Small petrol automatic choices.

Sexual Chocolate

Looking at picking up a small automatic for my mother in the coming months.

Budget is about €9K though cheaper the better. Would like something 2012-2015.

As she's VRT exempt I'd like to bring in something from the UK, though restrictions may determine that.


Probably easier to state what she doesn't want than what she does.

~ No Fiestas (she has being stung before with Fords piss poor automatics)

~No CVTs (She never liked the one in the Mazda she had, though could be persuaded if it drove well)

~ And no older 4 speed autos.

The only car I've seen so far that meets her criteria is the Polo 1.2 tsi and a lot of them seem to be Jap imports.

Another one that caught my eye was the 1.6 i30 but not sure if there a 4 speed like the i20.

Anything else to consider ?

punisher5112

Hybrid..

Honda jazz
Or
Toyota Yaris, auris, corolla, Prius....

bazz26

Most small automatic cars outside the VAG group especially Japanese stuff use CVT boxes.

Sexual Chocolate

The Prius is definitely out of the equation, she despises them likewise with the Insight. Also too long for the driveway.

The Yaris could be a contender, would certainly have to be a UK purchase.

Sexual Chocolate

bazz26 wrote: »

Most small automatic cars outside the VAG group especially Japanese stuff use CVT boxes.

She always maintained that the Demio 1.3 she had was slow, especially off the line, I never drove it so can't comment. I reckon I'd have to get her into one again.

BorneTobyWilde

How is it VRT exempt

unhappys10

Audi A1? 1.4 in that year/budget combination.

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

How is it VRT exempt

Some sort of disability I'd imagine.

Sexual Chocolate

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

How is it VRT exempt

Disability

Sexual Chocolate

unhappys10 wrote: »

Audi A1? 1.4 in that year/budget combination.



Some sort of disability I'd imagine.

Never thought of the A1. Must give them a look.

unhappys10

Sexual Chocolate wrote: »

Never thought of the A1. Must give them a look.

Only experience I have of them is on holiday, rented a 1.0 turbo for a week, grand car to drive.

Fiat 500 also, had one on a different holiday, kind of gutless though.
Had a 500 Abarth on a different holiday, cool little car but maybe not suitable

colm_mcm

If I was ruling out stuff as you are now, I’d be ruling out automated manual boxes. Or boxes with a single clutch which is operated by an actuator.
A bit like the Durashift EST on the old Fiesta.

Sexual Chocolate

colm_mcm wrote: »

If I was ruling out stuff as you are now, I’d be ruling out automated manual boxes. Or boxes with a single clutch which is operated by an actuator.
A bit like the Durashift EST on the old Fiesta.

This is what I was I was referring to when I said she got stung a few years back. €1500 repair bill from Ford and a few months later she was back to square one.

Very drawns to the Polo's but they are a lot pricier than what we would of hoped for, even from the UK. Is the 1.4 in the pre 2014 the same one in the mk4 & Mk5 Golf ?

Was also looking more into the Yaris Hybrid and a lot of folk claim performance is not great with someone even comparing it to the 1.0. Would the 1.5 be that bad ?

The 1.33 would also be a contender but remember hearing bad things about the gearbox's in the European models, actually think it was you Colm that mentioned it before.

corks finest

Sexual Chocolate wrote: »

Looking at picking up a small automatic for my mother in the coming months.

Budget is about €9K though cheaper the better. Would like something 2012-2015.

As she's VRT exempt I'd like to bring in something from the UK, though restrictions may determine that.


Probably easier to state what she doesn't want than what she does.

~ No Fiestas (she has being stung before with Fords piss poor automatics)

~No CVTs (She never liked the one in the Mazda she had, though could be persuaded if it drove well)

~ And no older 4 speed autos.

The only car I've seen so far that meets her criteria is the Polo 1.2 tsi and a lot of them seem to be Jap imports.

Another one that caught my eye was the 1.6 i30 but not sure if there a 4 speed like the i20.

Anything else to consider ?

Honda fit( jazz) economical,safe,roomy,reliable and lots of extras

bazz26

Polo from the North if she wants to avoid CVT:

https://www.usedcarsni.com/2016-Volkswagen-Polo-MATCH-TSI-S-A-273209124?search_type=1&make=32&fuel_type=1&age_from=0&price_from=0&user_type=0&model=1355&trans_type=2&age_to=0&price_to=0&mileage_to=0&keywords=&location%5B%5D=0&body_style=0

colm_mcm

Sexual Chocolate wrote: »

This is what I was I was referring to when I said she got stung a few years back. €1500 repair bill from Ford and a few months later she was back to square one.

Very drawns to the Polo's but they are a lot pricier than what we would of hoped for, even from the UK. Is the 1.4 in the pre 2014 the same one in the mk4 & Mk5 Golf ?

Was also looking more into the Yaris Hybrid and a lot of folk claim performance is not great with someone even comparing it to the 1.0. Would the 1.5 be that bad ?

The 1.33 would also be a contender but remember hearing bad things about the gearbox's in the European models, actually think it was you Colm that mentioned it before.

The hybrid is faster than the 1.3

Barr

You'll have to factor in the NOX charge if importing . But if VRT is exempt , nox could very well be also , so worth checking.

Sexual Chocolate

Barr wrote: »

You'll have to factor in the NOX charge if importing . But if VRT is exempt , nox could very well be also , so worth checking.

Wouldn't imagine it be much on a petrol anyways. I'm hearing of people paying less than 100 quid.

selectamatic

3dr dsg mk7 golf or even a mk6.

They're feck all bigger than a polo. Get one with a reversing camera and parking sensors and it'll be perfect.

Sexual Chocolate

selectamatic wrote: »

3dr dsg mk7 golf or even a mk6.

They're feck all bigger than a polo. Get one with a reversing camera and parking sensors and it'll be perfect.

I'd love her to get a Golf but with two cars side by side in the driveway we couldn't go bigger than a supermini tbh. 3 door would also be out of the question.

What are the Clio automatics like ? There's not many on Autotrader but it could still be a contender.

colm_mcm

What’s the issue with 4 speed autos?

What sort of driving is she doing?

Had you considered a Renault ZoE?
Some of the newer ones don’t have the leased battery.

Sexual Chocolate

colm_mcm wrote: »

What’s the issue with 4 speed autos?

What sort of driving is she doing?

Had you considered a Renault ZoE?
Some of the newer ones don’t have the leased battery.

To me 4 speed is just old uneconomical technology at this stage. I (as someone who'll be contributing a few grand to the purchase) don't want to be buying a 2013 or newer car with old 4 speed set up when there's cars out there with dsg, CVT and 6 & 8 speed torque converters.

It's one of the main things that reviewers criticise about the current i20 (which ticks every box otherwise) before they switched to dual clutch recently.

Just city driving, it's rare these days that she drives outside Dublin.

She's no interest in going electric. She's only beginning to open up to the idea of Hybrid lately. One step at a time I suppose.

colm_mcm

You need to rethink the 4 speed thing.
Sure DSG gives lovely quick gear changes, but they’re inherently more complicated, and statistically more likely to go wrong.

CVTs are en-vogue now, particularly for hybrids, but a lot of people who’ve driven them complain about how the engine just revs up on acceleration. Personally it doesn’t bother me.

You have mechanisms manual boxes like Toyota MMT which I think everyone can agree are dog****.

Then you have the traditional torque converter box. They’re smooth and reliable, you don’t have to worry about cooking the transmission through misuse. Drawbacks being fuel consumption especially at higher speeds, through losses and shorter gearing as a result of less gears.
Sure they’re not cutting edge, but your mother doesn’t need cutting edge for pooling around town.

Car reviewers are journalists. They will always go with the herd mentality that newer is better for every use-case, and that there are hierarchies in terms of brands that must be respected - the majority of motoring journalists won’t stick their neck out with a differing opinion for fear of falling off the gravy train.

I’m not saying torque converters are the future, neither are headphone jacks on phones. I don’t see a problem with either if that’s all you need.