Economical automatic car search

knightstyle

Hi everyone, have been looking into changing our 2003 Scenic. Due to my wife's back problems it must be an automatic of some type. She loves her Smart car which has a clutchless sequential box and we like the Seats 70 mpg with the stop-start engine but this is not available as an automatic.
So what would you recommend? Budget around £10k but may be prepared to take a loan for more for a new car. Must be easy to get into, not too low, 4 doors and OK for long journeys.

bigjl

I will get slated, but I had a Prius for a month or two and found it economical and smooth, less economical on a run, mid 40's, but 50mpg easliy obtained round town.

Don't buy a Renault Auto unless it comes with a really good warranty.

You might be able to get a nice VW Touran with an Auto in your price range, possibly even a diesel, I also have a lot of experience of Zafira CDti's woth the 6 speed tiptronic box and wouldn't buy one under any circumstances, the petrol would be a better bet, the diesels aren't even very economical, you would be lucky to get anywhere near the claimed consumption, I have been using them at work for 3 years.

BenL

The Peugeot 1007 can have an auto style box, with back problems the sliding door system might be a big plus as well.

Ben

movilogo

Kia Cee'd. You will get 2008 cars under £10k. If get 2007 cars, you can get under £8k.

2007 cars will have 4 years warranty remaining on them

Lum

bigjl wrote: »

I will get slated, but I had a Prius for a month or two and found it economical and smooth, less economical on a run, mid 40's, but 50mpg easliy obtained round town.

The Prius is overpriced for what it is. You could get a car of similar size and specification for a lot less. It may cost a little more to run but unless you are doing moon mileage it will be a long time before the increased fuel cost offsets the increased purchase cost.

The same is also true for diesels. Best for high mileage only.

knightstyle

Thanks for the replies, already looked at the Touran and liked it, the Zafira is not comfortable enough in the back. Plus none of these in automatic range are much better economically than my diesel Scenic auto. Was looking for at least 60mpg combined cycle! There are several cars that get over 70mpg but they are not auto so surely my target of 60mpg is not unreasonable?

droodle

Citreon do a senso-speed drive which has a gearstick but you just tap it forward to go up the gears and back to go down, there simular to manual so MPG should be better than automatic. My uncle has quite bad arthrits and had the citroen C2 as a mobility car.

knightstyle

Thanks again but where can I see the mpg for it and other cars? The C2 seems to have vanished from the Citroen site and none of the reviews I can find give the mpg for this option!
Is there a site that compares UK auto or clutchless cars? It is so frustrating!

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

Why the focus on mpg? Its often one of the least important aspects to consider when calculating the running costs of a vehicle.

property.advert

I'm looking at the Nissan Qashquai and right about now, the first of the 2007 models are coming to market from the motability scheme. Some say bad, some good, but the prices cannot be beat. I'm up for a CVT Tekna (top of the range) for around £10k but the totally well kitted out Visia can be had for around £8k on a 2007 plate with sub 30k on the clock.

bigjl

knightstyle wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, already looked at the Touran and liked it, the Zafira is not comfortable enough in the back. Plus none of these in automatic range are much better economically than my diesel Scenic auto. Was looking for at least 60mpg combined cycle! There are several cars that get over 70mpg but they are not auto so surely my target of 60mpg is not unreasonable?

Don't want to dissapoint but can't see any way you will get 60mpg from an Automatic diesel.

Mainly due to tramsmission losses and the way that the autobox will tend to rev the engine a little more, a manual diesel is economical partly because you don't need to rev so much because of the low down torque.

As far as Prius being expensive, they aren't cheap new, but due to low tax and free congestion charge in London they hold on to their value, £7000 will get you into a 3 year old, if you go to a car supermarket, but be wary of ex minicab cars, though they have a very good reputation for reliability, with 150k miles in three or four years quite common, in the London corporate minicab trade anyway.