What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
Looking for small-ish petrol automatic?
I have a five year old DSG 1.4 TSI Golf and am looking to replace it with another automatic, new or up to a year old. It must have parking sensors, be front wheel drive, comfortable and reliable. I know HJ isn't keen on DSGs but it seems to be a choice between that or Powershift as I've moved on from old-style automatics and don't want a CVT. What cars would HJ suggest within my £17K budget?
Asked on 11 July 2015 by perkscan
Answered by
Honest John
I've had thousands of reports of problems with DSGs. Not hundreds. Thousands. That's why I can't honestly recommend them. DSGs are the same whether they are in Skoda, VW or SEAs or Audi, where they are simply re-named S Tronic to make them seem different. Powershifts are nicer to drive but are now also starting to be problematic. So your answer is a Mazda2 6-speed torque converter automatic, if you'll accept an 11.7 second 0-60: www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/mazda/mazda-2-2015.../? But get a better colour than the test car.
Our honest used car pricing is a little bit different to all the others. You can get to our values through make or model - you don’t have to follow a prescribed route. Plus, it’s live, which means we can react to changes in the market quicker than any printed price guide.
Honest Used Car Prices
From which small car to buy at which price point to the best UK-built cars, our Top 10s have the lot. Click now for your shortlist.
Unsure of what to buy? Our Top 10s are here to help you....Similar questions
We want to buy a used, new shape Volkswagen Touran 1.6 TDI SE (2011 onwards) with a budget of up to about £17,000. We have driven a manual and find the clutch heavy, so think we will go for the 7 speed...
I want a small automatic and was wondering about the Skoda Fabia. Have been told by friends that DSG autos are not a good choice. Is this so? Otherwise what else would you recommend? It needs to fit in...
I might buy an Audi A4 1.8T or 2.0T, or an A6 2.7 diesel. There seem to be a bewildering array of auto boxes available!
Am I right in saying the Multironic is CVT type box with good economy and performance...
Related models
Attractive small car that'll be cheap to run. Lots of standard equipment. Easy and fun to drive.
Elsewhere on 
.jpg)
