wrote: »

1.8 petrol mightn’t be that insurance friendly for a learner driver?

For some reason it’s insurance friendly

bliger

Gael23 wrote: »

Are they all 1.8?

They are, its good reliable engine

bliger

Effects wrote: »

Except that you can't drive a manual car. That's a drawback.

I don’t count manual as a car anymore)

KevRossi

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Some say if you pass the test in an automatic you may only drive automatic car not sure if it is true. If it true you would be advised to pass in a manual car as opposed to automatic

Cee-Jay-Cee

My mother has a 172 i10 auto. It’s a lovely little car and has a proper auto gearbox and not those crappy CVT boxes which are horrible (but do the job)

She previously had a Kia Rio (09 model) which had a 1.4 engine and CVT box and was very heavy on fuel managing less than 25kmph average although she was only doing short 5/6km journeys and mostly in around town but still was horrendous. The i10 gets closer to 40mpg around town.

She also had an 05 Micra and 00 Micra before that which would have been the pick of the bunch, ultra reliable and very frugal on fuel.

Effects

bliger wrote: »

I don’t count manual as a car anymore)

So your opinion is worthless then.

colm_mcm

Kia Rios had a regular 4 speed torque converter though

Gael23

Looked at a 2010 Micra but the tax is €570!

colm_mcm

Wait til you find out its an ex rental car too.

selectamatic

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

She also had an 05 Micra and 00 Micra before that which would have been the pick of the bunch, ultra reliable and very frugal on fuel.

An automatic k11 micra would have had a cvt gearbox too.

There's nothing inherently wrong with cvt's especially in small cars. They'd generally be quite reliable as well.

Gael23

When I’ve the test passed I’ll probably look for a DSG.
What is the Ford auto gearbox like?

colm_mcm

Depends which car. I wouldn’t go near a Fiesta 1.4 (diesel or petrol) pre 09 shape.
They’re called Durashift EST.
You’ll be able to identify them by a gear shifter that looks like a manual gearknob.

Apologies if this is the wrong thread but can someone on an automatic licence drive a CVT car?

colm_mcm

Yes they can.

unhappys10

May have been mentioned and would likely be a very rare occurence but what will you do if there is ever an emergency and you have nothing to hand for whatever reason apart from a manual?
I'd advise anyone to always learn in a manual and drive whatever you like then.