Which Automatic gearbox is the most reliable?

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Thu 12 Aug 2021 10:08
Which Automatic gearbox is the most reliable? - Lisax

I am looking to buy a 2014 plate automatic car however I want to go for a car that is known for a reliable gearbox. I don't need anything fancy and tend to drive locally mostly. I have been looking at the following cars. Ford fiesta, Focus, C Max or B Max, Honda Jazz, Nissan Note, Mazda 3, VW Polo or Golf, Hyundai i30 or Volvo V40.

Can anyone shed any light on which of these might have a reliable automatic gearbox. I will go for a car with full service history and has been well looked after. Or if you have any other vehicle suggestions then please let me know.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 12 Aug 2021 11:59
Which Automatic gearbox is the most reliable? - SLO76
Don’t touch any Ford with the Powershift box or any VW/Audi/Skoda/Seat with a DSG box. Both are fragile and cripplingly expensive to fix or replace. The Volvo V40 at this age will most likely have Fords Powershift box too so I’d rule it out also. Nissan’s CVT as used in the Mk II Note is also made from cheese and very likely to fail, the older Mk I cars used a much more robust torque converter setup however.

The best options for reliability here would be conventional torque converter boxes as used by Mazda in the 2/3 and 6, Toyota’s CVT as used in the Auris of this age too. The more expensive Hybrid is a very robust car too. The Honda Civic 1.8 auto is another good bet but I’d buy a post 2013 car to avoid the oil usage issues some cars appear to suffer from. A Honda Accord or Toyota Avensis would make a good used buy also as they’re really no dearer to buy used than their smaller stablemates and aren’t much worse on fuel, except for the hybrid Auris which is very frugal if you use it mostly locally. The smaller Yaris hybrid is a good bet too. Honda’s Jazz CVT is a bit rubbish to drive but if looked after properly (gearbox fluid changes done on schedule) it’ll be reliable too.

Edited by SLO76 on 12/08/2021 at 12:03

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 12 Aug 2021 12:51
Which Automatic gearbox is the most reliable? - pd

I think the only V40 with a powershift is the 1.6/D2 and some smaller petrols. Anything with the larger engines will have a 6-speed regular auto and from 2014ish on when Volvo introduced their new engines I don't think any had powershift.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 12 Aug 2021 13:28
Which Automatic gearbox is the most reliable? - Engineer Andy

I think the only V40 with a powershift is the 1.6/D2 and some smaller petrols. Anything with the larger engines will have a 6-speed regular auto and from 2014ish on when Volvo introduced their new engines I don't think any had powershift.

When I was looking for a similar sized car back in 2017 I looked at the V40 and couldn't determine which had a standard TC box like in the Mazdas and which had the dual clutch Ford Powershift. It wasn't the only reason why I said no to the Volvo, but I was fed up with trying to find out without success. Not even Volvo UK's website gave any info on which model had which 'auto' gearbox. I was looking at the T3 petrol model.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 12 Aug 2021 16:01
Which Automatic gearbox is the most reliable? - badbusdriver

Probably best to tell us what your budget is rather than that you plan to buy a 2014 car, as there is no way a nice 2014 V40 with history is going to cost the same as a nice 2014 Nissan Note with full history (not that I'm saying you should buy either!).

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 12 Aug 2021 17:09
Which Automatic gearbox is the most reliable? - daveyjp
Find a 2014 Toyota with FSH, well looked after and under 100,000 miles and you can have three more years of warranty on the gearbox if you use main dealer for services.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link

From economical vans to those that have the largest payloads, we have a shortlist for everyone - click to find out which will suit your needs.

Undecided on which van to buy? Our Top 10 shortlists can help...