Considering a small automatic - what's out there? | Ask Honest John

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Considering a small automatic - what's out there?

I am due to retire in a couple of years and will be moving from a very rural location to, most probably, a large town or city. Both my wife and I drive and we were considering buying an automatic so we would have one less thing to think about while driving in traffic.

However, many years ago I worked in the motor trade (early 70s) and have very bad memories of experience with automatic cars. They tended to be unreliable and cost a fortune to fix and then only by a few specialists. Are things different now? We would want the car to last us a good few years and would probably do a bit less than the average annual mileage.

What would be your thoughts on this subject?

Asked on 26 February 2012 by deanis

Answered by Honest John

The most reliable automatics are relatively old-fashioned four speed torque converter autos. KIA cee'd 1.6 auto, Hyundai i30 1.6 auto, KIA Venga 1.6 auto, Hyundai ix20 1.6 auto, Nissan Note 1.6 auto. Avoid VAG DSGs and s stronics. CVTs can be high maintenance.

Tags: automatics technical issues small cars

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