The biggest issue for new drivers tends to be insurance costs, but typically small automatics tend to have larger engines than their manual counterparts which can push premiums up a little.

We would suggest the Hyundai i10 or Kia Picanto, both of which are available with a 1.2-litre engine and an automatic gearbox, although you may have to hunt around a little to find them as they tend not to be as popular in automatic form. However they are both excellent choices with low running costs and are ideal for a new driver.