1st car, automatic for very short driver

InsideInsurance

A friends wife has just passed her driving test and has asked us to help her buy her first car as he is out of the country for the next few months. Whilst I'm good on the insurance side this aint my area of knowledge at all.

As its her first car she wants something small but at under 5' tall and not the slimmest of people she is struggling to find cars that she can get a comfortable seating position in. She went to see Smart cars at the weekend and even they weren't comfortable but a Fiat 500 was (as was the Jeep Compass - she wants to get a SUV in a couple of years). She looked at the 107 but didnt like how plastic it all felt and so didnt bother adjusting the seat.

I know small autos tend to get bad press but are there any that are better than the rest and suitable for someone thats vertically challenged?

She really wants something thats going to be reliable, will do relatively low mileage but much of it will be ~20 mile journeys at 60mph. They aren't particularly bothered about budget so probably thinking 2-3 year old so it doesnt lose silly money when she shifts it in a year or two.

Weird_Nev

I'd look at fiat 500's if that's what she found comfortable.

InsideInsurance

Weird_Nev wrote: »

I'd look at fiat 500's if that's what she found comfortable.

Its the only one so far but almost no one mentions what their automatic is like.

Short of touring every car manufacturer I was hoping some of the more knowledgeable members here could at least help create a short list as being out in the sticks a little bit its a fair trek to get to them all.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Depends if she wants a real nice to drive auto box or the horrid automated manual/dual clutch boxes found in the 500 and indeed most mainstream european makes these days, she wants reliable and these boxes are far from that.

Japanese/Korean people tend to be a little shorter than westerners so i'd be looking at any of the Korean and certain of the Japanese makes (not Aygo/107/C1 its got satans autobox).

Hyundai/Kia/Chevrolet/Suzuki any of their small autos will have proper gearboxes and should be comfortable enough for your friend, also consider Nissan Note and Honda Jazz (latest shape).

edit , ah you wants a short list, ok heres mine.

Kia Picanto or Rio
Hyundai i20
Chevrolet Spark or Aveo
Suzuki Splash or Swift

note Vauxhalls Agila is the same car as Suzi Splash but check the auto box is the same one.

in no particular order, if you live out in the sticks then dealerships/workshops in your area might be a consideration here.

By the way shes not short she's petite..dear Lord some of you lot need to get retrained...;)

forgotmyname

The issue is what appear to be 2 identical people will find one car more comfortable than the other.

I have a back condition and find the seating in my mondeo ideal, Even long journeys dont play havoc with my condition, Yet 20 minutes in a VW Golf is painful.

The only way to see what suits is try as many cars as possible. Just because a cars bigger doesnt mean the seating is any less suitable.

InsideInsurance

forgotmyname wrote: »

The issue is what appear to be 2 identical people will find one car more comfortable than the other.

Agreed, though height is more a practical issue than comfort. With the smart car she could only use the tip of her foot to depress the accelerator even with the seat at its maximum forward position.

At least others experiences either of small autos or short people can help create a short list of other cars to try.

Ultrasonic

Surely the sensible plan is to buy the car with her when she has returned to the UK and can test drive them herself? What am I missing?

InsideInsurance

Ultrasonic wrote: »

Surely the sensible plan is to buy the car with her when she has returned to the UK and can test drive them herself? What am I missing?

She's here, its her husband thats away and asked us to help her buy something esp as all the dealerships are 10 miles away or more and little public transport.

funkycoldribena

Ive got no experience of them but the Hyundai i10 auto is pretty small.

iolanthe07

funkycoldribena wrote: »

Ive got no experience of them but the Hyundai i10 auto is pretty small.

And it is a proper torque converter auto - not one of the ghastly electro-magnetic semi autos fitted to many European small cars in order to get them into a lower VED band.

Mankysteve

She needs to try the cars and find what she find comfortable. You'll not be able to pick something that will be guaranteed to be comfortable for her.