Automatic Cars for less than 1000?

s_b

TrickyWicky wrote: »

Where does the op say 'modern' then?

Don't be so down on the op for gods sake, they've asked us for help and thats what we're giving. Comments like yours are not doing so.

this is a money saving forum
not a money wasting forum
my advice is built on many many years of knowledge

anotherbaldrick

I would also avoid like the plague those small car automatics which are in truth semi-automatics like the VW DSG . They have various names S_tronic for the Audi but all have dual clutch direct shift mechanisms which do away with the torqe converter. When new and fault free they are good to own and drive but when they get long in the tooth can be expensive trouble.

Weird_Nev

I had a quick search and found a Nissan Almera, and several flavors of Rover/Mg Hatchback with petrol engines and auto boxes. You pays yer money and you takes yer chance at this end of the market really, I'd be buying the car with the most complete service history and fewest owners I could find at this price, rather than limiting myself to a particular make or model.

anotherbaldrick wrote: »

I would also avoid like the plague those small car automatics which are in truth semi-automatics like the VW DSG . They have various names S_tronic for the Audi but all have dual clutch direct shift mechanisms which do away with the torqe converter. When new and fault free they are good to own and drive but when they get long in the tooth can be expensive trouble.

There are none available under £1k anyway.

mikey72

passatrider wrote: »

I would avoid French cars fitted with auto gearboxes such as Saxo, Peugeot 106 etc. They have a major issue with the gearbox and will cost a fortune if they fail.

What's that?
I've got a 20 year Renault with an auto that's still going strong.

vickssinex

Weird_Nev wrote: »

I had a quick search and found a Nissan Almera, and several flavors of Rover/Mg Hatchback with petrol engines and auto boxes. You pays yer money and you takes yer chance at this end of the market really, I'd be buying the car with the most complete service history and fewest owners I could find at this price, rather than limiting myself to a particular make or model.

There are none available under £1k anyway.

+1 for the Almera - pretty bullet proof if it's been looked after.

Lum

I've owned two automatics that I bought for under a grand, this was back in 2006 mind.

First was an F reg 1.8 VW Golf Mk2 that cost me £250. Lovely car, fun to drive and didn't appear to have much wrong with it apart from a loose drivers seat and the previous owner had spilled ATF on the carpet. Didn't last long before someone stole it however.

Second was a C reg 1.3 Toyota Corolla with a 3 speed auto for £100. Needed a basic service (oil, filter, plugs, HT leads) to get it running on all four cylinders (and I mean that literally). Awful underpowered little rotbox but reliable enough. I went all over the country in that horrible little thing, used it to guilt trip my boss into giving me a 3 grand payrise, spent a hundred quid in mates-rates welding to get it through the MOT, only to have it fail on two shock absorbers which I couldn't get cheaper than £100 each so scrapped it and bought something else with a manual.

If I were looking to buy a cheap auto now. I'd be looking for something 90s and Japanese, as the Japanese had mostly sorted the rust issues that gave them such a bad reputation in the 80s but the cars are still simple enough that you can do some work yourself and don't rely too heavily on expensive electronics like cars from the 00s do.

I'd also be looking for something with a low power petrol engine as it's excessive torque that kills autoboxes, so getting one with a gutless engine means it will be harder for the previous owners to have done damage. That said you should definitely buy on condition rather than make/model/age

Something like the Nissan Sunny/Almera would be a good place to start.

You do need to be careful at this price range though, take it for a good test drive, make sure it shifts gear smoothly rather than appearing to bind up and then clunk into place. You probably ought to have a good read about autos and their common faults and symptoms as the gearbox will likely be the most expensive thing to go wrong, possibly more expensive than the engine.

iolanthe07

I'd be looking for the noddy shape (pre-2003) Nissan Micra. They had a CVT autobox that proved very reliable, and more economical than a torque converter.

anotherbaldrick

Weird_Nev wrote: »

I had a quick search and found a Nissan Almera, and several flavors of Rover/Mg Hatchback with petrol engines and auto boxes. You pays yer money and you takes yer chance at this end of the market really, I'd be buying the car with the most complete service history and fewest owners I could find at this price, rather than limiting myself to a particular make or model.

There are none available under £1k anyway.

The DSG box appeared on the Mk 4 in 2003 , A ratty one will probably be down to near a grand now.

[Deleted User]

Anything with a proper auto box in working order. None of this new easytronic rubbish they bring out these days.

mikey72

I don't know the micra, but I've never heard anything good about cvt gearboxes.
Torque converter or nothing would be my choice.