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?
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

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.
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